Your Maternity Makes

A lot of my friends and neighbours are pregnant right now, and the heat wave that has just hit the UK is reminding me how it feels to be third-trimester pregnant, and how important it feels to be as comfortable as possible. And then I remembered that I haven't shared any pictures of other peoples' versions of my maternity sewing patterns with you yet. So here's some of my lovely pattern testers, pattern reviewers and customers in their maternity makes...

First up: the Cordelia Maternity Camisole...

(image source: Hello Zoe B)

Brighton belle, Zoe B, looks so divine in the cutest maternity make ever, doesn't she?! She also made her little babe some matching kitty leggings from the leftover fabric. 

(image source: @magpieness on Instagram)

Here's lovely Vanessa McWilliams rocking a Cordelia camisole and a beautiful 7-month bump. I love that sketchy-effect fabric print. 

(image source: Masustak eguzkitan)

Maider and I were both heavily pregnant last summer, however she lives in Spain so was probably feeling even hotter than I was. I'm so pleased that she found the time and energy to make this fabulous anchor (yes, anchor!) print Cordelia. Such a lovely bump, too!

(image source: @mdelilahcarlson on Instagram)

Michelle from House of White shows how useful the Cordelia camisole can be for extending the wearability of non-maternity clothing. During #MMMay17 she layered hers underneath this incredible jacket that she drafted herself.

Second up: the Dolores Maternity Dress...

(image source: @miushkamiushka on Instagram)

Mirjam is an absolute sewing ninja and a seriously creative soul. Her refashioning skills are second to none (she won the Refashioners 2015 Get Shirty community competition!) and she even makes shoes. She made some fabulous garments during her pregnancy last year, including this long-sleeved Dolores maternity dress. 

(image source: @hattie_van_der_krohn on Instagram)

Hattie has got to be the most prolific maternity sewer that there's ever been! Check out her Instagram account to see the full extent of her epic clothing output. I have to include two pictures of her in this maternity makes round up because she just looks too damn lovely! 

(image source: @hattie_van_der_krohn on Instagram)

Hattie already has one daughter, with a second on the way. My hair never looked that good even before I had kids... As I say, too lovely. 

(image source: @vondalin123 on Instagram)

Speaking of epic, check out this stunning picture of Von in her short-sleeved Dolores maternity dress! That side-seam stripe-matching should win some sort of prize as well. 

Breastfeeding Agnes Tops

A few years ago I wrote this tutorial/pattern hack for making a breastfeeding/nursing-friendly knit top. I based that tutorial on the Tilly and the Buttons Coco pattern, but in hindsight what the tutorial was really waiting for was Tilly's Agnes jersey top pattern, which was released after I wrote it. The closeness of the fit of the Agnes is much better suited for the type of 'access' the tutorial creates, and shortly after the birth of my second child in October 2016, I set about to prove it. 

I prepared my Agnes top pattern pieces as per the tutorial: making two front pieces instead of one with an overlap. This time I had to make the overlapped section lower than my breastfeeding Coco top, because the effects of breastfeeding and three more years of gravity sadly made it necessary! 

For my first version I used some of this cheetah print jersey, which was kindly sent to me by Girl Charlee. I love the neon green in it, which has pushed me slightly out of my stylistic comfort zone. The fabric itself is the perfect weight for an Agnes: fairly light-weight with excellent stretch and recovery. I also love that the print is performing a cheetah skin's original task of camouflaging, and you can barely see the edge of the overlap at all. 

I've been wearing the cheetah print top almost constantly from the day it left the sewing machine, so another version was clearly on the cards. Not wanting to splash out on fabric for a top that I'll probably only wear for a year or so, I hunted through my stash for a suitably sized piece of knit. This super soft striped interlock is lovely to touch and feels great to wear, but not as ideal as the cheetah print in other ways. 

Firstly, the overlap on the front is much more obvious, which might make it look a little weird to some, especially those who haven't figure out that it's there for boob-access. Secondly, I should have made the neckband shorter than the pattern piece because it doesn't lie flat. There's no elastane/lycra/spandex content to this interlock to help it spring into shape. It doesn't help that I tend to shove my hand down the neckline of these tops to unclip my nursing bra (TMI? Don't care).  

