Velvet Ribbon

DIY Linen Blouse

2026-10-14T11:08:24.135+08:00

Hi there, I made a new blouse and happy with how it turned out. A simple 3/4 sleeves blouse finished with elastic sleeve hem, v-neckline with cute little collar and button down style.

Also, I can wear it with skirt, shorts or pants, very versatile 😍

For the fabric, I used leftover linen blend with cute floral print and I was lucky the fabric enough to make 3/4 sleeves style. I love linen, comfortable and perfect for our humid climate.

And for the pattern, I modified Faitmain shirt dress pattern 2019 into a blouse by shortened it right in my hipline. Shortened the sleeves into 3/4 length finished with elastic. Also, modified the neckline into v-neck finished with collar.

And today, I'd love to share how I modify the neckline. At first, I thought this would be difficult, but I was surprised, it wasn't difficult. Any intermediate sewist can do it easily 😊

I copied the front blouse pattern into a new sheet of tracing paper, lowered the CF 9 cm.

Drafted a new line of v-neck with the help of French curve ruler.

Folded the button placket together with the bodice and cut along the v-neckline.

I marked where I started to sew the collar, 11 cm down from the shoulder.

And for the whole collar, I measured where I started it plus the back neckline, I got 45 cm in total and I added 2 cm wide. Cut the collar 2 pieces.

And here is the fabric pieces completed with fusing the fusible interfacing to the neck front and back facings, plackets and collar.

Also, I added a few more centimeters on the sleeves bottoms to create a bit of puffy look. Finished it with elastic.

The sewing process started with the usual manner, sew the darts and the shoulder lines together.

I sewed the collar pieces together as well as the facings pieces. Pressed with the iron and overlock the raw edge on the facing.

With right side facing up, I pinned the collar to the neckline and stitched it.

I pinned the facing on top of the collar after that and stitched it.

The look of the collar 😍 I pinned the rest and hand-sewed the corner where the facing and the placket meet, both sides.

I attached the sleeves and overlock the raw edges as usual. And sewed the sleeves and the sides of the bodices right sides together.

I wanted a neat corner hemline, so I folded and pinned the placket right sides together, sewed it 1.5 cm seam allowance, turned it inside out. And so happy, the corner hemline done neatly 😍

I pinned the rest of hemline 1.5 cm and stitched it by sewing machine.

I almost done, the elastic sleeves were easy to sew. I started with pinned and sewed the sleeve hem 1.5 cm and left 2 cm open to insert the elastic.

I measured the elastic on my hand and cut 2 pieces, inserted the elastic with a help of safety pin inside the sleeve hem, stitched the elastic ends together and closed/sewed the opening space.

After that, I secured the elastic with one more stitch in the middle to avoid slipping around.

The result of the elastic sleeves 😍

And the last part was to sew the wrong side of the placket by hand.

The blouse is finally finished and I'm really happy with it. I'm planning to make another one soon and also the dress version of this pattern. I washed the new fabrics and will be making them soon.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope my tutorial is easy to follow. Feel free to drop the comment for any question.

I was wearing the blouse with me-made denim skirt last week and it was comfy, perfect for daily wear 😍

Happy Sewing 💖

Square Neck Ruffle Sleeves And Hem Dress

2026-09-15T14:29:20.515+08:00

Hi there, I made this dress especially to wear on our summer holiday in Shanghai last month. Life was busy in past months and so glad I managed to sew a bit in my free time.

I was planning to make a simple dress with feminine touch, so I went to make a square neck dress with ruffle hem which I made a few before. And to made it extra, I added ruffle sleeves.

I was thinking the dress will be ready in two days but, something happened 😞 The square neckline was gaping and I had to fix it. I relieved, I fixed it with easy method. I inserted an elastic band between the facing and the neckline. Ta da! I love the result 😍

Before I show you how I fix the gaping square neckline, let me start with the fabric and pattern detail.

The fabric: black and yellow daisy printed cotton, I bought it in July from the local shop.

And the pattern: self-drafted based on my previous square neck dress with ruffle hem, and this time I added ruffle sleeves.

The sewing process started with sew the darts (front and back), sewed the invisible zipper at the center back and sewed the front and back pieces together at the shoulder lines.

And then, pinned and sewed the facing to the neckline.

I gathered the ruffles, pinned and sewed to the sleeves.

After I sewed the sleeves to the armholes, I gathered the ruffle hems, pinned and sewed them to both front and back dresses.

And sewed both sides of the dress.

I basted the square neckline and tried the dress. And found out the gaping around square neckline 😞

I started to fix it by using the elastic band (in black) 1 cm wide.

And marked the line (red line) at the neckline and sewed both facing and the fashion fabric together about 2 cm wide.

Inserted the elastic inside and secured both sides with pins.

And sewed (top stitched) the rest of the neckline.

And hand sewed the remaining facing to keep it stay in place.

The fixed neckline! I love the result 😍

The pictures of the finished dress on me and my dress-form Ellie.

In case you are interested in seeing the making of this square neck dress, feel free to visit my YouTube channel, link here or simply click the video below,

Also, I decided to share pictures from our holiday in Shanghai which I was wearing my dress during that day. We strolled around The Bund, a famous waterfront walkway and historic district in central Shanghai. It's beautiful 😍

And went to Yu garden, it's a 400 year old masterpiece of classical Chinese architecture and landscape design.

