First dress

I just sewed my first little girl's dress for my daughter, Mia. I'm not much of a sewer, but this was a great project for me. I first learned to sew years ago when I lived in Japan as a student. My homestay mother and another friend's mother taught me the basics of deciphering a pattern (Japanese patterns too, no less). That summer I made lots and lots of sundresses for myself, but have hardly made anything since. Now I'm back in Japan, where I have access to the most adorable sewing books, and I have a little girl to sew for. Sewing tiny dresses is so gratifying because it is so quick. I envision making this dress in lots of different materials....and will have so much fun experimenting with pockets and other embellishments. 

The pattern is from one of my favorite sewing books at the moment, Koharu no fuku (Clothes for Koharu). There are lots of other projects in here that I want to try, like a scarf and some basic skirts. I love the simple construction of the clothes and how so much of the beauty of the finished products comes from clean lines and fine material.

Next project for me is a sleeveless sundress with some beautiful drapey Naomi Ito material I picked up a year ago. 

My boys, of course, were not to be neglected....each of them helped me with his own bag project, and both are getting adept at using my humble little sewing machine.