Anna maxi in Cotton Satin

My second Anna, in my latest fabric obsession Cotton Satin.

After my first version, I'd relegated the pattern to the back of the pattern drawer as there were so many other exciting things to sew. Also, I thought the Anna was overdone, overhyped and not that special. Also tbh, it just isn't my usual style.

But then I re-read several versions and decided I needed to make a maxi version of the Anna with that thigh-high slit. I became obsessed with finding the perfect fabric for it since most of my stash consisted of 2m pieces, hardly sufficient for a maxi. I think the smallest amount for that would've been 2.5m, and the sewist was short like me.

So anyway, I embarked on this other Anna with many many adjustments. I don't think I've made so many adjustments to a pattern before! I guess BHL just doesn't suit me out of the packet :(

Love it. Makes me look like I have legs for miles.

This is the first time I'm making a six-gored skirt and for anyone attempting this for the first time, PLEASE CUT OUT THE NOTCHES. You can thank me later.

The skirt comes in seven pieces - 3 for the front and 4 for the back and they all look the same. But they are not the same (at least I don't think they are the same ...). Or at least mark them out somehow so you don't get them mixed up. Sewing the skirts without differentiating the pieces was like dealing with trapezoids from hell, especially since it is a maxi. So much length to unpick if you make a mistake.

Trust me on this one.

I did make a slit for this, but it was at a modest 2" above the knee. Because, y'know, I was wearing this to church.

The cotton satin is my latest fabric crush. It is easy to sew and is breezy comfortable like a cotton, but drapes like a heavy-weight rayon. Huge plus for not wrinkling easily too! The sales staff was demonstrating it to me by crushing the fabric in her hand and she said it hardly needs any ironing. I was sold. Too bad there isn't a wide selection of this, most of the prints were not so nice.

Oh, and this thing here ...

What in the fugly world is that? You might ask.

That ... was my attempt to salvage my pride. Because from the time I made my last Anna to this, I had somehow gained 2 inches to my waist and another several to my hips. What the.

It was a total mystery to me how that happened. I swear the late night kueh lapis suppers had nothing to do with this.

So the finished dress was unbreathably tight. I didn't even thing of making a muslin for this since the pattern worked fine 3 months ago. I was ready to toss this into the donation pile but I really wanted this to work. I wanted my Anna maxi dammit. 

So thank goodness I have the tenacity of a pug and the patience of a cow. There was so much unpicking to do, not just because of the length of the skirt, but also because I had decided to

It seemed like such a good idea at that time. Unpicking is a total poo to do though - because there is double the number of stitches, and you have to be really careful about the inner one because of the fragile little baby 1/8" seams.

Eventually it was done and replaced with a 2" wide strip. The tapering was really experimenting off the cuff to see what worked best though I would be happy to redo it if anyone can suggest a neater way of doing this!

[Side story: I got my hubs to help estimate the excess width required so after unpicking the side seams, I slipped the dress over my underwear and sashayed over. So it's a "dress" with no sides at all and though he's used to some of the crazy outfits that I wear, he could hardly himself back. "Uh...honey... isn't this a little too revealing?" HAHA. Yes my dear, it's my middle life crisis showing.]

Tiramisu Pencil Skirt in Ponte

After closing a couple of rather stressful projects and dealing with my kid's year-end exams, I really needed some sewing therapy to unwind my springs and to treat myself to a new dress. I was rather determined to give my wardrobe a makeover by replacing all the ill-fitting cheap polyester dresses with more me-made outfits. I'd pulled out about half of my collection for free-cycling and it was a lot less emotional than I had imagined it to be! Maybe I never really had any outstanding memories wearing those dresses, since they were mostly work clothes that were purchased just because I had nothing to wear and not because I really liked them.

So the point I was getting to was that now I need more work clothes! I've realised that even though I now have a growing collection of lovely me-made dresses, they weren't exactly suitable to more conservative work environments. Think fluffy sun-dresses. But then again, I did wear my Darth Vader Carolina Mae to a client meeting and it turned out ... interesting. We ended up talking about sewing!

My go-to dress for instant gratification is usually the Tiramisu, since you can't really get the fit too off and there are only 4 main bodice pieces minus the bands. My first navy one has been worn to death, I think I wear it at least once every 2 weeks! I'd made one for my mum and that was even more satisfying because she'd finally found her long-lost figure (It's just her imagination, her waistline never left her). She now wears that dress for her girly outings, and enjoys telling everyone that it is a handmade dress!