Also visited Yuyuan market, an area filled with souvenirs, restaurants, cookies and sweets. We bought some souvenirs and cookies 😊

And we managed to find the silk market inside the shopping mall, I didn't buy silk fabric but I bought silk scarves instead 😊

I think is more than enough for today, thank you for reading and I will see you again soon in another post. The continuation of our trip to Shanghai and another dress I made 😍

Happy sewing and have a lovely day 💗💗

DIY Patchwork Dress (Scrap Buster)

2026-07-29T15:26:01.040+08:00

Hi there, I finally finished the patchwork dress that I was sewing slowly since April. I'm so relieved and happy with how the dress turned out. The dress has a simple style, round neckline with slit, short sleeves, knee length, zipper at the back and full body lining. Simple everyday dress but the happy colors made it special 😍

Back in April, I cut these square shape of fabric 13 cm x 13 cm and sew them together and overlocked the raw edges to avoid fraying.

And I got two pieces of fabrics more than enough to make a short sleeve dress.

And cut the fabric, I used Faitmain shirt dress pattern May 2019 as a base, omitted the collar, made a round neckline finished with front slit. And In the end, I need to add body lining because the stitching of the patchwork a bit uncomfortable against the skin.

The process wasn't difficult but a lot of patient with sewing the patchwork pieces and sewing the lining to the body. I sew the lining first and then the main dress including the zipper at the center back.

And attach the lining to the main dress, pin and sew the neckline. Clip the curve space after sewing the neckline.

I make the front slit after that, by drafting a V shape at the center front as the measurement below,

Sew the slit and turn it inside out.

I work on the back dress after that, pinning the lining to the zipper line both sides and hand sewing.

I attach the sleeve to the armhole, both sides. Sew the sleeve hems 1.5 cm and hemline 2 cm. The last part, sewing the lining hem with narrow hem stitch and happy with the neat result 😊

And the dress is done! And below are the dress details, inner dress, front, side and back views.

And in case you want to watch the making of video along with my daily sewing life, feel free to visit my YouTube channel, link here (DIY Patchwork Dress, Nature Walk and Our Visit To Zhuhai, China.

Thank you for stopping by and happy sewing 💗

DIY V-neck Button Down Linen Dress - Pattern Hack

2026-07-08T10:32:42.152+08:00

I was planning to make comfy and loose dress to wear this summer and so happy I finally made it. For the pattern, I used Faitmain shirt dress May 2019 as a base and modified the neckline into v-neck. I always prefer v-neck for summer, it felt comfier and fresh.

And for the fabric, I used a floral linen blend from my stash. I bought the fabric from the local shop four years ago, the notion (thread, interfacing and buttons) were from stash too, so I didn't buy anything new to make this dress.

After I had all the dress pieces, I modified the front neckline into v-neck by reducing 10 cm down from the CF and drafted a new line toward the shoulder.

Here is the pieces, back (on the fold), front (2x), sleeves (2x) and bias tape band from the same fabric 4 cm wide.

The sewing process was enjoyable, I did it between my free time and finished the dress in less than three weeks.

I sewed all the pieces together and realized that I should add front and back facings for neater look but I already cut the fabric. So, I will remember to add facings next time I make this dress again.

I attached and pinned the bias tape band around the neckline, right sides together. Sewed and clipped the curve edge and turned the bias tape band inside.

Folded the band's allowance 1/2 cm and top-stitched the neckline.

I sewed the button-holes and buttons after that. And then, sewed the snap buttons.

The v-neck button down linen dress is done, I love how it turned out, comfy, airy and perfect for hot summer days we are having lately.

The last picture of me wearing it during our weekend errands, we visited IKEA after our lunch and stroll around the mall because it was raining outside.

Thank you for stopping by and hope you enjoy reading my blog.

And in case you are interested in watching a bit of the making of video, feel free to visit my YouTube channel, link here

Happy Sewing 💗💗

DIY Tie-Front Blouse

2026-06-28T15:32:22.311+08:00

Hi there, I finally updated this blog after months away. Life was busy but I still sewing a few stuff. I mostly share on my IG or TikTok.

And today, I'd love to share my latest make, a tie-front blouse. A comfy summer blouse with cute tie and gathered front. I made it in short sleeve and the length was right on my hipline, this blouse will be easy to wear with denim pants or skirt.

I was happy with the final blouse and planning to make more to fill a gap in my summer wardrobe.

For the fabric, I used printed cotton from my stash, it was a souvenir from our trip to Bali and for the pattern, I used a self-drafted pattern - based on my basic sloper and modified it.

The sewing process started with cutting the fabric and followed with fuse the front facing and back neck facing with fusible interfacing.

After that, I sewed the ties. It was a bit difficult to pull the tiny ties out but in the end I did 😊

I attached the ties by pinning and sewing them between the facing and front side, right sides together. Clipped the curve space and turned them inside out.

Folded and ironed the seam allowances inside, this method worked well for me, it made the sewing job easier.

I sewed and gathered the front piece evenly.

Pinned the front pieces right sides together and sewed it along the line.

And the front piece was done.

After that I sewed the back piece and attached both pieces together. Followed by sewing the sleeves, blouse sides, sleeve hems and hemline.

The tie-front blouse is finished and here are the look of the front, side and back.

In case you are interested in seeing the making of this blouse along with my daily life update, feel free to visit my YouTube channel, link here or simply click the video below, better view watch on YouTube 😊

I think is enough for today, I hope you enjoy reading my blog and hope to see you again soon in another post.

Thank you for stopping by and happy sewing 💗

DIY Gingham Check Jacket

2026-03-31T17:12:00.000+08:00

Hi friends,

I made a new jacket using Burdastyle 01/2023 pattern and gingham check wool blend fabric from my stash. The jacket has simple design and fully lined, cozy off the shoulder style, in seam pockets and finished with front zipper. Perfect to wear daily.

The process started with sewing both body pieces at the shoulder lines and attached the sleeves to the armholes.

And I sewed both sides of the jacket from the sleeves to above the pocket.

And I sewed the in seam pockets. I decided to add a bit of the gingham fabric to the pocket pieces. This method made the pockets invisible.

