Lightning strikes, maybe once, maybe twice....revisiting Simplicity 3750/2226

This last weekend I was torn between wanting to further my foray into learning more (need more input....) and having found some patterns I like, whipping (and by whipping I mean slightly faster than paint drying) up a couple of extra garments.  In the end the fabric chose it for me - I had a lovely broadcloth cotton in a blue that I wanted in a skirt and a Michael Miller secret garden cotton print that I wanted in a top so I revisited the simplicity patterns - Simplicity 3750 and Simplicity 2226.

Loki assisting with fabric prep

Stop draggin my hems around.....Simplicity 3750

A skirt, a dress and now a top......I almost have a wardrobe. Just don’t tell me it would be so much cheaper, a lot quicker and potentially less chocolate consumption to just head down to K-mart....la la la, not listening to you naysayers.

 After last weekend off, this weekend it was back in the living/tv/gym/dining/sewing room on official sewing business to tackle the latest project:

Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies Simplicity pattern 2147

Project #5 - the simple shift dress

Simplicity 2147....Learn to Sew pattern, huh more like Learn to Fix pattern.  A simple mini dress or tunic top.  Listed on the front of the pattern cover is Learn Basic Skills;  cut out a pattern, make pleats, stitch a yoke, apply neck facings, stitch a narrow hem, apply lace trim, make a belt.  They should have added; unless you can make a sack dress look attractive then learn to modify a pattern.  My stating the obvious tip #2 - dont judge a book (or pattern) by the cover.

This is really a very simple pattern made up of 4 pattern pieces (plus the belt).  Great beginner (that would be me) pattern as you go through some basic sewing skills to assemble the pattern.  The big - and by big I mean voluminous - problem with this pattern is the finished dress is like a sack.  You could get lost in all the fabric folds mainly at the back of the dress and I don't know any woman who could make this look attractive.  I am suspicious.....very suspicious...(I'm sure one of them was smirking at me)....of the poses of the models on the pattern cover...hmmm direct to camera and arms in strategic positions to hide, I am guessing, the VOLUMES of fabric that the pleating causes.  A little shaping Simplicity, would have gone a long way.

Wait a minute baby, stay with me a while....for a Recap

OK so I've been sewing now for 2 months and am a little late off the mark with starting a blog.  So this is recap time of progress to date

Resources:
Janome DC2101 - so far, so good
One Plano Tacklebox to hold all those sewing notions (comes in blah colour choice but great storage options)
Gladstone public library - great selection of eighties sewing manuals (shoulder pads, dahrling)

Projects
1. The square pillowcase (envelope style)
1st lesson learnt the hard way, measure, then measure again, then measure with a different ruler cause somethings wrong with the first, and then just for the heck of it measure again.

Tusk! Why don't you tell me whats going on...

Every journey has a beginning and my foray into the hazy world of the right-brainers is no exception.  To tell it I have to go back....way back...

In the beginning the world was flat supported on the backs of 4 elephants on top of a giant flying turtle.  Wait.  Nope, that doesn't sound right...lets get out of Discworld and back onto planet Earth.

Back...way back in time...

a girl child was born to an engineer dad and super crafty mum