Jungle January, hosted, once again, by the vivacious and print loving lady, Anne, comes to a close today, on Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai (pronounced King Hey Fa Choy in cantonese or Gong See Fa Tsey in Mandarin) means “happiness and prosperity”. And, Xtnnian hao (pronounced shin-nyen ha-ow in Mandarin or sen-nih ha-ow in Cantonese) means “Have a good New Year”.
It is auspicious on the New Year to wear red, hang red lanterns, give monetary gifts in red envelopes or write in red ink. Red is representative of fire and is believed to symbolize luck and ward off evil. Also, this is the time to set aside grudges against enemies and call off unpaid debt. Let bygones be bygones – if personal differences or financial obligations cannot be settled before the Chinese New Year, they shall be forgotten.
I sewed Lolita Patterns Gunmetal dress in an abstract art leopard print for Jungle January. I was lucky enough to win this pattern over on Melanie’s Blog when she was a tester for the Gunmetal dress. The pattern is for knits and is a lined princess seamed dress with option to add a sheer overlay. There were many pattern pieces and lettered notches, so when cutting the pieces, I used small stickers to label the various notches.
The pattern uses a tiny cap sleeve with the option of adding an elastic hem. I wanted long sleeves, so extended the sleeve to the desired length, using the same angle as the sleeve pattern piece. 
Originally, I wanted to add cuffs and a hem band in a beautiful teal fabric. This fabric is a sueded microfibre knit and is also the devil. Do NOT look directly at it!!!!
Uh oh…MY RETINAS! THEY BURN!! I tried everything with this fabric, using a large sized microtex needle, using tissue paper strips, using various stitch types (lightening bolt, triple stretch, zig-zag) and a walking foot but nothing worked. It ultimately ended up damaging my new sewing machine. Ya. Luckily, I was able to take the case off the machine and pick out bits of thread and fabric and fixed it.
And, I could not use my overlocker to sew it as it was already damaged by the tissue knit fabric that I used for the lining. The overlocker pulled it into the feed dogs and seems to have misaligned everything. I don’t know how people sew with tissue thin knits, either on an overlocker or sewing machine, they seem very temperamental to me. And, is tissue-knit just another word for ‘only lasts through one wash?’ The fabric feels lovely but stretches out of shape almost immediately, especially the 4-way stretch knit, and just cannot withstand any kind of stitch ripping whatsoever and often gets pulled into the feed dogs. I would only use it again for a very simple, non-fitted pattern.
Anyhoo, despite this, I did add cuffs to the sleeves using a zebra print stretch knit that’s been in my stash for a while that I obtained from a sewing meet-up.
How to Sew a Sleeve Cuff: 1. Measure how long you want the cuff and double this. Next measure the desired width and cut out the rectangle. Sew the rectangle together along the length. 2. Fold the rectangle in half, right side out. Line up the cuff seam with the sleeve seam. 3. Match raw edges of cuff and sleeve and sew with right sides together. I opted to make the cuff tighter than the sleeve, so first gathered in the sleeve to fit the cuff. 4. Pull out cuff from sleeve and press.
I lined the dress in a 4-way stretch tissue knit, added black lace seam binding to the hem and sewed the seams with a lightening bolt stitch.
For the bodice, I did not make ruffles, but rather used 3 strips of black sheer organza ruffled ribbon for the middle and then added 2 rows of a teal lace to either side. 
I found the neckline very low on this dress, too low for my comfort level to wear. I’m not sure if the 4-way stretch leopard print and grey lining fabric stretched during sewing or if it is because I am short-waisted. So, I added black fold-over elastic binding around the neckline and stretched it while sewing. This helped to tighten up and lift the neckline somewhat. I love the ruched side panels on the bodice!
And, Kitty, for his part in Jungle January, opted to sew himself a zebra print collar and tie. This project, along with the dress cuffs are my contributions to Stashbusting 2014, January’s Challenge, where we had to use stash fabric that was less than a yard in size. 
Kitty Prepping His Collar and Tie Pattern
Colourful button added to the back of the collar.
Kitty Sends Up the Cat Signal
Do you want to sew a collar and tie for your cat? Ya, you do!! Here is the link for the free pattern and instructions. Make sure you measure your cat’s neck before you cut the pattern as you may have to add length.
