On My Cutting Table - Pattern Review

Pattern review Vogue V9000

Sewing for a living means that I don't get much time to sew for myself. Not that I'm ungrateful as I get to do what I love and are passionate about everyday, but it can be a little frustrating. So I've decided to turn that frustration into a positive and bring you, On My Cutting Table. 

​With working on the Sewing Quarter, I get to make so many fabulous garments, to be shown and demonstrated on live on air. Unfortunately, I have to make them into the size that fits the dress form in the studio. And I can tell you now, that I'm considerably a lot larger than 'Mandy the mannequin' as I like to call her. 
​So I don't get to wear my makes and so don't get chance to appreciate what I've just spent several hours making; I'm straight onto the next project for the next show. 

​So, to savour the dressmaking flavour, I thought I'd give you all an insight into my sheshed studio and specifically my cutting table. 
​Giving you a back stage look into the construction and details of the patterns that I'm using. 
​As well as hints and tips that I might not get chance to cover in the live shows as time goes so fast and often runs away with us. 
​So even though I might not get to wear my Sewing Quarter makes, I want you to have everything you need to enjoy your makes at home.

So first up is Vogue's V9000, which is a 1951 pattern design. 
​It's essentially a pull over dress with a side zip. A super flattering dress with princess seam bodice and a panelled flared skirt. 
​It comes with two design options of a lined bodice or capped sleeve but of course you can always mix and match it up.
​The WOW factor with this pattern has to be the skirt! If you are looking for swishy skirts then this is the one for you. 
​It a six panel skirt, so you need a fair bit of material but its totally worth it! Also they are cut on the Grainline rather than the Bias but you still get a great swish!  So this saves on the yardage but you are going to need a nice clear and large space to get cutting out. ​

You know I cant stick to the rules, so I decided to team up the dark denim with a little bit of detail. As this is a vintage 1950's pattern, I thought I'd add a little post war detail in by adding some Tim Holtz Correspondence fabrics. As I only had 2 Fat Quarter pieces left, I used them to add detail onto the facing and underside of the collar; Kinda like a peak a boo of detail, and this collection screams war time love letters from the front line. 

Another detail I love about this dress is the double darts in the back. So that's four darts in the back piece. This give it a gorgeous shape around the waist line and really accentuates your waist as you sashay away with your flowing skirt. 
​A quick way to transfer those darts is to use a pin and a chalk pen. I love this one called chalk cartridge set or Kreideminen-set and it was a gift from a dear friend that I use all the time! A perfect gift! Anyway pop the in into the notch, peal back the fabric and mark the position of the pin onto both layers. It's a lot quicker than a tailors tack!

One thing I didn't like about the pattern is that it didn't tell you how to finish the facing edge. I decided to quickly use my pinking shears and secure with a single hem, giving it a clean finish. This is a great pattern for a beginner, so keeping the beginner sewist in mind, I think they should have covered off this quick step. I know there is a section at the beginning but as a beginner your not going to know when to check that section without being told. It's a simple thing that makes the garment last longer as you have finished the raw edge, and if you learn these little tips from the start then your onto a winner.  
​Another quick tip is to use your pinking shears to trim your collars seam allowances. This saves time as it is clipping and reducing the seam allowance as it goes. Just be careful that you don't cut your threads. 

For me the collar would be the tricky bit, especially if you are a beginner, which is why I really wanted to cover this in my live demonstration. The trick is the notches! They really are there to help you, so make sure you have transferred all of these to your fabric pieces. The instructions are great on this step, so don't worry if you are worries about doing collars. 

If you want to sew along with me, you can watch my show back via the link below. The vintage dress was my first hour so scroll to the 1 hour mark for the start of that show. ​

Overall, I loved making this dress. Full of opportunities to add personal details without losing that vintage look, by adding fabric prints into the collar, cuffs, facing and why not add it to the hem as well? 
Super flattering and feminine; This is a dress that could easily be made up for a special occasion!

​Hope you enjoy making this dress as much as I did! 

​Until next time, Happy #sewingrevolution! 
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