My mum's Christmas dress

This is the dress that I made as a Christmas present for my mum this year:

I found the fabric in a local shop, I think it's amazing! Cute stylish toucans on a mustard background should be a staple in all wardrobes:

For the design I used a classic A-line dress with bust darts and added a little novelty with the sleeves from this top from my latest sewing book (the one I used to make my swans tie top):

Since I didn't have matching thread I hand stitched everything with off white thread so that it wouldn't show and I finished the neckline and armholes with black bias tape. My mum says she loves it and that it's nice to wear so mission accomplished for this time :)

Kitty bag top

In an attempt to break from my usual top style  (ie super plain kimono sleeves and round neckline) I made a blouse/polo hybrid from a Japanese sewing magazine:

So first I'm totally aware that my fabric is very kitsch, the cat faces are actually bags, there are roses and the greyish background is very 90's grandma but I find it adorable! Regarding the pattern I didn't put the long sleeves and opted for simple folded bands instead. Also the original design had a square bottom which is a feature I can't stand so I went with a regular curved hem. And I didnt take a picture of it but I replaced the back gathers with a pleat to minimize the volume of the garment. It's a cool pattern IMO, I like it but I have a problem with how the collar stands so if I make it again I'm not sure I'll keep it.

Japanese R dress take 2

This is the second time I've made a dress using this pattern, it's a great design with the heart shaped detail on the bust, the slit at the back of the neckline and the general A line of the silhouette.

I slightly changed the original design because the skirt portions under the bust and at the back had gathers and I eliminated them for a slimmer look :) the fabrics are cotton from a local shop, plain white for the upper parts and red with white sprinkles for the rest. This light dress is perfect for summer which arrived super late this year but is now burning us all!

Swans top

I made a top from a new Japanese book, it's a simple design with short kimono sleeves but it ties at the front, which brings much needed novelty to my wardrobe :)

The fabric is from Spotlight, it's some polycotton veil, super light and nice to wear. I added mock pockets on the bust because the fabric is see through and I topstitched everything with white thread. I LOVE that print the swans are so graceful and cute! There are other great patterns in this book so I will probably be posting about other makes soon!