I needed another Tiramisu in my life but I like variety as well. I already have a deep eggplant-coloured ponte knit in my stash, which I heard was really suitable for making pencil dresses. So I did!

This is the first time I'm using ponte knit. It's thick, spongey and has a slight stretch. Except for the thickness, it was really easy to handle - almost like a woven, except that it wasn't easy to press. The fabric also seems to hold its shape well with minimal distortions.

The only gripe I have is possibly that it's not comfortable to wear in warm weather, certainly nothing compared with the T-shirt thin cotton knits that I usually use. It does feel heavier and more expensive though.

You have no idea how many pictures I've had to take without showing my lumps and bumps through the fabric ... lol. 

The bodice was constructed in the usual manner with no drama. The skirt portion was even easier! I wish I could say that I had drafted the pattern from scratch using precise measurements and a trusty old French curve but no. All I did was trace it off an existing RTW knit pencil skirt that I had... haha! I'm such a cheater.

My biggest worry then was not being able to pull the dress over my shoulders and I would have had to insert a zipper, but thank goodness that it wasn't necessary at all since the ponte was stretchier than I'd thought.

For some reason, the dress was poufing out badly at the back especially around my lower back. I didn't have this problem for the original half-circle skirt version. I wasn't sure if it was because of the stiffer material, or the tighter skirt?

So I put 2 darts in the back! If you look closely in the pic above, you can see where the darts are. I thought they were a bit strange because the darts run across the waistband into the bodice as well as down into the skirt but I'd rather have weird darts than an ill-fitting dress! Or I could also convince myself that it's part of the "design" and congratulate me on my clever-ness. Ha!

From this angle, you can see that the back fits properly now. In all likelihood, I could probably take 2" off from the centre back of the waistband and dart the bodice properly from there since that was the width I'd removed with the darts. 

Would I make another ponte pencil Tiramisu? Probably not. As much as I enjoyed the construction process, I prefer the freedom of frolicking around in fuller skirts! Ponte knit is also not so ideal in terms of comfort and breathability, so I'm likely gonna be sticking to my double gauzes, voiles and lawns.

Tilly and the Buttons Fifi: Pyjamas for grown ups

The Fifi is pretty much my pattern dark horse. When it was first released, I was a little sceptical - who would pay so much for a pattern for PJ's?? And how hard could it be to draft your own camisole and shorts set? As it turns out - very hard. Also, this is the first time I'm trying a pattern by Tilly and the Buttons but now I want to go back a get a couple more. Do they ever go on sale?

I must have read every single review and browsed through all the #sewingfifi posts on Instagram before splashing out on the pdf pattern, making this the most expensive pdf pattern I've ever purchased! I got so obsessed over it that I'm making my THIRD Fifi - not only to get more mileage out of the pattern, but also because it's cute, it's sexy, it's comfy and utterly wearable.

I think I am about done with making dresses for now since I don't get to wear them very often (or at least the fluffy, kitschy ones that I like to make). But PJ's on the other hand will get a lot of wear.

Speaking of obsession, I have been picturing this exact design in my dreams for the longest time.

I've tried to get the lighting and editing to show the colour as closely to the original as possible, but I am not very good at describing colours. It's ... uh ... maroon. The fabric is not silk nor satin. It's actually a medium-weight polyester that has a rather luxurious feel and fantastic drape. This only sells in the shops along Arab Street and is called "Silky Crepe" or "Sildoll". My other completed Fifi is with a Nani Iro double gauze (most comfortable pyjamas ever!!!!), while my work-in-progress is with a Cloud 9 voile. 

Only after making one did I appreciate all the thought that went into the design of what is essentially sleepwear. And why shouldn't pyjamas be given as many details as day wear? 

1. The defining highlight would probably be the pleated bra cups. I've not come across such a detail before! Most camisoles would have you gather the bust-line instead, though this is a lovely change.

2. Curved hems - this was such a nightmare to sew! I love the look of curved hems, but it is so difficult to get it right. 

There is a rippling / twisted effect which I was unable to press out, since this fabric is un-pressable. I've also seen them on many RTW garments, even those made of cotton. Does anyone have any tips on how to get rid of it? Or to hem curves without the ripple?

