Pattern: Toddlers’ Dress and Trousers Pattern (b 9708) by Burda Patterns
Fabric: 1 metre of red spotty 100% cotton from Croft Mill
I have a new addiction. 
I’ve been interested in starting to sew for a long time now. I’ve been seeing other bloggers like Absy and Roo (and even Rubbishknitter! 
) show off their sewing skills over the past months and wanted to make something to wear as it seemed so much quicker than knitting myself a sweater. Ha ha ha.
I actually know (or knew) nothing about sewing. So when it came to actually choosing a pattern, I started very simply with one that had no buttonholes or zips and was very small, so I could buy a tiny amount of fabric and not waste too much money if it all went very wrong indeed.
I did invest, however, in a brilliant book: The Sewing Book by Alison Smith. It’s a huge, heavy book which seems to cover everything a complete idiot like me could ever need to know about joining fabric together. 
Which is a good thing because although the pattern is designed for novice sewers, it doesn’t actually tell you the meaning of anything, such as “interfacing” or how to finish off the seams.
My first finished sewing project is nowhere near perfect. I messed up when I cut out the fabric for the ruffle that’s supposed to be at the bottom of the dress, so it doesn’t have one. And the iron-on interfacing went wonky. And I poked a hole in one of the straps with a knitting needle when trying to turn it right-side out… But it fits! And looks very cute. I have some lovely lightweight denim to make the trousers next, and they will be much better. And have a ruffle.