Measure Kitty’s neck and adjust pattern, if necessary.
SO Handsome!!
Look At Mah Collah and Tie!
LOOK AT IT!!!
Zebras are ungulate mammals that are members of the horse family, Equidae, and are closely related to the domestic horse.
And, being the ever relevant cat that he is, Kitty opted to fashion his collar and tie out of zebra print since 2014 is Year of the Horse in the Chinese Zodiac.
Were you born in the years: 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, 1942 or 1930? Then, you, my good friend are a Horse in the Chinese zodiac. Those born in horse years are merry, skillful with money, witty, talented and good with their hands. Rembrandt, Harrison Ford, Aretha Franklin, Chopin, Sandra Day O’Connor, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and Jerry Seinfeld were born in the year of the horse.
Strengths: Cheerful and perceptive. Very social, with high energy.
Weaknesses: Can be impatient and quick-tempered and independent to the point of excluding others.
Zodiac sign compatibility—Best matches: tiger, sheep, dog; Avoid: rat, ox, rabbit
According to Paul Ng, an astrologist and feng shui expert, horse people are entering a year of conflict in 2014. They are to pay extra attention to their health this year. Do not make any rash decision when it comes to personal finance and avoid gambling. Spend modestly and increase savings.
What animal are you?
Kitty is the sign of the Dog. Makes sense, doesn’t it? 
- Jungle January? ROAWWRR!!
Gjeometry 
Brilliant! (Both the dress and the informative post!) I’ve been teaching my Grade 2s about Chinese New Year, but now I’ve got some new factoids to share with them! (Also, Shin Nen means new year in Japanese too! I love finding linguistic similarities!)
I sewed my Plantain today with a very thin knit, though not quite a tissue knit, and it was awful to work with! One day I’m going to find you some good-quality, well-behaved knit for you to have a proper try with. After that, if you don’t like knits, so be it! 🙂 Your dress looks great – but why no pics of you wearing it? Is it because it’s an awful season for photography, or because you don’t love the finished look?
Thanks Gillian! RESEARCH PROJECT!!! Today’s was Chinese New Year. I get so excited. 🙂
I don’t know what it is about knits, but am to believe that I am just selecting the wrong types of fabrics. Tissue knits and also 4-way stretch and then the sueded poly knit. None of it really worked out very well. I would LOVE it if you’d find me some good quality knit. I really enjoy wearing knits a lot, dresses, Tees, yoga pants, but have had more trouble than not, when attempting to sew garments with them.
I was going to set up the tripod today, but really, after all the knit edge trimming and stitch ripping and hand sewing the holes in the knit fabric from the stitch ripping and the low neck altering, the disappointment of not having the teal fabric on it to match the teal lace, and then, the best part, the sewing machine fixing, I just felt too haggard to give it a go. I still have to wear a camisole or even a cowl neck under the dress as the neck fits too low, so figured you’d be able to see the dress more clearly when I’m not wearing it. But, not to fear, Kitty took over the photoshoot for me. And, quite frankly, he looks far more handsome than I could ever hope to anyway. 🙂
As always, very entertaining and informative post! 🙂 Kitty is looking extra dapper as well, and how noble of Kitty to pay homage to the humble horse when we all know cats are so much superior ^__^ I, personally, am a dragon, and yes… I do breathe fire LOL
As for tissue knits, i think maybe it depends what the fibers are – I have only sewed with one so far and it was a merino, and totally angelic! LOL So far it’s been stable as anything, and only stretches where it should 🙂 Sorry about your devil fabric… we ALL get them from time to time; they like to disguise themselves as nice, normal fabrics and then wreak havoc when they are let loose 😦
🙂 Thanks Amanda, I aim to please. Kitty can so rock the zebra print!! Merino, you say? Yes, I’ve never sewn with merino before, either knit or woven. My knits, so far, all tend to be cotton or bamboo, or occasionally the unidentified poly blend. I think folks have better luck with ITY poly knits, but I am not a fan of how they feel.
Oo yeah I’m really not a fan of ITY poly either… it’s merino or cotton/bamboo for me or nothing
P.S. I found some info on Dragon. Strengths: Smart and ambitious, strong-willed and self disciplined. Weaknesses: Often critical of others. Can be unrealistic and excessive. For 2014: Trust your instinct when it comes to financial investments. Your clumsiness may cause accidents; take your time.
