Next up in my crazy flurry of blogging is this incredibly soft and sweet dress from the Japanese sewing pattern book, Happy Homemade: Sew Chic Kids
(affiliate link). This is View J, the V-Neck Dress with modifications.
I originally decided to make this as a nightgown for Harper after seeing my friend Monica's version. But really, it works for anytime wear. It's superbly soft and breezy, so it's the perfect hot-weather dress. And boy, have we been having some hot weather!
I *think* this is the mint colorway of the Pocho print Nani Iro double gauze? But I'm not positive, and I can't find my receipt from when I purchased it. It's been in my stash for quite a while! I only needed one yard with the bodice modification I made.
I made this in the smallest size included in the book, a 100, and it's absolutely perfect. Everything I've sewn from this book has been spot-on for the measurements given.
Side note: this book is now available in English, but I actually used the Japanese version with absolutely no problems. The illustrations in these books are so good, any intermediate or advanced beginning sewist should be able to figure them out. I also don't find the pattern pages to be as confusing as some would assume. Once you take a deep breath and realize how clearly labeled they are, tracing them is a breeze. Even adding seam allowances is no biggie once you wrap your head around it all.
As for my modification, I lined the bodice and used a button loop in the back instead of a tie. I hand-sewed the bodice lining to the skirt to give a nice, clean finish. I'm not sure what got into me as I'm usually a stitch-in-the-ditch kinda gal, but this fabric demanded to be hand-sewn.
Have you ventured into sewing from Japanese sewing pattern books yet? If so, do you love it as much as I do?
