We love handmade (of course we do…) and that extends to fabrics too.
I was recently introduced to Celina Mancurti’s hand-screened linen fabrics. If you follow the blog, you know I’ve written before about how much I adore working with linen. And when it’s hand-printed with wonderful simple designs like this I think it makes a wonderful material for a fun summer dress.
Celina sewed up a Roller Skate Dress using a couple of her prints–one for the body and a separate one at the hem (which makes a nice customization to the pattern, wouldn’t you agree?).
A little hand topstitching in a contrasting color is a nice touch.
Here’s what Celina posted on her Facebook page about sewing the dress.
Gosh, I just love this dress. I had so much fun sewing it, and on top of that, it brought back the fondest of my childhood memories. Join me in a little flashback:
Where I was born and raised almost 40(?!) years ago in Buenos Aires, clothes were very expensive and quality was unreliable. In many families there was either a dressmaker or family members in charge of sewing clothes for everyone. In my family of five siblings, my mom and grandma were the ones sewing all of the clothes. From dresses to tailored wool coats, all was made by hand.
While working on this dress, clear memories came back to me of my mom and grandma sewing. My mom was the one tracing the patterns from the Burda magazine they bought each season, while my grandma created the basting stitches for each garment. All pieces were then sewn with the Singer machine that still, to this day, lives at my parents’ house.
What a joy it was sewing this dress and going back to my roots! The pattern and instructions for the Roller Skate Dress from Oliver + S were simple to follow, and I love the freedom that the design gives to personalize it. It was challenging to select the final combination of colors and patterns, but I decided to go with my blue ring pattern. I used plain oatmeal linen for the neckline and belt. And instead of making the lining shorter, I cut the dress a bit and added a band of the paw pattern in gray to the lining so it shows just a couple of inches below the hem. The final detail is in the running stitches made with yellow embroidery thread that I used on the hem and neckline. I think I could make 100 versions of this adorable dress…if time only allowed!
Celina has generously offered a yard of the same hand-screened linen used in this dress to one of our blog readers. So go ahead and leave a comment telling us about a good sewing memory that you have and you’ll be entered to win. (Due to shipping restrictions, the contest is only open to people with a US shipping address. Sorry, everyone else.) We’ll pick a winner on Wednesday morning at which point we’ll close comments on this post and will notify the winner by email. Not everyone can win, unfortunately. If you don’t win, you can still get your hands on this beautiful fabric in Celina’s shop.
I have great memories of learning to sew from my mom and aunt, and my dad helping out with the buttonholes.
At about age 12-13, I took a summer sewing class at Singer. When I got pretty good at it, my mom asked me to make her a summer dress for work – she sewed, but never hadmuch time to sew for herself. I ended up making quite a few for her & she proudly wore them to work and got tons of compliments! That was the best – or close to it. I equally love sewing for my granddaughters now!
A favorite sewing memory is when my great-grandma made me a 2-piece outfit, with green polyester and a giraffe applique stretching over both top and bottom. She let me pick out the pattern and the color. I wore that outfit on my trip to Disneyland, and have lots of pics of me wearing it!
I love, love, love this dress! I remember my mom trying to teach me as a teenager how to sew, she chose a Laura Ashley jumper pattern. We never sewed again after that experience, it wasn’t pretty. I didn’t start sewing again until I was 38… and in the past two years I think I’ve taught my mom a few things.
I’m not in the US so can’t be entered for the draw but just wanted to say I love everything about this dress!
My mom doesn’t sew but my aunt used to. I remember the day she gave me her tin of embroidery thread. I was thrilled and immediately made myself a pencil case so that I could embroider it. It fell apart pretty quickly but I remember it vividly.
My favorite sewing memory is watching my grandmother make me doll clothes on her 1920 Wilcox & Gibbs chainstitch machine.
My mom made a majority of mine and my 2 sisters clothes when we were little. As I got older, I would “help” her. I hemmed dresses as she made them, using the slip stitch she showed me and sewed on buttons. I wish I were as confident now as I was then when it comes to my abilities as a sewer!
When I was little, my mom made a majority of mine and my 2 sisters clothes. As I grew older, I became the “helper”, hemming dresses as my mom cranked them out and sewing on buttons, etc…I miss that time and wish I was as confident in my sewing abilities now as I was then.
I come from a family of non-sewers, so I don’t have any memories of sewing at home. But I started sewing about a year ago and have made a few dresses and a cape for my 1-year-old daughter, so I guess I’ll be the one making some sewing memories for her. 🙂
One of my favorite sewing memories was with my grandmother (who taught me to sew). We were making Barbie clothing with my older cousin’s prom dress material. It was a beautiful floral chiffon and as a young girl, I had never seen or felt something so beautiful. My grandma had me cut and hand sew the fabric into the dress which I was so proud of. I don’t think the workmanship was very good, but you would be hard pressed to find a prouder seamstress!