LOL yep that sounds about right ^__^
OMG I have to make a tie for our bunny! He will look so handsome! 😀 I have been using knits off and on quite a bit in the last year and so far I love some and hate some and can’t quite figure out all the tricks! The ITY jersey knits as long as they are not the super thin ones that curl up sew up pretty nice… and ponte knit ofc is GREAT to work with. I have some sweater knit tips I learned recently and will post soon about those… but as of yet I have found that so many knits have different weights and make up that I have not figured them out yet!
Bunny in collar and tie? Yes!! I have some ponte knit that I have not sewn yet, but have looked at other people’s makes in it and it has a very ‘woven’ quality about it. It seems to have more body and shape and sews up well, I can’t wait to sew mine! I also just bought my first sweater knit last week from my local thrift shoppe (yup, I buy so much fabric there). I really like it, but, as expected am terrified to sew with it, so look forward to seeing your tips!
Oh yay! A sweater knit! I helped Kadi make a Lark Cardigan last week and did a lot of research and testing on her scraps so I could teach her correctly AND it would look good… and everything worked beautifully. So, I am starting mine this week and will do my best to photograph and document properly.
Kitty looks so super smart in his new attire! Your dress looks very well made – sorry to hear it gave you such trouble!
Thanks Kirsty! I was delighted at how the collar and tie looked on Kitty. The dress did come together well, Lolita Patterns did a nice job of drafting it and marking the pattern pieces. But, the knits I chose, plus perhaps the fact that I was sewing on a sewing machine and not an overlocker, really caused a lot of difficulties.
My sewing machine doesn’t like knits, but not to the level of yours, and my serger is fine with them. My latest project (you just commented on it) is the first knit that I haven’t had to do battle with over every seam. The fabric feels drapey and kind of heavy, and unfortunately 100% poly.
My method is to use crepe paper streamers as you would tissue paper. I find it works better as it isn’t as stiff as tissue and tears off super easy. I put it under the fabric between the fabric and the feed dogs, it stops the fabric from being pulled into the feed dogs. It might be worth a try, and it certainly is cheap enough.
I think I have to get my overlocker fixed and then only sew knits with it. I just don’t enjoy sewing them on my sewing machine and certainly don’t enjoy damaging it! I didn’t have crepe paper streamers, but that is a terrific idea! The tissue paper really didn’t help much, the needle just ripped it apart and allowed the fabric to get stuck. I have been noting a trend with fabric that is 100% poly knit being easier to sew. I just wish that I could stand the feel of it!! (But, really can’t). It does look good though.
Oooh, pretty Gunmetal. And thanks for all the info about Chinese New Year. I’m an Ox, and so is my husband, and we are both supper stubborn! I’m with you on knits – I know they are a favourite but I must confess I don’t love them. Maybe Gillian can find us both some stable knits to play with 🙂
Thanks Andrea! And, you are most welcome for the info, I positively LIVE for a research project. (I’m secretly really happy about meeting somebody else who is not a sewing with knits fan….I WANT so much to like and be able to sew them, but, so far anyway, I really don’t). I hope Gillian comes through for us!!
Some info on the Ox – Strengths: Honest and patient. Often strong-willed. Contemplative and appreciative of traditions. (maybe the ‘patient’ part allows you and your husband to both be stubborn but not actually off one another 🙂 ). Weaknesses: Can be poor communicators and quite stubborn, resistant to change or the ideas of others. For 2014: A promotion at work is possible, and along with it, a small pay raise. (Oooh!)
Yay to the return of Kitty! Looking extremely dapper in a tie! How long did he tolerate the it for? As for the dress, I like! If I sound surprised it’s because I am! This is just not a pattern I am loving though the two jungle January versions I have seen (this one and Leila’s) are both fantastic. Guess it works well with an animal print! Sucks about the tissue knit and the damage done to your machines. That is some shit luck! Maybe we need a Sewcialist/Spoolette meet-up soon so we can see all of the Jungle January makes in action!
Yay indeed Sara, yay indeed! And, double yay for Kitty’s triumphant return with a fine outfit. He actually is not too bothered by things like clothes. He has a variety of costumes (a few of which can be witnessed here: https://gjeometry.com/2013/02/22/sewing-with-cats-kitty-has-graciously-accepted-an-award/). And, don’t forget, he also swims (see here: https://gjeometry.com/2013/07/13/the-elusive-sun-shines-to-the-beach-posthaste/), so a little collar and tie are hardly enough to phase him.
