The best gifts are handmade...

...just like this Darling Ranges dress my sister made me for Christmas. I can't help but wear it even when it's a quiet day at home. I love the buttons; pretty ceramic ones. (It looks so great with those wool socks! Ha.)

Another project completed today. I finished the Sorbetto top for my mom.

It's made from an old button-up blouse of her's that she never wore because she says she didn't like the fit. So she saved the material and I snatched it up for this project. I inserted an invisible zipper on the side (I find my blue-plaid Sorbetto is tricky enough to put on without)...and even though it's bright pink...you can't see it! :) The back of the top has an inverted pleat (opposite from the front).

Using up old scraps.

I have boxes of scraps. Yes it's true. Some are even just big enough to SQEEEEZE a top or skirt out of too!

I was able to make this Sorbetto from a blue plaid shirting cotton (I think). It's very thin, so I doubled the bias tape (bright!) on the bottom. My muslin was too short, so I added a strip on the bottom with the plaid on the bias. That's my favourite part actually. I also lowered the bust darts, which were too high to start. I followed a tutorial on BurdaStyle for this, but only lowered them on the final version...oops...too low now. I cut out a size 4 on top and tappered down to a 0 on the bottom (!). I find it very hard to believe that that is a true size 0.

I'm going to attempt making one for my mom from an old blouse of her's.

Next scrappy project is the free paperbag skirt tutorial from Suzannah Adventures in Dressmaking. I used some smoky-green, stretchy woven 'stuff'. (I don't know a lot about materials yet...)

I had to cut down the amount of fabric at the waist because I didn't have enough. My pleats are just smaller. Though I've played with invisible zippers lots, this was my fisrt 'real' zipper. Easy-peasy. (But I've learned backwards, right?). Any ideas on how to get the pleasts to fall more naturally?

Like the socks? ;) Oh, and the skirt is not hemmed yet, but I was too excited. Mmm, tea.