On Saturday I tutored the first of my toile-making workshops at New Threads Quilt Shop, Weyhill Fairground. There were 4 ladies attending and they each arrived laden with their dressmakers pattern paper, calico or sheeting, pens, paper and the hope that by the end of the day they would have a well-fitting toile of a New Look shift dress.

The time passed very quickly as we measured and compared inches with the patterns, re-drafted pattern pieces and cut into the calico or sheeting.

Using long stitches and bold-coloured thread the revised pieces were quickly sewn together and the resultant toile checked for fit. For 2 of the ladies there are some more “tweaks” required and for the other 2 we ended up with well-fitting toiles.

Part 2 of the workshop will be held in October when we will be using the refined toiles to draft personalised patterns so that the fashion fabric can be cut and sewn with confidence of a custom-fit shift dress in good time for the party season ahead.