The first major project for this year began as a few metres of a really nice, soft, drapey, grey cotton from stash. I used my tried and true basic dress pattern I designed and created purely for comfort, ease of making with little to no waste of fabric, wearing and caring for. AND, it has pockets, usable, practical pockets, on show, not hidden away in the side seams. (It looks better on me than on the dress form, but I can’t take images of me wearing it)
Can’t remember at all what I purchased the fabric for, nor how long ago it made it’s way into my fabric collection. The first choice of yarn had to be discarded, even though the colour would have been a really nice match, because the care requirements could not be adhered to if attached to the dress, and I was not prepared to put on, take off, put on, take off the embellishments as laundering was undertaken.
Thus the long discontinued grey Raffaella yarn from stash was chosen.
I truly do love this yarn, it’s been in stash for about 15 years or so, along with it’s many siblings in different colours purchased on a massive throw out sale. I’ve made so many blankets, shawls, scarves, washers and things from it.
The plan was to incorporate a crocheted hem, and maybe a crochet edge of some kind on the sleeves. This one was going to be long sleeved so there’d be no need to wear a top layer unless it gets cold. Working out the most effective method for the base crochet row took a few tries. Used a bodkin and a sharp pointed crochet hook. It was slow and painstaking getting every stitch as evenly spaced as possible. From there, the design was one I’ve used as a flowing edging on other items, so was relatively easy to complete to a satisfactory depth.
All the pieces of the dress had been cut out, but not sewn up as it’s easier to crochet around smaller pieces. I decided to edge the sleeves differently from the hem and so cut narrower pieces the size of the sleeves, and blanket stitched on the inside so the outside would look neater and cleaner. I also crocheted a different pattern as one doesn’t want to catch sleeves on every pokey thing around. After forming the blanket stitches and the first few rows of crochet, I then stitched the blanket stitches down on the inside of the cuff to ensure they would not pull out of shape in wear or washing.
Pressing the stitching at every step kept everything neatly in it’s place. A final steam block and press shows the embellished cuff sitting neatly.
The top is partially lined, with a buttoned placket and breast pockets. The top pockets are slightly misaligned, which I didn’t notice until the final sewing was done - am still thinking about what, if anything, to do about it, as undoing and redoing those underlying layers of stitching is fraught with it’s own difficulties.
Bodice pockets and buttons in place, with skirt pockets sewn on at a slight angle for ease of use. I love these pockets, they hold everything I need as I go about my days. Crochet cuffs and hem completed.
I gathered the crocheted flowers and buttons made while watching tv and embellished the skirt pockets and skirt with them, sewing them down for permanence.
Then finally, to use the very last of the yarn, I crocheted a hair holder (similar to a bun hat but using a stick to securely hold in a pony tail), and two embellished hair clips.
The final result left only these tiny pieces of grey Raffaella yarn. There’s still about 1/2 metre of grey fabric left but all in all, a most successful destash and use the good stuff!
