Hello Hive!

Hope you all are having a good week going, if not, don't worry, all will be well. Get busy with things that make you happy, only then will you realize that the power of your emotions lies within your hands.

Well, my week started in a not so good mode as I had to battle with stomach ache all through Monday, probably from indigestion, I'm not so sure as I didn't have the opportunity to visit the health center around me, as they were also closed for the public holiday that same day, thankfully, my mum was back from travels, so she prepared a medicinal soup that was not only tasty but helped healed my cramps gradually, I was a total weak wreck and couldn't get my hands to do anything that day which also got me worried because I had a surprise dress to meet up with before today.

I'm happy for the healing and also the help I received from my mum, by Tuesday, I was strong and full of energy with the cramps completely gone. So I decided to work on the project at hand which is a surprise birthday dress for a cousin of mine who clocks 30 today, we were born in the same year, apparently, she is older than me by months as I am a Sagittarius, and still have few months ahead before mine, she is more than a cousin to me, always ready to show up at my calling, when though she plays the senior card always which I don't like submitting to, lol, it'd just our way of having fun.

I remember growing up how we would always consider ourselves to be twin, as her mum who is my dad's younger sister is also close to my mum, so they would often like to get us same design of dress since we wear the same size, especially during Christmas period, they taught us how to have that genuine family love and also to always be there for each other in good and bad times, and that's what has strengthen our relationship for three decades now and still counting, so help me wish my twinny a Happy birthday today.

Without further ado, let's get right into the making process.

Starting with this vibrant colour ankara fabric I got for her, I've been making her dress right from when I started learning the art of dressmaking to know what she likes, just like me, any dress with a dramatic sleeve is her favorite.

Other Materials used are

Matching Threads
Zipper
Lining fabric

• First, I started the upper part of the dress using an off-shoulder bustier pattern,

• I also drafted and cut out the upper back pattern

• joining the upper front, look how contoured the bust area looks, I made sure to turn the neckline area and sides with its lining fabric and repeated the same process at the back.

• The lower part of this dress was achieved using a straight skirt pattern

• I joined to the upper part and also added a zipper to the back
  

• By the time I got to the sleeves part it was already dark, but I had to continue to meet up, so please pardon the low light, I drafted an off the shoulder sleeve pattern and four layers of flares in different length, which I sewed on the off the shoulder sleeves before sewing them round the dress armhole.

Here is the beautiful finished look, beautiful isn't it?

Let me use this medium to wish my pretty cousin a happy birthday with many more great years ahead in good health.

All images used in this post are mine.

Thank you for reading.❤❤