Having finished the first tester for my birthday dress I identified a couple of changes that needed to be made before I cut into that lovely border print cotton fabric. During a visit to my local Patchwork & Quilting store, New Threads at Weyhill Fairground, I purchased 3 metres of wide cotton fabric that was on sale at just £5 per metre. It is a woven check in very Dark Navy and White and I had a fancy to make the second tester using this fabric.

I hacked the scoop neckline from McCalls 9102, a pattern that I have had in my collection since 1997 and has been made up several times. I was undecided on exactly how to finish the neckline. I toyed with the idea of bias binding but eventually drafted facings which were made from White polyester cotton to avoid any “show through” of the check pattern. For simple accent on the neckline I sewed two rows of top stitching. The cap sleeves are lined with the White polyester cotton as are the pocket bags. Apart from re-shaping the neckline which also extended the shoulder seams, the bodice is the same as that used for the first tester dress. The skirt was cut from the full width (60 inches) of the fabric and I shaped the side seams slightly so that there was a little less to be gathered into the waistline. The dress can be worn as it is or with the addition of a belt in Grey, Black or a contrast – RED!

That completes my second tester dress, but now, as usual I have changed my mind about the design to use for the Border print cotton. I have only 3 metres of that fabric so will have to have a think about which design to use. Hmmmmm….