Hello Sewcial Studio Readers!
My name is Ruth, I’ve been sewing and you can find me on Instagram at @ruthypotts. I’ve been sewing for a little over six years now, with the overall goal to have a wardrobe that reflects my personality and fits my size (I’m a total shorty!).
I have been eyeing off the Shelby dress pattern by True Bias since its launch in 2019 –
It had the absolute perfect mix of femininity (hello princess seams!) and 90s grunge. However, like most sewists I have a long list of much desired patterns just waiting for their turn in the queue to be made up, meaning the Shelby dress remained a dream rather than a wardrobe reality for me.
The announcement of the Covid19 lock-down was a really good excuse for a bit of retail therapy. I wanted a few fabrics and patterns that would work for my summer wardrobe. My summer wardrobe sewing plan for this year is a series of dresses and shirts that are easy to dress up for a zoom call, or down for a stroll around the park. As soon as I saw that Amanda had the Shelby dress in stock at the Sewcial Studio and this most amazing Bella Bella red floral viscose in stock (surprisingly not its now sold out) I knew it was finally time to make my dream 90s rocker dress.
The Shelby dress pattern has lots of great features that make it feel quite glam, without the corresponding tricky sewing techniques. It’s designed for lightweight fabrics – making viscose , crepe or anything drapey ideal (I’m already eyeing off a few for my next makes!). The pattern has dress and romper options of different lengths
I opted for the mini-dress option, however after reading a few reviews online I ended up adding 2 inches just to be sure I would be able to wear the dress to work after this summer! The only other minor deviation I made from the pattern was to use 10 buttons rather than the suggested 7 to reduce any risk of gaping across the bust. I cut a straight size 10, but in hindsight probably could have gotten away with a size 8. ( True Bias Patterns are drafted on a C cup bust unlike the majority that are drafted on a B cup)
The dress sewed up like a dream. I tend to fit my sewing time in after work and before dinner at the moment, with the occasional weekend afternoon spent sewing and watching Netflix. So this dress took me 4-5 days to complete, but you could easily sew it up in a day or two! The pattern has easy to follow instructions, and would be great for a confident beginner. I especially like the waist tie feature of the dress. While originally designed to be worn tied at the back for shaping, I’ve found I really like the way the dress feels and looks when I tie it at the front. This viscose fabric was so perfect for the dress too because it’s so light and swishy, making it impossible not to twirl every time I wear it! I see lots of Shelby dresses in my future – time to go fabric shopping again!
Stay safe every one & Happy sewing!
Ruth xx