3. Every single seam is frenched, i.e. no exposed seams. So you can use all sorts of delicate fabrics as laces.

The black lace trim at the collar and hem of the shorts were hand-stitched on.

And look! It's little hearts. The lace is a little stretchy, and somehow my machine wasn't able to feed it nicely over the slippery fabric and edge-stitch it together. The needle kept veering off toward the lace and the stitches were uneven. Hence the hand-stitching, which I actually enjoyed since I was able to blind-stitch it so it doesn't show on the RS.

The finishing touch was a little rayon tassel that I found at Sing Mui Heng, a local crafts store.

I thought it gave the whole thing a rather burlesque feel, rather than having just a simple ribbon bow (too cutesy). 

Unfortunately, no modelling pics because it's too risque. Some things are better left unseen. Hubs said there are too many weirdos out on the internet :D I guess he wants to keep my Fifis to himself.

A shirtdress: Ethan / Angie mashup

My previous foray into shirt-making was really a prelude to what I really wanted to make - Shirt dresses!

I love me a good shirtdress. They are every occasion ready, can be dressed down or up, fits all body types and have a sweet retro feel to it. I've also probably broken every single grammar law in the last sentence.

Here a few of my inspirations ...

From Christian Dior's "New Look" collection in the 1950's

The immensely popular McCall's 6696 - in white cotton eyelet!

Modcloth, who doesn't love pies?

I love front button placket on the M6696 version, but prefer the half version on the Modcloth pie dress. I guess it could have been more straightforward to make an extended shirt but I wasn't too keen on having it button all the way down the front because it's just too much work. It's not very fun to have to sew so many buttons. Also imagine if you need to put the dress on in a hurry because you're late and having to fasten TEN tiny buttons. And you are already late. And you need to fasten TEN buttons through the teeny weeny buttonholes.

So I decided to make a half shirt-dress - apparently it's a proper term, it's not a term I'd just made up. Most such dresses require a side zip (like the Simplicity 2215), but I remembered that I had a genius pattern that nips in at the waist yet doesn't require a zipper - the Angie!

It's a little experimental since my first Angie failed when I wasn't able to pull the dress over my coat hanger shoulders without breaking a seam or two. This time around, I made sure to measure the circumference over my shoulders to ensure that I would be able to put the dress on without any more rips.

And it worked! I suppose I could have made a fuller skirt so it doesn't look so straight up-and-down, but I didn't have enough fabric for that. The sun was so bright when this picture was taken! Oh, oops ... there's an awkwardly placed button that's in the way and my belt doesn't sit properly.

Guess I would need to adjust the button positions! Good thing the belt is soft, so it just covers the button.

The back view which I'm still not very satisfied with. It looks poofy! The original intention was to make it look gathered toward the waist (like the Jenny, or the M6696), but it didn't happen. I'm also not able to make darts nor gather the bottom hem or I wouldn't be able to slide the dress over my shoulders. If anyone has any ideas on how to make it work, please let me know!

(I didn't switch belts in between photos, it's actually a sash that looks like woven faux leather in the front, and tied up with a fabric bow in the back.)

The main fabric was a quilting cotton remnant from a thrift store, and looked like someone's attempt at tie-dying cloth. It looks really loopy. The collar and front placket are made up of a stiff white cotton, and I've used larger 18mm fabric-covered buttons just for fun.

Again, I wanted to show just how neat it looks on the inside, since my last attempt at this wasn't too clear. The shoulder seams are enclosed within the back yoke. See how psychedelic the print is? It reminds me of the old sea-green marble floor tiles from the 1970's.

Another WIP shot after the collar and collar stand has been attached, and still no exposed seams! There is quite a bit of top-stitching involved though, so it helps to have a good machine. Making a cameo appearance is my baby Janome 525S, which also makes beautiful button-holes.

I'm addicted to making shirt(waist) dresses now. Tbh, this is actually meant to be a toile using cheapo material so that I can do up the real thing in something dearer ... like a Nani Iro! With a lace back yoke (would it work? hmm ... )! And pockets!! 

SB Ethan hack and Donuts

I've made a shirt! Darn proud of myself too, since shirts are supposed to be an "intermediate" level project.

