You may remember the gaberchino I love to use from Calico Laine.
I have made a dress for a wedding –The Howe and The Poppy with it. I love how it is to sew and also how it feels to wear.
So when I got a free pattern for The Skater dress from Love Sewing magazine I was straight on the Calico Laine website to choose a different colour. As a blogger I get a 20% discount on my order, but even without this I think it is a good price for the quality.
As it is Christmas I went for purple. It is very like The Ruby pattern which I have embarrassingly made approx eight, yes, you read that correctly eight time. It may even be nine, but I won’t admit to that!
The Skater has long sleeves and I wonder if the skirt is even more of a circle than the Ruby , It feels full of fabric.
It was lovely to wear although I thought the picture looked quite long on the model so I went with the pattern…..it is a bit short for me I think! Next time I will add some inches, I’d quite like a ballerina length.
It was so cold when we took the photos the lens has fogged up, so I hope to get some better photos at the next Christmas dinner!
I wanted to have a bow around the waist like my first post!. Here it was sewn into the side seams. As I just guessed (!) it was too short for a bow and so is just a knot. This is perhaps as well as i interfaced the fabric and I am sure a bow would have been too sticky out.
I used some cerise bias for the hem and used one of my decorative stitches on my lovely new sewing machine!
Fabric: 2 metres of gaberchino
Pattern: Simple Sew Skater Dress
Wonky Factor: it has to be a 9/10 and it’s just the length that I’m not happy with!
Amanda 💝
Sew Deputy 
I had real trouble with this pattern. Some of the pictures and instructions were wrong, and the pattern seemed incomplete. There was no instruction of how to sew up the front skirt to the back skirt.
Plus the shape of the bodice and the shape of the skirt top were different, and again there was no instruction of how to attach them together.
The pattern said “adventurous beginner” but I think that’s an exaggeration.
Can you give me any tips on how to finish this pattern? (as you succeeded!) 😀
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Hi Elizabeth,
Yes I had made a ruby dress quite a few times before so when it came to the skater I basically did what I did with the Ruby but with sleeves!
I didn’t do a facing on it as I always get in a pickle..so I just used bias binding. I measured half the width of the front skirt and made sure it was in the middle of the bodice before I sewed it on and if I remember it was abit over at each side so I just cut the seams to fit!!!
I don’t know how much of a rush to finish you are but I do have some fabric to make another and could do a photo along!!??!
But I would have a go and see how you get on! Good luck !!
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Yes a photo along would help brilliantly if you are willing to do it! I’m not in any rush at all.
I’m going to have a go with the pieces I have (I’ve made the bodice), But I’d love to have another try at the dress with help 🙂
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Great! Have a few things on the cutting table at the minute! But will move it up the priority list!!! Thanks xx
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omg omg you are Amanda from the Sewing Bee that’s incredibly exciting 😀
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Wooooo! Hope you are watching it! Great fun! Yeha! I’m in Episode 2!!! X
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Yes I watch it religiously, and have been waiting Forever for series three! Don’t tell me what happens!!!
I’m so excited that you are someone from the GB Sewing Bee and I got in contact and didn’t even know hehe 😛
I was a strictly cross stitch/embroidery person. Watching the Sewing Bee inspired me to learn how to sew clothes. A few months ago I started and now I have caught the bug 🙂
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That’s great to hear. I’m hoping to start on my dress to show you this week as it is our half term holiday…..hopefully lots of sewing and coffee and cake out! X
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Hi Elizabeth. I am going to start my dress this week. Is it the Ruby or the Skate r we are making??!! Thanks x
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I would like you to do a photo along of the SKATER dress 😀
I have a bodice and some skirt pieces, all pinned awkwardly and abandoned on the floor at the moment 😛
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Thank you! Thought I best check …lit would have been funny if I had done the wrong one! Xx
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Hello Elizabeth! The Elizabeth is now on the blog! Hope it helps!! X
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Very nice!
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Thank you sooo much for admitting to multiple sew-ups of a pattern! Now I don’t feel nearly so bad about my favoured summer dress pattern.
This dress & colour are lovely for you – and I like that stitch detail on the hem!
xx
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I think if you find a dress that suits you, it would be silly to make something that doesn’t??? any it’s always a risk!!! 💝
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Your dresses keep getting better and better Amanda. This is a gorgeous colour on you 🙂 I fancied running up one of these myself, but as usual I have nothing to wear it for and it doesn’t fit into my new rules. I’m going to be strict with myself this year… Have you had to get a new wardrobe for Christmas for all these lovely dresses? 😉
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Hahaha! The thing is, I keep getting a better fit, so don’t want to wear the others!!!! Hahaha I have just made another one of these for Boxing Day with a beautiful trim! I 💝the style! But my blog is getting boring!!!!!
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Not boring at all! Love seeing all your dresses 🙂 Will look forward to seeing your Boxing Day version…
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