Wow, where is 2019 going? September already?! It's definitely starting to feel autumnal here in the UK with the winds picking up, temperatures dropping and darker evenings drawing in.  So for most it's time to sew all the sweaters, coats and jeans, of which I have plenty planned.  

​We have just received a wedding invite for a November wedding though, so instead, my sewing has been focussing on making myself an outfit warm enough for cooler weather whilst still looking dressy enough for the occasion, fingers crossed I've managed!  

​With 2 energetic, home educated forest loving children, dresses are often impractical day-to-day so when when it comes to occasions such as Weddings or Christenings, I like to wear dresses whenever possible.  

Looking through the {67 strong!!} Itch to Stitch catalogue to choose which patterns I wanted to sew up for the tour, I came across the Davina Dress.  Davina was released in August 2015 putting it among the first 10 patterns released. I had looked at it several times in the past and had upon checking my account had even bought the pattern in June 2017 but hadn't ever sewn it up..... 

​​Many of you know my love for the Marbella but I had a knit fabric in mind... I realised the Davina had a similar style and shape and could be what I was looking for! 

I think, honestly, I'd always been a little put off sewing Davina due to the bust gathering.  This is not a style or feature I am usually drawn to or have previously worn BUT, as with all other Itch to Stitch patterns I've sewn myself, however doubtful they'll suit me before I start, I haven't made one I don't love wearing yet so I set about preparing to sew it up. 

Fabric wise, the pattern recommends light to medium weight knit fabrics with at least 75% 4-way stretch.  Naturally, I'd chosen a pretty floral scuba fabric which didn't match the requirements (only 50% horizontal and minimal vertical stretch) but I was prepared to adjust a bit to make it work if needed.

Even though it is an older released pattern, it still features the super useful layers function so I could print out just the size 0 lines I needed, tape it together (27 pages) and cut it out very easily.  

​The bodice of Davina is lined which I wasn't expecting {I couldn't have looked at the photo very hard as there is no other way to get such clean finishes and no visible stitching!} and wasn't convinced a double scuba layer would work so used some thin cotton lycra from my scraps box for the lining. 

Originally I was planning to omit the pockets (how to instructions are included) due to fabric limitations and add short sleeves but when I tried the sleeveless bodice on for size, quickly decided I wanted it just as it was {I'd sort a jacket/cardigan out instead} and then had enough fabric to do the pockets as well. 

Sewing it together was actually very straightforward, the "trickiest" parts being the bust gathering, understitching {the neckline, armholes and pockets} and keeping the fabric out of the way of the stitches when sewing the 'burrito roll' clean finish so I would say anybody who is confident sewing knit fabrics and following the detailed illustrated instruction could sew this up.

I love this dress, as does my husband and I keep trying to figure out if it beats my Marbellas but the jury is still out there, obviously I'll need to make more to decide that ;)

Being scuba, perhaps I should have sized up 1 {like the pattern says to if stretch requirements are not sufficient} or put a side zipper in as it would have made it slightly easier to get on/off but that was down to my choice {read....not reading the instructions fully before cutting...oops!} but it is still very comfortable to wear and although snugger to get on/off than others, not impossible with a little wiggling haha!

So, because I decided on sleeveless, I took another look through the catalogue to find a nice smart occasion suitable outer layer.  I toyed with another La Paz, Lisbon and even a bolero style Aveiro but in the end settle for the more formal looking Salamanca Jacket adding just the right amount of formality, warmth and composure to finish the outfit suitable for a wedding.

Salamanca was released in March 2016, as part of a mini capsule with the Seville, Hepburn and Zamora.  It is a fully lined, raglan sleeved, button up cropped jacket.  I chose not to add the buttons/buttonholes as I will wear it open and didn't want to distract from the dress or make it too busy for this outfit.  

I used a slub dupion fabric and opted to use the matt/dull side as the right side and matching anti-static lining.  Whilst a more complex pattern than the Davina, it is not difficult as such for the quality of the finished garment.  For example, I will admit that I procrastinated getting started on the jacket and only bought the pattern Monday evening, the fabric Tuesday afternoon and took the photos of it finished on Wednesday evening after work! As is the case with most Itch to Stitch patterns, don't be put off thinking it is too hard to make as no matter the difficulty rating on the pattern, if you are determined to make it and take your time reading and following each step of the instructions you will be able to make it.

I hope you like my use of the Davina and Salamanca patterns, perhaps it has inspired you to sew these up, perhaps even for a wedding you are going to or maybe motivated you to dig out some of your older sewing patterns and give them a new breath of life?  Please do go look at the other blogs in the tour and our generous tour sponsors.

