naomi ito dress
August 1st, 2011
This was another pattern that got cut out a while back and then abandoned on the ironing board (and hidden by the heaps of shit piled on top of it). Patterns that use bias tape to finish necklines and armhole (armices whatever) usually look so simple, but then they always want you to make your own damn bias tape. That is when this project stalled.
But making bias tape is really only difficult in my head. Once I got started, it only took a little bit of the afternoon to finish. I’ve been looking longingly at this dress since I got the Naomi Ito book years ago. So, it feels good to have it done…
…and the dress feels good on– I can tell, because she’s been wearing it at every opportunity. The fabric is this super lightweight cotton lawn I found at Joann’s of all places. Why I didn’t make myself something out of it, I don’t know. There might be just enough left to make a super stylish shirt for me out of the book as well.
Speaking of books, I’m slowly updating my library page. By the end of the summer I hope to have all the projects I’ve done listed under all the books I’ve used. That of course means going through 4 years of posts, so have a little patience :) (there are no projects listed…yet). I’ve also added some books to the elsie marley amazon shop. There aren’t an overwhelming number of books there, mostly because I try to recommend books that I would actually buy (being a bit of a cheapskate means it takes a lot to get me to shell out for a book) but that means there are some really, really good ones there!
That’s the second movie I have seen on a blog this morning, and now I want one too!
Sweet dress. I need to make some time to sew for my kids!
Hey!,
Remember when you did the spray paint fabric and the rain pictures? Fabric like that would look so freakin’ fabulous with this pattern. Lovely twirly girl…but my eye sockets take a while to get used to the motion. I think i prefer the stationary and my imagination.
Beautiful dress. Funnily enough I was looking at this pattern just the other day with my girl in mind, the pattern is lovely with so much width and your fabric is so pretty. Love that movie!
That dress is quite lovely! Which book was this dress a pattern from? I would love to make one. The twirling is great too, I think you did a great job. The choppiness of it gives it much more character, very cool.
It’s from the Naomi Ito pattern book. I think she only has one–look it up on etsy and it should pop up.
beautiful! and I like the animated gif!
Very cute dress!!!! And I like the little “movie”…
i love this, items for girls are waaaay too revealing these days, it’s such a bummer. i think the fabric you picked is perfect. too bad i am way too much of a beginner to attempt this.
It’s a cute little dress but know what you mean about making the bias, I have a bit of a mental block about it too, I read somewhere you can buy a bias maker – must fold it for you to iron? – am going to look into it as if it makes it quicker I’m all for it.
I think there are two kinds–one not so helpful and one fully automatic and totally expensive. I
What a gorgeous dress! such a beautiful shape. Wonder if I could persuade either of my boys into it… :)
Am I a weirdo? I love making bias binding. I just made about 50 yards of Liberty print bias binding to list in my easy store and I was actually kind of sad when I finished!
you are a weirdo, but I will be buying from you from here on out. So yay for weirdos! :)
Amy Karol/Angry Chicken has a super wonderful youtube tutorial on bias tape that saved me when i was doing a bazillion yards of it….
Oh thank you! Funnily enough, bias tape is on my mind, too!
Love this dress and pattern.
Your pattern book archive sounds like an awesome idea (for me……sounds like much work for your good self!) Love the gif also.
I am an awe both of the dress and the animated gif .
Bingo.
I’ve been looking high and low for a simply, swing-y little lovely like this. Damn it all, though, can’t find any trace of Naomi Ito book on etsy… The search shall go on…
BTW? The movie says it all.
I’d been dreading making the binding for the quilt I’m finishing up. I finally did it… it only took about an hour to make about four miles of it. I forget how easy it is, too.
it’s beautiful. beautiful shape, beautiful fabric, beautiful bias. well done, you. bias making gives me the heebie jeebies.
Oh but you DO know what you’re doing! Why else would you have 2 billion subscribers? And the video was necessary to show the twirl-ability of this dress. A very important quality.
I recently discovered this book via pinterest of all things, had to have it and completed a mad search to magically find it in a Japanese book store in Sydney. Success! Now comes the truth that I’m a beginning sewist. Although I knew what to expect, time to draft a pattern, no written instructions…challenge or intimidation? I’m taking your post to mean it’s a challenge! The shapes in her book are so fantastic and they look do-able. Plus, my fabric store just started carrying miles of Liberty bias. Kismet?
Could you say, how did you find making this? I know you have a lot of sewing experience, but was it fairly straightforward? Thanks!