Glad you like the dress, thanks! I tried pretty hard to steer away from the possible dirndl (german barmaid) look that this pattern can take by using the animal prints and by using lace and chiffon instead of ruffles. I can say it certainly did not make me a bigger fan of sewing with knit fabrics. At least not the ones that I’ve chosen.
What Chinese animal is Kitty…year of his birth? I’m a Tiger and sure can appreciate your determination on this project. Love the kitty tie!
Kitty is actually a Dog animal sign (I added it to the post). It really explains a lot, I think. I almost gave up on the dress when the teal fabric actually stopped up my sewing machine, but luckily, the zebra print came to the rescue and was a lot easier to sew.
Some info for Tiger – Strengths: Trustful, with a good moral compass. Not afraid of a challenge. (this makes so much sense from all the ‘sewing fixes’ you’ve performed) Weaknesses: Can be smug and quick-tempered. Can be poor communicators. For 2014: This could be a busy year for love. Married? Watch out for temptation. Income levels should be stable.
Love your well researched post!
Love the jungle January project, but I do miss seeing you in it.
Also, I’m sorry about the “devil” fabric you encountered. We all come across one of those in our sewing lives. I once bought a piece (not cheap) which was supposed to be a linen & it did seem to have a “wiry” feel — as if someone had substituted wires for some linen strands :). Crazy me, I bought is anyway. Once it was pre-washed the wiry hand was still there, and of course I stashed it away rather than face certain frustration. Which reminds me that I should look at it again — and maybe throw it away.
Thank You Samina! I loves me some research! I am going to wear the dress to work next week with a cowl neck sweater underneath and will get some snaps taken and add to the post. Oh, the fabric…..the fabric. I thought it was bad enough with my Diane Von Furstenburg dresses and the trouble it gave me, but these (esp. the teal microfibre one) were even worse! I wonder what that wiry feel is? You can always try washing with towels in hot water and vinegar and then putting with the towels in a hot dryer. That has softened a lot of stiff fabrics / clothes for me.
The dress is gorgeous. I love all the details, and agree that the ruching really adds some flare. You’ve done a nice job altering the pattern to suit your needs.
As for kitty, he is quite a tolerant chap. Look at him in his cute little neck tie.
Thank You Alyss! Next time, I’d re-draft the neckline higher before cutting. Kitty is more than just tolerant, he is rather proud to have such a dapper wardrobe!
Something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile, is to make a muslin pattern of my current measurements. With that, I could alter any pattern to suit my needs. You could do the same, and have a designated neckline you were comfortable with and use that as a guideline when working with other patterns.
Yes, that is actually a goal for this year! I took a pattern-making class last year and it was really helpful, both in understanding patterns, and also in how to sew/put together a garment. So, I have some ‘blocks’ and I am going to try to make myself a custom block.
Nice! Very nice. I look forward to reading more about it.
Knits can be nasty! Thank goodness you survived the jungle – great make (perhaps it’s the Gunmetal curse!).
Right? This is not the first time I’ve had a horrific time with knit fabrics. But, the dress did come together in the end. Did you sew your gunmetal top solely on the overlocker?
loving the zebra print and kitty’s tie.. SOOOO cute…Gong Xi Gong Xi.. and may the year of horse brings you great health and good luck. 😀
Yes, I think Kitty selected the exactly perfect fabric for his collar and tie! And Gong Xi Fa Cai to you!! Kitty and I have a positive outlook for this year. I hope the year of the horse finds you well and prosperous!
thank you.. definitely looking forward to Year of Horse too.. Gong Xi Fa Cai to you too.. 😉
What a great post! Fab sewing, great dress, interesting facts and a cat in a tie and collar! Haha
Thanks Amanda! Glad you enjoyed the facts. And, really, shouldn’t every post have a cat in a tie and collar? 🙂
Absolutely! Although I don’t have a cat! Perhaps I should get one just for my blog posts?? 🐱🐱haha
Heh heh. The ‘trouble’ with that is that you’ll fall in love after 3 seconds and be the proud mum of a kitteh. How did you make those cute kitty face emoticons?