I have always wanted a sleeveless button-down, and I could have bought a perfectly made linen or rayon one from Uniqlo, but then it wouldn't have donuts on it! Or roosters, or kittens playing with yarn balls, or more pugs sunbathing at the beach - you see, I have already lined up my to-sew list with quite a few more of these shirts just looking at my ever-growing stash of cutesy prints!

My last attempt was a terrible failure. I had followed the Simplicity 2215, but the facings totally stumped me out. How on earth does one get them to lie nice and flat? I figured it was just a weird pattern (totally not my fault, right) so the next thing was to consult the great Google on the more popular indie patterns, and perennial favourites such as Grainline Studio's Alder / Archer and Sewaholic's Granville. I wanted a more fitted version of the Alder and was almost going to purchase the Granville, but then I remembered that I have a copy of the Sis Boom / Scientific Seamstress' Ethan pattern (or Marco, for the adult sizes) somewhere in my collection. I had originally wanted to use it to make some nice shirts for my son (since his sister gets all the pretty mum-made dresses) as he is very particular about the fabric because of his sensitive skin. Using a boy's size 12 (corresponding to my chest circumference), I then proceeded to make a few pattern adjustments and hoped for the best.

I am currently taking a short course on pattern-drafting but this was done prior to any classes so the adjustments here are very arbitrary and non-technical.

1. Brought shoulder width in by 1", though I could have made it 2" so that it cuts in a bit more flatteringly.

2. Removed about 1" from the lower arm-scye and raised it up by about 0.5". The point was then extended downwards to meet the hemline with adjustments for seam allowance.

3. Added 1" waist-darts to the front, and 1.5" darts on the back pattern (not shown). The original fit was relaxed and hung straight down since it's a boy's pattern but I wanted a bit more shape to this. I was able to do away with bust darts, but this can be added in where required. Bust darts require quite a bit more adjustments though, including lengthening of the hemline and deciding where the apex is.

If I were to make this shirt again, I would cut the shoulders in a bit more and widen the bottom hem width. This boy's shirt does not quite accommodate the width of my child-bearing hips :P Oh and also make the button placket on the right-hand side instead of the left - apparently men's shirts button on the left and women's on the right?

Construction-wise was rather uneventful - which is a good thing. The instructions were flawless as usual, and made the whole endeavour quite enjoyable.

Close-up of the collar and collar stand. And donuts with vanilla frosting. And chocolate donuts. And strawberry cream donuts. With sprinklessssss .....

What exactly am I trying to show here? It's the inside of the shirt! Aside from the side seams, every thing else is enclosed within the back yoke so it's really neat. No exposed shoulder seams! No flappy facings!

I'm a sucker for pretty insides, and this gave it a very professional finish. 

Armholes were simply finished with a hot pink cotton bias tape. 

I was able to fully utilise 1 yard of cotton for this, so it's a great stash-buster. I'm think of making a shirt-dress next! Maybe an Ethan x Angie hack?

[Note: I did the Ethan x Angie hack!! Click on link :)]

Darth Vader X Carolina Mae

I haven't been updating this blog in a while because I've been busy with work, kids and also learning some new techniques and practicing on my new Janome 525S. I've had my Brother for a year and a half and thought I would be using him (yes, it's a man sewing machine) forever. But he's been throwing a few tantrums now and then so when I brought him to the friendly neighbourhood sewing machine uncle for servicing, I was convinced to trade him in for a new upgraded machine.

Hence I've been playing with my new man (sounds wrong...), and sewing a few things.

1) A me-sized cheongsam. I have had some practice sewing one for my little girl, but converting that pattern to fit me wasn't as easy as I'd naively thought! I've also wanted to construct it with a back zipper and I thought the most difficult part was the collar and neckline but surprise surprise - the part which gave me the most issues were the sleeves! Who would've thought? So perfecting the bodice fit took me quite some time and a lot of seam-ripping.

2) A bikini! This one was semi-successful. It's not the prettiest on the inside because I'm still struggling with sewing knits and attaching the blasted swimwear elastic with a serger but it's wearable and I've tested it in the pool the other day. At least it stayed on! And no, I'm not going to model it here :)

3) A shirt. Yes, an actual button-down shirt with a collar. These things scare the heck out of me, even worse than sewing a swim suit. I don't know why! Perhaps it's because I haven't found a good pattern for this yet. The one I've been using is from Simplicity 2215. I like that it's sleeveless and has the option to add a pleated skirt so it becomes a dress, but the back facing sort of flops around and needs to be hand-tacked down. I don't like that. Does anyone have any recommendations on an easy shirt pattern that looks pretty on the inside as well?

