Sewing:

First things first, read through the pattern in its entirety. This can help setting up and will give you an indication of why you need to take steps that might seem questionable at the time. 

Pretty straightforward business here. Remembering the starting stitches and getting the press depth right on the pedal to get a nice consistent pace for sewing that isn’t too fast or too slow is quite important.

If it is difficult to determine the sides of the fabric that are the front and back, mark the reverse side of each piece with a ‘B’ once you have cut them. If you were using velvet, it would be obvious but with calico it is not. 

NEVER PRESS THE SEWING MACHINE PEDAL ALL OF THE WAY DOWN. I’m not sure why the top speed of a sewing machine isn’t just the ideal pace, but it isn’t and, therefore, a light foot will be most useful. 

Bodice:

The pattern could be a bit difficult for a learner sewer but I don’t see anything wrong with being chucked in the deep end. Additionally, the shape of the finished bodice makes for a better foundation as it has a solid structure that will withstand form fitting embellishments whereas a tee shirt pattern would not. 

Working through the initial steps of sewing the sides to the front and sides to the back felt like easing into things. The sewing wasn't too complicated and the princess lines created by sewing the sides to the front and back meant we didn’t need to include any darts. 

Sewing the zip in was a bit of a nightmare. It can be quite easy to make mistakes at this stage so a clear head and plenty of patience are extremely valuable.

When sewing the front and back facing together it is always important to double check that the pieces are in the right place and around the right way. Avoiding as much unpicking as possible is really the way to go.

The same goes for sewing the front and back piece to one another and sewing the facing to the top. A bit of care is essential but making some mistakes is unavoidable.