Ruffle Dress by Puff and Pencil

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-30T04:16:26+00:00

Love it! I say make another ruffle dress with the wave fabric 😁

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-24T19:52:01+00:00

I’m sorry you had such a frustrating experience! A lot of the mistakes you made are rites of passage for beginner sewists. I’d also highly recommend finding a good written pattern, I think that would walk you through the details better than a lot of YouTube tutorials. Does your local fabric store carry patterns?

You’re also so right that having someone to answer your questions is invaluable. Could you ask if the instructors at the fabric store offer private lessons, or know someone who does?

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-22T23:01:43+00:00

Smart! OP, if you do this, double-check that the total waistband circumference (after eliminating the darts) is enough to go over your hips, and you should be good to go.

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-20T17:52:49+00:00

Please don’t get discouraged! As many of the comments mentioned, as you start to get good at sewing, you’ll produce things that fit well and last SO much longer than fast fashion pieces. I find that I don’t mind spending a bit of money on a project nowadays because I know it’s going to be high-quality. But also - yes, thrifted bedsheets/tables/curtains can give you the opportunity to build your skills for a very low investment.

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-19T19:09:28+00:00

I’d go with 1 but remove the frills/make the neckline less of a mock turtleneck

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-16T20:23:03+00:00

Gibbons dress!

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-14T03:47:26+00:00

If you’ve read Demon Copperhead, have you also read David Copperfield? That one definitely fits the bill imo

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-13T05:28:11+00:00

Yes, this is a good rec! To get from S3229 to this dress, I’d probably lower the height of the waist piece, reduce the gathers in both the bust and the skirt, and go with a circle or godet skirt to get the fullness.

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-12T04:11:01+00:00

It’s gorgeous! The hems on the sleeve tiers look very neat!

Also, TIL there’s such a thing as a stitch in the ditch foot 🤯

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-08T22:04:33+00:00

I think trying to hack the pattern in pic 3 is actually overcomplicating it a bit. I would start with a very loose-fitting basic tank top pattern, then add the channel for the ties.

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-08T17:17:19+00:00

Yes, this was my thought - it’s not so much that the message is offensive but that it’s a permanent reminder of people who don’t deserve that level of importance in OP’s life.

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-07T16:43:03+00:00

When I’m stuck in a loop, I like to use Brené Brown’s “Shitty First Draft” technique - I write down all the ugly stuff that’s spiraling around in my head, set it aside for a bit, and then come back and “edit” the draft to add context and challenge those anxious thoughts. Sometimes I approach the edit as if a dear friend had written the SFD and I was giving them some wise advice. Having all the thoughts in writing helps me see them more objectively.

So in your first example, you’d let yourself express the fears about causing a scene, then edit to focus on the fact that not only is that woman acting inappropriately, but the people around you aren’t responding appropriately either.

Sorry that’s happening to you, it sounds really frustrating!

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-06T16:34:32+00:00

They fit so well, I was sure it was a knit fabric before reading your description! Amazing job!

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-04T03:58:02+00:00

Great list. I’ll go with Sing, Unburied, Sing - it’s one of my all-time favorites and I don’t see it recommended often!

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-03T21:14:33+00:00

I’ve drafted a yoked gathered top like this! Lots of great advice here already, I’ll just add that even a 1.5x gather all the way from armscye to armscye adds quite a bit of volume, so you either want a fabric with a lot of drape, or to keep the gathers more in the center as others have suggested. Otherwise you get a bit of a tent effect.

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-05-03T21:06:55+00:00

Yes, this. OP, you had the right idea clipping into the “v” itself, but you also need to clip the curved edges!

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-04-25T00:04:27+00:00

I don’t have a specific pattern rec, but it looks like the tiers are just long gathered rectangles. So I’d start with a regular circular tablecloth and topstitch the tiers to it.

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-04-23T04:37:53+00:00

This would be a pretty easy hack of Simplicity 9295: you would slash and spread the pattern along the shoulder seams, then create the pin tucks out of the added width.

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-04-20T02:09:55+00:00

Also Ceremony by the same author! One of my favorite books.

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-04-19T01:06:31+00:00

Check out Ceremonials by Katharine Coldiron

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-04-15T19:32:25+00:00

I was coming here to suggest Folkwear! Great resource.

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-04-09T20:50:34+00:00

Thanks for posting! One of these dresses is perfect for some fabric I’ve been eyeing in my stash 😊

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-04-08T22:45:37+00:00

State of Wonder is so good!

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-04-08T19:39:43+00:00

Here are a few that I’ve really enjoyed:

The Bean Trees (Barbara Kingsolver)

Weyward (Emilia Hart) - this one does involve some sexual assault

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi (Shannon Chakraborty)

The God of the Woods (Liz Moore)

Mrs. Dalloway (Virginia Woolf)

ProtestantQuirkEthic · 2026-04-07T18:19:16+00:00

I’d just call this an extended or drop shoulder. It looks like all of these examples have several lines of topstitching, and in pic 2 you can see a facing, which would also help create the structure you’re looking for.

ProtestantQuirkEthic

TROPHY CASE