Just for me

Every year I say I’m not going to get caught up in just making cushions… and it seems every year that’s exactly what happens! Except this one – I’ve dedicated the first two weeks to only making things for myself!

Here’s a 1960s shift dress I made from a panel I found in a quilting store, featuring a family in traditional dress in front of a Japanese temple. If you look closely, you’ll see Mt Fuji on my right shoulder as well. I used navy blue sateen for the back of this dress after my initial choice of an indigo silk/linen blend turned out to not be at all colourfast.

And this is a 1940s eight-gore skirt in red sateen… I must be a sucker for punishment because I made this one with French seams! I’m blaming my Mum’s bad influence there!

Fabric find: Miyamairi

I came across this fabric panel in one of my favourite fabric haunts and thought it would be perfect for the front of an absolute showstopper of a shift dress! It’s a Michael Miller fabric called ‘Miyamairi’ depicting a Japanese family and Mt Fuji in the background. Not sure when I’ll get the chance to make this one since I’m back at work now (and also in the middle of a Bulgarian owl stamp cushion), but I think a couple of strategically placed darts will mean I can use a fair bit of the fabric. Might have to sacrifice the blue strip at the bottom so that the hemline isn’t too long though…

I love the detail of the big sister fussing with her little sister’s hairpiece, with the little sparrows nearby.