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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Monday Outfit: Bow Dress

March 2, 2015

bow-dress1

Good morning! I did something hitherto unheard of: I planned ahead. For almost all these Monday outfit posts, I usually start sewing on Saturday afternoon after thinking a few minutes about what wardrobe holes I can fill in K’s closet (this is becoming pretty challenging, as you can imagine). Although she’s growing like a rice plant amped up on Miracle-Gro, sewing for K takes a fraction of the time it takes to sew for myself, so I’m usually done by early evening. After breakfast on Sunday, we have a five-minute photo shoot and by now, these posts take me about an hour, if that, including photo editing time.

bow-dress2

Anyway. Two weekends ago, I decided to spend a little extra time sewing up this bow dress in addition to the Giraffe print outfit, and I snapped photos and got most of the photo editing done last week. This made a huge difference! I felt so much more on top of things since I had all of Saturday and Sunday to check off items from my to-do list this past weekend  — not a feeling I’m familiar with, I’m afraid.

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It was somewhat challenging to infuse enthusiasm in K for modeling this dress since she loved the giraffe print combo and wanted to start with that one instead (but I knew she’d refuse to try on the dress had I gone that route), and above she’s saying “Mamaaaaaaaa, are we done yet??”

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Then she brought out the teddy bear I knitted for her about 7 years ago, and that soothed her. That bear was one of the few successful knitting projects I’ve managed in my un-illustrious knitting career.

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So the dress: it’s from my current fave book, and I’m determined to sew every single thing from it. I think I only have about four or five things left that I haven’t yet tried! The fabric is from this sweet little shop and is a cotton shirting. It reads purple, but you can see that it’s actually red + white + navy, quite patriotic.

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This is a deceptively simple dress to sew. I did have to fudge a little where the ties meet the neckline in a couple of spots, but otherwise, it was a snap to construct. The pleated detail at the back of the neck is a design-y touch, but I have to say, I think this dress would look a lot cuter if the bodice wasn’t just a simple A-line. If I were to make it again, I would trim the width, and make it a low-waist bodice with a gathered skirt. With a different fabric choice, it probably wouldn’t quite so matronly or flight-attendant-esque.

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I like it, though. And K thought choking li’l bear with her ties was hilarious.

Sigh, I wish I had the foresight to sew this past weekend so that I could experience that remarkable sensation of being ahead of schedule, but you know how it goes. It was still a very productive weekend! I hope you had a lovely weekend, friends!

 

Filed in: sewing, sewing for K • by sanae • 10 Comments

Comments

  1. gretaclark

    March 2, 2015 at 5:24 am

    This dress is so pretty, especially with K modeling it! I don’t think you will ever need to use RTW id you don’t want to. I am glad that you checked on the owlets. Yes, they had bad weather this weekend. It is better today down in Savannah. Being an owl mom is really hard work.

    Reply
    • sanae

      March 2, 2015 at 7:27 pm

      All mamas work hard, right? Thank you, Greta! Yes, RTW is a distant memory at this point…although I might need to get K some new socks. 😉

      Reply
  2. Max

    March 2, 2015 at 7:06 am

    it is great that you were ahead of schedule! Way to go! I kind of knew you made a new outfit a week for K., but I never really thought about what it meant. I mean, you make a new outfit every week!! On Saturday! That is some efficient set up you have there. I really like this new dress a lot too.

    Reply
    • sanae

      March 2, 2015 at 7:29 pm

      The weekly sewing is very much an ingrained habit by this point, and it’s so weird because now I feel off-kilter if I don’t make something. I know I could spend the time making things for myself instead since I’ve cleared out so much of my clothes yet K still has so much, but like I said before, I just love making pint-sized clothes! Thank you, Max!

      Reply
  3. Monica--Adirondack Inspired

    March 2, 2015 at 4:55 pm

    Ha…I’m familiar with the ‘are we done yet’ expression! I love the fabric, and it’s amazing how much different the dress looks on a body rather than on the hanger! I really like it as-is, but would love to see it changed up how you described too!

    Reply
    • sanae

      March 2, 2015 at 7:30 pm

      Right?? I was a little put-off when I finished sewing it, thinking “Hmmmm, this looks meh.” But I really liked it once K put it on! We shall see if I have the mojo to try the variation. 😉

      Reply
  4. Liza Jane

    March 2, 2015 at 7:09 pm

    I love this! Very cool fabric. It really does read as a perfect purple from afar.

    Reply
    • sanae

      March 2, 2015 at 7:30 pm

      Thanks, Liza Jane! I thought the fabric was fun and made me think of some classic Japanese prints :-).

      Reply
  5. Lucinda

    March 3, 2015 at 5:50 pm

    I love it that you’re sewing your way through this book! I think the most patterns I’ve used from any one pattern book is four, maybe five. Yet another way you continue to inspire and amaze me:) I hope the dress shape grows on you before it becomes relinquished to the back of the closet. Of course, not much can compete with a giraffe print outfit:)

    Reply
  6. gita

    March 4, 2015 at 8:15 am

    LOVE this dress! Another one that I wouldn’t mind having for me in grown up size. Comfy and stylish. Yowza! It’s a gorgeous fabric choice, too.

    Reply

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