Helloooooooo! I’m in a tizzy, my friends. After two wonderful trips, I’d been floating in the timeless, comfortingly clueless zone known as jet lag. Then suddenly, a monster to-do list attacked me and I woke up. My next book is launching NEXT WEEK. I’ve gotta get my party hat on and get promotin’. For any of you locals, Queen Anne Book Co. will be hosting a launch party on Sunday, August 13th at noon — would love to see you there! We have super fun activities planned for the kiddos (and kiddos at heart). And yes, there will be Japanese snacks. How can you not come when Japanese snacks are involved?

My book, of course, has nothing to do with the awesome Charlie Caftan I’m sporting up there. I love this new pattern from Heather’s collection inspired by the one and only Ms. Wensley. As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed it in a lightweight indigo chambray.

It comes together quickly and the only fiddly part for me was the panel insertion at the waist. I love everything about it, except…

I sort of wish I’d chosen a darker fabric for the pocket lining. The polka dots are cute, and I always like to use cute fabric for my pocket linings, but I didn’t think about how the lining peeks out quite often and the white is a bit jarring for me. I used polka dot fabric for my Endless Summer Tunic as well, but the grey blends in perfectly (I wear this tunic all the time, by the way).

But that’s a minor detail that I can easily rectify when I have a few extra moments. Chances are good that those few extra moments might happen in 2020. Fingers crossed. If you look closely, you can see a rainbow on the bottom right corner of the image above. K snapped these pix and she did a good job, no?

So some other details: I cut a size 8 in view A. According to the measurement guidelines (particularly my bust size), size 12 seemed a wiser choice, but having sewn up the Ginger jeans and Morgan jeans, I’ve figured a few things out and sized down. So glad I did! I’m looking peaked in these photos because they were taken the day before we left on the Japan trip…I was a wee bit stressed.

It’s a winner, my friends. I promised Heather that I would take a photo of Charlie in Tokyo, and I am nothing if not a promise keeper. Here I am, rockin’ it at Meiji Jingu, sweaty as all get out.

I wore the dress twice while in Japan (the second time was in Himeji when K and I went to visit relatives), and it was a fantastic addition to my travel wardrobe! Love love love. Heather, you’ve done it again — brava!

P.S. Furoku members, the August edition has gone out and it’s so full of images, I had trouble sending it. Please let me know if you haven’t received it, and I apologize if some of the images look distorted! Gah, technical issues…

P.P.S. I will be drawing the name for and contacting the giveaway winner this evening!