Here at Sewing Gem we (Mum and I) have decided to join in with the Gertie B6556 Sew-Along. In case you were interested in joining in the fun we thought a quick blog on the details might be of interest.

Full details on the Sew-Along can be found on Gertie's Blog here. There is also a great Facebook group where questions can be asked and pictures of the final dresses can be posted.

 Week 1 is Supplies, Fabric and Sizing.

 If you still need a pattern we have it for sale in the Sewing Gem Store here. 

Supplies - I still have to decide on my fabric, which I need to do before I can purchase the correct colour zipper and thread. 

I have decided to use a light-weight, woven, iron-on interfacing which I already have ready to go. Calico is a staple in my sewing room, so I'm good for that. Once I make a final decision on fabric I'll purchase the other supplies that I need.

Fabric - Gertie recommends sticking to cotton, which makes a lot of sense as it's nice and stable, so I think I am going to opt for a broderie Anglaise fabric in white (perhaps with pink underneath)?! Something like the picture below. I'll keep you posted when I finally decide. For now I am going to focus on getting the fit right in calico. Mum has a beautiful floral border print in cotton to use for hers. I'll try and get a picture for the next blog to show you. 

Gertie explains in the first entry of the sew-along that if you are a C cup or bigger you will likely need a full-bust alteration (FBA). Mum and I decided we certainly would need a FBA and set out to do this over facetime together last night (what fun we had!). The 'Fit For Real People' Book by Pati Palmer & Marta Alto is a great resource for this. However Gertie has promised to post more on doing a FBA later in the week as well if you don't have the book and need a little guidance. Perhaps Mum and I should have waited!

In terms of progress so far I made up my toile today, except the zipper, which I will put in tonight. The changes I ended up making to the pattern so far are below, but this might change once the zipper is in:

 - Cut size 12, graded out to size 14 at waist

- Moved my bust point down 2 cm

- Bust alteration 

- Lowered waist dart slightly

I'll keep you posted on our progress as we go. Come join in the fun!