Anyway, so this is a project that I can show.

It's DARTH VADER dudes!! And a bad attempt at posing for the camera. It looks like I'm using my leg to scratch an itch on my other leg. My awesome bought-on-discount Nine West heels make another appearance!

I've been meaning to pair the Carolina Mae with a straight skirt for a while. A similar silhouette can be made using one of the variations on New Look 6699.

The white one 2nd from left with a pink sash. The neckline is more squarish on the New Look, but otherwise it's quite the same, no?

I'd decided to go along with using the CM bodice because the Scientific Seamstress fits are the best! And why would I want to go for anything else that isn't so perfect, am I right? :)

Here's a normal pose, but very unbecoming and so not suitable. The face needs to match the fabric, and I look way too happy. But you can focus more on the dress in its original shape here without the whole "leaning on a column with one foot against" pose. I look a bit thicker in the middle than usual because I have learnt the importance of ease. That's right folks, after making about 20 dresses, I've finally convinced myself that function >> form and it's no use looking delicate and slim-waisted if I can't even breathe after having a bubble tea.

See the red piping? It's my first-time putting in piping and it's really easy! I don't have a piping foot and it didn't work well with a normal zipper foot - the fabric kept sliding to one side, I think it's because the piping is a little thick and doesn't fit under the gap of the foot so it keeps getting pushed to one side. So do you know what I did? I hand-basted the entire thing. THREE TIMES: neckline, upper and lower waistband. That took quite a bit more time, but at least it's neat.

I love how the piping adds some accent to the dress and helps to break up the monochrome-ness of the many Vaders.

Fabric placement with Vader right in the centre was deliberate. Unfortunately, the waistband isn't so cute and there's half a Vader flanked by two other Vaders. Bleh.

The outer fabric is a cotton poplin while the lining is a cotton lawn, both from Spotlight. So it's rather comfortable and lightweight. I've also installed an invisible zip and a hook-and-eye at the top because I still can't get the top of the zipper to line up perfectly. Practice makes perfect, right? So I will need to be practicing that a lot more.

This is a pic taken by my sis earlier in the evening. #nofilter #candidshot #perfectlighting #hashtagsaredumbwhennotusedwithinstagram

So does it look better with the belt or without?

#internationalannaparty

An amazing idea by a bunch of IG-ers to flood IG with pics of gorgeous Anna dresses to celebrate @lauralovespugs birthday!

Tbh, I wasn't super impressed by the Anna dress. I've seen so many versions of it everywhere and EVERYONE was saying how super flattering it is and it looks good on everyone. Maybe it's one of those dresses that look better irl than in pictures? Because all I see is a very normal slightly flared dress with kimono cap sleeves and a rather uninspiring slash neckline.

I was also quite hesitant to jump in on the Anna as well. The only other BHL pattern I have is the Georgia, and I've had to make so many pattern adjustments that I thought it just wasn't worth it. It was relatively expensive too, even for the pdf.

But then I got tagged ... I thought, ok maybe I will try it out just to see what the hype is all about. And then I got busy with work and forgot all about it. Then came a coupon for a 20% discount - and I can never resist a discount. So within 30 seconds, I have paid, saved and printed out the instructions and bodice (only 4 pieces!).

Fabric choice was again another problem. The suggestions called for something soft and drapey, and I have a pile of rayons that I needed to use up. So of course, I didn't use any of my existing stash and had to go and buy some other fabric for this. I ended up an incredibly soft nautical print navy double gauze, which thought would go well with the slightly retro shape of the Anna.

I've tried pairing it up with a skinny red belt and red polka-dot platform sandals just to complete to retro party look. All I need are anchor-shaped earrings! No such thing as overdoing it.


This is the wide V-neck version, which I thought would be a nice change from my usual high / slash necklines. The key characteristic of the Anna is a couple of double pleats to shape the "boob shelf", which unfortunately isn't very clear in this picture.

In natural daylight. 

The original pattern called for a panelled skirt, but I had seen a version somewhere with a gathered skirt and waistband and preferred that. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough fabric for a fuller skirt so the skirt portion looks almost straight. I guess I would have needed at least 3m of fabric for this (I'd only bought 2 yds, silly me). The overall effect makes me look rather thick in the middle, although this is meant to be a very girly feminine dress that nips in at the waist. I suppose one could either pair it with a very full or a very fitted skirt!

