Kwik Sew 3573 - My Sewing Bucket List.

I have been procrasting sewing my Liberty fabric as I am not entirely sure I want to make a dress. So instead I pulled out this pattern above  I bought last month and cut into some fabric I purchased  when we visited China in 2008. I was told it was silk at the time but having just bought some `genuine` Gucci handbags for my daughters for a few dollars I was quite cynical about this. However I loved the print and didn`t really care  . I bought some black  `satin` from Darn Cheap Fabrics in Melbourne recently to complete this top and as I was cutting into the fake satin I realised there was quite a difference between this and the satin from China. Shame on me! - it was real silk satin and I had just unknowingly ticked off one of my bucket list wishes - to sew a real silk satin piece of clothing. It was just as well I didn`t realise it was silk as this would still be folded up in my cupboard!

As per usual the Kwik Sew pattern was drafted beautifully and the instructions were so easy you could be half asleep and still do a really good job. It is a kimono styled top with a contrast sleeve and waist bands. There is some gentle gathering of the front and back pieces into the waist band and the neckline is finished with their wonderful bias binding / instructions. I am really happy with the result and I would highly recommend this pattern .  It just goes to show I shouldn`t be scared  to use my too precious fabric in case something goes wrong. Perhaps now I should look at that Liberty lawn and treat it  just as some cheap quilting cotton from Spotlight.

Back view showing the kimono type sleeves. I love how the wideness of the shoulders makes my waist and hips look small - it is not like that in real life .

There is something that amuses me about the last two patterns I have sewn. Usually burda necklines go down to your navel and Kwik Sew is quite demure. However the last Burda dress neckline was  conservative and this Kwik Sew Top does show alot ! Perhaps there were some pattern maker spooks who infiltrated Burda/ Kwik Sew camp . Anyway here`s to sewing our good stuff. Cheers Janine.

Burda 7808 - Summer Dress Nirvana

An outside front view .

I have finished Burda 7808 and I am  pleased with the results . It did meet my expectations of a `perfect` summer dress - good coverage, touching my body in minimal areas but doesn`t look like a sack ( in my opinion anyway ) . The mystery fabric I used is soft and drapey , a very  pretty  green colour  and feels very smooth. It does wrinkle fairly easily but irons beautifully . I would highly recommend this pattern for others to try for a cool summer dress. The pattern comes together easily especially as I was able to eliminate the side zipper ( anything to make life simpler!) The dress is easy to get into and out without calling for the fire brigade  . The front and back inserts were a little tricky to get really nice corners so this pattern would not be suitable for an absolute beginner. However the insert is what makes this dress - they are shaped so the dress is not too baggy on the top . I think the yoke would be nice in lace or a contrast fabric or even velvet for a winter version. The other odd thing about these inserts are the neck line does not reach your belly button ( the usual burda designers must have been on strike or sedated or something ! )I have added lace and buttons for this version. At the bottom of the front yoke there is some slight gathering so the bottom of the dress is loose and floaty providing a bit of circulation for air .

Anyway not too bad for a free dress! 

Cheers until next time. Janine

Back Insert  showing princess seamed shaping.

Front Insert  with lace and buttons.

An inside back view !

Burda 7808- Bias Bound Armholes.

 I am making good progress on my Burda 7808 summer dress especially helped along by a holiday today - yay for Australia Day. I am making the sleeveless version which uses bias binding instead of those awkward facings other patterns use . I use the Kwik Sew method of applying bias binding which has an extra step which I think really makes this application  more professional  .

I used 4cm wide bias binding - ironed out flat and then folded in half right sides together  and then ironed again. The bias binding is placed right sides together on the armhole edge and sewn using a one cm seam.

This seam is then trimmed and the curves clipped.

This is the extra step which I thinks makes the extra difference . The bias binding is then understitched just like you would with a facing .

This is what the resulting understitched bias binding looks like. It is then folded under and stitched. The understitching allows the bias binding to be folded neatly and closely under the armhole edge. 

The bias binding is then stitched again from the inside  so on the inside of the garment there are two rows of stitching but only one row of stitching is visible on the outside and it looks very neat and RTW.

I wish the rest of my inner dress workings looked as nice as this but at least my bias bound armholes look good thankyou very much. Have a Happy Australia Day. Cheers Janine.

Giveaway Winner and In Search of the Perfect Summer Dress.

