Pattern review: the Ultimate Shift Dress by Sew Over It

On my travels to London over New Year, me and my Sister ended up going to Liberty and spent probably about an hour walking around, lusting over everything in there. For me, the haberdashery floor was absolute HEAVEN. I think I wanted to buy around 80% of the things in there, especially the dressmaking patterns! I found the little corner where the Sew Over It patterns are kept there was something that caught my eye about the quirky, vintage style of Sew Over It. The patterns range from £10+, but to me, I generally don't mind spending a little more on the pattern if I know I'm going to make a lot of items from it. I didn't pick one up whilst I was there but knew that there was more to this company than I initially saw.

I came across Sew Over It on Youtube a couple of weeks after my trip to London, after watching various sewing tutorials. After binge watching all the videos on the channel and also browsing the website, I fell in love with the Ultimate Shift Dress pattern. Lisa, the founder of Sew Over It, had uploaded a video showing her Ultimate Shift Dress collection and from that moment, I knew I had to have it! I chose to download a PDF pattern as it was slightly cheaper (£8.50) and of course, I had instant access! 

PDF downloaded and printed out, I then had the task of putting this all together. This was my first time printing out a dressmaking pattern so I didn't really know what to expect, but to my surprise, it was really simple! Everything is numbered which allows you to match it together quite easily and the best thing is, if you make a mistake, you can just reprint the page you've messed up. 

The fabric I had chosen was a polyester viscose (I think?) which probably wasn't the best idea as I'd never ever sewn with a stretchy fabric before. However, I just could not resist the print on it. It cost me £8.00 per meter (this pattern requires 2 however I bought 2.5), which may seem a bit steep to some people, but I bought enough to also make a top one I had used it for my dress. Although, I seem to have used a lot less than 2 meters and I made the biggest size!

Okay about the sizing - I made a size 20 as I realised the sizing on this pattern comes up slightly small. I'm generally a size 14-16 with store bought clothes, but my body measurements fit exactly those of the size 20, so hey, who cares! It does have a little disclaimer in the instructions that the pattern has a little less ease than normal, so to me, making the biggest size wasn't a huge issue and in fact, I'm really happy I had done. As I have a slightly larger chest than "most" people (I'm an F cup but I have a small waist and a big tummy!) I wanted to have a little more room around the waist area, I think that if I made a size 18, it would have been a little less comfortable to wear. 

So, back to the pattern! As you can see from the image above, it's a relatively straight forward pattern to cut out and construct. I think the most difficult part for me was working out exactly where the bust darts needed to be, as I'd never sewn darts before. Or, set in sleeves for that matter! I was a little worried about doing sleeves and darts but really, once I had positioned the darts and pressed them, they looked perfect. The ease stitching on the sleeves really helped me to get a smooth seam on the shoulders, which I was actually really really proud of! 

 If I remember, this probably took me around 3-4 hours to make however I really think this was down to the fabric. If the fabric hadn't rolled around a lot, stretched, puckered or been anything less then 100% irritating, I think I could've made this in 2 hours. I had to unpick a lot on this, especially the arm seams and the back seam on the dress, as it just kept on puckering no matter what I tried. I just want to point out though, this is nothing to do with the pattern, it was in fact my fabric! 

What does the finished product look like, you may ask? 

I think if I was going to remake this dress, I would make it about an inch longer just to feel a little more...comfortable. It's not too short, it sits around 5cm above my knee but I think to feel really comfortable, I'd make it slightly longer. The other thing I would change is possibly the length of the sleeve, I can't decide if the full length sleeve makes me look slightly dumpy. I would also try and change the hem on the sleeve as it feels quite shoddy but again, I couldn't get it to stitch nicely at all! The fit on the body, however, was absolutely perfect, there's no pulling on any seams and it doesn't feel tight across any part of my chest or stomach. 

Here's an ever so slightly awkward photo of me showing off my creation! 

It's safe to say I absolutely love this dress and this pattern, I've already bought my next lot of fabric to make another dress! I think they're really versatile, I plan on wearing this to work as I can make it slightly more formal by wearing tights and a belt, however in this photo I've styled it with leggings which basically gives me a bit more security, should I lift my arms up a little too high! 

Have you made anything by the Sew Over It patterns? Or have you came cross this company before? If you have, please share your creations! 

♥

Looking back: 2015

I've been pretty silent on the blogging front for over a month now because I really needed a break from technology. I spend Monday - Friday, 08:15 to 17:15 in front of a computer so the last thing I want to do is come home and sit in front of my laptop. Like I've said before, I don't want to blog if my heart isn't in the post. 

