My indulgence project

Sometimes a girl has got to indulge herself. She has to get out her best fabric, take her time to add beautiful handmade details to a garment and go slow enjoying the process, savouring every completed step.

The Ishi dress by An from StraightGrain was my indulgence project. There is no doubt about that.

I wasn't going to get any new patterns for a little while. But sometimes a girl has got to indulge herself.

I love everything about this pattern. I love the modern meets timeless feel of the dress, I love the fit, I love the options this pattern offers, and I love the deceptive simplicity of the style. The princess seams are the trickiest part, but fear not. An gives very clear instructions on how to sew them right.

I used my most precious Japanese cotton fabric I bought from House of Cloth. It is medium weight and is perfect for a garment that is made to be worn during cooler months. Because sometimes a girl has got to indulge herself.

I wanted to break up the busyness of the fabric and made piping to highlight the side panels and the pockets of the dress. Yes, I make my own piping. Sometimes I use store bought bias tape for it, but not this time. For this dress I used bright rusty-orange homespun cotton to make the piping. Yes, it took a little time, but sometimes a girl has got to indulge herself.

I used lightweight off-white cotton lawn to line the pockets. A girl's dress has to have pockets (especially when we refer to my girl). Lining my main fabric with anything heavier would have made the pockets sag.

It is truly amazing what treasures go in those pockets! Remind me to tell you how I once failed to check R's pockets and put about half a sandpit and half a tonne of rocks through a wash!

R is currently in between sizes. Deciding which size to sew was the most time consuming step in the making of this dress! I made size 4 with size 5 length and I am happy with this decision. The dress is a little roomy, which means R will be able to wear a long sleeved tee underneath on cold days and the dress will still fit her great during spring. The sleeves ended up too long. I did not want to cut any of the length off so I folded the excess sleeve up and stitched it in place by hand. After all, it was my indulgence project!

Have you met Happy yet? Happy is our favourite family pest. He is the most devoted furry thing, but unfortunately he is scared of children. R desperately wants to be friends with him, but he tries to keep his distance. On a number of occasions R suggested we could take Happy back to a pet shop and get her a kitten instead. Still there are times when they feel very comfortable together.

I am sure R will get to wear her Ishi dress often. If you have been reading my blog or following me on Instagram for a little while you know R's mummy-made clothes are not for special occasions only. What you see on the blog is what she wears in real life. Because sometimes a girl has got to be indulged!

Please feel free to visit other blog tour participants and enjoy their version of the Ishi dress. You are also welcome to link up your Ishi dress to a competition on An's blog!

VanAtotZetje | P'tits Monstres | Aamore | Flieg Federfrei | Neven Jansen | Lieveke en Zus | Feathers Flights | Brigitte Whatsup | Lily & Woody | Kaatjenaaisels | Our Chez Nous | Creative Needle and Threads | Sisko By Mieke | Conversas de Hermanas | My Minnie Mie | Bobby & Minouch | Bonnie and Lottie | Bellelien | Kid Approved | Les Jardins d'Elysse | S Is for Sewing | Groovy Baby and Mama | Made By Sara | C'est La Vie | Boomie Blogt | While she was sleeping | Kelly Jade | Miestaflet | Glitter & Wit | La Folie Sewing Booth | A Jennuine Life | De Zusjes | Le Labo* d'Isa| Welcome to the Mouse House | Stannel | My Cozy Co | Morningstar Designs

Thank you very much for having me An.