Congratulations to Jacqueline Njeri of Kenya ! I am sending your pattern this week with another surprise - I  hope it doesn`t take too long to get there.

Bay of Fires . East coast Tasmania.

Wineglass Bay , Freycinet National Park, Tasmania.

Last week my family and I went to Tasmania for a holiday - we went to Hobart for 2 days and then Bicheno on the East Coast  for the remainder of the week. We went to Freycinet National Park and walked to Wineglass Bay and also visited the Bay of Fires. The scenery was stunning and I can see why the beaches have been named amongst the top 10 by various travel magazines. But gosh it was cold - It is the middle of summer and the temps were as low as 16 degrees celsius ( 62 F) .

Now typical of summer here,  today is 35 degrees celsius ( 96 F )  which leads me on to my next project. The what I call a Hot and Stinky Dress for those hot stinky days. I have been trying to sew a perfect dress for these days for years - one that provides coverage but  touches your body in minimal places  and doesn`t look like a sack.

I have hopes for Burda 7808 since the reviews I have seen on Pattern Review and on blogs have been favourable. I am using a mystery fabric of mystery content of mystery vintage  gifted to me from my ex neighbour Stephanie  who also gave me the pattern! The  material is a  pale green with an  apricot and taupe abstract design suggesting florals and old buildings arches . The material feels very soft and is quite drapey so I think it will be good for a summer dress.I hope it doesn`t take too long as we are in for more hot days now.

Finally my blog was also deleted in mysterious circumstances but the situation was easily and very quickly rectified. I am totally baffled as to why this occurred but happy that the problem is fixed. I know this has occurred to other blogs too - Handmade by Carolyn and Kadiddlehopper- so beware but be assured that if  the situation  happens to you your blog can easily be reinstated.

Cheers Janine.

                                                                        

Women`s Cowboy Shirt Pattern Giveaway.

In my last post I rambled on about sewing Simplicity 9877-another cowboy shirt pattern  .
I now prefer this shirt to the above Butterick pattern but only because it has more ease.
So I am offering to give this away to anyone and I will pay for the postage for anywhere in the world.You do not have to be a follower or anything else like that.
This pattern has been used once - cut out to size 12 . It starts at size 8.
All the instructions and pattern pieces are intact but I have scribbled some notes on the envelope front and back. It is a basic shirt pattern with 2 piece collar, separate front band and cuffs. I found it to be very slim fitting .
If you want this pattern then add a comment with some kind of contact details - like your email or blog . If more than one person wants this,  then I will draw a name out. If no-one wants this then I will take it to the op shop to donate.
Cheers Janine.

Simplicity 9877 or The Zombies Ate My Brains.



I included a shot of the clothes line in honour of Mary Nana ( sorry no rubbish bins though )

How else can I explain the fact that I made another bandaid top or shirt to be precise.
My youngest DDs  play a computer game called Plants vs Zombies - they have installed it on my computer and therefore I get to watch it sometimes while I wait to get back my rightful property.
It looked fun so I played it as well but I am not as good as them and therefore on several occasions the zombies have eaten my brains ( my girls if they are losing just click out of the game and start again - wimps -whereas I allow the zombies to eat my brains - it doesn`t hurt at all ).

The real reason I sewed this shirt is procrastination .I pulled this beige ribbed cotton out of my stash to sew a dress muslin before I cut into my lovely Liberty lawn . The muslin needs two alterations - a sway back adjustment and for me to get rid of some of my christmas, birthday, New Years eating binges that has settled in comfortably  on my lower abdomen .

Instead of putting the remnants of this fabric back I decided to sew it all up - it has been in my stash for about 16 years - I have no idea how it got into my cupboard and it has only survived stash culls because it is a decent quality fabric. I find it hard to get rid of such serviceable fabric even when obviously ugly or boring or whatever. I had never had any idea what I was going to do with the  fabric which is why it has been around for so long but then had the idea to use it to practice flat felled seams inspired by the lovely Carolyn of Handmade by Carolyn.

I sewed Simplicity 9877 an OOP pattern dated 2001. It is a basic button blouse with cowboy shirt variations . I have another similar pattern but from Butterick. ( In fact I counted up that I had 13 patterns for variations of button blouses !)
I am very proud of my flat felled seams although not perfect . I did these seams everywhere - shoulders, sleeves, sideseams . They were tricky on the long sleeve seams and also at the armscye  but just really needed some slow and careful pinning and  sewing . These seams look very professional and I am definitely going to be incorporating these seams into future shirts .

