Hello!  So here you have it – my very first post on Gingerthread Girl – I can hardly contain my excitement!!

I figured that the best place for me to start is with my very first ever handmade dress.

I started this over my first few dressmaking lessons during my evening course.  The idea of the lessons was that we would learn a new skill/technique every lesson, as well as work on  our own project – most were working on dresses.

I swiftly took myself to the shamazing Backstitch shop at Burwash Manor in Barton.  This has become one of my favourite fabric shops!  Alice who runs this shop is lovely, and always helps with any questions I may have – no matter how stupid (and believe me, as a newbie sewer, some of the questions can be supremely stupid!).  I picked this Riley Blake cotton chevron fabric in navy, as well as a solid (plain) navy cotton.  This was after picking Gather Kits’ The Mortmain dress pattern for my first creation.  I chose it because it looked like an easy wear day/work dress which I could team with a blazer or jacket.

It was a great choice for my first dress – not too complicated – and taught me how to sew darts and make pleats.  My course had already taught me about seams (allowances and finishes) as well as basics of measuring myself for a pattern and fabric cutting.

It took me quite some time to finish this first dress, but I cannot tell you how proud I was when it was done!  I took it to my next lesson and my teacher was so surprised that I’d managed to finish it.   To be honest, once I’d started I couldn’t leave it – I was addicted!!

Looking back at the dress now, I would DEFINITELY be able to finish it much better.  But it doesn’t matter.  That was my start into the world of dressmaking, and I will always love it!

I will definitely be making more Mortmain dresses in the future too 🙂

I hope you like this, and just ask if you have any questions…  especially if you are someone hoping to get started with dressmaking!  I’d love to hear from peoples 🙂

Jen x

P.S. Here’s a (blurry) photo of my fluffy sewing assistant!  He insisted on sitting on the chair too, while I was sewing this dress.