It's not just polka dots! There are little anchors all over my dress too.

The bodice is finished with facings around the neckline, while the sleeves have baby double-folded 1/4" hems. Not a big fan of facings, I might just line the dress in future. The facings tended to flop out all the time despite under-stitching, and I didn't want to topstitch. 

The pic above shows my baby hems at the sleeves, but blind slip-stitched by hand. The material I've used is perfect for blind stitches since you can slip the stitches just through one layer, the outer fabric remains intact. If you look closely at the underside of the sleeve, you can see a bit of my not-so-perfect stitches peeking out. But it's the overall external look that counts, right?

An invisible zip closes up at the back. I like how the zipper is encased within the facing to give a neat finish. I've had a phase where I would swear by hand-picked zips, but I'm returning back to invisibles. I still think the finish looks more professional, and it's easier to align the zipper since you only need to press the final product at the end.

My gaff. I had thought I was using double gauze all along, except for this was incredibly soft even before washing. Then toward the end when I was hemming the skirt, I picked the fabric open and realised that there were three layers of gauze. It's not double gauze, it's triple gauze! Is there even such a thing? No wonder it was exceptionally thick and frayed like even more than my usual doubles.

Another Jenny, inspired by nature

Have you seen the post that was going around some time where a designer compared designers' gowns to scenes from nature? One of the links here, though I'm not quite sure where the original post is from.

So I tried my own take on that.

Crushed it!

Not.

The "nature" bit exists, and it's really a paradise especially for diving. All rooms are chalets on stilts above the ocean. The water is so clear that guests of the resorts may step out of the room and romp in the waters below. The depth ranges from ~1.5 - 2m depending on the tide, and we saw plenty of creatures just wandering in! Including turtles, cuttlefish, pufferfish and lots of these long thin fish that gather near the lights at night.

The resort is called Kapalai, in Sipadan, which is just a little South off the mainland of Sabah. The entire area is apparently a protected marine sanctuary that limits the number of divers per day so as the conserve the reef area. It's a really beautiful place with lots of friendly creatures!

Anyhow, this is a sewing blog so on to the dress itself.

It's a Sis Boom / Scientific Seamstress Jenny (or here), with the ruched waistband from the Jamie and a double layered half-circle skirt. I'm not sure what the tie dye-ish fabric is. It's certainly not 100% cotton because it doesn't crease and was a heck to press! The good thing though is that you don't need to iron it after washing :) It's a rather loose and rough weave and very sheer, might be some sort of material that you could make a headscarf out of. The dress is lined with a black cotton voile from Spotlight and I had deliberately made the skirt lining about 2" longer that the shell fabric just to see what the effect was like. I think it looks kinda weird! It would have been better to length the shell by another 1", now it just looks like I ran out of fabric and had to make do with what I had.

Overall though, I'm quite pleased with the result. The Jenny is one of my favourite bodice patterns, it's so easy to fit and looks great paired with different skirt types! My other Jenny blogged here.

PUGS!!! The Jamie and Tallulah for outdoor play

Before I came along, my parents adopted a twee pug, which they named "Tiger". Tiger was their smelly little baby, but they loved him all the same and would painstakingly clean the folds on his snubby little pug face every evening. My mum would tell me about his snorting and how the first thing she saw each morning was a pair of bug eyes staring at her while she slept. Tiger could never keep his tongue in his mouth, apparently it was a genetic condition.

Unfortunately, Tiger met with a car accident and was whisked off to Doggy Heaven a few days before I was born.

Do you believe in reincarnation or animal spirits? I don't, though I feel the urge to cuddle every pug I see. Maybe it's the invisible thread of destiny linking me to Tiger.

Chinese people have this superstition, that women should look at "pretty" things when they are pregnant so that the baby would be a beautiful one.

*snorts*

I was watching pug videos throughout my 3rd trimester and look at how she turned out!

Pinch those cheeks!!! (Hers, not mine. Don't touch my face, you.)

I don't have many regrets in life, but I really should have bought the entire bolt when I saw this fabric in the shop. It's OOS now, and everywhere else :(

My favourite is the rare silver pug! Check out that adorable pug head tilt. This is a Michael Miller quilting cotton called Pugs and Kisses (in seafoam). 

