Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Monday Outfit: Lilac Frills and Purple Sheep

Good morning! How was your weekend? I hope you’re feeling refreshed and ready for the week. I feel like we’re grasping onto the last bits of summer at this point, trying to hold onto as many vacation-esque activities as possible. Abundant swimming, Beamo throwing (so fun! Another one of K’s great birthday gifts), outdoor eating…

But let’s talk about this week’s outfit. I had something else in mind initially and even had the patterns all traced and cut out, ready to go. As I sifted through my many, many fabrics, I wasn’t feeling it. Usually, I’ll see the fabric and pattern instantly merged in my brain, but for some reason, nothing was jumping out at me.

Then I saw this fabric. Cosmic Zoo Purple Sheep for Kokka – so quirky and bold. It’s a totally organic cotton, and a not-cheap-at-all fabric from what I remember. Hence I only had half a yard, so this time I sifted through my many, many pattern books and came upon a “Frill Blouse” pattern from this book:

“Hmmmm, that placket is super cute, but looks like a pain,” I thought. “But that lilac-y color would be nice with the sheep fabric — I wonder how it would look as a dress?” Turns out, it looks like this:

My laziness won out and I didn’t feel the need to make a functioning placket, so mine is faux. Instead, I added an invisible zipper in the back and just gathered a rectangle for the skirt. Easy peasy.

I happened to have just enough of the greyish lilac-hued beautiful linen in my stash for the bodice, once I had shortened the length four inches. It’s kind of a stiffer, thicker linen, so I used the Kokka fabric for the facings and arm hold bias bindings, which worked great.

Perhaps it was because K excitedly told me that she grew an inch over the summer (M had just measured her), but I got it into my head that I should sew one size up for her. I normally use the 120cm size for K, but I traced the 130cm for the frill blouse. See how the shoulder is slipping off up there? It’s clearly too big, and initially the skirt was way too long as well because I was trying to keep it proportional. I had to re-hem it to make it a lot shorter after I saw the fit on her. Oh well, she’ll be able to wear this for awhile.

I like that this dress is both summer and fall appropriate. The style is great for hot weather, but with a cardigan and its strong colors, it can easily transition to autumn. It also feels like a happy fusion of the French and Japanese aesthetics that I adore so much. It’s a keeper.

What do you think of my pattern hack?

Comments

    • Oh thanks, Nicole! Sometimes limitations (like very little fabric) make me work a little harder to come up with an outfit, which makes it fun!

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  4. I think your hack is perfect!! The fabrics are beautiful….I’m with Erin, could you buy all my fabric for me too? I’ll send you a check 😉

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    • Wouldn’t that be a funny experiment? Watch, you’d end up shaking your head, wondering “why did she send me these crazy fabrics??”

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    • Thank you Fiona! I toyed with the idea of making them separates but knew that K would pair the skirt with something garish 🙂

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    • Thanks Venus!! I like that from a distance, the dress seems like this sophisticated thing with an abstract print, and then you realize those are purple sheep! So fun. 🙂

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  10. I always make kids’ clothes 1 size too big. I don’t know, I guess I think it’s sort of cute to see them swimming in clothes. (And now my oldest thinks sleeves are too short if she can’t roll them up twice and still have them past her wristbones.) I’m also slow in sewing, so if I plan for 1 size ahead, by the time I finish the garment 1 year later, it fits perfectly!

    The dress is great! It’s a good color match for sure.

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    • Good move on your part to ensure longevity for your handmade kids clothes, June! I think K will outgrow 120cm pretty soon, so I better get used to sewing one size up! 🙂

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    • Thanks so much Heidi – so pleased that my faux placket passed muster with you! I figured K would end up leaving the placket unbuttoned if it was functional anyway, so the fakey version was a win-win 🙂

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  13. As usual. I want one for myself! ( And I love that it already softly calls autumn.) And this could be the solution: We let you buy fabric for us! That way you get to shop fabric without breaking your “vows”and we could enjoy your wonderful taste! (And I really want to tell you how much I enjoy your pictures of K, you have become so good and creative at showing her and NOT showing her. They are so full of life, humor and love and I think they would make a great exhibition.)

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    • Oh, I could see you rocking this dress Ute! And thank you so much for your kind words about my photography – it’s one of the most challenging parts of the Monday Outfits posts: to capture K’s expressiveness without revealing her entirely.

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  14. That sheep’s fabric shout cuteness! I like lots this dress, placket is perfect and I’m so agree with everyone, You have a fantastic eye and taste choosing your fabrics! Beautiful.

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    • Aw, I think I’m actually just lucky to have access to a lot of great fabric stores here in Seattle. Thank you for your lovely comment, Maria!

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  15. lol – I loved reading your thought process! Nice to get a peek into the mind of a sewing genius:) As it turns out, your “pattern hack” is stunning! I would love to see it with a cardi, tights and boots once the cooler weather comes . .. or perhaps Bogs would be more appropriate in your climate?:) And I actually love it that you used the skirt fabric for the facings – adds a boutique quality and a nice little pop of color.
    Oh Sanae – you continue to wow us!

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    • Thank you Lucinda, but if anyone’s a sewing genius, it’s you! And yes, I think this dress is going to look so cute layered up in the fall – she could even wear a long-sleeved knit shirt underneath!

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    • Oh, good to know it looks comfy rather than does-this-woman-not-know-the-size-of-her-own-daughter. 🙂 thanks, Ashley!

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  19. What a great idea! I have made the same top (with placket) before, but never thought of adding a skirt. You really have the flare to create something totally unique. Hats off to you.

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  20. Forget shopping for me, if you just happen to have more fabrics like those lying around then I’d be up for burgling your place, leaving the Hi-Fi and making off with the fabric stash! This is wonderful. The pattern mash is spot on and the fabrics divine.

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    • Haha, Shelley, you’re so funny! I would be the same kind of burglar! Six years of freebasing, I mean purchasing fabrics has resulted in a theft-worthy collection, I’m proud to say 🙂

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