I learned to sew in a home economics class taught by the most patient little old lady. It started my love of sewing and of coming together with friend to sew. You meet the most kind and interesting people when you sew.
My favorite sewing memory/moment was when I first successfully made something for myself. It was so empowering!
My favorite sewing memory is actually two memories- 1) being allowed to use my Mom’s featherweight to make doll clothes all by myself. 2) Getting a note card from my 7 yr old daughter this year, telling me that she knows that I love her because I sew her clothes.
When I was 12, we spent summer vacation visiting my family in France. I had an older, very chic, cousin who convinced me we should sew tunics from her favorite cotton sheets. My uncle caught us cutting them up but there was nothing to do at that point but solider on, enlisting my aunts as consultants when things started to get complicated. We made them, and wore them proudly — though I do remember hers looked so much better than mine…
Oh what beautiful fabric! My favorite sewing memory is helping my daughter sew a skirt for her special stuffed elephant. Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂
Being heavily pregnant and wedging myself infront of an ancient hand singer (my great-granny’s!) to make a quilt for my baby – my first ever sewing project as an adult which re-ignited a childhood fascination!!
I don’t remember my mother or grandmother sewing, but I vividly remember looking through old photo albums and asking my mother about some of the things I wore. I was so impressed when she told me about making them. I still use the baby quilt she made for me after I was born, and my daughter loves to cuddle with it too, especially “when I need love and cuddles, and you’re not here”. I started sewing when I was pregnant with my daughter, 4 years ago. I hope she always fondly remembers the fun she and I have at the sewing table.
I remember when I was around 7, I was doing some hand sewing at my grandma’s and accidentally sewed the doll dress to her blankets.
I Remember sewing at my grandmothers house each summer. She always had a top of the machine and a closet full of fabric, drawers full of notions and tins of buttons
My earliest sewing memories are going to the store and looking through the pattern catalogs to pick out dresses for my mom to make me and my sister for different holidays. I always enjoyed that!
Love the pattern and the fabric! I remember sitting under my grandmothers quilt frame while all the ladies hand stitched the quilt. It was so fun for me to see all the needles poking down and up to make the quilt.
My mom bought me a sewing machine about 5 years ago for Christmas. I was so excited but I couldn’t figure it out. I was living in Fort Riley, KS and my mom was in Texas. I couldn’t figure the bobbin out to save my life. I was so frustrated it went back into the box never to be touched again. Then we moved to Fort Jackson, SC while I was 8 months pregnant. I still had no desire to sew, but I started seeing all of these really cute clothes. When my daughter was born my mom flew to SC and since she was here I busted out the sewing machine. She showed me how to work it, how I was putting the bobbin in the wrong way and gave me some pointers. I made a pillow case dress for my daughter. It was a happy moment having three generations in the same room and I haven’t turned back. Thanks for the chance to win!
mrs(dot)hbraun(at)gmail(dot)com
My favorite memory is my mom frantically finishing my sister’s prom dress while her date arrived at the door. My job was to stall him and keep him entertained while those last buttons were sewn on!
My favorite sewing memory is picking out fabric with my grandmother. In particular, she made all of my nightgowns, and I wore them to pieces.
Have sewn for decades. Loved making my own clothes in high school and beyond and then sewing for my daughter. One summer I sewed dozens of shorts for all the kids.
I guess what I enjoy most now is little girl dresses that go to charity of one sort or another. Some to orphanages in Africa and some to homeless kids in my home town.
Simply gorgeous fabric! My favorite sewing memory is going to Piece Goods Fabric store with my mom to pick out some lavender and mint green fabric for dresses to wear to my aunt’s wedding. Hand smocked with French seams, Peter Pans collar, puffed sleeves, and miles of hand sewn hem…this dress now waits in my daughter’s closet until she is big enough to wear it!
One of my favorite memories was of helping (well, watching, mostly) my mother make my wedding dress. We laid two tables end to end in order to lay out the fabric for the train. We shopped for the fabric and lace inset details together. I remember how anxious she was fitting it. I was excited to wear something one more time that she had made for me, since she had made so many of my clothes when I was small and then all of my special dresses through my teenage and young adult years. I hope that my skills can keep growing along with my kids, as well!
My fondest sewing memory is going down to my Granny’s basement and sewing on her Singer treadle machine, which I inherited. I made the cutest pink romper that zipped up the front – my twin sister was amazed!!
