Well I have been meaning to make this dress for a while and how delightful it is. 

I'm ever so happy about the skirt part as it turned out to be a circle skirt design (which  I love). The back of the bodice goes high enough to protect from the sun and the sash at the waist cinches in nicely. 

Floaty and fun and relatively easy design. Took me approximately 6.5 hours to make, while enduring this crazy heat that Brisbane is having! 

It has plenty of armhole space and dips in a little so may need a strapless bra. Maybe next time I will use a brighter print but this makes it nice and casual. 

This is also my second cheapest dress!

Hope you had a Happy Christmas and have a Happy New Year everyone!

Materials: double flat sheet donated by Gemma H (thank you!), interfacing donated by Pat, sewing pattern from Eatons Hill St Vinnies (25c), assorted buttons from collection
Cost to Make: $0.25

Well I hate to sew and run but I am off to France for 3 and a half weeks so I had to finish this project quick smart!

A quick and simple design, dress 'D' only took about 5 hours maximum to make. Unfortunately the pattern turned into a size 14 even though I checked measurements. Plus I might need to re-measure myself as I seem to have lost some weight recently. The buttons are effectively useless as they do not need to be undone for me to just pull it over my head. Hence the belt as without it I look like tangerine trouble. 

This is currently the cheapest dress I've ever made: most of the materials were given to me from friends! The only cost was the sewing pattern! 

I'll definitely alter the dress to be a tighter fit and maybe throw in a zip in the side to make it more snug; as I prefer zips to belts for tightness. But maybe I won't need it after I come back swollen from all the cheese and wine in France! Au revoir! 

Materials: blood orange mattress cover donated by Natalie K (thank you!), buttons from an old garment (free), interfacing donated by Pat, sewing pattern from 2 years ago (20c), lace trim donated by Pat. 
Cost to make: $0.20

Well this pattern was only half there! I was missing the pattern piece for the bottom tier of the skirt which I guess is what happens when you buy second hand patterns! Luckily it was the same length as the second tier of the skirt, just not the same width, which is why it is shorter than the picture. 
I figured it would be an awkward ankle length for me anyway as I am quite long and tall so I just used the same pattern piece that I used for the second tier. It actually worked out better though as that was all the material I had from the sheet, so I had only just enough material for the dress! 

And what a tremendous fit. One of the most flattering dresses I've made so far. Great for my waist and I love the ruffles so much! Lots of practice for gathering what with all those tiers on the skirt and the ruffling on the neckline! I really like how it can be a strapless dress but because of the fitted waistline it doesn't need any stiffening or boning in the bodice to keep it from slipping down. Which I love as that saves money on materials, and boning is very hard to come by in op shops ;) 
I may make a red rose belt for the dress as well as the colour is very much like the picture for once. 

All in all a great find, and not too many materials required either. A plus for this pattern :)

Hours: 15.5
Materials: Paled Red Double Flat Sheet from Indooroopilly McIntyre Centre (approx. $6), Sewing pattern (20c), zip from Spotlight ($1.80 but free with my voucher), elastic donated by Pat, bias binding donated by Pat, 
Cost to make: approx. $8.00

I had a bit too much free time this month and almost made 3 projects but decided to just finish the two and complete the next project next month. 

This dress is so interesting to me. The top of it did not fit as well as I would have hoped but the skirt part is remarkable. And that was the main reason I wanted to make it. The skirt has cording in the green edging part and is super fetch! I added shoulder pads as the top was a little roomy. It looks very classy though and I love the material; it's like an old oil painting :) 
First time doing long sleeves and I will definitely do it again! 

Unfortunately I did not have the right zipper but luckily I have an amazing auntie who gave me a Spotlight voucher for Christmas. Zips are not that different in price when purchasing, in op shops they are usually $1 and in Spotlight they are a maximum of $2 for the long ones. 


Materials: Doona cover from Indooroopilly McIntyre Centre ($5), 60cm zip from Spotlight (using Xmas voucher), shoulder pads from an old garment (free), sewing pattern from Indooroopilly McIntyre Centre ($1) 
Cost to make: $6.00

Oh also I made a double peplum suit jacket with a matching skirt. I am so in love with it! Long sleeves again and it is one of my best made pieces. It came together so well! I feel like I am channeling Cybill Shepard from her 'Moonlighting' days! 

