I need a dress to wear to a red carpet (student) film premiere!  And it’s in a couple of weeks!

Okay – I can make you one, but it will need to be something straightforward to sew, probably a knit so that fitting is less of an issue.  I don’t have lots of free time at the moment!  Let’s take a look at some patterns online that meet your brief and mine. How about this one?

Oh yes! That could work! Can I have the sleeveless version, full length – but no train? And what fabric? Let’s go to Darn Cheap – they usually have plenty of knits!

So many options – maybe we’ll ask Instagram which one they think? Although we’ve pretty much narrowed it down to two favourites. Okay, let’s get that one. It’s poly/spandex, just under $20 per metre. Two metres should do it.

Right, what size? The 6 or the 8? You’re more of a 6 top but an 8 bottom – how about I grade between the two. Let’s start with the top; there’s every chance that once it’s done we’ll need to make some short waist alterations. Oh bloody hell, it’s a stretch velour so has a nap – I forgot about that! It’s going to take some serious pattern tetris to fit this on the fabric! Good thing that we need to shorten the skirt length anyway given that you’re 160cm tall – otherwise there’s no way that I could eke this dress out.

Oooh, that’s looking good Mum!

Thanks! I decided to cut strips of the same fabric to face the back neck and the armholes. No way this fabric would just turn and stitch nicely on those curves as the instructions suggest. Okay, I’ve attached the skirt. Now try it on!

Oh wow! It’s so cute! That neckline is low, but it all stays in place. So good! Here, let me try the other way of styling it with the cowl neckline and a waist sash.

Oh, that’s cute too! Only thing is, the armholes are a bit high and are giving me an armpit wedgie. Can you fix that?

Sure – I’ll unpick the armhole facings, cut it down an inch, and sew them back on. And I’ll hem the skirt while I’m at it; it only needs an inch or even less thanks to our fabric restrictions. And I’m doing it on the machine with a zig-zag to secure. This isn’t a fancy dress; it’s a simple one for a one-off event. Make sure that you get good photos of it at the premiere so that I can blog them! These are just fitting photos.

Oh, I’m not going to go to the premiere now – it clashes with our trip away to Mansfield and I’ve decided that I don’t want to drive back and forth on winding roads just for the premiere.

So the dress is still in the wardrobe. I’ll photograph it fully styled one day, and add those photos to this post!