Thoughts:

Although both these tops have been worn way more regularly than any of my other tops over the last few months, it's probably no surprise that the cheetah print one sees much more action. Not only does the superior stretch and recovery work better for this adapted Agnes, but the print is more fun to look at. I was considering making more of these with the shorter sleeve options for when warmer weather blesses us, but by then the longevity of my need for breastfeeding/nursing tops will be even further reduced. I'm also sorely tempted to make a breastfeeding Bronte top, but having already made a squillion Bronte's, I think I'd rather try some new-to-me patterns like Jennifer Lauren's Gable knit top pattern. With so little sewing time currently at my disposal, I'd rather spend it making myself garments that will potentially have years of use in them. Ya dig?

Floral Cordelia Maternity Camisole Undies Set

Around Week 35 of this pregnancy I started to feel pretty physically uncomfortable, and therefore a bit sorry for myself. So I decided to cheer myself up by making a new undies set designed to fit my current frame. These pics are of me at Week 37 rocking the camisole (no one needs to see me in the pants!).

Patterns:

I'm sure it won't shock you to learn that I used my recently released Cordelia maternity camisole pattern for the top half. I already have three of these and wear them all the damn time at the moment, including as I type this. I basically wear them all the time when at home and want to feel comfy, as well to preggers yoga classes and to sleep in. I'll probably be wearing one when I'm in labour and giving birth. Therefore I could justify a pretty new fourth version! 

I've got Cordelia's both with and without the optional bust support panel, but I definitely prefer the extra layer of fabric over the bust that the panel provides if I want to be bra-less. The pic above shows what it looks like inside. 

You've got another shock on the way: I made the pants using my free downloadable undies/pants/knickers pattern. This jersey is pretty stretchy, so I stuck to my regular size (14) even though my hips have expanded a bit over the last few months. However, I made sure that didn't tug the fold over elastic too much when I applied it round the top edge and they haven't ended up too tight. The pants pattern is quite low cut and 'hipster', which make them ideal for wearing during pregnancy when higher cut pants would most likely cut in to your belly uncomfortably. 

Fabric:

I'm not a very floral-y person, fabric-wise, but this aqua blue film grain roses jersey stole my heart when I saw it on the Girl Charlee website. Apparently it's some 'designer overstock score' stuff (who knows exactly what that means? It sounds excitingly shady though doesn't it?!) that has a really lovely soft handle, four-way stretch and a spandex content that gives good recovery. Girl Charlee kindly sent me a length for free that I was originally intending to use whilst developing my maternity leggings pattern. I'm so glad I didn't because I think this fabric lends itself far better to undies.  

Thoughts:

This close to b-day, this project definitely marks the end of my personal maternity sewing. I'm so glad that I made these items as they make me really happy whenever I put them on, separately or together, and they're the comfiest things I own. I'll be able to use the pants after pregnancy, and I guess I'll donate the camisole to whoever I know who becomes pregnant next. 

Cost:

Fabric: £0 (I was sent a sample length for free but you can buy it here for £9.95 per metre. 1.5m would give you way more than you needed for a Cordelia camisole and SoZo pants set.)

Patterns: £0 (these are my own patterns so obviously they were free to me, but you can buy the Cordelia maternity camisole pattern here for £7 and the pants/undies/knickers pattern is free here, where you'll also find a free non-maternity camisole/vest/singlet pattern which is similar to the Cordelia.)

Fold over elastic: approx. £2's worth from a bundle I bought on a stall at Walthamstow market.

Total: £2

New Dolores Maternity Dress Pattern WIP: Plus, A Shout Out For Testers

Let me introduce you to my new favourite dress! The shape may well look familiar because it's based on my Dolores batwing pattern, subtly reworked for a third-trimester pregnant figure, and I couldn't be happier with (or currently more reliant on) the result.

