Well hello! Let’s go back in time, shall we, to November and the very first thing I sewed post-concussion! (These pictures are WAY later though.)
So, what do you sew when you see everything doubled and you only have the concentration to work for a few minutes? A knit TNT, of course! This is one or other of the Cashmerette bodices and a Burda skirt.
As it turned out, the top and sleeves are a bit tight in this double knit, and the waist seam sits very high… but who cares, I was just so excited to have sewn something!
I’m sure we all know the feeling of going shopping to self-medicate with fabric, only to find that there isn’t nothing just right to spend your money on! This print was the one I liked the most, but it was a bit too cool-toned and muted to be perfect. “Never fear!” said my bruised and confused brain. “We can Sharpie this!”
And so I did! For a week I’d wander over to my sewing table and colour a few flowers then lie back down for another hour of boring silence or yet another repeat of a history lecture on YouTube because anything more exciting was overwhelming. Truly, I loved colouring this fabric. So soothing. So low stakes. So rainbow! Above, you can see the original print on the left, and my slightly warmer and more vivid version on the right.
I think the end result is very subtle – certainly no one has ever asked me if I Sharpied my dress when I wear it! As it happens, this is my second Sharpie dress. The first was in 2012 when I sewed cotton fit and flare. It’s fun reading back through that post though, because even 7 years ago I was writing about sewing for the mental health and creative process, not the perfect product. Nice to know that some things never change!
I’m smiling as I write this, because looking back it’s clear a) my condition then was way worse then I was admitting at the time and b) things are way better now! Here’s to progress, and cosy floral dresses, and watching ourselves change and grow over time!
Crafting A Rainbow 
Awesome! Never heard of this technique before. I’ll have to run out and get a multi pack of Sharpies. I’d definitely like to try this. Love the dress!
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It’s so fun!!!!
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I love this! I’m so glad you’re on the mend. Happy sewing!
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That is simply genius! Please, Gillian, what happened with the colours of the first dress after multiple washes?
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Both dresses held up pretty well! Some gentle fading in the wash over time, but nothing too bad!
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That’s great. Thank you!
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Welcome back to the world of “Creating”.
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ā¤ Thank you!
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SO CUTE!!!! I really wanted to sharpie some of the shapes on the vintage-sewing-pattern-print dress I made last fall, but all the sharpies I could find were half dead.
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LOL – I had the same challenge when I went to colour this dress! But then I realised that cause they were from 2012 when I coloured the first dress! š
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I love this! I first saw this idea on thesewcialists.com, in a post from Jasika of jasikanicole.com/try-curious-blog/. She felt excluded as a woman of color from the print of her fabric, so she corrected the problem with markers.I thought at the time that it was a lovely way to make ALL women seen.
Your marker use is a way to make all prints flattering!
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Yes!!! That blog post in the Sewcialists is one of my favorite of all time!
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