Good luck with the prize draw and happy sewing until next time :) 

​Itch to Stitch is offering 25% off for the patterns being highlighted in the blogs each day. There is a daily discount code for this offer. The code will be valid for 24 hours 8am-8am Eastern Time. If a code is used outside the 24 hour period, it will reflect a $0 discount on the order. Here is a breakdown of the code and the patterns included for each day.:

1. Monday Sept 16th: 916itsblogtour25
   1. Hepburn, Mila, Vientiane, Aveiro, Davina, Newport, Medellin
2. Tuesday Sept 17th: 917itsblogtour25
   1. Busan, Anza, Emily, Jacqueline, Liana, Nottingham, Sequoia, Medellin
3. Wednesday Sept 18th: 918itsblogtour25
   1. North Point, Irena, La Paz, Jacqueline, Mnt View, Paulina
4. Thursday Sept 19th: 919itsblogtour25
   1. Carey, Zamora, Samara, Idyllwild, Orono, Davina, Salamanca, Envigado
5. Friday Sept 20th: 920itsblogtour25
   1. Tierras, Mnt View, Samara, Marbella, Liana, Zamora, Salamanca

​Affiliate links are included throughout this post marked with GREEN TEXT it costs you nothing extra but means I get a few cents if you buy the pattern after clicking through.  I would love it if you could use them if this post has inspired you but feel free to navigate there yourself if you prefer! All opinions expressed on my blog are entirely my own. Thanks, Sarah

Welcome to the final day of the Itch to Stitch Love Blogtour.  Like many others when the news hit that Kennis, the designer behind Itch to Stitch had been burgled whilst away on holiday, I was deeply saddened and felt like I needed to do something to help.  I am always in awe of how the sewing community and bloggers pull together in times of need and this was no exception, before very long a blog tour was arranged and here it is, I'm so glad to be involved in this tour and do my part to help, as such this post contains NO AFFILIATE LINKS.

When considering what to make for my post of the tour, I was torn between sewing one of the few ITS patterns I hadn't yet sewn or going back to my ever faithful, favourite pattern of all time, the Marbella. Guess what won?!

I'm loving being involved in blog tours at the moment, here is my stop on the first Sewing by Ti tour I've been involved in! I've followed Ti's blog and tours for quite a while now so it's a little nerve wracking to be involved myself this time! Ti's blogtours are all themed but what that means to us is up to our individual interpretation! This tour is themed "Dress up this Town" and my immediate thoughts on that were dresses for occasions, not just for Weddings, Christenings and evenings out but for the lunch dates with your girlfriends, for attending Church, for any occasion where you want something a little more than an everyday casual dress. What I came up with may not surprise those of you who know me and know what a HUGE fan of Itch to Stitch Designs I am, so here we have 3 dresses all from ITS all very suitable for occasion wear when sewn in the right fabrics whilst still working brilliantly as casual everyday dresses in others. PS. make it to the bottom for the great giveaways!

​I am SO excited to be part of this blog tour celebrating the Bluezette's 2 year anniversary! Released by Love Notions in both Ladies and Girls sizes, this is a dress pattern I've not tried before but have seen so many gorgeous versions of and hadn't realised quite how many variations could be made from the pattern and blog add-on! So many, I couldn't decide on just 1 version to make so made 2!

With well drafted sewing patterns for wovens becoming harder to find as the preferred jersey knit patterns seem to be increasing in popularity, I was happy to see Itch to Stitch's new pattern was another designed for wovens! I have to admit, I was just a little outside my comfort zone on this one as I've never worn a jumpsuit before, so I signed up for testing out the dress version only but a combination of curiosity and trust in the designer led me to trying the jumpsuit too! AND I'm glad I went with it as it's opened up a whole new avenue to explore and create with this Summer! 

From the very first sketch I saw of this beautiful dress in the Love Notions* newsletter, I just knew I needed the pattern! It was my first testing experience with Love Notions* and I was very impressed at how thorough their testing process went. Tami was so determined to get the fit perfect we actually went through 9 versions before getting to the final pattern!  I was also super happy to be able to squeeze the bodice out of the last of the stunning Summer Garden print from Lulus Fabrics, the fabric and pattern just works so well together! 

Double brushed poly, or DBP, as it's often abbreviated to, is a relatively new fabric base available to the UK market, so when I was offered the chance to sew it up and review it I was very excited! I sewed up a sample from a lovely custom fabric company, Lulus Fabrics UK, and as usual, I like to test to the max! I washed it, tumble dried it, checked for colour running, fading and shrinkage and sewed it up into various different garments to test how it sews, stretches, wears and looks! Here are my projects, thoughts and findings....

Here is the Violet! A super pretty feminine pattern which includes a top and dress.  I was actually asked if I'd like to test this pattern and as soon as I saw the drawing, I knew it was definitely for me, totally my style and couldn't wait to sew it up!

I've had the original version of this pattern in my cart for several months, waiting for both an occasion and the time to make it before buying. Then, just as I'm looking for dress patterns for something to wear to my Brother's wedding next month a call goes out to test a new add-on for it which is even more my style than the original pattern, what perfect timing!  I immediately applied and pre-washed some fabric from my stash ready in hope! I'm super excited to show you all the Marbella with the new skirt add on*.......