I made my sister a stylish two-piece outfit to celebrate her graduation

Hello Hive!, special greeting to my fellow needleworkers as well

There is an immense joy that comes with seeing a loved one achieve a hard-earned milestone and step into the next exciting phase of their journey in life. For me, that incredible sense of pride will be felt in just a few short weeks as I watch my youngest sister walk across the stage to receive her college diploma.

I have had the amazing privilege of being an integral part of her life from the very start, present on the day my mom brought her home as a newborn baby from the hospital. Over the years, I have witnessed her blossom into the strong, determined, nurturing young woman she is today. Though the baby of our family, she has long exhibited a maturity beyond her years in her steadfast resilience and caring nature towards others.

It's no surprise that my own children regard her as their absolute favorite aunt. She has a natural maternal instinct and way of connecting with kids through patience, playfulness, and empathy. I see so much of myself in my sister's compassionate spirit yet she surpasses me in personal ambition. Her resilence inspires me daily.

Which made the difficult journey to this graduation day that much more admirable. After finishing high school, gaining admission into the specific university program for her dream career of being a world-traveling chef and food/hospitality expert proved extremely challenging with constant roadblocks and rejection. Lesser individuals may have surrendered to the setbacks and settled. But my sister's perseverance outlasted every closed door.

I remember so vividly her scream of joy and tears of joy when she finally received that long-awaited acceptance letter to study Tourism and Hospitality Management at her chosen school. All the sacrifices, heartbreaks and determined persisting finally crystalized into her first step towards designing her desired life's path. In a few weeks, that journey reaches its milestone with diploma in hand.

And none other than myself was given the honor of making her outfit for the occasion, she wanted something simple yet sophisticated in white colour which is also her favourite colour, making an outfit to celebrate one's achievement, or happy moment is a project I'm so happy to jump on no matter how tight my schedule is, happy moments energizes me the most. She envisioned an all-white kimono set with wide-leg palazzo pants as the perfect embodiment of her distinctive personal style.

So I got three yards of white dutchess fabric, which I used in making her kimono shirt and palazzo pants, a simple, yet sophisticated outfit, especially when paired with the right accessories

Cutting and sewing process

I started by drafting the shirt pattern, which is cut together with the sleeves for both front and back,

The back has one piece while the front has two pieces and an extra lapel at the front for the button and buttonhole.

Next, I cut out the bishop collar pattern, joined all, and sewed others around the neckline.

Finally, for the shirt, I joined the sides, made buttonholes, and sewed in the buttons

For the palazzo, I cut out the trouser pattern with wide legs fir both front and back, joined them by the crotch and sides, also hemming it neatly and attached a zipper at the back.

With each stitch, I stitched love for my sister's tenacity into the piece, channeling the pride over how far she has blossomed despite all obstacles. No celebration could be grander than seeing my baby sister grow into the woman who refused to abandon her dreams. Her diploma won't just be a piece of paper, but a culmination of sacrifices, struggles, and sheer perseverance to control the narrative of her own destiny against all odds.

So join me in wishing my baby sister a happy convocation in advance.I cannot wait to witness the day, Congratulations, my dear sister. Your triumphs are just beginning!

_{All images used in this post are mine.}