Friday nights are my sewing nights, but this one was different. I just lost my ‘sewjo’ and couldn’t get motivated or even settle on an idea. By Saturday afternoon I started to panic, I took to Pinning stuff for inspiration, flicking through magazines, books and patterns and then my fabric stash. I really didn’t think I was going to make it, perhaps I ended up over thinking things (yep that’s me a total over-thinker). I pulled out the chiffon that and the left over leather and settled on the Anouk by Victory Patterns.
The last time I made this was in 2012, for the Vegas challenge, I Googled the Anouk and there I was sitting among the images. I felt that the images by themselves were a tad gimmicky for those that didn’t click through and read the post, which certainly doesn’t help the potential of this magic little dress pattern or Victory Patterns so I chose to remake it so I could kinda redeem myself.
…and so you can say that my Sewjo returned with great vengeance, phew!! I doubled over the chiffon and cut twice for the front and back because the fabric is so sheer. I was going to flip one of the pieces so the stripes looked crisscrossed but it looked too busy. I like it like this, it kinda gives off that misaligned/offset effect often found in screen printing when the crop marks are out.
The leather made the construction really easy as you can imagine, no facings. I should have cut a size smaller because of the seam allowance, this is okay though. I did have some trouble with the leather gripping to the machine which forced these tiny stitches I’m hoping they don’t perforate, I was wondering if I had mixed up my machine needles thinking this was a leather needle *shrugs* A Teflon coated machine foot may of helped too. This was before I got my trusty Janome HD3000 that is one of the best sewing machines for leather. I used the rotary tool to cut these pieces and asked hubby to place the snaps in. The hems are rolled on the serger.
I played around with the center bodice piece and changed it up a little, it almost looks like a breast plate, and I love it! The back is the same as the pattern I just added a small leather loop that sits center back between the leather and chiffon, why? No reason, just because. I’ll call this one Bamboo Banga from MIA’s album Kala she’s perhaps the most fiercely political performer active today.
And there you have it, my stitching lovelies! From a sewing block to a beautifully reborn Anouk dress, I hope my journey inspires you. Remember, even when you lose your ‘sewjo’, something as simple as revisiting an old pattern can reignite your creative spark. Don’t be afraid to play around with materials and modify a design to suit your unique style – after all, that’s the joy of sewing, isn’t it?
