Hello, dear needleworkmonday creatives.

Feels good to make it here today, for more than a week until yesterday I wasn't able to get involved in any sewing project because of my exams at school, to make it worse, I also fell ill and am still in a state of recovery. That one week felt like I had left a huge part of me, I even missed out on posting on this week's needleworkMonday, so I was happy when an opportunity I couldn't say no to presented itself yesterday as it was also a public holiday in my country, our democracy day.

I had a friend visit as it's been a while since we saw each other due to our busy schedule at work, though we talk on the phone regularly, the last time she called, she sounded very excited on the phone saying she had a good news to tell me, so trust me to be very curious to know what she had to say, and I couldn't wait for the holiday to come.

Finally, it did, and I was very happy to know that my friend is now an expectant mum, as this is what we have been praying for together, she has been trying to conceive fir three years now, and in our part of the world it is a big deal after marriage, I would always encourage her that God time is the best and indeed it is, the more surprising part is that she only got to know now and she is already three months gone and about to enter her second trimester,

thankfully the doctor confirmed the fetus is healthy and active, though she is yet to have an obvious bump, from experience, I already see her tummy taking that round shape and I'm sure she doesn't have long before showing, so it's urgent she has a change of wardrobe to more comfortable maternity stylish outfits in preparation for our Rainbow baby, and who else to take on that role if not the unbecoming godmother, and that's me😀

In my excitement, even though I was down before her arrival, I found a new energy receiving such good news and got to work making her this beautiful shift dress, it's a free fitted kimono gown, as I already had this fabric and wasn't sure in the past what to put it to use for, I guess it found the right use this time.

Cutting and Sewing Process

• I started by drafting and cutting out the front and back pattern of the dress, the sleeves are cut alongside the body, that's why it's called a Kimono shift dress.

Here is the back

• Next, I cut out the neck line facing, both for the front and back as well, the front neckline is V-shaped while the back is rounded.

• The facing is used to finish the raw edges of the neckline neatly, then turn over to the inside.

• Then I cut out these four stripes, which I used as a turn-up sleeve, here is how it looks joining each to each sleeve.

• Finally, I joined the front and back pattern of the dress, first by the shoulders, and next by the sides, also hemming the dress neatly.

Here is the final look, pretty, isn't it? It is easy to make and less time-consuming, I spent less than 2 hours making this dress, and my friend thought I performed magic, lol she was happy for her first gift of a maternity dress, as we arranged to make more beautiful dresses for her as we go through the beautiful stage of pregnancy preparing for the birth of our rainbow baby.

All images used in this post are mine.

Thank you for reading.❤❤