It’s all very well slicing up potatoes to print on fabric, but there has to be a purpose for all this printed fabric and my enthusiasm for printing was in danger of overtaking its usefulness. Some of it has been used to make givewraps, but now I have more wrapping than I have gifts to hand out, so that’s come to a halt.

The Drapery Blog recently reviewed a dress pattern that looked simple to make and, joy of joys, had proper functional pockets that could be lined with some of my potato print fabric. I was seduced by the fact that there were no zips to insert or buttons and buttonholes to match up and quite frankly any dressmaking that involves a hammer, is my sort of sewing.

As the weather here has been unseasonably cold and very un-spring like with blustery winds and (to quote the weather forecasters) wintry showers, a little indoor recreation has been particularly appealing so I dragged out my sewing machine and fetched a hammer.

This Marilla Walker dress is a breeze to sew. The pattern is very generously sized and as I didn’t want a voluminous and baggy dress, I made mine smaller than the guide sizing and didn’t bother with the side fastening. I used the hand printed fabric to line the bib and pockets and widened the shoulder straps slightly so I could line them too and rather fortuitously they turned out to be the perfect width for a pair of buckles from some children’s dungarees that I’d stored away. Instead of the snap to attach the straps, I paired the buckles with metal buttons for jeans.

Now I have the excuse to do a little more printing

• If you plan to make this dress, you might want to first read Jane’s notes and advice.
• If you’d like to print your own fabric and you live near Braintree, then you could sign up for the fabric printing course at Slamseys