ANYONE FOR TENNIS? A Simplicity Dress Pattern GIVEAWAY!!!

Unless you've been hidden away on a deserted island avoiding all contact with the outside world, you cannot fail to have noticed that there is great ^*sporting event currently taking place (^*nope! NOT The Football World Cup in Brasil LOL!)... yes, I'm talking about a spot of tennis at The Wimbledon Championships - which this year is running until Sunday 6th July.

Wimbledon is renowned because all of it's "Competitors must be dressed in suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white." You can't think of a famous Wimbledon Champion without envisaging them all in white sportswear can you :)?

Many have sported the white-tennis attire look over the years, none more famously than the mysterious girl in that 1976 Athena Poster - baring her derrière to the world (whilst her face shies away from the camera). The identity of the cheeky Miss had been unknown for many years - yet her image in a cute, white tennis dress sold over 2 million posters worldwide.

Image Source: Fielding Auctioneers

Now, the identity of the white-dress wearer has finally been revealed after more than 3 decades. And, the original dress is now going up for auction. 

Image Source: The Daily Mail Newspaper

The dress was sewn by Carol Knots, using a Simplicity Pattern most likely using Pattern 8203 (View 4). Carol added lace trim to the front neckline and to the hemline. The dress was lent to her friend Fiona Butler who modelled it in the now world famous poster.

Simplicity Dress Pattern 8203 (1969)
Image Source: Vintage Patterns Wikia

Given the ongoing love affair of fashion for all things vintage, this retro silhouette is something that can still be carried off today with aplomb albeit using a more modern multi-size pattern + perhaps a longer hemline than the micro-mini favoured from yesteryear ;-)?

Enter the modern pattern contender! Simplicity 2404 it's a princess-line pattern (thus has similar style-lines to the vintage 8203 pattern), from their much loved Amazing Fit collection.

 
Image Source (L + R): www.simplicitynewlook.com

The dress comes with individual pattern pieces for slim, average and curvy fit. Plus it has & A,B,C,D cup sizes too. So, it's a flattering dress on a wide range of ladies 'n' shapes!

The pattern comes in 2-size options:
H5 (6-8-10-12-14), or U5 (16-18-20-22-24).

For sizing please see back of envelope, plus see Simplicity's Fit Help too.

Now, it occurred to me that anyone wishing to get a style close to the look of the Athena Tennis dress had but only to carry out a little pattern tweaking! And, here's what I plan to do when I get a hold a copy of Simplicity 2404.

My plans on how to tweak Simplicity 2404
to copy the "look" of the Athena Tennis Girl dress

Now, my lovely followers do you fancy getting your sewing-mitts on your own copy of this lovely dress pattern?

If you do, then you're in luck! As the lovely people at Simplicity have offered to GIVEAWAY a copy of pattern 2404 to 2 of my lucky UK readers (my apologies to my international readers - on this occasion the giveaway is for the UK only). The winners of the giveaway will be posted their patterns directly by the Simplicity folks :)

  Here's how to enter the GIVEAWAY... 

   ENTRIES WILL CLOSE ON SATURDAY 5th JULY 2014 AT 5.00PM UK TIME. ENTRIES ARE ELIGIBLE FROM UK ENTRANTS ONLY. THE WINNER'S NAME WILL BE DRAWN AT RANDOM. THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON SUNDAY 6th JULY 2014!

 

  1. Please leave a comment in this post below.

  2. Please, please ensure that I am able to contact you if you're a lucky winner! Make sure
     that your comment is associated to your blog/profile. If you want to leave an email address in
     your comments feel free to do so - but to reduce the chances of you receiving tonnes of spam to your inbox, please
    post it in the style: name[at]domain[dot]com.

  3. State in your comment which pattern size that you'd like to win.
    The pattern comes in 2-size options: H5 (6-8-10-12-14), or U5 (16-18-20-22-24) 
    For sizing please see back of envelope, plus see Simplicity's Fit Help too.

  4. [OPTIONAL] Oh, and do please share who your favourite tennis player is and why!

  5. Sorry the giveaway is open to UK residents only.

  6. One-entry per person only is permitted.

PLEASE NOTE: That if I cannot easily find your email address

then you shall NOT be eligible to enter the Giveaway (sorry!)

Good luck everybody! 

PRIMA Pattern, June 2014 - Batwing Top & Slim Trousers

So sorry sewing-peops, I've left it to the last minute to post about this one (my bad!). The June 2014 PRIMA Magazine has just until end of tomorrow (Monday 30^th June 2014) to be ordered via their phone lines.

For June 2014, Prima Magazine are offering sewing patterns for 2 garments. A figure flattering top and trousers. This batwing top tapers in towards the hip and has a shaped hemline. Wear it over the slim trousers for a slender silhouette. 

The patterns comes in Sizes 10 - 20 (UK).

See my old post here on tips for ordering their patterns: PRIMA Magazine: How to Order Their Sewing Patterns.

For my some of my thoughts on PRIMA Magazine's sewing patterns - and how I'd personally like to see them change to make things better and easier for sewing-fans - please see this link here Claire's Tuppence Worth... .