The process below is how I sew the in seam pocket, in a clockwise direction.

The look of the pockets from the wrong side.

I sewed the lining and after that attached the collar pieces to both necklines (the main jacket and the lining).

And I pinned the zipper and basted it. After that, I pinned the main fabric and the lining right sides together. And then, I sewed the zipper and the collar.

To sew the hem, I marked 2 cm on the hemline, pin and sew on the facing piece right sides together. Trimmed the excess fabric.

Turned the jacket out and folded the remaining hemline and pinned it.

Folded the remaining lining fabric, with 1 cm above the main gingham fabric, and pinned.

I hand sewed the hemline and made sure the thread didn't catch the outer main fabric.

I did the same to the sleeves and the jacket is finally done.

That's it for today and I'm happy with this jacket and will wear it a lot next winter for sure.

And in case you are interested in seeing the making of video, the details of the process, feel free to check my YouTube, link here or click the video below,

Also, this jacket is my entry to #sagammindfulmarch challenge on Instagram hosted by Sue, Suzy and Helene. This jacket made from stashed fabrics and notion, also involved a lot of hand sewing which was so calming and relaxing.

Thank you for stopping by and happy sewing 💗

Easy Zippered Pouch Tutorial

2026-03-22T16:38:26.514+08:00

I made another easy sewing project last week, a zippered pouch with quilted straight lines and lined. I made this pouch to store my stuff instead of messing up inside my bag. The size is approximately 21 cm width x 18 cm length, perfect size 😍

Materials:

Medium weight fabric, polyester batting and light cotton lining 38 cm x 26 cm.

Zipper band extension, made from medium weight fabric (2x) 4.5 cm x 8.5 cm.

Zipper 22 cm long.

All my fabrics and notion are from my stash.

The sewing process was fast and enjoyable, I did it in one afternoon.

And here are the step by step how I make the pouch:

I loved the French-seam method for finishing the sides of the pouch, neat and easy. Don't need overlocker or bias tape band to secure the raw edges.

The inner pouch is neat and fluffy, which I really like it :)

In case you are interested in seeing the making of video along with a cozy daily sewing life, feel free to visit my YouTube, link here or click video below, best view "watch on YouTube"

Thank you for stopping by, happy sewing 💗

DIY Tote Bag With Inner Pockets | Sewing Project For Beginners.

2026-03-17T10:01:00.125+08:00

Hi friends, I made a tote bag with inner pockets and it was easy and fast to sew.

I used stashed fabrics and notion. The main fabric was medium weight suede with floral prints and cotton lining. The polyester strap handle was leftover from my previous bag and still have some yards for next projects.

The final size of the tote bag is approximately 42 cm width x 36 cm length. Perfect size for petite 😊

I was glad I decided to add pockets in this tote bag, so useful 😍 The two pockets were made from a piece of fabric and stitched in the middle. So easy.

Here is the measurement details,

The sewing process was enjoyable, easy and fast. And the pictures below shows the step by step how I made it:

The tote bag is done and I really like the pockets.

And the last picture of the finished tote bag.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy reading my blog. Let me know if you have any question and if you made the bag, feel free send me the picture 😊

And in case you are interested in seeing the making of video and my cozy daily sewing life, feel free to visit my YouTube channel, Link here or simply click the video below, better view watch on YouTube.

Happy sewing 💗💗

DIY Wool Cardigan And Easy Tutorial How To Sew The Facing

2026-03-08T23:38:00.000+08:00

Hi there, I finally finished a wool cardigan and happy with the final result. This cardigan is so comfy and easy to wear. I'm sure I will wear it a lot daily.

For the pattern, I used Burdastyle cardigan pattern 09/2019 size 38 but I changed the finishing with facing, skipped the belt and shortened the sleeve length. And for the fabric, I used a wool blend I bought in the local shop last year.

I felt good I managed to use stashed fabric instead buying new one.

The original pattern from Burdastyle looks lovely and the belt adds something more but my everyday life is so simple and I don't really think I need a belt.

Also, I decided to finish the cardigan with facing because my fabric was a bit thinner, I fear I will mess up if I follow the original finishing. As I like this pattern so much, I will look for thicker texture fabric next time and make exactly like the original pattern.

Here is the fabric pieces after cutting and I fused the facings with fusible interfacing before sewing.

The sewing process was faster and easier than I thought. Firstly, I sewed the front and back pieces together and sewed the sleeves to the armholes, as shown in the picture below.

And after that, I sewed both sides.

I sewed the front and back facings together at both shoulder lines.

Pinned and sewed the facing along the back and front, right sides together. And left 1,5 cm space free from facing for the hemline.

Clipped the curve edges with scissors, folded the facing inside, sewed the raw edges with overlocker and pinned around again.

Folded the hemline 2.5 cm and pinned.

I basted around the facing and hemline by hand, this method was so good because it made sewing job easier with neater result.

Sewed around the facing and hemline.

Hand-sewed the corner of the hemline, both sides and removed the baste.

I sewed the snap buttons, as shown below.

And did the last part, sewed the sleeve hems 2 cm and done!

The cardigan was enjoyable to sew and I really love wearing it 💚 And in case you are interested in seeing a video how I sew this cardigan, feel free to watch on my YouTube channel, link here or simply click below,

Thank you for stopping by and happy sewing 💚💚

How To Sew A Shacket (Burdastyle Pattern 09/2023)

2026-01-10T16:55:00.247+08:00

Hi there, I finally took pictures of the finished shacket that I was working since November last year. The idea of making this shacket was to fill a gap in my winter wardrobe, I will use it as a layer to keep me warm. The winter in Macau is mild most of the time and this shacket will get a lot of wear.

For the fabric, I used linen blend in grey, I bought it from the local shop and it was in my stash for two years. And for the pattern, I used Burdastyle jacket 107 09/2023 size 38. This is my second version of the pattern.

