50's ladder dress

 On Friday, I received a little parcel from Emily and so of course, this was going to be my next item to sew.  A lovely dress with kimono sleeves and a nice A line shape, pockets and no zipper!  I promised myself I was going to take it slow...no rushing and racing to finish it in record time.  No panic sewing. Nice and easy..
Friday afternoon, I popped into the fabric store to find some fabric.  I had something in mind, but as soon as I saw the Liberty Howells Ladders (from the Liberty Art Fabrics Spring Summer 2012 Archive collection) I changed my mind. The pattern said I needed 2 1/2 yards, so of course I only bought 1.8m.  ????  Anyway, I'm pretty short so I thought it would do!  It does, but I did think at times that it could have been longer!

The fabric history, as always, from the Liberty website: Howells Ladders is a print chosen by Michael Howells from the archives, it was designed in the 1950s and is based on a print impression from Liberty's Merton Abbey Printworks.  It has these wonderful orange and yellow ladders and I thought the dress would look great with a little yellow or orange belt.  The dress is probably a bit short to wear with a belt for work (thanks to my under purchase of fabric), but for a different occassion it will be great.  (Will need to buy a belt!).  It might be just me but the dress has a bit of a 50s style about it too, so I think the fabric works.

And so, with the sewing, I did take it slowly.  Sort of.  It's a pretty easy pattern so I finished it last night after basically a day on and off of sewing interlaced with soccer, music, trying to be a better mum, cooking and looking after Ben (though he is much improved- yeah!).  It's true that by the time I got to the hemming, I was willing it finished.  What is that about?  I should have left it for the next day and enjoyed it!  But no.  MUST - FINISH - TONIGHT!

I also decided that I probably look a bit better with something around my neck - so with what tiny little bit of fabric I had left, I made a little triangular scarf, which, while it doesn't look much in the photo is super cute! Also, I dug out some old orange shoes I bought about 15 years ago or more which never get a run, but might with my new dress.

Just one other thing:  the pattern.  I'm so used to sewing from Japanese pattern books that have no instructions that I can understand and therefore I basically make up the steps, that it is a strange experience to sew from something with 25 steps.  I became so dependent on them that I needed more: why don't they tell me when I'm supposed to overlock the seams!