A new pattern is born

If you read my previous post, you will have seen that adapted versions of the regular Dolores batwing pattern featured heavily in my four-to-seven month maternity wardrobe. However, towards the end of that period I found that those dresses stopped being suitable: the mid-section was starting to stretch out of shape and the side seams ended up curved to accommodate my growing belly, and the hem was no longer even. So around the time I finished drafting my Cordelia maternity camisole pattern, I began work on a specific maternity dress version of the Dolores pattern which took all those issues into account, as well as a couple of other bits I wanted to change. After extensive fitting to multiple third-trimester bodies with both long-sleeved and short-sleeved options, I'm hoping I've nailed it.

Tropical knit

So lemme tell you about this Hawaiian/tropical fabric. Back in May, the 12-year-old, but admittedly new-to-me, online craft shop Sew Essential got in touch offering me some fabric to test and blog about. You know me, never one to turn down free fabric, so I asked for a couple of metres of this vibrant John Kaldor slinky knit and they kindly obliged. Sadly, the pink colour way seems to be currently out of stock, but they have it here in blue, as well as some other lovely prints.

My initial intension for this fabric was to make maternity leggings after receiving confirmation that it has a four-way stretch. But when it arrived I discovered it was was too lightweight and slinky for that purpose. Then, when the development of this new Dolores maternity dress pattern called for some slinky, drape-y knit, a massive AHA! occurred, and a beautiful marriage of pattern and fabric was born.

Pattern details and testers please!

Like it's predecessor, the Dolores maternity dress pattern has two sleeve options, long and short, making it a versatile pattern for different climates and occasions. It looks epic in a fun, crazy print, and also elegant and work-appropriate in a more subtle fabric choice.

This is a super quick project, because who's got the energy when your very pregnant?! After you've assembled the PDF pattern and cut out the pieces, construction should take approx. 2 hours, if you already have a bit of sewing experience. It requires just 2m of light-to-medium weight knit fabric, ideally with a drape-y/slinky quality. The sizing and corresponding body measurements are below (please note: these measurements relate to a pregnant, third trimester body):

Size	8	10	12	14	16
Bust	85cm/33½”	90cm/35½”	95cm/37½”	100cm/39½”	105cm/41½”
Hip	95cm/37½”	100cm/39½”	105cm/41½”	110cm/43½”	115cm/45½”

So, as the title of this post suggests, I'm on the hunt for willing pattern testers. If you, or somebody you know, are currently in your/their third trimester of pregnancy (27 weeks +), you would like to try this pattern and are able to give me your feedback by 18th September, then please send me an email to sozoblog (at) g mail (dot) com. Testers will receive a zip file including a PDF pattern file (that will require printing out and taping together), a PDF instructions file (that you can read from a screen if you prefer to save on printer ink) and a list of questions to help formulate your feedback. If this appeals to you, please get in touch, I'm aiming to send out the files on 1st September. Thanks so much in advance! 

My Maternity Wardrobe: Four to Seven Months

During both my pregnancies I've written a few blog posts about my maternity sewing plans, and then during my first pregnancy I wrote a couple of posts about what I actually wore (see the six month one here and the eight month one here). A few lovely readers have commented in recent months that they found these posts really useful for getting their heads round preparing for their own pregnancy wardrobes, and one reader asked me to do an update on what I have been wearing this time round. So here you go: a summary of the (predominantly handmade) items I wore between being four and seven months pregnant during my second pregnancy.

Four months onwards is really the time that I found that only the most smocky, stretchy or over-sized garments in your regular wardrobe still fit. This is the point that you're probably going to need some specific maternity garments, whether they be mass-manufactured or homemade. 

Obviously, one woman's maternity wardrobe requirements may vary wildly from another's. But for me, as a self-employed person-slash-SAHM living in a temperate climate during late spring and summer, these are the items I wore during the four-to-seven month maternity period (plus some jackets and cardigans).

Dresses/tunics (pictured at the top of this post):

The black and nautical short-sleeved jersey dresses were both made during my first pregnancy and based on what was to become my Dolores batwing pattern. They have been leant out to several women over the last few years before coming back to me for my second pregnancy. If I recall correctly, they were made by grading out from a size 12 to a size 14/16 at the side seams from just below the bust. I've worn both on their own as dresses, but also layered on top of my leggings when the weather demanded it.

