Spring sewing at last – Seamwork Adelaide

Recently, I went to real life bricks-and-mortar fabric shop! This may sound odd, but I’m not a big fan of traipsing around shops, what with all the amazing fabric at my fingertips online. But I don’t live a million miles from Brighton, so I managed to squeeze in a fun day out with some friends, nipping down on the train after dropping the kids at school, and getting back just in time to pick them up again!

Despite going to 4 fabric shops, I only spent significant £££s in one – Ditto Fabrics. And one of the lovely fabrics purchased was a striking blue linen with a white crossweave – how perfect for some understated summer sewing! And the pattern I chose? The Seamwork Adelaide. I’ve been subscribing to the Seamwork digital sewing magazine for a while now, but as I hate (I mean really loathe) taping PDF patterns together, my credits have been piling up! Seamwork, in case this is news to you, publish 2 sewing patterns with each monthly issue, and as a subscriber you earn 2 credits a month which can be used to download any patterns from their catalogue (one credit per pattern).

So, the revelation which has prompted me to start using my credits? Copyshop printing! I found that I can get the PDFs printed in large format for just a few pounds – well worth it to avoid the assembly line hassle.

Adelaide is a really beautiful, and simple button-down dress with lovely waist shaping and a waist tie. It was pretty quick to sew and the armholes and neckline are finished with bias binding. I took the time to make my own bias tape, first of all because it looks fabulous, and secondly because I LOVE making bias tape.

I usually get carried away and make excessive amounts, but it’s great to keep in the stash. The neckline is actually bias-faced, rather than bias-bound, meaning that the bias tape is pressed to the inside and top-stitched. It provides such a neat finish.

I love the way the end of the binding is left unsewn, and then tucked inside the button stand. So tidy!

The pattern calls for snaps for the front closure. You could absolutely sew 13 (gulp!) buttonholes, but snaps are much…. snappier! I have a fairly sizable collection of KAM snaps, but no navy. And to my disappointment I failed to source them online. Then I stumbled across Prym Colour Snaps. They look very similar to the KAM snaps, but you can use them with the Prym Vario pliers (an amazing investment by the way). I had to buy the attachment to fit them separately, which was around £4. A set of 30 snaps was only £2.99 though. The set up isn’t as neat as the KAM pliers, because the little fitting piece kept falling off the pliers. However, it’s a fun way to finish up and they look satisfyingly smart.

In fact, I can slip this dress on without even undoing any of the snaps, which makes me think I might hack the Adelaide pattern into an even simpler summer wardrobe staple. Even without the tie belt, the shaping on this dress is quite lovely.

The linen itself had worried me at first as it’s quite ‘crispy’! Perhaps that’s an odd word to use, but it felt very stiff. However, I’m wearing the dress as I sit here typing and I can already feel the fabric softening up. It’s so comfortable and breezy. I finished my Adelaide almost two weeks ago, but it was this morning’s glorious sunshine and the promise of a warm Spring day which prompted me to snap some photos at last!