I really like the fit of this shirt - it is not too baggy and not too tight - it is just right ! The front darts are really long slits sewn together - easier than marking and sewing darts . It also has back darts but I eliminated these since this will just be a around the house shirt. There are no bust darts included.   It has a separate pattern  for the front band but the collar is only one piece- it  doesn`t have a separate stand . There are cuffs with a continuous bound placket. The hem is curved . Just a basic tailored shirt really.

All in all I enjoyed experimenting with a new pattern and a new technique with this less than stellar fabric. I am sure that the dog and the garden and dishes and housework will not mind my beige boring button bandaid shirt.
I am happy to report that my next project will NOT be a bandaid top .
Cheers Janine.

Sewing Mathematics -2011.

Fabric Out greater than > Fabric In = I can shut the cupboard doors ! Yey.

Now I just need to work on those bags/ baskets / boxes of fabric on top.

BTW - that is not a dalek sticking out in the corner.

Next year when we move house my husband and I are sharing a space for his office and my sewing room. I don`t want my husband to realise how much junk - I mean precious sewing stuff I really have.

So my Sew Year Resolution is not to buy anymore sewing supplies unless it is needed to complete a project.

Happy New Year from me and my sewing mate Toby.

The Xmas Aftermath.

Xmas come and gone for another year.
I do love Xmas . - Watching my girls open their presents - they earn pocket money during the year for doing set chores and therefore apart from biannual shopping clothes trips, largely fund their own purchases, social life etc during the year. So I love a chance to spoil them a little.

                           - Over the top lunch - it only happens once a year !  This year we had roast garlic and rosemary lamb, home made baked ham , cold roast chook,  home grown  roast veges including  potatoes ( boiled , then roasted in duck fat and then fried - I don`t think there was much nutrition left at the end !) ,parsnips ( we sowed parsnips years ago and since then they have been self seeding - it`s great to go on a parsnip hunt in the orchard and vege garden ) and pumpkin. Then there were the desserts - dark and white chocolate tart ( made by my youngest DD ) , boiled traditional xmas pudding ( made by my eldest DD ) with brandy custard and trifle. Then afterwards there was the currant and cherry xmas cake ( peel free for my sister-in-law ) and gingerbread building ( a church this year ) and rum truffles ( not to  mention the pre- nibbles , drinks and obligatory healthy salads ) .This year I did not overeat ( finally learning in my middle age )  - just a little of everything and felt just right at the end.

                       - Kris Kringle surprise present - a relative who will not be named goes around her house and picks out unwanted stuff - last year she gave my middle DD a necklace - it just happened to be the necklace my same daughter had lost at her house ! This year she gave my youngest daughter a candle with a gift tag attached indicating it was obviously an old rejected gift.  She also gave a handbag to another relative  ( who is only 8 ) that had an old ( unused thank goodness )  tampon in it !  We actually find this amusing and spices up  xmas day . By the way it is not through lack of funds that this relative does this as she goes overseas sometimes  several times a year - she has been all over the world multiple times. This year it was Canada , the USA and Hong Kong and China.
 

                     - a family game of dictionary - someone chooses a word out of dictionary that no-one knows the definition of and then everyone makes up one - all the definitions including the correct one are read out and you score points for guessing the correct definition and  tricking people - it`s lots of fun and you only need a dictionary and pencils and paper.

At the end of this day  we were treated to a spectacular storm that had a rainbow at the end - quite fitting I think.

Best Wishes.

Writing my small sewing blog and reading others has brought me happiness and comfort .
I thank everyone who takes the time to share their  passion for sewing clothes - whether they are novices or experienced, whether they sew from the finest luxurious fabric or from op shop finds , whether the patterns are old or new. Discovering that others have the same passion has been a marvellous revelation - although I know my sewing  / style / writing  is not is the same league as many other bloggers I do still share the same love . I also thank everyone who has shown me support in this blog - I really appreciate this and  being a small part of this sewing community.

 I am looking forward to 2012 and all the future possibilities it holds . I am looking forward to everyone`s creations and the associated chit chat.

So to everyone everywhere I wish you all safe, happy and healthy holidays .
I hope 2012 brings your wishes to you whether they be small or large.
Cheers Janine.

The ultimate Sewing Experience (for me ) .

