Chinese New Year Sewing 2017

Tomorrow is Chinese New Year Eve and so the feasting begins! Today I had to rush to finish up all my sewing so that I can take some photos, clean up my workspace and get into the holiday mood already. Just wanted to compile what I made this year in one post.

You may have seen this already if you follow me on instagram or facebook. Using my own free qipao pattern, I used the bodice piece and attached a simple peplum pattern to the waist line. The above is me trying out low-key photography using nothing but a soft box, and a camera on a tripod. I used remote shooting using my camera’s software and it took me quite a number of tries, believe me it is hard to pose for the camera! I did like the dramatic look that was created in the end and how it really brought out the beauty of this Cotton + Steel fabric (from the Les fleurs collection by Rifle Paper Co. in Tapestry – black). I kept the buttons simple as there was already alot going on in the fabric.

The second piece was made for my daughter who wanted specifically, a keyhole collar and peplum top like mine, to go with jeans. Fabric choosing took a while because our plan A was initially aborted after the prewash, and then it was back to the drawing board. She didn’t want anything too colorful, so I thought this was an interesting alternative to reds and pinks.

The final piece was made using a Cotton + Steel fabric – from the basics collection, Netorious : Filler Paper. This was actually plan A. I got this fabric at a steal from a sale and it had a beautiful sheen to it. Unfortunately, after the prewash, it lost the shine and didn’t look so appealing. I kept it folded in a pile for weeks and when my daughter said she needed a second dress to wear to school for their CNY celebrations, I thought I should just try making it and see if my initial instincts about the fabric was right. I couldn’t believe how it turned out! It was simple but so beautiful.

It is 100% cotton so it does crease easily. Not too obvious under sunlight but I guess the single directional light does accentuate the shadows and show the creases more.

To make it more interesting, I added hidden details using Lola Weisselberg by Quentin Blake (yes! the illustrator for lots of Roald Dahl books) for Liberty fabric.

Inner binding for armholes,

Inner binding for skirt slits.

And that’s it for this year’s Qipao sewing! Next week I’ll be back with regular programming with new book reviews and maybe a giveaway for a special reason! Find out more next week! And to those of you celebrating Chinese New Year, Happy New Year to you!