A Denim Yoyo Dress

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen some peeks of this dress while I was making it. It's the Yoyo dress pattern from NZ-based Papercut Patterns, which I bought from UK stockist Sewbox. As soon as I saw the pattern, I knew I wanted to make a denim version (of course) to layer over stripey tops (naturally). And I love how it turned out!

Trimming Ideas for the Martha Dress

I designed the Martha dress with fancy embellishments in mind. That central panel is just screaming out for decorations! Think lace, ruffles, faux button opening, embroidered trims...

Before stitching the trim to the blue Martha dress used on the cover of the sewing pattern, we played around with a few different placements. Here are some ideas we tried...

Five Tips for Sewing with Ponte

There's a little subtitle for this post which reads, “When your sewing pattern is designed for woven fabrics”. Since we listed ponte di roma or double knit alongside woven fabrics as a suggested material for sewing the Martha dress, we’ve had some questions about how to sew with it and any special considerations or changes you’d need to make. So today I thought it worth discussing tips on sewing ponte when the pattern you’re using is primarily designed for woven fabrics.

Fitting Adjustments for the Martha Sewing Pattern

Sewing the Martha dress? Vanessa here today to talk about pattern changes you might want to make for a beautiful fit.

While it's tempting to get sewing straight away, as the Martha dress has a fitted bodice and our bodies are all different shapes, this is one of those patterns where it's definitely worth pausing to consider any fitting alterations you might want to make, and to make a toile (AKA muslin) of at least the bodice. A toile is a mock-up in a cheap fabric that gives you an opportunity to adjust the fit according to your shape, before you cut into your nice fabric.

Inspiration and Fabric Shopping for the Martha Dress

Making the Martha dress? I love this part – choosing fabric!

You can sew the Martha pattern in lots of different types of fabrics. And the fabric you choose will have a big impact on how your finished dress looks, hangs and feels to wear. So today I thought I’d talk through some options and share a few potentials I’ve found online.