The stripy faux-Boden tunic was almost always worn with leggings underneath, and I'll probably take all three of these dresses/tunics in at the side seams one day so that they will have new incarnations as post-natal garments. 

I'm not really into wearing full skirts, but I have seen other women wear Vogue 8728 (Jennifer Lauren Handmade highly recommends this one for maternity wear) and the Colette Patterns Moneta dresses during this stage of pregnancy too. 

Tops:

Knit/jersey is always going to feel better, particularly when you're expanding! And that is reflected by how many tops I own for this stage of pregnancy that are made from woven fabric (i.e. one) compared to knit.

The denim Tova top looked great with all the maternity jeans and trousers I borrowed, plus when it was chilly I wore the long-sleeved stripy T-shirt underneath as well.

The long-sleeved stripy T-shirt and bird print T-shirt were made from a self-drafted pattern, but I'm sure the Grainline Lark T-shirt pattern would make a great basis if you're looking to make something similar.

It'll probably come as no surprised that the jazzy print short-sleeved tunic and the Peter Pan collar top are both based on my Dolores batwing pattern, and made by blending out the size at the side seams (as specified on the dress section above).

Leggings:

As I've mentioned before, I tend to prefer garments that sit under my bump rather than over so I developed my own maternity leggings pattern that I hope to release in PDF form one day. I did also wear a rather ratty second hand black pair that a friend leant to me that sat fairly low under my bump, but I stopped wearing those entirely once I'd made these two pairs.

Trousers/jeans:

I had vague plans to refashion some existing jeans into maternity jeans by cutting away the front section and adding a panel of jersey, but I ultimately decided that life is too short. Instead I put a shout out on Facebook in case any of my friends and acquaintances had some maternity trousers or jeans I could borrow. About five lovely ladies stepped up, and I received a total of 15 pairs to use during this pregnancy! I have worn several of the others, but the four pictured above have been the ones I that saw the most action in the four to seven month period. If I had been shopping for maternity bottoms myself, I wouldn't have gravitated towards any of these, either because of their style or colour. But I've really enjoyed wearing each of them, as well as being pushed slightly out of my stylistic comfort zone. 

Rather than making (yes, there are specific maternity trousers sewing patterns out there!) or refashioning maternity trousers or jeans, I really recommend trying to borrow some or, failing that, buying them secondhand (eBay is a great source for secondhand maternity wear).

Other garments:

My navy and mustard Cabernet cardigans have been amazing through out my pregnancy, I'm so glad that I made them. My Woodland stroll cape provided a cosy layer when it was chilly, and my slightly over-sized Sailboat raincoat kept me dry at times too. At night I wore large dude-T-shirts and my usual jammie bottoms. 

Summary:

I'm lucky that my work and childcare responsibilities during this part of my pregnancy meant that I could dress pretty casually. I learnt a lot of lessons from my first pregnancy, like sticking to one predominant colour, in my case blue, so that mix-and-matching is easier, and that no one will notice if you wear the same handful of items in different combinations all the time. And I was able to reuse a number of the items that I made for that first pregnancy too. All the clothes I made during this pregnancy that I wore up until seven months in are either suitable for non-maternity times (like the Tova top and Cabernet cardigans), or can be easily altered to fit a non-pregnant form (all my Dolores dresses and tops and the faux-Boden tunic).

If you're preparing your own pregnancy wardrobe, I wish you a smooth ride and all the best.

Comfort and Joy

Not that anyone's keeping tabs, but I've got one final posts-worth of makes from my Spring/preggers sewing plans to share with you. It's all about the comfy bottoms! Warning: not particularly glamourous images contained below. And look away now if big ol' preggers bellies freak you out! 

In the end, I decided not to try a maternity jeans refashion, NOR did I refashion the thrifted leopard leggings, NOR did I make a maternity knit skirt. Instead I borrowed a stack of mass-produced maternity jeans and trousers from several friends, decided to keep the leopard leggings (my only non-maternity pair of leggings) as the are, and accept that I'm just not particularly a skirt person, especially during a time when sitting crossed-legged is increasingly difficult!

