Helena's Party

This dress for Honoria, a Blythe Alexis Emerald, uses two lovely Liberty print fabrics evocatively named Helena's Party in Turquoise and Dolphin in Teal. Small sample pieces were purchased first. When I saw them I knew at once I wanted to use these so I went ahead and constructed the bodice whilst I waited for the skirt material to arrive! That is the fun of dress-making in miniature!

The cotton lawn fabric was so fine and the sewing line so near the edges that my first attempts puckered up the thin material disastrously. Online research here suggested I needed to change my needle to a 70/10 and try out a roller foot. The two other suggestions of using spray starch and cotton embroidery thread may be part of future experiments. The roller foot, ordered online with next day free delivery, duly arrived. It turned out to be a very natty little arrangement with glistening, minute rollers. The foot fitted easily onto my vintage machine and away it went, stitching the fabric with a competent purr.