Make Of The Month; Donna
Since I started producing a magazine to accompany the boxes I have included a Make Of The Month to showcase the amazing things the SewHayleyJane community have been making using the fabrics. Why keep them just to the magazines though? They need to be shared with the world.
June’s make comes from Donna who used the stunningly bright rainbow batik from March’s Over The Rainbow Classic Box.
March is my birthday month and I was hoping for a bright and cheerful fabric to make a dress to celebrate Spring, I was not disappointed. I had been looking for a fabric for some time to make the Simple Sew Utility Dress. I had loved the relaxed style of the dress, but was worried that the wrong fabric would make it look dowdy and boring. I wanted something unusual but not too dressy to match the simple lines of the dress. The minute I opened my March ‘Over The Rainbow’ box I knew I had found it. The uncomplicated design would allow the gorgeous colours of the batik fabric to take centre stage. The colours sing and are perfect for sunny days. A bit wary I washed the fabric, worried it would run, but it washed perfectly at 300°c, it dried quickly and was easy to iron.
The fabric was a dream to work with, it didn’t slip when cutting and it pinned easily and sewed up beautifully without basting, it did not walk or stretch. The pattern stipulated a bias binding finish for the neckline, but I added it to the pockets too, this balanced the overall look nicely. I had never used metal eyelets before so I purchased a punch starter kit and was surprised by how easy it was to use. I would recommend measuring the positioning once, and then again to ensure you place them exactly, as if you get them wrong it’s a recut of the drawstring channel. I found the traditional cords were a little rough and did not pull smoothly, so I selected a smooth satin thin cord and doubled it instead. I selected a stitch length of 3mm for all the top stitching as this displayed nicely against the bias, if I made this again I would choose a contrast thread colour for more interest. A final press with a spray of starch to prevent creasing and I have the prefect wear for bright hot days. Bring on the sun!