Archive for April 16th, 2008
japanese pattern book dress + pants
I bought this book a while ago because I am in love with the raw, unfinished look most of the items have. I would own most of these Japanese pattern books for the photography alone – such beautiful pictures and a very nice aesthetic within the pages. It’s very inspiring to flip through any one of the dozens on my bookshelves (erm, I have a bit of a book problem.)
But I only just got around to sewing something from this particular book while Bill has been gone. I figure I deserve a break from sewing diapers and pads every once in a while!
I don’t really have a lot to say about the pieces I made, except that I really love how they turned out and my girls do, too. They’re both for Anya – size 110 maybe? but Zella kept taking the cloth from me and trying to dress herself as I was sewing. She really likes the dress so I think (dork alert!) that I’ll have to make her one as well. Then they both can be matching-olive-linen-dress-wearing hellions; peeing on the floor, ripping keys off my keyboard, dumping full bags of sugar on the couches, and pouring bottles of honey all over the dog and house. I’ve had such an interesting couple of weeks here, can you tell?
As you can see from the pictures, the dress ruffles and hems are left unfinished and allowed to fray a bit. The pattern does call for a line of stitching to be sewn a small distance away from the edge so that it doesn’t completely fray.
I know the pants don’t look very exciting, and they’re not, but they were so easy to make and they are a perfect fit on Anya. Very cute in action!
And finally, though I don’t have a picture just yet, I made myself a long, full, asymmetric skirt from the same olive linen. Other than the really ugly silver-metal buttons I had to use because I’m impatient, I like the skirt a lot and I could see myself making more to wear. You know, in all of my free time…
Weird how everything I’ve made for my own family lately has been olive-colored. That’s an accident!