We love our pug, Momo. 

My pug! 

Secretly taking Momo to the back for a bath

Also to showcase the airy back of her dress, which is the shortened version of the Tallulah (a.k.a. the baby Lucy halter) which is available as a printed pattern in the Girls' World sewing book.  This was a really quick sew with only 3 pattern pieces. The skirt portion is made from a gathered rectangle instead of the A-line that is provided because I think it looks cuter and poofier like that. Her bamboo knit tights were also put together rather quickly and finished with a yoga band rather than elastic. It's so comfortable that she wants to wear this to sleep!

I didn't have enough fabric to make a dress, but I think this looks ok as a top as well. I need tops anyway, dresses aren't all that practical when playing rough and tumble with a 5-year old and a boisterous pug!

The Jamie pattern was actually the very first Sis Boom /  Scientific Seamstress pattern that I really liked, but did not purchase it because I though it looked similar to the usual pillowcase tops that beginners make. I was also thinking of how similar this is compared with the Carolina Mae, which  already have. How silly I was.

This is actually a beautiful (and rather complicated) pattern, that has nothing in common with a pillowcase top! The fitting and construction was a little more difficult than the CM, which is quite surprising since this is considered to be a 'beginner's' pattern. 

As usual, I was too lazy to make a toile. SO OBTUSE, GZ.

The waistband ended up too tight, the sleeves too wide and the elastic (along the top front and back) far too long. And to make things worse, I had forgotten to prewash my fabric. Feeling like the end of the world, I threw the ill-fitting tunic into my pile of failures and distracted myself from my misery by watching movie trailers on Youtube.

And then the good fairy whispered into my ear that all is not lost - it is still possible to save this. So after a good night's rest and with the determination of a hungry puppy, I attacked the blouse with my weary seam ripper and made the necessary adjustments. There were hardly any scrap pieces left after making the Tallulah, but because I'd turned one of the sleeves into two, I was able to cut out 2 x 1" strips from the other sleeve strap to add to the waistband width. It's not a professional finish but at least I now have a wearable, comfortable PUG tunic!

The dress that makes me look like a teacher* ...

... at least that's what the hubs said! That's not a bad thing, right?

Photo taken in front of the shophouses along Purvis Street

You can see the silhouette of the dress more clearly here. I have been waiting to find the perfect cap-sleeved sheath for the longest time. Sheaths are the easiest, quickest and most fabric-saving thing to make! They can also be worn for any occasion (although I tend to prefer being over-dressed as opposed to under). 

The pattern I've used is New Look 6000. I have seen literally dozens of these in various versions across the sewing blogosphere and every single version looks fantastic on the wearer. Most of these were part of the New Look 6000 Frock Fest and were purposely made to look rather retro-ish - complete with props! 

With the busy print, View D (the one in the middle) reminds me of a cheongsam

As above, there are several versions one could make. The print I have used was rather busy so it would have been better to stay away from details. I made View A - without the colour, with the simple darted bodice and cap sleeves.

I made a size 4 with my usual sheath modifications of narrowing the width by 0.5" on fold, and shortening the bodice length by 1".  The fit is near perfect now, except for some excess fabric on my upper back. Anyone knows a remedy for that? (I'd forgotten to take a pic of that! Will try to remember the next time I wear this ...)

So anyway, I felt lonely taking pics by myself so I called my little buddy over ...

C'mere, cutie!

Look who's come to join me!

A reluctant pose since she was in the middle of having a picnic with her Barbie dolls.

Hers is dress 13 from EM Patterns without the waistband because she hates elastic. Anyway I think this version is cute too (also because her tummy is a little too big ... there was hardly any space left to insert the waist elastic).

Our matchy dresses are both made with Nani Iro double gauze in Sen Ritsu, the blue version. Mine is unlined with only facings used along the neckline, while hers is half-lined with a coral cotton lawn. I love the contrast! Should've made her some pockets in the coral fabric too ...

A final shot to showcase how the back of her dress is fastened with 2 adorable fabric-covered buttons (No button-holes! No zippers!) that I found lying around. Instructions on how to make the button loops are also included in the pattern.

*Before I am accused of being discriminatory against teachers, just a disclaimer to state that I AM an educator myself (so the statement is actually quite funny). I teach the local equivalent of senior high school level students!