Anyway I found a way to occupy them while I quickly finished off the dress I was up late sewing last night......
The dress is from this Japanese pattern book and I teamed it with yet another pair of Playtime leggings. While yesterday's dress was very colourful, this one is much more suited to todays autumn weather and I'm back in my brown comfort zone!
This fabric was a wonderful find, it's a deliciously soft wool jersey which I found at Brunswick Fabrics, aka the $3 shop. That's right, this fabric was $3/metre as has been everything I've ever bought there. Weird pricing policy but I love it!
The leggings are probably more of a T-shirt knit and don't quite have enough stretch for my downsized width, but she seems comfortable enough and I am checking every now and then to see that her toes aren't swelling up.
I am in love with this dress pattern. There's this little slit, faced opening in the back
And an inverted box pleat in the front with the ribbon detail just for some colour. Then there's the sleeves; gorgeous puffy sleeves with elastic gathers at the hem.
The pattern shows the collar being sewn with the fabric inside out and so I followed suit. My fabric perhaps isn't ideal for this as the pattern shows through a bit more than would be ideal but I like the idea. There was also a very clever tip for turning the collar which I'd never seen before. Before turning the collar right side out press the seam allowances towards the under collar. Then, when the collar is turned the seam naturally rolls towards the under collar and saves that fiddly finger pressing and rolling with the subsequent burned fingers from the iron.
Bear in mind, that is my interpretation of the instructions as I don't understand a word of Japanese! I have to say if the idea of sewing in a foreign language sounds daunting, with these pattern books it really isn't. The drawn diagram instructions are so well done that I'm rarely in doubt about what to do. This particular dress is one of the two "lessons" in this book and is accompanied with full colour photographs of every step. Easey Peasey Japanesey!
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| (I need to hand tack the collar down as it is inclined to turn up a little like this) |
Tonight I'm going to get stuck into a Sailboat dress that I forgot to add to the initial list. How's your Kid's Clothes Week going?
This is cute too. I have this book and really like the patterns. This dress looks better than the one in the book and I actually like the pattern showing through on the inside-out collar. It blends in nicely with the rest of the dress fabric.
ReplyDeleteYou really are nailing KCW!
I don't know if I have to thank you, and all your cousins, for this fabric but it really is lovely to touch! At the price it was I wasn't going to get provenance, and patriotism gets thrown aside when wool is this cheap!
ReplyDeleteI've made quite a few things from this book now, it's a favourite.
The fabric you gifted me has been cut into and will feature some time this week if I can stay on track. I'm looking forward to it, I hope you'll like it!
Well I'm really going to have to get down to this fabric shop. That jersey is beautiful! As for easy peasey Japanesey, if you read my latest post you'll read about how I gave up trying to interpret instructions for what is essentially a simple rectangle skirt with a pocket panel detail, and just made it up myself. I think I have some sort of diagram dyslexia - or perhaps I'm just easily confused! Anyway, your dress is lovely and the puffed sleeves are perfect. Also, well done for finding some rainy day entertainment - it's STILL raining where we are!
ReplyDeleteAnd a day later, it's STILL raining!
DeleteBummer about the tricky pattern. But your skirt looks great. I think of myself as being much more a language person and IF there are written instructions I'd always go to them first (and I seem to never look up photographed tutorials) and only look at the pictures if the written word is confusing. My worst book to date is the English translated Happy Homemade. It's infuriating.
Anyway, we should fabric shop and nut out weird pattern diagrams together sometime
It is so adorable and so is your girl. I finally stopped buying Japanese pattern books because I am afraid I'll never make any though I always love the dresses. I'm not sewing clothes this week but I will be making my daughter the tea party dress once I finish a couple of other fabrics.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliments Christine. Not buying patterns 'cause you won't get around to sewing them. that's a novel idea (heavy irony) that I should consider...
DeleteThe Tea Party is lovely I look forward to seeing yours.
A $3 shop?! I want one of those in my area! That's awesome!
ReplyDeleteSuch a pretty dress. I am not doing KCW this time around (they have a way of scheduling it for the busiest week of the whole season, sigh), but I am so enjoying seeing and reading about everyone's creations!
It's a great shop, but every time I set out to go there I'm worried it'll be gone as the "everything $3/metre" always makes me worry they're closing down!
DeleteThis is my first KCW in a while but I've dived in the deep end and I'm splashing about madly!
it's super cute!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteSweet, lovely dress! I like how it's a bit fitted. It seems like some of the Japanese patterns are so blousy and flowing that kids get lost in them. As for my projects, I finally got a few pictures today of my KCW sewing so far. It involved some ice cream bribery, but I guess that's the way it goes some days!
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DeleteThanks Elizabeth. This dress definitely counters the nay-sayers who worry about the finishing of Japanese patterns, it is lovely to sew. Congratulations on your sewing, I'm off to have a look now. Hopefully no ice cream stains!
DeleteThis is one of my favorite patterns too! I made it for my oldest daughter a few years ago, and was delighted to see that my youngest now fits it as well. I made it in my early years of sewing, and was amazed by how clear the Japanese directions were. Your dress is lovely - that fabric is such a steal!
ReplyDeleteLucinda your dress was in the forefront of my mind the whole time I was sewing this one. I LOVE the one you made and I'm so pleased to hear it's being worn again. If not for your lovely dress and encouragement I might never have bought the books or tried sewing in Japanese. Thanks a million times.
Delete*blush*:)
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