As usual, the process started by sewing the front and back pieces together.

I fused a fusible interfacing on one side of the placket, pin and sew to the center front, I did it on both sides.

I pinned and sewed the collar and the collar stand together. And then, pinned and sewed to the neckline. As shown below, in a clockwise direction.

In a clockwise direction, I pinned the remaining plackets and sewed them.

Pinned the remaining collar to the neckline, basted and sewed it.

I was happy with the result, a neat collar 😍

I prepared the pockets by pressing them at the seam allowances before pinning and sewing. This method was made my process smoother.

I sewed the sleeve pieces together, pinned and sewed them to the armholes.

I made the sleeve slit and then pinned the cuff after that, as shown in a clockwise direction below.

I sewed the cuff, folded the cuff right sides together, pinned and sewed both lines along the slit.

Turned the cuff inside out, pinned and sewed. As shown below in a clockwise direction.

I sewed the buttonholes using automatic buttonholes and sewed the buttons by hand.

I was happy with the final result and I will wear this shacket daily.

And in case you are interested in seeing the process of making this shacket, especially how I sew the collar with stand, you can visit my YouTube channel, link here or click the video below,

Thank you for stopping by and happy sewing 💖💖

DIY Tie Front Dress (Party Dress)

2025-12-31T16:58:00.291+08:00

Hi there, Merry Christmas to all who celebrated it and Happy New Year 💖 May the new year bring you peace, joy and prosperity 💖

We had a different Christmas this year, we flew to Bangkok. Enjoyed a special Christmas eve dinner, strolled around the city, relaxed, enjoyed the warm weather and delicious food.

And of course I made a new dress to wear on the dinner using a red drapey wool crepe fabric I bought months ago. I was planning to make a midi length dress but in the end I cut it above my knee because it didn't look good on me.

The dress details: a v-neckline with tie front, long sleeves with elastic hems, above the knee length and I made it loose to allow me to move freely and to enjoy the delicious food 😊

I found this fabric months ago in the local shop, I wasn't looking for fabric but somehow it catches my attention and brought it home. It was good decision to buy because I need it to make a Christmassy dress.

For the pattern, I used my self-drafted pattern based on my basic dress slopers and modified the neckline and sleeves. The pattern had 6 pieces (front 1x on fold, back 2x, sleeve 2x, back facing 2x, front facing 1x on fold and ties 2x).

The sewing process was fast and I managed to finished it in two days before my trip. As usual, it started with sewing the darts and sew the zipper at the center back.

I fused the facings and sewed them together, sewed the ties and pinned them to the front neckline. And then pinned the facing to the neckline (on top of the ties). Sewed around the neckline, clipped and turned the facing inside.

After that I gathered the sleeve cap and sewed it to the armhole (both sides).

I sewed the sides and the dress was nearly done, but found out I didn't look good with midi length. So, I cut the length until above of my knee.

I sewed the sleeve hem and inserted the elastic band inside to create a little puffy end.

I sewed the hemline and top-stitched the v-neckline for the final touch. And the dress was done, I packed it inside my suitcase to wear on the holiday 😍

I decided to remove the back darts to look more loose and flowy. And it looks better 👍

Finally wore this dress for the Christmas eve dinner with my dear husband and son.

Here is the shorts in case you are interested to watch the making of the dress and the Christmas eve dinner. It was a great night 💖💖 link here or watch the shorts below,

We were staying for 6 days and I was glad that I had many me-made outfits to wear, I don't have to rush last minute sewing for travel wardrobe.

Even so, I made a big tote bag for shopping and I used it everyday. It was filled with all kind of shopping.

This bag was made from leftover home decor fabric and the final size approximately 47 cm long and 44 cm wide. Simple and useful bag 😍

Besides the tote bag, I also managed to make a new wrap style swimsuit. I bought the lycra fabric a week before my trip and sewed it immediately. I made several of this style swimsuit before and I'm sure you had seen it in my previous posts.

And here is the last picture of me-made outfits I wore during our stay. All were comfy and perfect for hot weather in Bangkok.

Thank you for reading, happy sewing and all the best for us in 2026. Cheers 💖

DIY Lace Dress

2025-12-05T09:07:00.134+08:00

Hi there, I made a new dress to wear on the annual dinner at my husband's work. My plan was to make a simple but classy dress using whatever fabrics on my stash. And I found a dark blue cotton blend fabric with elastane, it was leftover from my previous dress.

I didn't want to make a plain dress, so added lace overlay on the upper bodices and also lace sleeves. The lace fabric was bought recently and it was good to use a bit of it.

For the pattern, I used my self-drafted pattern and added front and back pieces for the lace (in the white paper pieces below).

And here is the lace pieces after cutting, I used the scalloped borders in both front and back pieces.

The sewing process was enjoyable, I did it in total of two days.

After sewing the darts and joining front and back pieces together, I sewed the lace front and back together and then I pinned and basted the to the upper bodices.

I sewed the zipper after that, too bad that my stash is lacking of dark colored zipper, so I used purple. It wasn't good but I was lazy to go to the shop to buy zipper.

Anyway, the zipper was hidden after I closed it and nobody noticed it 😊

As usual, I sewed the sleeves to the armholes and sewed the facing to the neckline. In this case, I should just sew the lace and dark blue fabric together and skip the facing. But I forgot to do it at the beginning.

The facing finished with hand-sewing and then I sewed the sleeve hem and hemline.

