Handmade | Melanie's Dress

TEXT by Celine MacKay | PHOTOGRAPHS by Today's post is by Melanie Senko, a regular contributor to Pure Green Magazine. She and her husband Jesse pen and photograph the homesteading column in each issue... in fact, they're working on the next installment for our new issue right now! In this post Melanie makes an adorable dress using a Colette pattern. You could make your own with some vintage fabric perhaps!

Melanie Senko of Crackers Makes a New Dress

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Today's post is by Melanie Senko, a regular contributor to Pure Green Magazine. She and her husband Jesse pen and photograph the homesteading column in each issue... in fact, they're working on the next installment for our new issue right now! Thank you Melanie for sharing this post. NOTE: We love handmade— it often embraces many eco living principles and as such it is something I'd like to begin sharing more of here on Pure Green! If you have your own project you would like to share by all means send it in for consideration to submissions@puregreenmag.com. xo, Celine

I'm not totally sure how, but as a mother of three small children I can find time to sew - usually things for the kids. Projects range from clothes, bibs and quilts to dolly diapers and dress-up costumes.

I was recently given a gift from a friend who specifically said that I am always making things for everyone else, so now I can make something for myself. I was so excited to recieve a Colette Pattern, not only to make something for myself, but also because these patterns are simply beautiful to look at and hold. Well printed on good paper in a compact little booklet. The pattern was simple enough for a hobbyist sewer to follow.

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The Macaron Dress has what they call a "sweetheart top with a contrasting top yoke." I just call it cute.

I like the pattern so much, I decided to trace it onto freezer paper before cutting it out. This took more time, but I think it was well worth it. Within two days, I had assembled the dress, with a few little distractions.

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My favourite part in any dress is finding out it has pockets, so when I noticed the pockets in my pattern I was over the moon. When I finally tried it on, I found it a little tight in the bodice, but letting out the seam allowance fixed it up great.

I am very pleased with this pattern, and I am definitely going to sew it again and again, now I am just searching for the perfect material.

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I would highly recommend Colette Patterns, and if you head on over to their website they have a lot of really informative tutorials.

And if you live in the Hamilton area, You can check out Needlework, rumour has it they will be carrying Colette Patterns! Their grand opening is February 10th at the James St. North Art Crawl.

This post originally appeared on The Beehive Craft Collective, a small group of friends that was formed around a love for the handmade, DIY, and sustainable.

PHOTOS by Jesse Senko.

See more of Jesse & Melanie's work on their blog, Home Made Crackers

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