The time has come to commit to cutting the full size shift dress.

I’m very happy to find a new tool to make the holes with so I can be accurate with lining them up – up until now it has been trial and error with a hole puncher which hasn’t been  ideal.   A stash of replacement blades to hand for my knife as they blunt very quickly and I’m ready to go.

First step is to cut one in the material I intend to use and try it for size.

It fits the mannequin beautifully.  And now to cut the pattern – commitment to the first cut.

It takes a while to start and there is no particular place to start cutting, but once the blade makes the first incision, the pattern begins to flow.

Some hours later, it’s beginning to take shape.

And many hours later, a sneaky preview of the finished shift dress.

How long do you think it took?

Joy Merron