Back in the Saddle, and a Japanese (Girl's) Dress

My last post was probably a bit surprising when it was supposed to be about a win! Thank you to all of you who commented; these questions had been getting me down and it really lifted me out of my sewing & blogging blues to read and re-read your perspectives and your kind encouragement. I've decided that even though I don't have definitive answers I should hop back in the saddle... after all, I find sewing tremendously enjoyable, and I so love the feeling of sewing community with you fellow sewing bloggers. My resolutions are to try to post better photos, to think before I post kids' photos, and to not veer too far off (sewing) topic. The bottom line is that I would like to make this blog something I would be happy for a friend or relative to read.

Back to the sewing topic :-)



Here's a little summer dress I made for my daughter just recently. It's pattern 'A' from the Japanese book Cute Clothes for Good Girls, and I've made many variants on this dress before but I do still love it! I think it's a very practical shape for a place with hot summers - the ruffles over the arms shield the shoulders from the sun, and the A-shape of the dress is nice and breezy. I also like that this is quite modest.

I made this in a length and width 120cm, which was a little wide (that's OK, extra breezy!). I swapped the button back for a zip - something I also did when I made this pattern into a little top not so long ago - becase although buttons are cute I think they're annoying for a little person to wear down their back.

And I added two little angled patch pockets on the front (pocket shapes from another pattern in the same book).

The fabric is something I "found" when I was tidying up my sewing space. I think I bought it from an online Aussie fabric shop - it's a cotton, but it's a medium weight and not as silky feeling as I'd expect for fabric for clothes so it's probably a quilting cotton. Regardless, my daughter adores the dress and is wearing it as many days a week as I'll let her - and that's success.

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I'm working on a recent Vogue pattern dress for myself and hope to be able to prpovide the show and tell in my next post - it's looking Christmassy!