Ok, so I'm late jumping on the Tiki train, but now I'm well and truly hooked with the whole Tiki thing!
So glamorous and fun, Tiki prints instantly brighten up the gloomiest day!
Tiki prints are all over the repro vintage scene right now, but naturally I wanted to try my hand at sewing something up.
The fabric is the most important part and I couldn't find anything that I liked here in the UK, so I looked further afield and I found this fabric all the way in Hawaii, online of course from HawaiianFabricNBYond on Etsy.
I am so happy with the fabric that the shipping and customs charges were well worth it.
I am so happy with the fabric that the shipping and customs charges were well worth it.
It is a little more racy than anticipated, I admit, but I don't really have anything racey in my wardrobe, so it would seem I filled a gap I was unaware of.
This dress is probably the most complicated garment I have made for myself so far.
There is a lot of internal work going on that you can't see, to keep that bodice supported.
Don't skip the support! Support is very important!
This dress is probably the most complicated garment I have made for myself so far.
There is a lot of internal work going on that you can't see, to keep that bodice supported.
Don't skip the support! Support is very important!
The faux sarong of the dress is very pretty. Difficult to see in the pictures due to the print, but it looks very cool in person. And it does give good tummy coverage too, so good for stuffing oneself.
The skirt portion was super easy to make and the effect is superb!
The skirt portion was super easy to make and the effect is superb!
Dress- Me made from Burda Pattern 5/2011 #122
Shoes- Monsoon, very, very old
Bag- Vintage from Goodwood Car show 2015
Hair Flower- LadyLucksBoutiqueUK
Bamboo Bangle- LadyLucksBoutiqueUK
The bodice is where the hard work lies! Particularly the tiny cups which naturally I had to make bigger than the pattern accommodated for.
It went pretty well, took a couple of tries I admit, but I got there.
This was the trickiest part of the whole project as I'm usually a 'jump right in and hope for the best' kind of girl, so I couldn't approach this project with my usual attitude.
The cups did require some serious hand stitching, but I wanted to do everything properly and make sure that the bodice had amazing structure!
Fact about me- I love hand stitching!!! Yay! If only I loved cleaning, Booo!!!
My first time working with boning, and the end result is really worth the effort!
I used pre cut spiral steel boning so I didn't need to faff with cutting metal, and sewed in pre made boning casings that are the right width to hold my boning in place.
Thumbs up for those nifty time savers!
The final result is just as pretty on the inside as the outside.
That has never been the case with my projects before and I am mighty proud!
My first lapped zip, which was way easier to sew than I anticipated. And I added a zip guard, just because it looks super professional!
It's all in the details!!
I am so happy wih these pictures! This dress came out better than I had dared to hope!
These pictures were taken in the greenhouse in Kew Gardens, which holds such good memories for me. The smell alone brings back such happy feelings from when I was a child with my Grandad, in Kew Gardens, eating Ploughmans sandwiches melted from the heat in the car.
It is always nice to go back to a special place!
X O X O
Christina