The Ultimate Sewing Experience - sewing a wedding dress for myself or one of my DDs?  sewing a bias cut silk chiffon evening dress ? sewing a couture technique fitted jacket?  Nah !  For me the ultimate sewing experience are PJ shorts.

Cheap and Cheerful Polyester Satin remant.

Sewing PJ Shorts are quick. easy and brainless sewing - like sewing meditation or yoga - it is totally relaxing.

Japanese cotton -only 40cm wide fabric but the roll had over 12 metres on it ! ? traditional Kimono fabric. Brought home from Japan by my daughter - a gift from her host family.

You can use up small remnants of fabric not big enough to sew anything else with but too big to discard. I also get to use little bits of ribbons , even almost empty bobbins and spools of threads that have been  hanging around forever.  

Polycotton remnant - white with small navy stars. Very soft !

                     Best of all they get used heaps of times. ( Also alleviates sewing guilt for not sewing for significant others and can be used for future  bribes - I sewed you some PJ shorts so you should take the dog for walks  for the next month etc etc . ) ( Not that the bribes work but worth a try .)

Liberty of London Tana Lawn - I got this from my mother - she bought this in the 80s for only $5.00/metre when Buckley`s and Nunn a department store in Melbourne was closing down.

I used New Look 6928 an OOP pattern for sleepwear. A pretty standard one seam pants pattern. I took off several cms from both the waist and the leg length - my daughter`s preferences. This pattern has both an elastic waist and a narrow tie inserted in the waist - helps to tell the front from the back and looks a little bit more upmarket !

Overall I find sewing PJ shorts VERY satisfying.

 Anyway all of this sewing `meditation` has helped me decide on the pattern for my next project. Until then Cheers Janine.

Vogue 2033 - The Geoffrey Beene Designer Band-aid Top.

I reckon it is pretty important to have a good sense of humour - it helps to  get  you through the tricky bits in life and there are lots of those and to not take yourself too seriously. I think I have a healthy sense of humour hence why I am posting this top I made.

I was given quite a few patterns back in the early 90s and through successive culls only a couple remain including this Vogue 2033 - a Geoffrey Beene designer pattern for three quite different and classical styled tops / shirts including the dropped shoulder loose fitting version . Lately I have seen tops around like this and delved into my pattern stash and thought it was time to give it a try - I mean
I have only had it for about 17 years.
 The fabric is a soft gold paisley jacquard with small white polka dots . It looks and feels like silk but it is not - I will not lie. I very pleased with this fabric and imagined wearing this top out to romantic dinners  and other such soirees .  I altered the pattern to add in bias cut bands for the sleeves  and added store bought white satin bias binding for the neck. I used french seams twice ( I took a too big a bite the first time and the top was too small for my liking ) and added a self fabric belt  .
Once finished,  with great excitement I tried on the finished garment and looked in the mirror and then A GREAT BIG OHH moment . - I`d just sewn a really large bandaid. The soft gold colour suddenly looked like a  flesh / beige tone and even the little white polka dots resembled  those tiny perforations you see on bandaids.

So learn from my mistakes - Do Not sew flesh coloured fabrics unless you are in need of bandaids.
PS - I quite like the pattern - I will use it again - perhaps in bright green or blue or pink  or anything but beige. Cheers Janine

The 80 Year Old Burda Skirt .

Headless shot today - just out of the shower and early in the morning - you know what I mean.

Finally complete - this skirt seems to have taken so long . I started this in mid-October and finally finished two days ago. I wore it all day yesterday at work and can say it was a success.
Why am I calling this the 80 year old skirt?
Well,the  fabric is at least 40 years old, the buttons are 30 years old , the pattern is 6 years old and the lining I `ve had for a few years as well. Only the zip and thread were new.
I was given this linen ( along with various other dress and craft and home dec fabrics )  from my (ex) neighbour Steph when she moved. Steph tells me this came from  mother`s stash and she can remember it from when she was quite young ( Steph is in her mid 60`s) so I feel really honoured to be given this . This heavy weight linen is really lovely and was very easy to work with. I can see how people become very fastidious about fabric after working with this stuff.

Burda skirt 107 from April 2005.

I used an old Burda WOF pattern -Issue April 2005 which includes the infamous twist top ( yes I have made it !) . I needed a simple skirt as the fabric is heavy weight but did not want the skirt to be completely plain . Burda is great for providing patterns which are bit different to the Big 4.
 This is a straight skirt with forward placed side seams and includes a belt which is sewn into the back darts. I eliminated the fly front and inserted a lapped zipper in the back seam. I also did not add in the pockets and walking vent but top stitched the front seams .Despite eliminating the walking vent I did not have any restrictions in walking , bending over etc at work.

