Seamwork Madhu

More summer sews over here...

Seamwork Joss Pants

I've never met an elastic waist pants pattern I didn't want to try... 

Batik Anda Tunic

When she was in Thailand, Chrissy was eyeballing my Anda tunic (Anda is a Burdastyle pattern).  I told her I could make her one, so she picked a piece of Indonesian batik from my stash.  I only got around to making it months later, but I don't think the delay is killing her.  It's not like one can wear a sleeveless cotton tunic in Michigan winter...

Anywho, the batik is really pretty: blue, purple and green flowers on a background whose color defies description... it's not black, it's not brown, it's not navy.  I ended up choosing a bright blue thread and bias tape, figuring that if I couldn't match it exactly, I should go for a complementary color.

I sewed the elastic casing on the inside and used bias tape on the neck and sleeves.

Pretty cute!  She promised me a photo of her wearing it when the weather warms up a bit... 

Floral Washi

When Chuck was in Bangkok we went to Sampeng Lane to do some fabric shopping... she picked out some nice floral printed cotton from Belleboo and decided it should be a Washi top.

She chose the sleeveless version with the u-shaped cut-out neckline (the "fun" neckline, as she called it), so I did some things a little different than my last Washi top (which I love and wear on the regular!):

• Last time I used bias tape on the neckline rather than facings, but with the u-shaped cut-out, I decided that following the directions and using the facings was prudent... 
• I top-stitched the facings down and sewed them to the shoulder seams to make sure they don't flap out.
• I'm still having trouble with shirring on my machine, so I decided to make internal casings for 1/4" elastic using bias tape and the pattern's shirring lines as my guide.  
• I was able to get the stripes of flowers to match up in the center of the bodice and skirt, but the pleats threw off the matching a bit. Meh.

Batik Ella

Here's another take on the Ella Raglan Blouse from I Think Sew:

 

This one's made from a pretty navy and pink batik and made for Georgia, the cute daughter of some of Tim's Peace Corps Armenia pals.  The Ella pattern is so easy... it's almost mindless.  I love it.

Ella Raglan Blouses

This is the Ella Raglan Blouse from I Think Sew (same pattern company that designed Zoe's cute overalls):

It's a ridiculously easy pattern that whips up quite fast and looks quite comfy.  In the future, I could see lengthening it into a dress or adding elastic to the waist for a slightly more fitted look.  Maybe piping on the seams between the body and sleeves?  The pattern includes sizes for ages 3-8, so I foresee many more of these in the future.

 Today's iterations include one made from some very pretty Amy Butler Linen Optic Blossom fabric (thanks, Jenny!):

And this sunny version is made from two Indonesian batiks, the body a beautiful yellow floral that I bought at Pasar Mayestik last week and the contrasting sleeves a cool pink batik that you might remember from this ruffle blouse and this Tiny Pocket Tank... I am getting my money's worth out of that piece of fabric!!