I was happy with the final dress, the fit was good, a bit loose at the waist area, so I can move and eat freely 😄

The last picture of the dress and here you can see that the fit is just right. The lace really add something extra on a plain dress. I love it 💗

And the annual dinner was great and we had a good time 💗💗

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy reading my post. Take care and happy sewing 💗💗

Hot Pads/Pot Holders (Easy Sewing Project For Beginners)

2025-11-10T11:06:35.793+08:00

Hi there, Happy Monday 💕

I was looking for easy project to sew last weekend and suddenly came to my mind that I have to replace the old hot pads in our kitchen. So, I went to search inside my stash and found two pieces of leftover cotton fabrics. Yay 😍

For the size, I made exactly like my old ones and added different lines of top-stitching. The final size is 16 cm x 16 cm square, perfect size for me, not too big or small.

I made 2 pairs (4 pieces) of hot pads and here are the material:

- 18 cm x 18 cm of cotton fabrics (8 pieces).

- 20 cm x 20 cm of polyester batting (4 pieces)

- 12 cm long of 2 cm wide of fabric band (4 pieces)

The sewing process was easy and fast, I started by pinning the polyester batting and cotton fabric together.

And laid another cotton fabric on top, right sides together and pin around.

I marked 10 cm to the fabric.

Also, folded and pinned the fabric band on one corner 1.5 cm away from the side.

I sewed the square except the marked space and trimmed the excess polyester batting.

Trimmed the corners a little to make the corner neat after turning out.

I turned the fabric inside out through the opening space and with a help of stick I press the corner to make it neater.

Folded the opening space at the seam allowance 1 cm, pinned it and top-stitched it 0.50 cm.

After that, I top-stitched again from one corner to another in both sides.

The pot holders/hot pads were done in less than two hours, easy and fast to sew and we can use scrap leftovers. Also, these little project can be good Christmas gift as well and I will make more in festive colors to give to my friends and family 💗

In case you are interested in seeing more video how I sew these hot pads along with my daily life walking in the nature, feel free to visit my YouTube channel, link here or simply click the video below

Happy sewing and thank you for stopping by 😍 See you again soon in another post 💗

DIY V-neck Batik Dress With Front Tie

2025-09-25T09:12:00.188+08:00

Hi there, I made this v-neck batik dress to wear on the holiday in Bali and I was happy with the final result. I made a few v-neck dresses before and this time I decided to add the front tie. The rest of the dress was the same with short sleeves and knee length.

I chose a simple design because I wanted to show the beautiful batik print and I was glad after pinning and measuring, I managed to match the print.

The front tie added sweetness to a simple dress and I'm planning to use this method for my next makes, maybe a top or another dress.

For the pattern: I used self-drafted.

And the fabric: I used a batik fabric (cotton) a gift from my family two years ago.

For the ties, I cut 2 pieces (45 cm x 3.5 cm). I folded the fabric right sides together, sewed and turn it inside out.

After I sewed the front darts and the zipper at the center back. I laid the front and back dresses right sides together and sewed it at the shoulder line.

And then I pinned and sewed the facings together.

I pinned the ties in both sides of the front v-neckline 6 cm from the center.

And laid the facing on top, right sides together. Pinned and sewed around.

After that, clipped the curve area and turned the facing inside.

I overlocked the raw edges of the facing and top-stitched to the inner dress.

After the neckline done, I sewed the hemline and the dress is finished.

In case you are interested in seeing the making of this dress, feel free to visit my YouTube channel, link here or simply click the video below.

And here are the pictures of the finished dress, front and back views.

And here is the dress in the wild. I wore it during dinner at Hard Rock Cafe Bali and my husband was wearing me-made batik shirt from two years ago.

Our summer holiday was great and we had a lovely time. Bali is beautiful and we are looking forward to come back again next time.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy reading my blog 😍

Happy sewing and see you in another post💗

DIY Shoulder Tie Dress

2025-08-27T17:21:00.002+08:00

Hi there, I made a new dress to wear on our summer holiday in Bali. A simple and airy dress, midi length, zipper at the back and finished with shoulder tie. The process was fast, I did it in 7 hours (from tracing the pattern to sewing).

I love the final dress, the shoulder tie adds sweetness and the loose shape is so comfy perfect for hot summer weather.

Details:

Pattern: self-drafted (front on fold with side bust darts, back 2x, front and back facings and shoulder tie 4x - 10 cm x 70 cm).

Fabric: floral rayon from the local shop. I love the print and rayon is so good to wear in summer.

Zipper, threads and fusible interfacing are from my stash.

The sewing process started with sew the front darts following by sew the zipper at the center back.

After I did the zipper, I sewed the shoulder ties and pinned them to the upper front and back dress.

And then, I fused the interfacing to the facings and attached them to the neckline and armholes. Pinned along the line so the shoulder ties are between the dress fabric and the facing.

Stitched, clipped the curved areas and turned the facing to the inner dress. As shown in the picture below.

Here is the look of the back and front dress pieces.

After that I sewed the side from the facing down to the hemline (both sides).

And basted the facing before hand sewing to avoid a mess.

The last part was sewing the hemline 2 cm.

The dress is finished and here is the look of overall dress with the facing.

And more pictures of the dress, side and back views.

I wore this dress during our holiday and I loved it, so comfy and airy. And this picture was taken before our lunch. The surrounding views were beautiful and peaceful.

And in case you are interested in seeing a video how I sew this dress, feel free to visit my YouTube channel link here or simply click the video below,

The weather was good and the food was so delicious. We had nasi campur ayam, sate ayam, nasi liwet and vegetarian nasi campur.

Before I say goodbye for today, I wanted to share some pictures of our visit to Ubud, Bali.

In the picture below, I was wearing a linen blend shirt, Burdastyle 10/2019 I made a few years back.

Tegallalang Rice Terraces

Tirta Empul Temple

Tegenungan Waterfall

We visited Ubud Market as well, I was planning to find some souvenirs and fabrics but I didn't find things I like and in the end I found many in Kuta Art market 😊

I think is more than enough for today, thank you for reading and see you soon in another post.

