My Beautiful Bettine - A review...

After 5 weeks away from home, I have finally returned to sewing. I certainly missed it a lot! During that time I have been collecting fabric, patterns and inspiration to use on my return home. 

The pattern at the top of my list of 'to make's' was the Bettine by Tilly and the Buttons. This pattern was part of a dual release back in July and was in fact part of a special deal with the Fifi boudoir set. I actually didn't take advantage of this offer because the boudoir set is not something I would wear - more of a comfy casual pyjama kinda gal! I did however decide to buy the printed version of the pattern, not my usual PDF. This was because I was in the UK and postage was reasonable. I teamed it with purchasing the Miette skirt, which is a pattern I have been considering for a while. I took the plunge as I would save on postage or printing at a later date.  

The Bettine is a zip-free, casually worn dress that is suitable to be made up in either woven or knitted fabric. It is pulled over the head and it keeps its shape with a simple piece of elastic around the waist. It is described as a great beginner sew. Because i'm not a beginner, I decided to make it as complicated as possible, by including all the details - Front pockets and tabs on the sleeves. 

I decided to make a toile of this pattern. I don't always do this, but I have found recently that my measurements have changed (they're smaller!) and when matching up with the size chart, I fell right in the middle of the size 5 and 6. I decided to draw a line in the middle of the two pattern lines to trace off. After completing the toile of the shape, there were some issues with the fit and shape of the dress. The bodice seemed much longer at the back, which made the front look two small. Because I wear an E cup, I presumed this was the issue and that there was not enough fabric to go over my curves. I had already lengthened the bodice by 2cm due to the fact that I have a long torso. I decided to add a further 2cm, which would allow the fabric to skim my body better. In addition to this, the hip area looked too severe. The natural silhouette of the skirt is that it curves out at the hips before coming back in towards the hem - a tulip skirt. I decided to smooth hip curve by 1cm and flare it out as a whole by 3cm. This allowed a wider base and more fabric to slide over my bottom. 

The fabric I chose was a cotton lawn that I bought from Guthrie and Ghani's website, also while I was in the UK. I saw a dress that Lauren had made from it and fell in love! (You can buy it here) I'm totally into nautical stuff, so this was perfect for me. It's a really lovely weight, slightly heavier than a Liberty Tana Lawn. I figured it would be perfect for this dress. 

The make itself was really straight forward. There are lots of little details to keep you stimulated, such as the pockets and the sleeve tabs. I decided to alter how I clip into seams thanks to 

Tilly's fabulous colour instructions. Removing a triangle does help with the turning of the fabric and it allows it to sit really flat. Previous to this I cut slits into the fabric only.  

I managed to make the final dress in one afternoon thanks to some super speedy sewing and I wore it today. I love the feel and the fit and it's nice and lightweight, which helps with the humidity we're experiencing at the moment! I styled it with my Tatty Devine lobster necklace and some red Saltwater sandals - Nautical-tastic! 

I love this pattern and know i'll be making another one soon. I've got a few lovely soft viscose fabrics in my stash that have got Bettine written all over them! I also recommend the printed version of Tilly's patterns, they're so nice and definitely worth the money. Now i'll move onto the next garment on the to do list; watch this space! 

My prize haul...Thank you Gather!

I've gradually been gathering up my prize haul from my festive competition win. Before the Christmas break I was sent voucher codes for The Village Haberdashery (25 GBP) and Guthrie and Ghani (30 GBP). I was eager to start shopping! Knowing that I was visiting the UK over Christmas meant that I saved a bit of money on delivery, so I got plenty for my money. I decided to buy the fabric below from The Village Haberdashery. The fabric on the left is an Alison Glass handcrafted cotton fabric (available here in graphite). The fabric on the right is a hand painted effect viscose. Both fabrics are really lovely and I made sure that I got 3 metres of each so that I can make a dress from each if I so choose. I'm sure you'll agree that they are stunning?!

From Ghani and Guthrie I decided to buy patterns (see here for their extensive range). I have coveted both the Sew over it! Betty dress - a stunning little 50's style number and the By hand Anna dress - a very versatile dress that can be made short or long for a while. I love the packaging of both and it is such a treat to have a physical pattern, instead of printing a PDF. 

After picking up my lovely fabric and patterns from the UK, I returned to Hong Kong anticipating the arrival of my other prizes. After a long, jet lagged day at work, I managed to make it to the Post Office. I was super excited to open the package and reveal these beautiful Gather patterns (thank you ladies!) and also a surprise prize, which was The secrets of sewing lingerie book! I wasn't expecting this, so I was very happy. I have never approached underwear as a me made item, but now it's certainly an option. It's a beautifully put together book, with great photographs and clear instruction. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into it!

I now have a massive 'to sew' list and can't wait to get started!