Materials: Doona cover from Sumner Park St Vincent De Paul ($4), sewing pattern from Southport Lifeline (20c), buttons from Lutwyche Lifeline (5c each), 15cm zip from an old garment (free), interfacing donated by Pat (free)
Cost to make: $4.55

Well this last month has been a bit hectic but I have finally managed to do this pattern that I have had for some time. I thought the whole strap situation would be a bit tricky and it was indeed very interesting to learn.

The pattern wanted me to put in elastic in the waist but every time I do that on a dress I always put a belt on anyway so I thought I'd save materials (and time) by just leaving it as is and I will just accompany it with a suitable belt when the time comes.

The dress also only required a small amount of material; I only used one sheet and have plenty leftover for flowers or yoyos. I was worried it would be super see-through as well but the sheet has surprised me!

The dress is very comfortable and has pockets as well! The bottom part is a little tighter than I thought it would be but I think it feels good nonetheless.

Happy New Year everybody! See you in 2014 with even more dresses to come; I will have a new studio to work from and I'll show you the new little cubby hole when it's all set up!

Materials: Bed sheets from Arana Hills St Vinnies, interfacing donated by Pat, pattern from too long ago
Cost to make: $3.50

I have had this dress pattern for a long time and finally got a chance to have a crack at it. It's a little left of centre and it's a little hard to put it in a specific genre but it is a bit fancy dress, hence the name. However  the pattern had no photo of a model wearing the finished dress, just a drawing, so I had no idea how it would turn out.
Although I know the style doesn't suit me, too much collar, I do appreciate my workmanship on it. There are no unfinished edges and I feel like I have done a really good job of putting it all together. I've never done button up cuff sleeves so that was a good learning curve!

It is actually a size 16 so it is a bit bigger for me, even though the old pattern had measurements that would have fitted me as a 12. It was a little confusing but I can easily alter the dress later. 
All in all it is a bit adorable and I can use it for a dress up party if need be! 

Materials: Sewing pattern from an opshop (so long ago I cant remember), pink bed sheet from QUT Kelvin Grove OP shop (underneath the refec), white bed sheet used for collar donated by Natalie K, interfacing donated by Pat, buttons made by me, zip from old project of Mums, hook and eye from St Vinnies Sumner Park
Total cost to make: $5.05

How delightful!

This one only took me about 3 days (slowly) and it is a lovely little number. Perfect for picnics or daytime dates :) I had a fair amount of material left over to make accessories with as well. I might redo the collar though; I wish the frill on the collar was a bit more frilly. If it was longer it would be a much better ruffle. 

I have been asked to make some dresses for a feature film produced by some very talented people, and I will show you more about that later when the time gets closer, but the film is set in the 1930's and the 1940's so the dresses I make have to fit in that era. How exciting! I love doing retro looks even if the war time fashion is not as ambitious as some of my previous designs. A lot of clothes from that time were more understated and conservative so I am having a go at trying to replicate this, but with my own little bedsheet twist of course :D This dress is the first one I've made for it. 

Materials: Bed sheet from Cannon Hill St Vinnies, zip from Reverse Garbage, interfacing donated by Pat, sewing pattern from op shop ages ago :P
Total cost to make: $8.50

I also had enough time to make a jumpsuit! Yay! 

Materials: Bedsheet from Arana Hills St Vinnies, Zip from reverse Garbage, sewing pattern from 
Cost to make: $6.50

Whoa. Blitzed through this one. Literally took me only a couple of days. 

Very simple but lovely design. Actually I used the skirt part of one dress pattern and then made the top from another different dress pattern. The two combined are really fun and I love the material! Might wear this one when I go yachting haha! 
Decided it needed a belt as well so I made one to go with it, and also had a go at making my own petticoat this month so I put it on underneath to create more volume.I made the petticoat from a flat bed sheet from my friend Natalie K and some lace from a garage sale! 
The skirt part of the pattern also asked for me to edge the hem and then hand sew it in to place. How tedious! I went for a blind hem stitch instead and I think it looks a lot more chic and a lot more professional. 

Materials: Doona cover from Sherwood Salvos, interfacing donated by Pat, buttons from Fortitude Valley OP shop, dress patterns found in Arana Hills St Vinnies.
Total cost to make: $3.40