You need to activate it on your settings in iPad/ iPhone
General
Keyboard
Keyboard
Add keyboard and find EMOJI!
🇬🇧✈️🐳💫😻😽😸😺good luck!
Ah, ok, thanks! I don’t have an iPad/iPhone so I’ll have to just wait for you to comment and look at yours. 🙂
Oh boo!! They are cool! I will use different ones each time then!❄️⛄️☔️⚡️
Yessssss!!! I have even more to look forward to with my next blogpost then.
Fabulous post! I found it fascinating and also reinforcing my wariness of tissue knits! I’m sorry it was such a headache but the finished dress does look lovely. I’m afraid Kitty really steals the show though!
Thanks so much Vicki! I’ve, so far, had a really trying experience with tissue knits and with microfibre knits. Although, I did use a tissue thin burn out knit for the beach cover-up I sewed (https://gjeometry.com/2013/07/13/the-elusive-sun-shines-to-the-beach-posthaste/) and although the fabric edges rolled and it was very difficult to sew, it actually went fine through the machine, no problems and no jamming. So, it makes me scratch my head a bit, wondering why some knits are truly the devil and some, seemingly similar, work out fine. And, doesn’t Kitty always steal the show??
Love the look of the dress. As usual you manage to turn out a great outfit in spite of all the difficulties. I’m looking forward to seeing it on you. Kitty is his usual handsome self. He knows how to pose for the best results. I am a horse so this is my year! Things work out perfectly. My husband is a tiger, my daughter a dog & my son a sheep; just the three that are most compatible with the horse!
Thanks, it did come together, although visually I still miss the teal bits I wanted to put on it. Kitty is a fantastic ‘poser’, heh heh. And, you are a horse, it is your year!!! Happy Year of the Horse! And, ha, what a coincidence that everybody is animal sign compatible.
You sew, you fought, you overcame! The dress colours are quite similar to Kitty’s coat 🙂 Very pretty. If you still find the neckline too low, you could wear a cami underneath? My cats say hi to Kitty!
Hee hee, I DID!! I feel powerful!! 🙂 Yes, actually because the dress is really not tight (I think likely due to the very thin and 4-way stretch knit, they don’t seem to have a lot of stretch recovery), I’m going to wear some shortsleeved sweater tops that I have in order to make the dress very winter friendly and provide a higher neckline.
Clever kitty!!! Mac’s quite glad kitty’s a dog, though he is a pig himself … 😉 And we are very glad gunmetal was persuaded to behave in the end!
Hee, my cat’s a dog and your dog is a pig. Not every day you say that in one sentence. You need to get Mac to sew a collar and tie for himself.
P.S., here is some info for Mac about the Pig – Strengths: Calm and kind. General and light-hearted. Weaknesses: Often naive and gullible. Can be introverted. For 2014: This is a good time to form new friendships. Health and well-being will be much better than in 2013. (Wow, sounds like you have one great doggie with great prospects for the New Year. Yay, Mac!)
Mac says Thank You and looks forward to another year filled with lots of naps, preferably on people’s laps, even while they’re sewing (great for the health & well being!) – and he knows he’s naive and gullible, how else would he fall for the treat=outside trick all… the… time… 😉
what a pretty dress, so sorry to hear it didn’t fit as you hoped 😦 It is so frustrating when you have a vision, and then things don’t work out. I just posted a link in reply to your question on my blog, but I will post again here – if you haven’t seen it, you may find this article useful for hints on sewing with knits: http://www.made-by-rae.com/knits/ It is part of a series, I haven’t read them all… Also, I confess, I don’t allow knits to expect special treatment, I just treat them like regular fabric, except I use a zig zag stitch for seams and a double needle for hems, and they usually come out ok… now, if only I could say the same for FOE!
this is the specific interview I read – I see I actually linked to the whole series above: http://www.made-by-rae.com/2014/01/kniterview-with-cherie-of-you-mie/
Thanks! I suppose I could have gone out and purchased a teal knit fabric in a different type of knit, but I’m also participating in Stashbusting 2014, so am trying to use the fabric in my stash. So, used the zebra print that Kitty used for his collar and tie that’s been in my stash for months and months. And, now I know to measure the necklines of patterns before I sew them! This is actually the first time, I’ve had this issue, I usually measure the paper pattern first to see what needs tweaking, but simply didn’t think to do this with the neckline. and, thank you so much for the links to the sewing with knits interviews! I’m excited to see what kind of info they have.
