Mini skirt

I had a little fabric left from my latest Lolita dress so I used it with a basic Burdastyle skirt pattern that I slightly altered and got that cute little number:

About the changes, I only shortened the pattern length and added a 5cm wide waistband because I like it better this way.

Regular hand-picked zipper and fasteners at the back

Here it is worn with a black rayon blouse I sewed using the G pattern from the Sweet Dress Book, I LOVE this design and have already made several tops and even a dress from it. Also given the ongoing summer temperatures rayon is a pleasure to wear, it's the only thing I can bear with cotton!

Cascade skirt and vintage top

Living on a tiny rock in the middle of the sea means you can never be sure if and when your orders from outside may arrive so thank you technology for printable patterns! Today's garments were made using different era and style pdf patterns but I'm equally happy with both :)

 Also can you guess which photo was taken the day after my Kirin and sake fueled night?

Let's start with Megan Nielsen's Cascade skirt which had been in my mind for a loooong time -as well as the Tania culottes but this is for another post. I love everything about this skirt, the awesome train-like back, the flouncy, glamourous front panels and of course the fact that it's super easy to sew: tracing, cutting and sewing took less than one hour and as for hemming I folded the fabric to the inside and used a zigzag seam all along because I'm lazy like that. Naturally I had to fiddle with the waistband and make my own which didn't change much in the end except that I made the second buttonhole on the wrong side and had to cheat with a sewn-on button to keep the symmetry. 

Now I chose to make the skirt with some amazing vintage cotton fabric I found in my usual local treasure shop, the colours and print are beyond gorgeous and it gives a very 70's vibe to the skirt IMO, however given the layout of the pieces I ended with vertical waves and people in boats in the back, I can't decide if it looks horribly bizarre or if it's okay.

As for the top it's a halterneck pattern from the fifties which I purchased here, since my test garment was a bit large I altered it but it ended a bit tight, especially in the decolleté area. Well I'm fine with modest necklines so I'll wear it anyway!

The bodice is cut on the bias, there's a peplum in the front and the back is made in one piece with darts. I moved the zipper from the side to the back because I think it looks neater there. And yes I have already paired the top with the skirt and they worked really well together but sadly I haz no pic :(

A lot of whining and a little sewing

OMG that end of year was atrocious and I'm not even exaggerating: of all the stupid things to do for someone who never sets foot in nature I went for a 5-hour hike in the forest last week so of course I got days of horrible stifness and caught a nasty, nasty cold after that. Then on New Year's eve and on 01st I only wanted to stay at home and watch Attack on titan but some assholian neighbours of ours had to put their stupid stereo on maximum sound for 24 hours straight and make the whole house shake. Last but not least today we're going through a cyclone. How was your end of year^^
Since I didn't feel like going out this year I don't have any party garment to show you, however I did manage to make something for my last days at work, it's a repeat of the outfit from the previous post:

Suffering personified

The skirt is Burda 133 in heavy navy cotton, I didn't add the pockets because my mind was a foggy mess from the forest-induced cold and I just couldn't figure out how to sew them^^:

The top is design 05 from this Japanese book in aqua cotton veil:

Okay I've finished ranting, let me wish you all a very happy new year and see you along 2014 :)

A little step forward

After knits I have faced another one of my fabric terrors and I think I won: I can now sew with chiffon!

Okay for my first try I didn't exactly choose the most difficult project, it's a very basic top from the first Japanese sewing book I purchased -how なつかしい:

I actually made this top for one of my secondary school students but the result looked a little too grown-up so I kept it for me and made another one in girly blue Liberty for her :)
So my ultimate tip for sewing with chiffon is the same as with knits, ie add your seam allowances on your paper pattern so you can simply cut around and don't have to trace anything, which would make the fabric move too much. You can also use more weights than usual to keep your pattern in place, it will help stabilize the chiffon. Once the pieces were cut I used a simple straight machine seam and narrow zigzag to put the top together and finish the inside. With this design you're supposed to use self-made bias to create the tunnels through which you thread the strap but I felt that cotton bias tape would be more resistant so I put some instead and chose sheer ribbon for the strap.

I'm so happy I could make some progress in my sewing skills in 2013, maybe I'll finally be able to make some decent trousers in 2014^^

Silly shorts I love thee

I finally cut into the adorably creepy fabric I had been hoarding since last year and I'm super happy I did because now I have awesome shorts! First let's have a closer look at said fabric:

 These ones remind me of some of my students^^

 If Dora underwent a little makeover...

 That guy on the left totally looks like my brother!

 Hey this is me!

It is some off-white medium-weight cotton sprinkled with cute and bizarre -but aren't we all- black and red characters that I found at Nomura and my only regret is that I didn't take the mint green version too, so as a meagre consolation I used bias tape in this colour to finish the legs :(
The pattern is this one except I used wide black elastic in lieu of a fabric belt so that I could skip the button and zipper on the side -I'm a little ashamed because I'm totally getting lazy with my sewing these days!

And of course how could I live without lilac hair all this time?!

Lolita fashion part three

For parts one and two please look here :) So for my latest take on this trend I stuck to the extravagant fabric/sober pattern recipe I used for the previous dresses and made my extremely basic loose-fitted, kimono-sleeved dress with amazing Sevenberry border fabric:

Dots! Flowers! Stripes! Black, white and colours! I die! Seriously I wonder how I didn't have a seizure when I saw this perfect fabric on the discount shelf in Tomato (200 yens a meter ie €1.50), you know this moment will definitely go down as one of the highlights of my life and be remembered fondly on my death bed^^. That's how much I love my fabric even though I'll admit that being a light weight canvas it's a bit hot but I guess I can take it.

I finished everything with green bias tape from my stash.

I didn't even bother putting on makeup because THAT DRESS!

The WTF jacket

I can be sensible when it comes to my garments and make wearable basics such as my knit tops, sober jackets or simple shorts but I'm a crazy project lover at heart :) I love picking cheesy, garish, kitsch fabric and making impractical vintage stuff out of them, like my string of big-skirted 50's dresses or numerous novelty print tops. But I must say that today's project takes the cake:

Yes, it is a kimono jacket made with flower printed silk and bordered with black fringe and no, it is not intended to be worn inside. I CHERISH this fabric, I found it in the discount corner of a local shop a few years ago, €2 a meter, pure Japanese silk with a print the Golden Girls would kill for, it was love at first sight! As for the fringe, it has always been my favourite embellishment so I just knew I would have to incorporate it into one of my creations one day. Finally I adore this kimono jacket pattern -the first version is here- and wanted to make another one.

 I haven't made a matching belt yet but I will, I swear!