Advancing Your Skills...

There has been lots of chat around recently about what level of sewist people think they are.
Most people seemed to put themselves at advanced beginner, even the ones I would call super advanced!

After being taught at sixth form, college and then sewing regularly by myself, I would put myself at Intermediate. But as I have mentioned before I am hugely impatient and like my sewing fix quick, so I tend to go for things I can make in 1-3 days, that don't require me to push my skills too much.

This is why I didn't take much notice of Gerties Bombshell dress class on Craftsy. I thought about all the couture techniques she employs on her, lets face it sickeningly beautiful clothes and thought no, this isn't for me. I'm a quick and dirty kinda gal and I won't get a dress fast enough to satisfy. Then I saw the dress... Its a sarong 1950s style with a bustier top, It is beautiful and something I would like to be able to make. In the end I relented and paid the half price of around £20 for the online course.

I have to admit I have not yet started making the dress. I thought I would familiarise myself with the class first and then take every step individually after that. I retain better that way.
Shockingly I have to say I am wholeheartedly hooked!

Gerties camera manner and the way she explains so clearly is brilliant. If she had been my teacher at sixth form I would probably be running up couture 1950s style suits for my own label somewhere now! She makes it fun and the techniques seem more like elegant tricks than complicated instructions like you would find in an advanced Vogue pattern!

Watching this reminded me of how much satisfaction I got when I pushed through my mental barrier about doing buttonholes, and the pride I had once i'd finished something properly at college!

There is plenty of opportunity for variations too! As Gertie has said herself the size range is somewhat limited (up to 44") but most of us who have used print out patterns before are used to limitations and are able to grade up just by adding a few inches here and there.

As I'm stashbusting I have been trying to think of a fabric to use for this. The suggested ones are Japanese cottons or Shantung. I'm thinking the first is probably more likely to be in my stash! Options coming soon!