I really don’t like low necklines, so I tweak the renfrew every time I make a variation on it (which I do often!)… once you have changed the neckline, if you need to adjust the facing/neck band length, the 75% rule is super useful – works every time for me 🙂
Thanks for the tip! The gunmetal actually doesn’t have a neckband since it is lined and then turned right side out (I added that black foldover elastic to the neck afterwards). However, I have next up in the queue, the Plantain Tee by Deer and Doe and this I will definitely have to raise the neckline, so will use the 75% rule for the length of that neck band.
I’ve had very mixed success with knits too. Well done for perservering!
Yes, it seems that there are those that love knits and those that don’t. But, even amongst the former category, there are certain knit fabrics that just cause a lot of problems. I think I know a bit more of what to look for and what to avoid.
Me too, (knowing what to avoid) although I have never bought online which I think will add a whole other layer of ‘things to learn about knits’.
Happy Chinese New Year! That cat is adorable by the way. I love seeing what everyone does for JJ. I love the knits you chose. Beautiful job.
Thank You Jilly, Happy Chinese New Year to you! Kitty does have his charms, doesn’t he? I do wish I was able to use the teal on the dress since I chose the pale teal lace based on it, but it did still come together in the end.
And that’s what’s important. The teal will serve as inspiration for some other fabulous creation no doubt!
Well done, you! It’s so frustrating when fabrics don’t play nicely. And thanks for the lace idea — I have the Gunmetal, but I haven’t been sure what to do with it because ruffles aren’t my thing either.
And KITTY!
Thanks Andrea! Yes, frustrating and even expensive if I had not been able to fix the jammed sewing machine!! Eeeeeeviiiillll microfibre knit! I do like ruffles, but for this dress, I wanted to add some more ‘solid’ colour since the print was so busy, and flat lace and the black organza seemed to do the trick. And, KITTY indeed 🙂 . He does a sewing challenge up right!
Oh I could feel your pain with that devil knit – you have so much patience, I think I would have ditched the whole project, but not you, one lovely dress as a result. The tie for kitty is soooooo cute, looks fabulous, such fun. Have fun wearing your new dress 🙂
Thanks Sandra! I really wanted it to work out, but was second guessing when the fabrics started to damage and jam my sewing machine. At least the tissue knits do feel really soft and drapey so will be a joy to wear. Kitty definitely rocks his zebra print tie.
Brilliant post! And Happy Chinese New Year! 🙂
I love the colour of that teal fabric, sorry to hear it misbehaved so badly when it came to using it. The finished dress looks great though – and Kitty looks very smart in his coordinated tie and collar! 🙂
Thank You Sue, Happy Chinese New Year to you, as well! Yes, that teal fabric and I used to have a love/hate relationship while I was still trying to work with it since I also simply love the colour. But, now, I just hate it. 🙂 I love how Kitty looks in his collar and tie, I’m glad we went with zebra for the whole thing. The next one (yup, there will be another one, Kitty enjoys an extensive wardrobe), I may make a white collar and brightly coloured tie.
Kitty in his collar and tie had my dear girls swooning …such a dapper Tom! So good to catch up with you and Kitty and your blog again …always so interesting!! And hilarious!
Yesss!!! So happy to have you back and delighted to interest and entertain you! 🙂 I imagine your girl cats cannot contain themselves after witnessing Kitty in formal attire.
AHHAHAHA Kitty looks so handsome!!! Love how you used the lace in place of ruffles on the dress. You two will be quite the pair.
Hehehehe, Kitty knows how to rock formal office attire. We actually weren’t supposed to ‘match’ since I wanted to use the teal fabric for the cuffs and some colour blocking, but since it was eeeeevvviiilll, I borrowed some of Kitty’s zebra print knit, instead.
That was so much fun Gj ! I tried to bring it up in Maui but the internet at the B&B wasn’t working well at all.