Now the Christmas and New Year festivities are over, I wanted to take some time out and reflect on 2015, as honestly, I'm quite glad it's over. It hasn't been the greatest year for me, my Partner or my family but hey, let's look to the future, right? 

Here's a little reflection of 2015: 

January - I celebrated my 22nd birthday. I can't remember doing much for my Birthday other than going to Wellsbourne market in the morning and having a takeaway for dinner. The weather was pretty miserable, so I didn't really fancy doing anything! 

February - I left my job at Vax towards the end of the month as I really wasn't enjoying it any more. I used to dread going to work every day, so I thought it was time for a change. 

March - I landed myself in a job at a Hotel booking company. I thought this was the right decision to make, although it was a slight pay cut. I also went to London to visit my Sister- by myself! This was such a huge thing for me as I never go anywhere by myself and if I do, it's never this far. I thoroughly enjoyed going to see her. This was also the month I found out my sister's partner was planning on proposing to her! Oh and after many months of being in and out of hospital, I found out I have Bile Acid Malapsorbtion. 

April - I bought my new car early April. This was quite a quiet month as I was just getting used to my new job and also Devon had not long started his new job too. 

May - My sister got engaged on her holiday to Canada/Mexico. Although I'd known about this for a couple of months, I was still so happy for her when she announced it. 

June - Me and Devon went on holiday to Tenby for a week. I cannot explain how much I feel at home there, I didn't really want to come back! I also left my job at the Hotel booking agency this month. I ended up spending well over 40 hours a week there, for next to minimum wage. I ended up having to work weekends too, which is something I didn't want to do. I thought, enough was enough, and made the right decision for me and Devon. This is also the month I had my Septum and Daith piercing. 

July - My Nephew turned 3 this year and we celebrated with a party. I think I'd blown up about 30 balloons, wrapped so many presents and thankfully, the party was a hit! Me and Devon also celebrated our 3 year anniversary together. I can't really remember doing much for our Anniversary, other than booking tickets to go to Harry Potter World. 

August - Me and Devon went to Blackpool. Less said about that, the better! I also changed my hair back in August, I had a full fringe cut, which was a change from the side fringe I'd had since I was about 13. Also, after being in and out of work for a few months, I landed myself in a new job which I actually love. 

September - I started my new job properly at Mainstay in September. Little did I know, this would be a job that I grow to love, and still do even now. My team are amazing and have literally made me feel like I've been there for years. Me and Devon also went to the Harry Potter studio tour and I'm not even joking when I say this is one of the best experiences of my life. I also went to see my Sister on the way home, which was nice to have a catch up as I didn't realise I wouldn't be seeing her until December.

October - My Dad had gone into hospital to have his triple stent operation, which unfortunately did not go ahead due to complications. Also, Devon's Grandad passed away mid month, which was incredibly sad and is taking some getting used to. The funeral was lovely, though. (if that's the right thing to say!). This was also the month I stripped my hair dye out and changed to using Henna dye. 

November - Sewing took over my life this month. I really got stuck in with using my machine after it being in the box for months. I well and truly have the sewing bug now, which has been made all the worse by having an actual setup now! 

December - I passed my probation at Mainstay and earned myself a nice little pay rise. I also had my portfolio changed to Key Clients, which was a huge step for me! Also, Christmas was a nice event this year as I hadn't seen my Sister in a few months and it was nice to have a catch up with her. It was nice having time to spend with my family and Devon over the Christmas period, as life had been a little hectic with work. Also, New Year was absolutely awesome. I spent it in London with Devon, my Sister and her Fiancé, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And shopping the day after in London with my Sister was amazing, I felt like such a tourist though! 

One thing I've really noticed this year is just how much my family "dynamic" has changed. I'm a lot closer to my Sister as I haven't really seen her a lot this year, however I find myself becoming a little more distant from my Parents and other Sister. I'm not sure how/why this is happening and I'm not sure I'm happy about it but hopefully this will change in 2016. 

I want to say though, I am in so much more of a better place than I was this time in 2015. Although I'm still battling with my weight and illness, I'm mentally in such a happier place. 2015 was a year of trying to find exactly who/what I want to be and if I'm being honest, I think I'm on the right track.

Much like my last "Looking back" post, it's nice to see how far I've come this year and I hope to grow more in 2016, both with my mental happiness and also my commitment to this blog!

♥