So I made some leggings, some navy blue (pictured at the very top of this post), some red (pictured above and below, although I doubt you've missed them!). In the aforementioned Spring sewing plans post I was talking about a couple of pairs of traced/self-drafted leggings/treggings things that I made during my first pregnancy that I then wore to death during and after. As I admitted in that post, I was never entirely happy with the fit of those two original pairs, so I planned to buy another sewing pattern and adapt it in the hope that I would land on the perfect fit. Then I realised what a lame-arse I was being. Those two pairs were so damn close to what I was hoping for, why bottle out and assume someone else's pattern drafting would be closer to the mark?  

So I unearthed the pattern pieces and set to work. The original pattern was formed from separate front and back leg pieces, and I decided to rework them into a single-leg pattern piece with no outside leg seam. I then made further tweaks that I hoped would improve the fit, and made a version up in some navy blue four-way stretch double knit that I bought in Ditto fabrics in Brighton. The result was excellent (in fact I'm wearing them now) but still not perfect. I prefer maternity bottoms that sit underneath my bump, and the navy blue pair still felt maybe 2cm too high round there. Plus, there seemed to be a tiny-but-unattractive excess of fabric at the front crotch area if I stood with my legs together. I made further tweaks, plus decided to make a 3/4 leg version of the pattern to wear to preggers yoga class, and stitched it up in some lovely red cotton/spandex blend jersey kindly sent to me for the purpose by Girl Charlee. BINGO!!!! Just what I was after: the perfect (for me) fitting maternity leggings. Most shop-bought maternity leggings that I've seen either cover the bump entirely, or come up pretty high onto it. Mine sit just wear I want them, but are high enough around the bum and hips that they feel totally secure and there is absolutely no risk of them working their way south! I'm so happy with it that I may develop and release this pattern in PDF form one day....

My final pair of comfies should have been one of the easiest and quickest makes ever. Except they weren't. No fault at all of the pattern itself, mind. For these I used the wide legged trouser pattern from Wendy Ward's 'Beginner's Guide to Dressmaking' book (pictured below). I teach at her workshop in Brighton where she has all her patterns on card for students to trace out and make during a class. I told Wendy of my intentions to make the trousers for maternity-and-beyond use and was moaning that I couldn't find any suitably drapey fabric, and she very generously offered me some soft and slinky grey knit that was lurking in her stash. So the next time I was at the studio, I traced and cut out the trousers, then proceeded to put all of it, scraps and cut pieces directly into the scraps bin whilst tidying up! I didn't realise what I had done until I was sitting on the train heading home. I sent a panic text message to Wendy and she later rescued the pieces for me! I felt more than a bit stupid.

(image source: MIY Collection/Wendy Ward)

The next stupid thing I did was choose some inappropriate fabric for the waistband. The waistband piece requires thicker, more sturdy knit than the legs (the latter can also be made in drapey woven fabric). I used some of the leftovers from my MIY Collection Brightside shrug, which although blending nicely colour-wise, didn't have anywhere near enough stretchiness to perform well as a waistband. I was bemoaning my mistake to Debbie, one of the regular students at Wendy's MIY Workshop, because she is a big fan of this pattern and has made it for herself and virtually every female she has ever met. Bless her, the next class she brought in the leftover waistband fabric from a pair she'd recently made for her hairdresser, so I cut out a new waistband and replaced the old one! Once again because of my preference for firmly-under-the-bump waistbands, I cut the waistband piece approximately 3/4 the depth of the original pattern piece so there wouldn't be so much fabric round my waist (the waistband is designed to fold in half). I'm not showing these trousers off particularly well in these images (plus they have been washed and folded up without being ironed!), but you'll have to trust me that they feel luxuriously slinky. Although a massive improvement on the first attempt, waistband has ended up still feeling a bit tight for a third-trimester belly, but I know that I'll wear the living hell out of these when this pregnancy is over. 