Loved all the Chinese celebration info, I am an Ox. I’ll have to go see what that’s all about. Kitty looks totally fly in the new collar and tie, I love how he just poses for the photo’s like a super model, LOL. I really love the one with the shadow, it’s too adorable. A little ironic that Kitty’s Chinese Year sign is the Dog. I sometimes wonder about ours when they come to the dinner table and beg 😀
I think your dress is really really cute. I love how you’ve got different patterns and elements working harmoniously together. It seemed very involved and tricky. It must have been a good bit of time invested? Good think you have a sense of humour or it wouldn’t be much fun at all, I hope your retina’s have recovered, LOL. That remark cracked me up.
The side bodice with the ruching is very original, was that what the pattern called for or did you create that just for your project? I can’t imagine sewing that material on my old machine but I like that you never would be wrinkled. I imagine how is would flow nicely to walk in too. As always, great photo’s Catja.
Welcome back!!! To cold, cold and snow! So happy you had a chance to frolic and have a great vacation. An Ox, you say? Here is some info for Ox – Strengths: Honest and patient. Often strong-willed. Contemplative and appreciative of traditions. Weaknesses: Can be poor communicators and quite stubborn, resistant to change or the ideas of others. For 2014: A promotion at work is possible, and along with it, a small pay raise.
The dress wasn’t too difficult but did have many pieces to it, hence all the notches and stickers I used. But, when you added in the evil fabric I had, it took a lot longer to sew than it should have, for sure. The ruching is part of the pattern and my favourite part of the dress. I may add pieces like this in other princess seamed bodices. And, happily, my retinas have been bathed in cool water and recovered and I have placed the offending material out of sight. 🙂
Ohhh dear, us Ox’s sure are contradictory..patient and stubborn, gads! I’m excited about my pay raise though…I’ll have to tell Mr B…LOL Thanks for sending along those juicy tidbits
We got home Sunday Morning to a pleasant -9 at 1:00am but this morning Mr B headed back to work at -30 C…ugh!
Another entertainingly creative post 🙂 LOVE your dress! And that zebra tie suits Kitty to a “Z(ee)” 🙂 ❤
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it! And, hehehe, “suits Kitty to a Zee” 🙂
Love your Gunmetal. I wouldn’t have thought to use lace, but it looks so nice. Kitty looks pretty snazzy with his tie too.
Thanks Cari! I’m also happy that I used the lace because the thinner 4-way stretch knit doesn’t have all that much recovery, so since the lace and the black organza strips are not stretch, they help to keep the bodice shape. I want to make more ties for Kitty now.
Your kitty is wearing a tie!!!
Ahem, sorry. Your dress is very lovely! I love the cuffs and the lace and the pattern seems nice. It’s terrible that you had problems constructing. How does the neckline hold up now? Hopefully you’re able to make it work for you!
I completely forgot about Chinese New Year, even though I was in Chinatown that evening. There were little children with puppet dragons attached to the cross with strings… I don’t know if that makes sense or if there’s a word for it, but I’ve never seen them before and I thought they were the coolest thing.
Hee, Kitty is wearing a tie!! And, shirt collar. Can’t wait to sew him a few more. The dress neckline is much better now with the foldover elastic. It raised it a bit and it has much better recovery now, so does not gape. I’m still disappointed about the teal fabric, but since the colourblocking and cuffs were for January’s Stashbusting Less Than a Yard (Metre) of Fabric challenge, I had to use fabric from my stash for it and didn’t have any other turquoise-ish knit.
If you like dragons for Chinese New Year, did you see this? There are lots of dragons celebrations underwater!!
I didn’t see that link – thanks for sharing! Celebrating in Hong Kong would be outstanding!
I know what you mean about being still disappointed about a make.
Oh wow what evil fabric! (*makes mental note to avoid if I ever see it in the shops!) – I really like your Gunmetal, I didn’t like this pattern when it first came out (and I think they use way too many notches) but I am seeing more and more versions that do it justice.
Harri is so getting a tie!
Yes, I have put the fabric out of sight and am not sure what to do with it. Insulation? 🙂 I think I may use it for hand sewing embellishments. And, it’s true about the notches. I wanted to make it exactly like the pattern, so used them all with the stickers, but afterwards realized I did not need them all. Although I think still good to have for somebody that wants that extra security, I supposed. AND, when I sewed the shirred piece to the back piece, I ended up leaving a few of the notches stickers inside and had to stitch rip and peel them off, heh heh, heh.
And, Harri so NEEDS a tie!! DO IT!