 This time I remembered to add a lining to ( hopefully) reduce the linen wrinkling but forgot to insert the lining inside out ! Oh well what`s a sewing project without some kind of mistake hey . Anyway I love my new skirt - it is very summery and fruity and I can`t ever remember having a pink skirt before ( unless I was six years old or thereabouts ). I would recommend this pattern to anyone ( oh and the chance to sew with linen too ).

Close up hanger shot of skirt front.

back view showing belt insertion.

Next up are some quick and easy PJ shorts for my two older daughters while I ponder on a pattern to use with another special fabric - Liberty of London cotton given to me by another friend !
Have a nice day. Cheers Janine.

DIY Top Stitching Thread and a Sneak Peak.

Sewing time has been severely  restricted in my little sewing world leading to symptoms of withdrawal - buying fabric when one already has more than enough , thinking and dreaming sewing and sometimes getting a little crabby . I have however been sewing a skirt in small increments over the last couple of weeks and today being a `real` day off I have made quite a bit more progress.

Now about top stitching thread - I am aware that this stuff exists but either the shops I frequent do not sell it or I am doing a `man` look ( a thinly veiled reference to my husband who can not find things even if they are right under his nose ) . A few years ago a sewed a Kwik Sew jeans jacket and it had this great little easy tip for top stitching . You simply thread your machine with two spools of thread.

This provides a subtle but definite difference to the top stitching. It also means that there are more choices with the colours you can use.I have obviously used a very closely coloured matched thread which is more forgiving of any wonky stitches.

 I have been really enjoying sewing my skirt because the fabric is such a pretty summery peachy pink colour and a divine heavy weight vintage linen with all its slight variations in texture and colour.It is also very easy to sew . I hope to finish this soon because our weather is warming up now and I am looking forward to enjoying my new skirt. Until then, Cheers Janine.

October 2011 - The Good and The Bad and a Retrospective - Simplicity 2724.

Unfortunately most of October involved work and little play - meaning not much sewing. I finished my Simplicity `Fabric from Hell` Dress and one other simple top which I will blog about later. I am not complaining though because the tragic and terrible health circumstances of my co-workers loved ones meant they could not work and I had to fill in whenever possible.

On a bright note though at the end of October my husband and I had a long weekend in Hobart , Tasmania. This was our first weekend away without children in 18 years ( and previously we have only had 2 other single nights away ) made even better because the trip was free - I was very lucky and won a competition.

The trip included 2 nights accomodation at the Islington Hotel - a small boutique hotel in Hobart and by far the most beautiful , luxurious place we have stayed at , meals and a boat  trip to Bruny Island. We also went to Mona , an amazing art gallery and took a self -guided trip around Battery Point and the city looking at the historical buildings . To make you feel better the weather on the day of the boat trip was appalling and I was very sea-sick although managed not to be sick. At one stage we were surrounded by a ` superpod` of 100 dolphins and I didn`t even care - the view of the horizon was absolutely enchanting !

Anyway the relevance to sewing is that I finally had a chance to wear a dress I sewed last December - Simplicity 2724.
The top part is made of some scrap cream fabric and skirt from a chartreuse silk/linen blend - the latter is absolutely luscious.

My only regret with this dress is that I did not line the skirt portion . I am not completely sure about the pleated  sleeves and  may  remove them later ( however looking at this photo, the sleeves look OK ) . I love this pattern because the various top / skirt variations that can create entirely different looking garments.The top takes very little material so is a good way to use up scraps that are too small for anything else and too good to discard. I would highly recommend this pattern and definitely want to sew it again .   Unfortunately it is OOP. I am now off to see what horse won the Melbourne Cup this year. Cheers until next time, Janine .

Simplicity 2369 - The Fabric from Hell into the Dress from Heaven.



Siimplicity pattern 2369 with fabric .

Simplicity 2369 showing sleeve, pleat and buckles details.