Massive thanks to Wendy, Debbie and Girl Charlee for helping me expand my comfy-trouser selection!!!!

What about you? What is the most comfortable (if not glamourous-looking) garment you've ever made?

Cordelia Maternity Camisole Pattern: On Sale Now!!!!

It's here! My latest PDF sewing pattern which has been designed to help women who are in one of the trickiest points in their lives to dress for: the third trimester of pregnancy! The Cordelia maternity camisole is a potentially invaluable addition to a maternity wardrobe. Suitable for wear in hot weather, as a layer in cooler weather, to sleep in or to wear to pregnancy yoga, this simple strappy top accommodates your bump with side gathers but feels super secure with a snug hem band. AND the pattern includes an optional bust support panel!

As a pregnant lady currently in the third trimester, I know first-hand how useful these camisoles are! During the heat wave the UK is having at the moment, a Cordelia camisole is pretty much the only thing I can stand to wear. In fact, I'm wearing one as I type this.

This sewing pattern comes in a digital format. When you buy the Cordelia maternity camisole pattern, you will receive both print-at-home and copy shop versions of the pattern, the print-at-home version consisting of just 14 pages, as well as detailed instructions on all aspects of how to use this pattern and make the garment.

The Cordelia maternity camisole pattern is suitable for almost all levels of sewing experience. It is recommended that you have a couple of garment projects under your belt already, however the clear instructions include lots of tips for using both knit fabric and fold over elastic (which is used for the straps and binding the top edges) if those elements are new to you. A handy single-page version of the instructions has also been included for those with a lot of sewing experience, or as a reminder for when you make your second and third etc. versions. For further information, including how to purchase it, please head to the Cordelia Maternity Camisole page!

Enormous thanks to Claire for all her help making this pattern into a product, both Cordelia and Sian for fit-modelling, and Cordelia for final product modelling also, a host of amazing pattern testers, and to Girl Charlee for sending me fabric to make samples from. I used their white stitched arrow on blue jersey (pictured above) and red and blue triangle stag jersey (pictured below).

Jazzy Dolores Tunic

The few glimpses of hot weather that we've had here so far this year made me realise that my current warm-weather maternity game is weak. I have no short-sleeved tops for this middle stage of pregnancy. What to do?

Fabric:

HOW GOOD is this fabric?! So good. I have Girl Charlee to thank for sending me 1.2m of this silky soft jersey for free after I requested it with an eye to sampling some a new leggings pattern (which I'll post about soon). When it arrived, I quickly realised that it was unsuitable for leggings. It was too thin and slinky so I popped it in my stash and they generously sent me something else instead. But the print was just too awesome to languish in the stash for long...

Pattern:

So I had this fine, slinky jersey burning a hole in my stash. If only I could think of a sewing pattern that requires just that type of jersey..... Stop the search! My very own Dolores batwing pattern fit the bill perfectly: ideal for drapey knit, short-sleeve option for warmer weather, tunic-length that's long enough to cover my bump. Yay! 

To make it suitable for mid-maternity, I used my regular size (12) for the top part, then from just under the bust area I blended the side seams out to a size 16 until the hem. It's a little loose round the belly at the moment, but I wanted it to last for a couple of months. Post-natal, I plan to take the side seams back in so that I can get maximum wear from it going forwards.    

Thoughts:

I don't think that this jazzy print is my usual style, but the great thing about maternity wear is that it gives you a chance to try out new things that appeal to you on a temporary basis. I love this print, and it'll be interesting to see if it starts to feel more 'me' after a few wears. Also, in less than two weeks we'll be moving to a new town where I hope to sign up to a pregnancy yoga class there. I think this top worn with maternity leggings will look awesome for that!

