Ishi by Straightgrain Pattern Tour

I am excited to be one of the participants for the Ishi dress tour by Straight Grain. What a great pattern! I am a big fan of An's patterns and made quite a few of them. An was one of the first designers I tested for. Here is the bubble dress I made when I just began blogging, way back in 2012 when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Then came the Tinny dress (here) and the Hanami dress (here, here). Her patterns are well drafted and the instructions are detailed and easy to follow. If you've never tried her patterns, you won't be disappointed. Now comes the Ishi dress.  I think the design is just perfect for an every day play dress. The big side pockets let the child collect all kinds or precious rocks, twigs and other junk treasures. And that's what I made, an every day play dress... oh wait, maybe not.

I decided to do something slightly different. I normally sew things that are practical, easy to wear with clean lines. But I also love a little bit of glamour - beautiful dresses in opulent  materials. Something that's a bit over the top and unique, in other words a show stopper. In my motherly wisdom I decided that's the dress my two year old needs, you know, a show stopper in silk and gilded gold. You never know, there might be a red carpet event that she will be attending. :)

The fabric for the middle panel came from my stash, it is dupioni silk and I still have enough for  a fancy skirt for Ania. She needs to be ready for a red carpet event as well. We want to be prepared. The stunning side panel fabric came from my good friend Christine of 2 Little Hooligans. She sent me a box of remnants. There are a few other gems in there. And yes, I had shoes for her that went perfectly with the dress, but we forgot about them. Oops. I used lace for hem facing and hand stitched the bottom hem  and sleeve hems. I think it adds a nice detail. If you follow me on Instagram (I would love if you do), you saw my work in progress.

Since the dress is all about opulence, I decided to have a fun old Hollywood glamour type photoshoot. I wanted to create pictures with rich tones and high contrast, a bit over the top, just like the dress itself.  I think it goes well with the look. It is certainly not what I usually make or the type of look I strive to achieve in my photos, but I think it's so much fun to do something completely atypical. I also realized that I don't have a single picture of the back. But it's just like the front with an invisible zipper. I assure you it looks good. :)

Evelyn is heavily into glamour and fell in love with the dress. She refused to take it all even though it's not quite appropriate for the summer weather. I sure hope it still fits her in the fall. Check out all other gorgeous creations by the Ishi tour participants.

VanAtotZetje | P'tits Monstres | Aamore | Flieg Federfrei | Neven Jansen | Lieveke en Zus | Feathers Flights | Brigitte Whatsup | Lily & Woody | Kaatjenaaisels | Our Chez Nous | Creative Needle and Threads | Sisko By Mieke | Conversas de Hermanas | My Minnie Mie | Bobby & Minouch | Bonnie and Lottie | Bellelien | Kid Approved | Les Jardins d'Elysse | S Is for Sewing | Groovy Baby and Mama | Made By Sara | C'est La Vie | Boomie Blogt | While She is Sleeping | Kelly Jade | Miestaflet | Glitter & Wit | La Folie Sewing Booth | A Jennuine Life | De Zusjes | Le Labo* d'Isa| Welcome to the Mouse House | Stannel | My Cozy Co | Morningstar Designs

I would love if you follow me on Facebook, Instargram or Bloglovin.