I finally completed this dress last week and I am VERY happy with the result. It almost ended up a wadder and in the rubbish because initially the fabric was from hell and trying to sew the seams and pleats etc ended up with LOTS of skipped stitches. However, persistence and internet help prevailed and the finished dress is  a SUCCESS.
Last school holidays I bought a British magazine called Sew which came with this `free` pattern.  . Simplicity 2369 is a wardrobe pattern for tops, pants and dresses -there are three sleeve options included . Obviously I sewed the dress, using View C sleeves and cut the dress length in the middle between Views A and B . Apart from fabric and thread, the only other notion was a belt buckle and I found a black buckle that was exactly the right size for only 50cents from the op shop ! A very lucky find.
The instructions were really good - so I think even a fairly new sewist could tackle this. I love the front pleated wrap along with the attached band which pulls the front inwards and provides coverage and prevents  gaping. I think the front wrap is also flattering and help to conceal less than flat tummies
Overall I would highly recommend this pattern .
Cheers until next time Janine.

Difficult to Sew Knit Fabric - and how I tamed the wild beast.

I am currently sewing Simplicity 2369 - a knit dress with a wrap front with tie and buckle details. I bought the fabric from Ebay using a store I have previously purchased from. I have been generally happy with these buys and hence why I have gone back for more. The fabric is a wild and loud royal blue, grey, black and white abstract knit and I really like the design .

However when I went to sew with this , it was the fabric from hell- stitch repellant material. I was trying to sew using a slight zig-zag stitch as I have done previously and has been recommended innumerable times. But the stitches would not take. I changed the ( new ) ballpoint needle to a ( new ) stretch needle and still no luck.I also used some tear away stabilizer but not all the stitches worked and when I tore away the stabilizer it really pulled at the stitches ( besides you really can not use this on all those seams ) . I ended up sewing the initial seams with 2-3 rows until enough stitches were staying. I then came to sew the pleats in the front wrap detail and it was just a mess and looked horrible. I had ( evil ) thoughts of chucking this project away but I was determined to succeed.
The internet really can be wonderful and I came across a simple tip from Threads and gave this a try. It worked and the previously stitch repellant fabric from hell became putty in my hands.

Set the sewing machine stitch length to 3 and stitch width to zero. As you sew the seams,  gently stretch the fabric and it worked - ALL the stitches took , no skipped stitches.

The above photo shows what the stitching looks like - zig-zaggy and springy. On the other side the stitches look more `normal`. When you stretch the fabric, the stitches  straighten up . Having stitches that can stretch and move with knit fabric is of course important to prevent broken stitches. So thankyou to  the sewist who wrote this article and thankyou to Threads for publishing this on the internet. You have saved this dress from the rubbish. Cheers Janine .

P.S - We saw the Australian movie Red Dog and we highly recommend it- lovely and quirky but gosh at the end I had to use all my willpower not to sob out loud. ( I am a sook though - I cried at Walt Disney`s A Little Mermaid when she married her handsome Prince Eric ! ) . I was surprised to see at the end credits it was based on a book written by Louis deBernieres  who also wrote Captain Corelli`s Mandolin and Birds Without Wings.

Butterick Dress 5523 - Miaow .

Presenting Butterick 5523 - a knit dress pattern .I used an animal print knit -jaguar I believe, purchased from an Australian Ebayer. This is my attempt to try different clothing choices from my  usual fare - it seems to have passed the family fashion police test which is always a good start - I really do need all the help I can get .
This pattern is very very easy - I could have finished this in one day . The  busy print covers the features of this pattern which are an above waist closely fitted  bodice with pleats in both back and front skirt portions and small pleats in the sleeves where they meet the shoulder seams. It also has a large rolled collar .  The only reason I didn`t finish this in one day was to change my overlocker threads - not really hard when you get down to it but always seems a good reason to procrastinate !

I made two changes to the pattern - I lengthened the skirt portions by a good 12cm or a few inches - my legs are not up to above knee styles anymore . I also lengthened the sleeves but since this was such a quick tissue fit I didn`t allow enough for seams here - this actually ended up being fortuituous because I was forced to use fold over elastic to finish the sleeves and I like this look. One really good aspect of this dress is that it seems to conceal a bit of a tummy ( I may well be deluding myself here though )and is figure flattering .  Overall I love this pattern and am glad that I am experimenting a little - this will not be my last animal print outfit ( only because there is enough fabric left over to make a top ) .
Cheers Janine
PS- Very excited - my next project is to assist my eldest DD to make a skirt during the holidays  - the Vogue Issey Mikaye maxi skirt I muslined earlier this year. Fabric has been chosen and cut out with some small design changes she thought of herself.