Happy sewing and have a lovely day 💗💗

Easy Tote Bags (Sewing Project For Beginners)

2025-08-03T22:47:00.200+08:00

Hi there, I made two tote bags using cute cat-printed home decor fabrics. These tote bags are easy and fast to make, a perfect sewing project for beginner sewists.

The final size is approximately 34 cm long x 34 cm wide and 9 cm deep. The size is enough to carry books or shopping stuff.

The process started with cutting the fabric,

- The tote bag's body: 42 cm long x 38 cm wide (on fold).

- Handle: 62 cm long x 8 cm wide (2x).

- Bias tape band 4 cm wide.

Fold the fabric right sides together and sew both sides. And then, clip and sew the bias tape band to secure the fabric (to avoid fraying).

Cut the corners, 3 cm x 3cm square, after the seam allowance.

Sew the corner and secure it with bias tape band ( both sides).

Here is the look after I sew the corners.

I work on the handles by folding them in half and then clip the seam allowance 1 cm inside.

Fold the seam allowance 1 cm inside and fold the fabric again 3 cm.

Mark the middle tote and insert the handle 6.5 cm from the middle tote. Clip and sew around.

Turn the bag out and top-stitch again along the handle. This method is good for making the handle strong.

The tote bag is done, and I love it. The cat print is so cute.

I made another bag as soon as I finished the first one. And to match the prints, I connected the body in the middle. You can see it in the picture of the wrong side of the tote bag.

Both tote bags are cute, useful and perfect size.

In case you are interested in watching the video on how I make these bags, feel free to visit my YouTube channel - Link here or simply click the video below

Thank you for reading and I hope this tutorial helps. Feel free to drop a comment if you have any questions.

Happy sewing and see you again next time 💗

DIY Sleeveless Shirt Dress

2025-07-22T23:09:00.152+08:00

Hi there, I finished my sleeveless shirt dress, and I'm happy with the final result.

The dress is comfy and perfect for summer. I will definitely wear it a lot.

This summer, I'm focusing on building my capsule wardrobe, and I'm glad I managed to create three garments (a skirt, top, and sleeveless dress).

I will continue sewing more garments to complete my plan.

My progress will be slow, but I'm sure I will complete it before the end of the summer 😊

For the pattern, I used Faitmain shirt dress May 2019 size 38 and I used this pattern before to make two long-sleeved shirts. And this time, I omitted the sleeves and reduced the shoulder length by 2 cm.

I used cotton fabric in blue and white gingham and I planned to add a pocket, but in the end, I gave up because it didn't look good.

The sewing progress was slow as I have a lot of things to do. The only difficult part was sewing the collar.

And in case you are interested in seeing more details of how I sew the collar step by step, feel free to watch my video. Link here

After the collar was done, I stitched the buttonholes using the automatic buttonhole foot.

I pinned both sides before I cut the hole to avoid overcutting and a mess.

And for the details on how I sew the buttonholes on my Youtube channel, link here

The armhole is finished with a bias tape band.

And here are the pictures of the finished dress.

Thank you for reading and see you again later in another post. Happy sewing 💗

DIY V-neck T-shirt Dress

2025-06-30T23:41:00.138+08:00

Hi there, I hope you are well.

I had a leftover knit cotton fabric in a lovely printed pink and decided to make a simple summer dress with it. I was checking my summer wardrobe last month and it lacked t-shirt dresses and some summer tops. So, I started to sew this t-shirt dress and will continue following my plans.

For the pattern, I used my self-drafted t-shirt pattern and lengthened it above my knee.

And here are the pattern pieces:

- Front (on fold) 1x

- Back (on fold) 1x

- Neckband 57 cm long x 5 cm wide.

The sewing process was easy and fast. I did it in three hours.

It started with sewing the shoulder lines together and the dress sides together using my overlocker machine.

And then sewed the V-neckband piece and attached it to the neckline.

I sewed around the neckline with a sewing machine first and covered the raw edge using an overlocker machine. And top-stitched the neckline 0.25 cm using a sewing machine.

The last two steps were, sew the sleeve hem 1.5 cm and the hemline 2 cm.

I love the final result, it looks shapeless when laid on the floor.

And the dress on my dress form. It looks cute and comfy, perfect to wear in a hot and humid summer weather we are having lately.

That's it for today, I hope you enjoy reading my sewing update and see you next time.

In case you are interested in watching a video of the making of this dress, feel free to visit my YouTube channel. Link here or simply click the video below

Happy Sewing 💗

DIY Puff Sleeve Gingham Top With Ruffle Hem

2025-06-09T15:30:00.134+08:00

Happy Monday, friends.

I made a new summer top using gingham fabric and a self-drafted pattern. The top is simple, featuring puff sleeves, a round neckline, and a ruffled hem. I decided to make it to fill a gap in my summer wardrobe. The fabric is cotton, which is perfect for wearing in our humid and hot summer.

This picture was taken yesterday, and we went for a Sunday walk at the mall. I wore the top with my old and trusted denim pants.

I bought this gingham cotton fabric as a souvenir from our trip to Singapore last year and I'm happy I finally made a top with it. And I still have enough leftover to make another top.

The pattern was self-drafted and I made two tops using the same pattern before.

The front bodice with darts and the back does not have a dart for comfort.

The sewing process was fast and enjoyable. I sewed the darts on the front bodice.

And then, I clipped and sewed the zipper on the back bodice pieces.

I sewed the front and back bodices at the shoulder lines.

And I sewed the facing together and then attached and sewed to the neckline. Flipped the facing to the wrong side of the neckline.

I gathered the sleeves and bottom pieces (for the ruffled hem). And then sewed the sleeves to the armholes and sewed the bottom pieces to the front and back bodices.