HELLO! SUCH A NEAT PROJECT!
LOVE REMEMBERING PROJECTS THAT MY MOTHER+I DID TOGETHER. SUCH AS MAKING ME A LITTLE RED CHECKED BLOUSE WHEN I WAS 9 YEARS OLD! THANKS FOR SHARING A WONDERFUL GIVEAWAY!
All I can say about this dress is WOW!
One of my favorite sewing memories is wearing a dress made by my Mother to my 8th grade graduation. It was a typical dress for the 1960’s full gathered skirt and fitted bodice with flutter sleeves. The fabrics were an under layer of mint green taffeta and an over layer of sheer dotted swiss nylon. I saved that dress and my daughter wore it in a play in 6th grade.
The first time my daughter picked out fabric with me. Heart melting.
Wow, what gorgeous fabric! My favorite sewing memory is of making clothes for my Barbies with my Oma. I’d choose the fabric and cut it out, then she would handsew buttonholes and buttons on the back and voila: a dress! She was skilled with a machine too, but it’s her hand projects that still really impress me. Her sewing and my mother’s are what inspire me to sew and embroider today.
What gorgeous fabric! My favorite sewing memory was when I got my good sewing machine over 20 years ago. I had sewn many outfits for my infant daughter and even a boat cover for a 40 foot sailboat on an old, ornery Sears machine with constant tension problems. My husband said I had earned a Bernina and the difference was like night and day. A good machine made sewing remain fun to this day and now I am making outfits for my little granddaughter on the same good machine.
My favorite memory is my mother making my first communion dress. Very 70s eyelet lace- a go-go dress- so short I look at the pictures now and cringe. But it was cute!
Everyone wore these puffy polyester dresses that looked cheap, and here I was the first line of fashion in a white eyelet go-go dress!!
I’ve only been sewing for my toddler for just over a year, but I beam whenever she chooses a handmade dress from her closet!
I think my favorite is getting back into sewing as an adult with a quilt for my oldest daughter. Or maybe watching how much fun my kids have wearing the things I make for them!
A fond memory I have is of determinedly sewing a “hula hoop” tent for my daughter’s second birthday. I wrestled with ten yards of fabric, and some chiffon – which was unlike anything I had ever sewn before, and end the end it turned out amazingly. I took a video of her coming into her room on her birthday and discovering the tent. Her face lit up and she was thrilled with it. I have a huge smile just thinking about it! Thanks for the chance to win that gorgeous fabric!
One of my favorite memories of sewing was two years ago when I made my daughter a dress for the first time, I was so nervous, I remember my hands shaking at the sewing machine….but it worked out and she loved it and wore it all the time until her sister grew into it and loved it too.
This is so lovely! I’ve just taken a screen printing workshop, and this is totally serving as inspiration!
One of my favorites was sewing three matching Family Reunion dresses for my brother’s wedding. It was so sweet seeing my daughter and two nieces run around in their cute little dresses.
I’ve been sewing for over 30 years and my favorite sewing memories are making dress-up clothes for my girls when they were little. Their favorites were prairie dresses. They would pretend to be Laura and Mary from “Little House in the Big Woods” for hours and hours.
I have great memories of being up with my oldest daugther when she was a baby and sewing clothes for her. A little cutting and then a little rocking. Some sewing and then some feeding. I fondly think back to that time when she was so little!
My favorite memory is when I sewed my first dress for my daughter. I had gorgeous fabric that I bought online. And this dress had lots of tucks, a ruffled collar and a zipper. Being a beginner sewist, I had no idea that this pattern should probably not have been one of my first ones to make. But the dress turned out so cute! And it made me proud to see my daughter in it. She looked like a doll!
My favorite sewing memory was making the School Days coat for my son. I was so proud of that coat. It doesn’t fit him anymore but I couldn’t part with it. I bought the lining fabric (Lecien dots) at Purl Soho on a trip to NYC and that made it feel even more special.
My mother was a pistol and never afraid to say what was on her mind. she was with me on the day that I needed to take my machine in for its yearly check-up. this quilt shop routinely put tops up as samples and had many lining the walls that day. When I asked her how she liked the quilts, she answered in her best outdoor voice, “Yours are much better.”
I think they overcharged me that day…
I remember one summer my mum having a little sewing class for the girls in the neighborhood, we all made a pair of shorts! As an adult I am awed by the amount of patience she must have had to work with all of us and see a product from start to finish!
Love the material!
My good sewing memory is of my Mom cutting out patterns and the sound that her scissors made as it cut out the fabric on our kitchen table. I still have the table, a favorite b/c it’s a Danish design and doubles in size easily. I love the sound that my scissors makes when I cut out fabric because it reminds me of learning to sew as a child.
