#sewtogetherforsummer 2017 – it’s the Summer of the Shirtdress!

Planning on sewing a Shirtdress for Summer? Good, so are we! Let’s #sewtogetherforsummer !

Simply tag your newly made Shirtdress on Instagram with the #sewtogetherforsummer hashtag for the chance of being randomly selected to receive a lovely gift from one of our 16 amazing Sponsors!

The idea for #sewtogetherforsummer arose from a conversation between myself (@sewsarahsmith) and my Instagram sewing friends Monika (@rocco.sienna) and Suzy (@sewing_in_spain) about how so many of us had picked a Shirtdress as part of our #2017MakeNine  sewing plans. We bandied around the idea of jointly hosting a hashtag on the Shirtdress theme but one thing was clear from the start; we wanted it to be as simple and as inclusive a Challenge as possible. So, this is what we came up with:-

Why this Challenge?

Shirtdresses seem to be on everyone´s sewing list or #2017makenine picks, including ours, so we’re launching a #sewtogetherforsummer Instagram challenge to encourage sewists to fulfill their dreams; maybe inspire others and perhaps find new people to follow!

Who can take part?

We want to encourage enthusiastic sewists at all levels, from adventurous beginners to experts, so we are not awarding prizes to one best dress instead giving a whole host of gifts to a random selection of participants. Everyone who enjoys sewing, loves exploring pattern ideas, trends and tips – and who wants a beautiful shirtdress for summer – can take part! For any of our sewing friends in the Southern Hemisphere we appreciate you might want to make a sleeved version for Winter instead! The gifts will  be shipped to participants worldwide!

When?

The challenge runs from 15th March to the first day of Summer, 21st June. The giftees will be announced by us on 25th June 2017.

16 Generous Sponsors

Sew Over It, Minerva Crafts, Helen’s Closet, Wendy Ward, Sew House Seven, Megan Nielsen, Sew Me Something, Adam Ross Fabrics, Oh Sew Quaint, Authors of The Tunic Bible, Sew Hayley Jane, Creative Industry, Cotton Reel Studio, Sewisfaction and Beyond Measure are all on board and offering some fabulous gifts! That’s right, randomly gifted goodies for participating – not prizes for winning; there will be no judging! I’ll be showcasing the fabulous gifts in a blog post of their own coming up soon, so ‘stay tuned’ for that!

Interestingly enough…

A love of sewing brought the three of us together and sparked off this Challenge, despite living many miles apart: I’m an Honorary Devonian, Monika is Slovak living in Oxfordshire and Suzy is in Spain! We span three decades in age. On the 25th June, we will be coming out of the internet and meeting face to face for the first time to select the giftees. That’s the power of this fabulous sewing community of ours!

So the ‘rules’ of participation are simply this:-

1️⃣ Sew the Shirtdress you were likely planning on sewing anyway and post a clear picture of the completed dress with the hashtag #sewtogetherforsummer over on Instagram by 12 noon CET on 21st June.

That’s ANY Shirtdress pattern in ANY fabric.  Make it modern, retro, vintage or classic; the choice is entirely yours. (All we stipulate is that it has a closure – buttons or snaps – down bodice centre front from neckline to, at least, the waistline). We do have a Discount Code for you to take advantage of should you fancy making the Darling Ranges Shirtdress as Megan Nielsen are generously offering a whopping 20% off at checkout with the code SEWTOGETHER for #sewtogetherforsummer Makers!

Share your works in progress, tips and inspiration posts with the #sewtogetherforsummer hashtag on Instagram to inspire others and maybe find new Sewists to follow and befriend! (NB : make sure your Instagram profile is not set to ‘private’ – if it is we won’t necessarily be able to see your entry on the #sewtogetherforsummer hashtag page!!)

2️⃣ If you’re not already, make sure to follow myself, Suzy and Monika over on Instagram

@sewsarahsmith       @sewing_in_spain        @rocco.sienna

We’ll be sharing hosting responsibilities, including dishing out all the goodies at the end, as well as posting inspiration picks, tips and sharing our own shirtdresses!

And that’s it! It really is that simple! You have plenty of time to choose your pattern and fabric. We are so looking forward to seeing your works in progress and finished dresses!

• Looking for an indie Shirtdress pattern? You can find choice 23 pics over on Helen’s Closet especially curated Indie Darling post
• Wanting some buttonhole tips and tricks? We’ve got a designated buttonhole post for you
• Need to brush up on your collar making skills? We have a Collar post too!
• Want to see my journey sewing the iconic McCalls 6696 shirtdress? Click here and here

Lastly, and no means leastly, a huge thank you to our amazing Sponsors who have so kindly offered their much appreciated support and time as well as such generous gifts. If you’d like to  find out exactly what the gifts are click HERE