Next project(s)?...

Now that the end of my jacket is in sight – along with the end of my course at LCF (only two Saturdays left to go!) – I have started to think about my next project.. So far I have been quite good and have only had one project going at a time. But I think I can probably handle more than one thing at a time… as long as one of the two is pretty straightforward...

I have been thinking about sewing a coat, but like Gertie I am concerned I might be biting off more than I can chew. I ordered McCall's M5766 (pic right) which I think would be lovely in the peachy pink flannel I got from Gorgeous Fabrics] (did I mention a giant box arrived all the way from the US of A last week – MOST EXCITING!), and armed with my recent jacket-making experience (and a new book - 'Tailoring: The classic guide to sewing the perfect jacket') I have a little more experience. But taking on a coat is still pretty daunting. I think that it might have to be my 'in the background' project. Though I'd like to get it finished in a few weeks so I can wear it during the increasingly freezing weather we are having here in London. And it would be sorta Christmassy. Oooh, maybe I could have some fur trim..!

Something else which has inspired me is a beautiful dress I bought from a shop we have in the UK called L.K. Bennett. They are selling some beautiful clothes at the moment – I always considered them a little old-fashioned but they appear to have really upped their game in the last couple of years (or have I just got older??). Anyway, in a massive rush last week I had to find something to wear for a party and tried on a gorgeous dress called 'Dream' (see pic left, though it doesn't do the dress justice) in a pewter / silver silk. It was just so amazing on! It fit beautifully and is brilliantly made. With the festive season looming and numerous 30th birthday celebrations (three in the space of eight days) on the horizon, combined with the fact that the dress was WELL LUSH, I took the plunge… The thing is, I suddenly started thinking how actually this is quite a simple dress and.. would it be possible… could I?... rip it off?!

'Simple' dress. Hmmm. Then I started looking at it in more detail. The fashion fabric is silk and it is self lined for the top half and with a different lining for the skirt. There is a side zip at the hip and a little opening (for getting it on) covered by a panel of fabric that has a tiny stud, to tuck into the seam. It has tiny thread loops on the inside at each shoulder seam for attaching to your bra strap (genius) which close with the same tiny studs. The front is cut from one piece of fabric and has two darts at either side. The back is made up of four panels, and has a slit at the bottom. The front waistline is, I think, actually slightly curved. The top half of the dress has a cowl front and slightly lower cowl at the back, plenty of ease around the middle and then gathers in at the waist. I thought it would look lovely in the black silk jacquard I got from Gorgeous Fabrics (the circles on which are actually translucent black, not grey – but maybe with a grey lining I would get the desired spotty effect?).

So – where do I start drafting a pattern for this?? Start from scratch (holy bejebus)? Even though I have a fantastic book on pattern drafting (which I posted about here) I've never had the time to try it out. Or should I try and find patterns with the elements I want and mash them together? Am I punching way above my weight here??