Voila: Laurel in White

Yay! Here's my version of Colette's Laurel Pattern, with *almost* bell sleeves!

I finished it while Baby Darling had an awesomely long afternoon nap and in the late late afternoon daylight, just got some photos, but as I had to do them myself (My photographer Husbie is just too occupied with his day job! DAMN), I'm worried you can't see the dress now?! (I bumped the exposure a little in these photos, but my flickr photos I left a little more natural)

Here's a close up:

So it totally does look like a crochet or wooly number that you'd see at the shops and it is very soft and warm! I underlined it with cotton lawn, so it's not scratchy (but the blanket isn't scratchy anyways, just the seams may have been) and used some satin bias tape I had in the stash for the binding around the neck, sleeves and hemline... and it's kept it all in really good shape. Sometimes the fabric moved a lot and I was worried it'd bunch around or hang at odd angles (with the 'lines' of the fabric) but because it's underlined it's all sitting/lying and hanging perfectly! YAY!

I'm SO HAPPY to finish something, but honestly, because I'm breastfeeding, I won't wear it for a while!

And My Mena Facts:


Fabric: second hand Hospital Blanket (gift from my Dad)
Pattern: Colette's Laurel, Version 1
Year: 2013
Notions: Thrifted zipper 10c, bias binding from stash
Time to complete: 7 hours
First worn: April 2013, just for the photos
Wear again? Maybe, when I'm not BF-ing.

Total Cost: 10 cents for the zipper.

Things to note (for next time!):

I used size 6 (post baby body is a bit wider on the bust as I'm still feeding), but size 2 shoulders (for my body adjustments) and shortened the whole pattern piece by 3 inches (or around about) and used size 0's hem line. I'm short, that's my special skill.

Handstitching takes AGES, but is worth it (on the neckline, armholes and hemline) with the bias tape hiding nicely and then ironing flat. Very profess. Probably 3 hours of handstitching all up.

The bell sleeves are *almost* bell shaped, but I forgot to round out the bottom of the sleeve, so they're kind cow bell instead of traditional bell (if you get me?).

Don't eat chocolate while sewing with nice white fabric.

Don't have a dirty iron while sewing with nice white fabric.

Don't sew with nice white fabric next time!


What do you think? Have you ever sewn with a blanket before? I'm eyeing off some vintage blankets for jackets or capes!