Sewing Adventures - My First Garment

Hello, how is everyone? I am so glad it's the weekend! It has been one hectic week, and I am in desperate need of 'doing absolutely nothing' time!

But just before I get into full weekend mode, I wanted to share with you a recent crafty adventure of mine, which unusually did NOT feature any crochet.

A few months ago, I happened to be browsing the patterns' section at my local John Lewis, and I came across this lovely number:

I instantly fell in love with the gathered front and the empire waistline. So, on a whim, I bought it, even though I had never sewn from a pattern before. I chose to make view C, left below, which is also the view shown on the cover of the pattern.

Reader, it was epic. From freaking out on sizes (yes, pattern sizes are completely different from high street sizes) to adjusting the pattern to my pear-shaped body (who's ever heard of a one-sized woman anyway?) to battling with uneven selvedges, and even getting my scissors wedged between two kitchen tiles, I had it all.

Eventually, I ended up with cut up pattern pieces (a gross mistake, as I learnt a few weeks later in a sewing class I took AFTER I finished this top), ready for the fabric to be pinned to it.

I followed the pattern's instructions to lay out the paper pieces on the fabric, and cut away, with more or less joy.

I ended up with most of the pieces below, save a few that were meant for other views:

Then started the long process of assembling the puzzle, trying to make sense of the pattern's illustrations.

Funnily enough, I did not find the sewing that difficult. Of course, I had to unpick a couple of things, but all in all it went relatively smoothly. The real challenge, however, was to pin everything together and into something that actually resembled something. Oh, and applying the bias binding around the inside of the sleeves was no mean feat either. The worst bit was carefully trimming the newly sewn in bias binding and my scissors accidentally slicing into the back panel. Oh dear, I tell you, the state I got into when that happened was not a pretty sight. Fortunately, some iron fusible fabric repair took care of the problem, although it took me several weeks to muster the courage to get back to the project...

And finally, the last stitches were sewn. My lovely mum, who was visiting at the time, very kindly oversewed the raw edges inside the top, and it was DONE.

Here is the result!

And the back view:

I can't quite believe I have managed to make this pretty much with my own hands. It's an amazing feeling. I've had loads of compliments on this tunic since completing it, but I have to say the best of all came from a complete stranger, a young woman who made a beeline towards me in a department store and exclaimed: "Oh my God, I love your top!". I had the biggest grin on my face. :))

Thanks for reading, guys, and see you soon for more!