Hello my three fans!

Hello gang!
I am planning my next sewing exploration, and I have ordered some turquoise Chinese satin from a budget ebay supplier with the aim of making Kimonii for myself,Lisa and Andy to wear at TG.
I have adjusted the pattern to include a more traditional Japanese drop shoulder, which in fact makes it easier to make as this is a far simpler shape than a western sleeve; the down side being that you have no where to hide when it's not perfect - Western design allows for easing, squeezing, adding in decorative pleats when inaccurate pattern measurements trip you up - so we'll see.
As they are for TG, they are a little more 'out there' then I might pursue for day to day wear, I have gone for turquoise satin with a gold faux leather belt for Lisa and I, and black Suedette for himself; and I have added some other details,including delightful exaggerated sleeves and much shorter pants than I would normally have!
I will post pictures as the project progresses!

And now with pictures!

The first one a sweet all corduroy Kimonii play, with a trim of a vintage print of deep red cherries on a cream cotton back ground. Ideally I would have put all the press studs in, but I am waiting for a new press stud tool and the ones I've got don't give the best finish; so I've left them out for now.

The second one I wasn't planning to make, but then I spotted some olive green fabric with a floral print my Mother in Law had given me, and the olive tweed wool, which went together perfectly; and I wanted to try out my new apron skirt idea, so here we are...

Front view, with buttons in place of snaps.

 I do love the binding on this, and the back view is so sweet!

So, listen out for me on the radio - I'm on three counties radio tomorrow (Thursday) between 1.30 and 2.00, sx!

No pictures yet but..

I have been asked to do an interview on Three Counties radio, and they want me to bring some Kimonii obviously, and I have realized that I have sent all my best ones off for quotes and sampling; so I have been sewing away all day.
I was going to just do a simple burgundy cord all in one with my new cherry print binding; but then I discovered a piece of green and brown check wool cloth, and saw how nicely it went with an olive green and pink floral print that Andy's mum gave me. Of course, the wool cloth is probably not the best thing for childrens clothes as it should be dry clean only, but it would hand wash fine, and perhaps even a wool setting on a machine would be ok - and it will look so pretty, and also gives me a chance to try one of my ideas, putting a little a-line skirt over the trouser section as a less flamboyant version of the butterfly design.
I will post some pictures tomorrow!

And this I made for Mya's Birthday gift

 

Mya is one of Wednesday friends and the daughter of my friend Debbie, we met a the breast feeding support group, and now we have trained to be breast feeding peers supports, where we offer support to other mother who may be having problems with feeding, while Mya and Wednesday charge about causing havok!

This was made from a nice, slightly brushed tartan fabric in a blue/green check, and I felt the cream lace showed it off well.

The golden rule of sewing being to join all the small pieces to bigger pieces first (stops them getting lost), and to add as many pieces as you can while the main pieces are flat - traditionally, for example, you are told to make up the sleeve first and then the jacket body and insert the sleeve into the hole, like fitting a tube into a hole. This is fine if you have time, and is what you would do when creating a couture garment; but for production sewing like this, if you attached the sleeve to the arm hole when both are flat, the sew up the side seam and down the arm seam in one move, it's much faster. 

My only problem with this one, was that bearing these rules in mind; I make up the two sides of the garment in tandem, e.g I do one stage on the right side, then the same on the left; however, I got distracted as I had created a new puffed sleeve shape on the hoof (making it up as I went) and when I was ready to put the two sides together which is the second to last stage, discovered I had made two left hand sides instead of a left and a right.

Doh! Luckily I had just enough fabric to cut it out all again, and the obi belt which I make first, could be used with the two new sides no problem.

I kept the two sides, they may prove usefull to explain the idea to someone else I guess, no experience wasted!

Butterfly Kimonii

Hello!

Over Christmas I came up with this - it's the same basic pattern as my Kimonii, but it has an apron skirt attached to the obi belt, giving it this lovely dress like feel; underneath the pants have more fullness, so that thee are lots of pretty layers, but the design is still easy to run about in and folds down and away for changing and dressing just like the original.
I made it in a cotton with a linen look weave, and a cotton lawn with wedgewood blue flowers, very pretty!