I basted the facing and the neckline together by hand.

I sewed the sides after that.

I stitched the sleeve allowances and hemline 1 cm.

And the last part was hand-sewing (top-stitching) the facing to the neckline and I'm done 💗

The inner top was neat as well as the outside 😍

And here are more pictures of the top, side and back views.

In case you are interested in seeing the complete video of the making of this top, feel free to visit my YouTube channel, link here

Thank you for stopping by and happy sewing, friends 💗

DIY Front Tie Top - Sewing A Capsule Wardrobe Part 2

2025-06-05T16:02:00.207+08:00

Hi there, happy Thursday.

I'm still sewing my summer capsule wardrobe and I'm happy I finally finished the front-tie top. This top was inspired by the Ganni top. I made one before in white cotton, so the process wasn't so difficult.

This top is perfect for summer, airy and comfy. The puff sleeves, front ties and the gathered peplum made the top look nicer and sweeter 😍

I wore the top with my latest denim skirt and I think they look good together.

For the fabric, I used a linen blend in orange, leftover from my previous make.

For the pattern, I used a self-drafted pattern based on my bodice slopers. The picture below shows the bodices (front and back), facings and placket. And I measured the ties and gathered peplums directly on the fabric.

The ties, made 6 pieces, 33 cm x 4 cm.

The front peplum, made 2 pieces, 40 cm length x 19 cm width.

The back peplum, 1 piece, 75 cm length x 19 cm width.

After I cut all the pieces, I worked on the back side by gathering the peplum and attaching it to the back bodice right sides together.

I sewed the front darts after that, and then pinned and sewed the front pieces to the back piece at the shoulder lines, right sides together.

I sewed the ties and fused the fusible interfacing to the placket and the facings.

I sewed the facings together and then attached them to the neckline.

And then, pinned the ties on both sides of the right sides of the front bodices.

Pinned the placket on the left side of the front bodice on the top of the ties.

And pinned the rest of the front facing and sewed it carefully.

Here is the look of the front side.

I sewed the seam allowances on both peplum pieces and then gathered the peplums.

I pinned and sewed the gathered pieces to the front bodices right sides together.

I worked on the sleeves by gathering them. And then, pinned and sewn to the armholes.

I sewed the sleeve hem 1.5 cm and the hemline 2 cm. And I did the last part, hand-sewn the inner facing to the inner bodice for a neater look and to avoid the facing slipping out.

And here is the finishing front tie top, I love it and I'm sure I will wear this top more in summer.

In case you are interested in seeing the making of this tie top, feel free to click here to watch.

Thank you for stopping by, happy sewing and see you soon in another post 💗

DIY Denim Skirt - Sewing A Capsule Wardrobe Part 1

2025-05-13T17:16:00.000+08:00

Hi there, I made a new denim skirt using leftover fabric from my previous project. I'm glad I finished this skirt on time when the hot weather arrived.

I was planning to sew a capsule wardrobe for summer and happy that I finally started. I was confused about what I should sew first. And I saw a leftover denim fabric, so I decided to make a skirt first.

My capsule wardrobe will be something simple to wear daily. I will make skirts, tops, and pants. And I will use the stashed fabrics first, we will see...

For the skirt pattern, I used Burdastyle zippered front midi skirt pattern 12/2019 size 40.

I shortened the length above my knee by 12 cm, shortened the pocket length by 7 cm, and changed the zipper to the center back.

I also added 1.5 cm at the sides, according to my waistline.

The sewing process started with the back skirt. I sewed the darts.

I sewed the pocket pieces, pinned the pockets to the front skirt, and sewed them.

Pinned and sewed the front and back skirt together.

I sewed the center back together and then laid the zipper on it. Pinned and sewn using a zipper foot on the right side.

After that, I attached the waistband to the waistline, pinned and sewed it.

I folded the waistband's allowance inside, pinned, and stitched it.

I hand-sewed the snap buttons in both ends of the waistband.

The last step was sewing the hemline 2 cm.

In case you are interested in seeing the complete making of video, here is a link to my YouTube channel Denim Skirt, Sewing A Capsule Wardrobe Part 1

And here are the pictures of the finished skirt and I wore it with a square neck refashioned floral top.

Thank you for stopping by and hope to see you again soon with the continuation of a capsule wardrobe series. Happy sewing 💗

DIY Puff Sleeve Dress With Front Tie And Ruffle Hem

2025-05-06T16:36:00.002+08:00

Hi, as promised in my previous post, here are the details of the puff sleeve dress I made last month. The dress has a round neckline with slit and ties, puff sleeves, front darts and ruffle hem. A comfy and cute dress, perfect for summer.

I wore this dress during my trip to Bangkok and it was so comfy and airy, perfect for a hot day.

I used printed rayon fabric in a mix of maroon and orange. This fabric was a souvenir from my trip to Singapore at the end of last year.

This dress is the second version of my self-drafted pattern, the first version was in cotton fabric with tiny green flowers, link here in case you are interested in seeing more. And I added a ruffled hem this time.

Pattern pieces:

Front 1x on the fold with darts

Back 2x dartless

Front and back facing

Sleeve 2x

Tie 2x, 5 cm wide, 44 cm long

Ruffle hem 2x, 25 cm wide, 87 cm long.

The sewing process started with sewing the darts and then the ties, as shown below.

I gathered the sleeves and then attached them to the armholes.

And then, I pinned and sewed the zipper at the center back.

After that, I fused the fusible interfacing to the facings and sewed them together. And then, pinned and sewed the facing to the neckline, clipped the curved area.

To make the front slit, I cut the middle facing at the center back and pinned.

I inserted the ties between the neckline and facing, sewed and turned the facing to the inner dress.

I basted the facing and top-stitched the wrong side by hand.

Removed the basting after that.

