Sunday 2 July 2017

The Tracy Dress

I'm gonna tell you about my friend Tracy. There are people you meet who are positive and encouraging. There are people who when you just want to give up and hibernate are the kind voice urging you to try again tomorrow. There are people who inspire your darkly cynical disturbed little heart. Tracy is one of these people. 


So Tracy knowing my love of African Wax print kindly brought me some lengths back when she went home to Zimbabwe for a family wedding. Ideally she would have taken me with her but no one is perfect. When she gave me the fabric she apologised for the lack of colour, at the time I was dressed in top to toe black, grey and navy. Colour isn't really my 'thing'.

Hand blind stitched armholes. Only the best for Tracy.

This was the longer of the two lengths and I decided immediately it needed to be an Anna dress. Having made a couple of Anna dresses now I realise that there's too much ease in the pattern across my shoulders causing the neckline to bag out. I corrected it with this version and I'm really happy with the fit. It's also taught me a helpful fix as it's a problem I've noticed with a few patterns which have a higher neckline.


It was very important to me I made something that would do Tracy proud. Having jumped on many a suitcase on a return flight I know weight allowance is tight so I appreciated her taking the time to find and bring me back fabric. Going out to tea with her once it was complete she told me it made her look at the pattern with renewed interest so I think mission accomplished.


My example of wabi sabi. Nothing is perfect and I am no exception. I overlocked my seam to the body of the dress. Doh! Fairly happy the repair (rapid zig zag stitch over the hole) is not too obvious.