#toriamakes

The collar is detachable (I didn't make that) but everything else is made by me. I have added some close up pictures below too as I was really happy with how neatly it came together in places. It was easier than I thought and I'm definitely making more. I went for a looser and longer fit than I used to like. I prefer that nowadays comfort is key. It's not perfect but tbh it looks better than clothes I have bought from fast fashion places so I'm ok with that. I think if i had an over locker the inside would look much better. But for now we will stick to the zigzag stitch.

I've only ever made one full fitted dress before years ago (Totoro cosplay) and the sleeves went wrong. So for my first attempt at a dress I'm pretty pleased.

Right as I got to the end of the first dress I ran out of thread so made a dash to the fabric shop. While there I grabbed some of this space fabric (I already made a skirt with it) as I always thought it would make a awesome dress. I swore I would rest Sunday and make this over the Christmas break. But then I thought maybe I'll just cut the pieces out. Then I thought I'll just start it and finish it during the evenings this week. Before I knew it I spent all day and did it all. I'm not sure why I thought I would take it slowly 🤷🏼‍♀️ AHH well I am so so happy with it 😍

My cute dress possibilities are now endless. I have some Christmas cat fabric on the way, which is actually what spurred me on to try. I want to make quite a few more for my trip to Japan so I have lots of nice things to wear there. I think that is very do-able I have over 5months!

I wanted to make a dress out of this fabric for Halloween and I noticed a lot of places were running low. So I thought I would start my Halloween crafting early and ordered it's as I found a place it was on clearance.

I started last night after work and planned to get the basics done ready to sew at the weekend. But before I knew it, I had made the whole thing! 🤦🏼‍♀️😹

I went to hobby craft to get a zipper and thread for my Xmas cat dress and they had this stunning cat fabric and I just imagined it in the spring and at £9 a metre I couldn't leave it behind. I made a huge booboo though. While zigzag stitching the join for the waistband I pinched some skirt in and while using my seamripper carelessly I underestimated how sharp it is a sliced a hole into the bodice. I was horrified and angry with myself. I couldn't mend it without it showing so I had to go back and get another metre. Then I unpicked and remade a quarter of the bodice.

The zipper also went wrong and bunched up. I'm getting better with the invisible zipper foot slowly. I was to tempted to leave it as it was but the waist and top of the dress wouldn't align so I gave it and unpicked. Jesus unpicking an invisible zipper is hellish. Never again! But it was worth it as the end result came out fabulous.

Say hello to my new Christmas dress.... This is the fabric that spurred me on to make my own dresses. A brand I really like made a dress the last few years with this fabric and I stumbled across it in the UK a while ago. Unfortunately as much as I would like to support smaller businesses, the dresses are based in the USA and are already around $90 a dress and when resold here in the UK they seem to be around £110. That is a lot for a dress that isn't perfect. They are all sleeveless and tbh I'm generally not a fan of that style and I am also self conscious about my upper arms so really sleeves are my fav.

Anyway, I made this dress for around £50 total and I have about half a metre of fabric left to make something else.