… some clothes for Cassie

… and finally, I made some clothes for Cassie for her Christmas pressies too.  At first I had wanted to make some luggage or a travel set for her too; but we were hanging out in Spotlight together, you know as you do… and I discreetly sounded her out about the particular fabric that I had in mind for her.  And she basically nixed it.  Aaargh!  So I had to change tack.  Realistically, she probably needs clothes more than she needs a travel set, anyway!

Particularly she needed little separates and dresses for work.

Et voila…

1. a little spotty top.  The pattern is the cap-sleeved crop top;  Burda 02/2015; 127 and is one I’ve previously made for myself, here.  This one is sized to fit her and lengthened by about 5cm too.  The fabric was a surprise goodie from Spotlight.  I prefer polka dots to be irregular in some way, either in size or arrangement.  When I spotted (hehe) this one, well I just couldn’t resist!  A lovely soft grey crepe, with ivory spots in a satisfyingly random, non-grid pattern, and feels very luxe, just like silk.  I don’t think it is actually silk but it does feel exactly like it; lovely, slippery and whisper-soft.

Funny story; I made this nearly two months ago… and risked posting it on IG for bpsewvember “spots and stripes”… I don’t know what I was thinking … that she might be too busy at work to notice it or something? but she did! and commented “thanks, Mum!” eek!  I proceeded to just keep quiet about it and hope she wouldn’t actually come around asking for it, and luckily she didn’t think to do that!

that IG pic… with my own striped skirt

2.  a white cobwebby, lace-y skirt, with a very pretty border.  I used Vogue 1247… again! and spliced the pattern pieces together so there’s just one seamless front, and the two back pieces with one centre seam for the zip.  The white lace shell and cream suiting gabardine lining/underlining fabric are from Fabulous Fabrics.  The waistband is cut from the same cream fabric.  I like the cream peeping through from underneath the pure white lace, I think it makes a really nice, tonally subtle contrast.  The waistband looked a little bland by itself but I didn’t want machine topstitching, I thought it would look a little… I don’t know, like it would lower the tone of the skirt or something.  But it needed something.  So I did some hand-picksitching along the top edge… and really like how this looks; it adds a little bit of something, a certain handmade je ne sais quoi, and practically speaking achieves the stabilising effect of topstitching without the regimental look of machine topstitching.

note: shoes are Melissa

3.  finally a plain pink Tshirt. Looks boring, but she was over the moon with this!  This is my attempt to clone her favourite and beloved Cotton On Tshirt style and make a pattern from it for her… she has several of these and they’ve all been loved almost to rags!  I borrowed one that hadn’t been stretched out toooooo badly, and made a pattern from it; this was also a Christmas gift for her  🙂  I think it turned out pretty good , the fit and style is just about identical to the Cotton On one, so yay!  There’s nothing quite as valuable as an excellently fitting Tshirt pattern! and, bonus; they take barely an hour to whip up.

I finished the hems and sleeve edges with my twin needle, and since I was too lazy to wind up a new bobbin of pink, the double topstitching has one strand of pink, one of white.  You can only really tell if you look right up close! and I kind of like it.

And that’s it for my Christmas pressie making this year!

Oh! I almost forgot! not a Christmas present, but a few months ago I also made a Named pattern Inari tee dress for her.  This isn’t for work obviously, it’s just a casual, slop-around-at-home thing… the fabric was leftover from a hoodie that she made for herself previously, and she bought it in Tokyo during one of our holidays there.  I added a kangaroo pocket at the front because, well you know; pockets! and finished the neckline and opening edges of the pocket with a bias binding; left off the slits and finished the bottom gently curving longer at the back than at the front, mimicking the high-low hem of the original pattern.

It’s not a very exciting dress, but she likes to wear it on the weekend, or in the evening when relaxing, or to watch tv and stuff. An after-work, but pre-pyjamas thing.

Ok, now that’s really it.

Now, to make something for meeeeeeeeee!  she skips with a clear conscience to the sewing room, self-indulgent frippery in her heart… 

(btw; I apologise for the terrible quality pictures.  I just snapped most of these very quickly with my phone, on Christmas Day, as she tried everything on.  I’m hoping she will give me a little time for me to take some nicer pictures sometime… but she’s currently away and I reeeeeally wanted to get these blogged before the end of the year, to round all my “made” things off!  This post to be updated, in time!)  Update; DONE IT!!