I gathered the bottom pieces to make a ruffled hemline, pinned and sewed them to the dress right sides together.

I sewed the dress sides, sewed the sleeves and hemline 2 cm using a blind hem stitch.

The dress is finished and in case you are interested in seeing the details, feel free to watch the video on my YouTube channel. link here

And here are more pictures of the finished dress, front, side and back views.

And a closer look at the hand sewing on the facing.

Also, I wore this dress yesterday and it was Me Made May 2025 day 5. I was strolling around the Venetian Macau with my family, and enjoyed a long weekend.

Are you participating in MMMay2025?

I'm documenting my daily me-made wardrobe on Instagram.

Until next...

Thank you for reading and happy sewing 💗

DIY Swimsuit Cover-up (Refashion)

2025-04-27T16:16:00.181+08:00

Hi there, I refashioned my old rtw bathing cover-up into a cuter swimsuit cover-up and I love the final result. The idea came out on the day I was packing my suitcase, I saw a piece of fabric (rtw bathing cover-up I bought in Bali two years ago) and I told myself I should refashion it into a dress, something loose and fast to sew.

I hurried up and started to sew because the flight will be in the next day and I was glad that I managed to finish it on time. I didn't know why, but I always sew something in the last minute instead of making a proper plan 😄

The sewing process started by folding the fabric and then folding it one more time.

After that, I followed the measurements below and cut the fabric.

Here is the look of my fabric after I cut the neckline and for the neckband, I cut the leftover fabric 5 cm wide, I used all the length left from the fabric and trimmed the excess.

I sewed the ends of the neckband together and then pinned the neckband and neckline right sides together.

And sewed it.

After that, I folded the neckband to the inner neckline, pinned and sewed it.

After I did the neckline, I measured 28 cm for the armhole and then measured 33 cm from CF to the side for the bodice.

After that, I measured the sides from below the armhole to the hem 42 cm. And stitched it.

The swimsuit cover-up is done, easy and fast to make 😍 In case you are interested in seeing the detail of the process, feel free to head over to my YouTube channel, link here

Or click the video below,

And here is the look of the sleeve, roomy and cozy.

The shape is just like a rectangle with a hole as the neckline.

And here are more pictures of the front, side and back.

Our trip to Bangkok was good and we had a lovely time, relaxing and recharging. As usual, we enjoyed miles of walks and exploring the city. Also, enjoyed delicious food.

Thank you for reading and see you soon in another post. I made a new dress to wear on the trip and it's comfy and girly 😍

Happy weekend and happy sewing 💗

Simple Everyday Blouse

2025-04-07T23:29:00.221+08:00

Hi there, I'm happy I finally finished this orange blouse I started in February. The blouse has a round neckline, long sleeves finished with elastic and for the button-down style, I used hook and eye closures instead of buttons. I hope the closures will not come out while wearing. And for my safety, I will wear an undershirt 😊

For the pattern, I used Burdastyle 12/2019 size 38. The original blouse has ruffles at the plackets and neckline. I omitted the ruffles and drafted the neckline facings.

But in the end, I had a little problem, the back side with the gathers was too bulky because of the thick fabric, so I had to remove the gathers and make the back flat.

Here is my fabric (medium weight crepe blend in orange) after cutting,

I sewed the darts, fused the plackets with fusible interfacing and folded them.

I gathered the back piece and sewed both pieces together. After that, I sewed the front and back pieces together.

I pinned the sleeves to the armhole and stitched. I did on both sides.

I sewed the neckline facing front and back together and pinned it to the neckline right sides together.

Sewed along and clipped the curved area.

Turned the facing to the inner blouse and basted.

I sewed the rest and found out the back side was too bulky because of the gathers, the fabric was too thick and I had to remove it.

After I removed the gathers, I connected the back side together, stitched it and stitched back with the upper back piece. I liked it and looked better without gathers.

I stitched the sleeve hems and inserted the elastic on both sides.

Hand-sewed the hook and eye closures to the plackets.

And the blouse is finished.

You can see the inner backside and the hook and eye closures.

And more pictures of the finished blouse.

And I wore it with dark blue self-drafted pants, I don't think the colours match well, but I will make black pants to wear with this blouse when I have free time.

Also, I posted the progress on making this blouse on my YouTube channel, feel free to pop over in case you are interested in watching. link here

Happy sewing 💗

DIY Make-Up Zipper Pouch

2025-03-03T15:58:00.001+08:00

I made an easy make-up zipper pouch using leftover fabrics and was happy with the result. The final size was 26 cm x 12 cm. It's lovely, fluffy, useful and big enough to store all my makeup and skincare products.

Materials for the pouch:

- Main fabric, lining and polyester batting, 40 cm x 50 cm.

- Fabric tags (2x), 9 cm x 10 cm.

- Bias tape band, 6 cm wide.

- Zipper

The sewing process started with topstitching (quilt style) the main fabric and polyester batting together.

After that, I sewed the zipper at the main fabric (both sides).

I attached and sewed the lining to the main fabric, right sides together.

And then, topstitched both sides of the zipper. And cut the excess zipper.

I sewed the tags and inserted them in both sides of the end of the zipper and sewed along the lines.

I sewed the bias tape bands on both sides.

And cut the corners in square shape 4 cm x 4 cm (not including seam allowance).

I connected the squares together and sewed them.

I sewed the bias tape bands. I loved this method; it made the inner pouch neat and clean.

Here is the result. The inner pouch looks pretty as well as the outside pouch 💗

I turned the pouch inside out.

Here are more pictures of the finished pouch. And I'm thinking of making more to give to friends. I have a lot of leftover fabrics waiting for me to sew 😍

Here is a link to my YouTube channel if you are interested in watching the video DIY Make-up Zipper Pouch

Happy Sewing 💗💗