By Hand London Elisalex Dress Muslin

As usual, I have been sewing but not blogging about it. Most recently I made a Colette Laurel dress, which I will blog soon(ish)and the above bright (understatement!) orange drill muslin of an Elisalex dress. I had wanted to make this pattern for a while as it's a bit like one of my faves, Vogue 8511, only with the defining features a bit more pronounced, by which I mean the skirt is more bubbly and the princess seams on the bodice are a nicer shape. Oh, and the back is a bit more special, being cut in a lowish "v".

I wanted to shorten the skirt by quite a bit, as this does come up really really long, but I didn't want to lose the narrowness at the bottom, so I took a big chunk out of the "thigh" area. Once I'd smoothed off the sides, it did look a bit of a rounded shape for a skirt but I thought I'd see it through and I think it came out okay. I like the excess fabric and the way it drapes at the sides (actually, now I come to think of it, I did remove a bit more of the curve when it came to sewing).

I had to make a little extra bust room by increasing the curve of the princess seams by about a little under a centimetre.  And when I make the real version of the dress (in tartan silk dupion for my brother's wedding) I think I'll take over a centimetre from each shoulder seam as it feels a little big there, and also across the top of the back.

I know the fabric is ridiculously bright and it makes me look like a cadaver in some lights (not a flattering look) but I like it!  The shape of the dress is just lovely and very easy to wear as the skirt is so loose below the waist at least.

I am about to make another one in a quilting cotton to double-check the fit before cutting my silk, so will post that as soon as it's finished.

Now I just have to post everything else I have made.  Gosh I am a lazy blogger.