My mother loved to sew and she made clothes for me – even when I was a teenager. We could afford to buy them so it wasn’t that. I loved the process of picking out a fabric and sitting by her while she cut and sewed it up for me. I’ll always cherish those memories.
My mom taught me to sew on the sewing machine while making my Halloween costume in 2nd grade. I was a red M&M (just a giant red circle) with a white M. It was so fun doing that with her, and I was so stinking proud of myself.
Wow! Beautiful!
When my sis that’s 1.5 years older graduated from high school, my oldest sister and I collaborated on making a quilt for her. It was awesome!
Wow, this is fantastic. I would sure love to win some of this fabric!
A great sewing memory was learning to sew using my grandmother’s foot pedal machine. My sister and I both sewed on this machine and we still sew to this day.
I learned to sew from watching my mom sew for me and my three siblings. She made us a ton of coordinating outfits, even for my brother.
My favorite memory is from my wedding 10 years ago. My mom sewed and hand-beaded a beautiful lace gown for me. I made her mother of the bride outfit, a brocade gown with a coordinating short sleeve jacket.
I got so caught up in my memory I forgot to mention how much I LOVE that dress!!! I’m a little jealous of Celina’s creativity :). I would love to create my own prints. Sewing with linen is also my favorite this time of year.
When I was about 10, a grandma in my church did a weekly sewing club in the summers for several girls my age–free of charge and all materials provided out of her vast scrap collection. She was so sweet to show us how to make felt animals, cloth dolls and dresses, and all kinds of other projects! My girlfriends & I loved biking to her house to sew. When I’m a grandma I hope to provide the same inspiration to a group of little girls!
One of my fondest sewing memories is of sitting beside my grandma in her tidy little sewing room and watching her sew, and when I got a little older I had the privilege of quilting alongside her on one of the many quilts she made. Her quilting days are behind her now, but I treasure the quilt she made for me; a fan pattern made from cut-up dresses of my aunt (her daughter) who died of breast cancer when I was a teenager.
Many happy hours spent with the other neighborhood girls hand-sewing tiny outfits for our tiny china dolls. Good times, happy childhood.
I grew up watching my mom work on quilts, she’d spend hours laying out fabrics and making beautiful squares. I remeber the joy I felt when at age 12 she took me to the local fabric shop and let me select a few fabrics and a pattern. I chose a wrap skirt and made two, I absolutely loved those skirts and wore them with such pride. I am now a registered member of your Boutique selling programme and have my own online shop with over 300 sales last year. I see memorys like this as the seeds which were planted to start my dressmaking dreams growing. This fabric is stunning and I would love to work with it, great giveaway nicolewatkinson @ gmail (dot) com
One of my favorite sewing memories was making my wedding dress. I was up until about 3am the night before the wedding sewing the last details on. But I got my soon-to-be-husband to sew the 40+covered buttons on the back and my mother-in-law to work on my veil while I worked on some detail work on the skirt. It was stressful then but it makes me smile now.
oh that fabric is gorgeous, and her daughter is a beauty. thank you for introducing Celina to me
My mum made clothes for us when we were young and my grandmother was a terrific sewer who showed me herringbone hem stitch when I was quite young and still use this instead of the ‘stitch in the ditch’ option in patterns!
Unfortunately, I don’t have many memories of my mother sewing. I was the 4th out of 5 children, and my mom had too much to do by the time I came around to continue sewing our clothes. I am told she sewed many outfits and coats for the older children. That doesn’t mean there were no crafts in the house. She dutifully and lovingly taught my sisters and I how to craft and to enjoy the process. I am currently working on building my children’s memories with sewing and crafting and hope to continue the tradition to the next generation.
Celina’s dress is just gorgeous. I think it is the best roller-skate dress I have seen so far!
My grandmother made quilts from old polyester suits she wore in the 60s and 70s. They’re crazy-looking but so original! Don’t worry, she used a cozy cotton flannel for the backing!
I remember my mother teaching me to sew. One of my first patterns was a pair of red corduroy hot pants! They were hot! I was around 13 years old.
One of my favorite sewing memories was embroidering my initial on a pillowcase with my cousin. We used to sit on the back porch of our grandmother’s house in the summer. The south Louisiana summers were full of lazy days with lots of relatives where I learned a lot about the joys of families and handmades.
I love that dress! I have very strong memories of playing with my grandma’s scraps and her teaching me how to turn them into little clothes for my dolls.
I remember the furry costumes my mother sewed us, and wanting to learn to see so I could make something like them when “I grew up”.
Congratulations to N.M. who was selected as the winner with the assistance of random.org.