Cost:

Fabric: £0 (thanks very much to Girl Charlee for my free fabric. 1.2m of this lovely jersey would cost £10.75 from here)

Pattern: £0 (it's my own pattern, which is available here for £7.00, which includes six style variations, BTW)

Total: £0 

If Boden Did Maternity: AKA The Breton Tunic Dress

Almost exactly three years ago, during my first pregnancy, I made a top that reflected my then-obsession with the clothing website Modcloth. That garment looked like it could have been stocked by them, if they had a maternity range. Well, it seems as though I've done it again. This time I've made a tunic dress that may be reflecting the current Boden-bias of my Pinterest boards! Just look at this, and you'll see what I mean. I was an accident, I promise! 

Pattern:

As I wrote in slightly greater detail in my Spring/preggers sewing plans post, basically I'm not over this vintage Simplicity 7023 pattern (pictured below). I love the 1960's Breton top I made from it so much that a longer tunic/dress variation was kind of inevitable. 

Ultimately, I think the best silhouette for a tunic dress version of this pattern would be more like this or this: basically, straighter. However, I wanted it to be something I could wear for a a good chunk of my pregnancy, so instead I frankensteined the above pattern with the Tova pattern to create a gentle A-line shape that hopefully still looks fairly straight but is a bit more accommodating. When I've finished being pregnant and stopped breast feeding, I'll skim the side seams in again so it will have something close to the silhouette I'd prefer. 

Fabric:

I was given about 1.7m of this amazing striped double knit from Josie, the owner of Fabric Godmother when I went to visit her at the end of last year. I fell in love with it hard but had already blown my fabric-purchasing budget on several other pieces. Yet she could see how much I yearned for it so kindly put me out of my misery and gave me a length! I wish I could link to it on her site but, as with so much of her stock, she sold out of it super quick so I'm afraid I can't. 

This fabric is either synthetic, or a blend with a heavy synthetic content, but it feels lovely to wear and not at all sweaty. It does, however, retain the benefit of not needing to be ironed at all! As you may be able to tell from these photos, I recent went on a little holiday (near Alicante in Spain) and it was the perfect garment to take as it doesn't crease at all (apart from the pockets, see below). 

The only thing that was challenging about this fabric was the fact that the white stripes are raised. That made pattern matching at the centre back seam, side seams and sleeve seams pretty tricky as the stripes kept sliding off each other. The back seam looks less than perfect (not that I care because, you know, it's at the back) but I'd kind of got the hang of it as I went and the side seams and sleeve seams look ok. I probably should have unearthed my walking foot or something, but I was rushing slightly to get this done before my holiday. 

I knew this simple tunic dress was going to need pepping up with some pockets. My first plan was to use the striped fabric for them, with the stripe running vertically and with white flat piping round the edge. After wasting an hour or so attempting this, I abandoned them because they were looking rubbish. I then turned to a scrap of the washed denim that I also used for the facings (leftovers from my Tova top) which worked much better because I could get a really nice, crisp-looking finish with that. Luckily for everyone, I can link to the washed denim (also from Fabric Godmother), as she still has it in stock. Although I'm so in love with it and keep thinking of sewing projects that it would be great for, so I may have to snaffle some more...

Thoughts:

MAJOR SUCCESS. It could be argued that the tunic dress looks a tad frumpy in these pictures, but I really think that that's just the stage of pregnancy I'm at right now. I don't have the deliciously full, obviously-pregnant bump yet, but I said goodbye to my waistline months ago! I wore this dress heaps on holiday, both with and without jeans underneath, depending on the temperature. I'm really excited about its future incarnation with the altered side seams.

I can see at least one more version of this pattern in my future. I'm thinking a basic black top, perhaps with oversized patch pockets, that overall with have a beatnik chick vibe, a bit like this.

Cost:

Striped fabric: £0 (given to me by Fabric Godmother and no longer in stock, but they do have some nice-looking black and white striped Ponte for £16 per metre that might work well for a similar looking garment)
Scraps of washed denim: £0 (I factored its cost into a previous make, but it can be found here for £10 per metre)
Pattern: £0 (I actually have no recollection of obtaining this pattern, but seeing as this is the third time I've used it now, I'm sure its cost doesn't need factoring in anymore)
Total = £0

Now obviously that cost outcome is questionable, but I literally didn't need to spend any money between the point the idea for it struck me until it became a wearable garment, so I'm sticking with it!