Strange reminder & new theme

How often do you want to do something but keep forgetting due to all that distractions in life? I am convinced some reminders are heaven sent! I was driving home after sending my princess to school last week when I stopped at the traffic light. Suddenly I noticed some letters on a delivery track in front of me.

They are on the right door panel and I enlarged it for easy viewing here.

Okay. All right. I’ve heard you loud and clear darling fabrics. I would give you a good cleaning so you would be all ready for the new sewing theme. Here you are, some of you look pretty and clean now, all washed up for some tender ironing. I still need to work on a few of you. Nonetheless, my heartbeat races just by looking at all of you and yes, I am smiling…joyfully!

I am finally using a Nani Iro double gauze (far right bottom in photo)! Yay!

My new challenge?  I will be tackling a new frontier. Japanese sewing books. I’m terrified and excited at the same time. I have to do some research on this not only because it is a brand new area but I can’t read Japanese. The Moving Hands blog which highlighted Japanese sewing and pattern terms was a great help. At least it helped me understand the notions I required and gave me hope, an added sense of confidence that I can conquer the pattern. I have only two Japanese sewing books at the moment, ‘Les couleurs francaises’ and ‘Feminine Wardrobe’. So, I will be working on projects from these first.

While researching the topic, I also chanced upon a french blog. Another language I wished I knew. The Japan Couture Addicts blog is marvelous. It showcases finished works from Japanese Sewing Books and these are categorized by the books! I found the ‘Les couleurs francaises’ showcase here and the ‘Feminine Wardrobe’ one here.  Here are my favorites!

Dress by Made By Night

Blouse by Bulle de Gum

Blouse by Le Tricomonde de Sophie

Dress by PHISSO

I am inspired 🙂 I feel fully charged and ready to take on the challenge! If my first few attempts are successful, this theme may stretch beyond two weeks as there are just so many cute blouses and dresses in the books!

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Peekaboo Sleeve Tara

The Sew Convert is not exactly a fan of Sex And The City. In fact, I have never watched the series nor the movies. But, I was browsing through the newspaper some time ago when I saw the movie advertisement and on it was this dress with its sleeves. I was captivated. Immediately, I took my iphone and snapped a photo.

This was the inspiration behind Peekaboo Sleeve Tara. The sleeves are far from being identical off course, the one on Tara has more of a batwing sleeve look and is less sleek than the sleeves on the designer dress.

I used cotton voile from Anna Maria Horner’s Little Folks. It is a super lightweight cotton and slightly sheer. I love the drape the fabric creates compared to the heavier cotton I used before.   

The dress looks romantic. I don’t think I have made anything in that category before. And I even like the way it looks from the back.

My deviation from the Tara sewing pattern:

I added 9″ in length to the sleeve’s curve (except the attachment portion). I was able to do so partly because the cotton voile was 54″ rather than 44″.  Cutting each sleeve piece apart in the middle, I sewed hems all around. I rejoined them at the centre top and bottom. I tried the top on to adjust the sleeves quite a number of times to get what I wanted so I actually spent more time than I expected on this Tara.

Tomorrow is already Friday and I can’t sew on weekends. It looks like I need to start cutting fabric 3 for the Tara Experiment Week tonight and start sewing tomorrow morning!

Oh! I was too busy to visit burdastyle these couple of days due to my Tara experiments, so I was shocked to learn that my Cloud Nine Plaid Blouse is on Burdastyle’s Best of May! The feeling is just amazing. I’m feeling blessed!

Little Folks Blouse

This is the first time I sew with voile and I’m in love. This fabric from Anna Maria Horner’s Little Folks collection is so soft and so comfortable especially in the perpetual summer we have here in Singapore.  The fabric, despite its sheerness, ceases well and is a dream to sew. The areas where you see little white dots (front and back facing, end of sleeves) are the reverse side of the fabric. I decided to use the reverse on some parts of the blouse to add some variation and I thought it turned out pretty cute. The pattern is from Wendy Mullin’s Sew U book. A variety of pink buttons were used on the front and sleeve of the blouse. My mothers’ day gift to myself. Happy mothers’ day!

A closer view of the front facing.

Here’s the back view with the back facing. I managed to match the lines:)