It's a kimono.

With a different take.

It's an adaptation of a kimono worn under a kappogi. This is how Ms. Hiroko wears it:

Photo via here

And this is how the model with the adapted top:

The back of the collar stays true to the traditional kimono collar

Kimono and kappogi in one layer

nooy S/S '09 collection
photos via www.nooy.jp

Is it or is it not Liberty?

So. I didn't make that dress.

Instead, I made a blouse that only took up 1 yard of my (precious) Liberty. The pattern instruction stated that the material needed is 1 m 50 cm. Well, I spent some time arranging my pattern pieces in the most frugal manner. It paid, because now I'm left with 1 meter leftover to make something else with.

(to give an idea of) the fit

The length of the blouse hits about 3 cm below my natural waist. It's a little, 1 meter top that features fluttered sleeved and twisted bias tape neckline . The neckline is all hand-sewn. I finished the top in about 3 or 4 days. I worked slowly, trying it on quite frequently to check the fit and especially the sleeves. It really winged out at first--which I don't like.

(hopefully) up-close

The original pattern actually requires for a seemingly heavier weight fabric. The sleeves and neckline are not supposed to be iron-pressed to give a bouffant look. I didn't press the neckline, however, I may have had accidentally pressed the edge of the sleeves. I don't have a ham so it was difficult to press the shoulder seams flat to prevent the sleeves from winging out without touching the edge of the sleeves.

As for the title, I showed a friend this creation who was so curious to see what I came up with my first and exhilarated Liberty. Her first reaction was: "This is not a Liberty... Liberty doesn't touch and feel like this."

Erin from A Dress A Day once posted here her uncertainty about the "printed in Japan" selvage of Liberty fabric she found in Nippori, Tokyo. I have browsed the Internet about this matter as well but remain unsure about the status of my fabric. I bought it cheap though. Hmm...

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Pattern: Happy Homemade vol. 3
Fabric: 100% light weight cotton
Notion: thread #60 and needle #11

Chocolate pudding gone wrong

I used to think that anything you make with chocolate can't go wrong, until I tried out this Best Chocolate Pudding. Originally I intended to use up leftover gelatine to make something similar to Indonesian puding that uses agar.

I knew that pudding and puding are not the same thing but when I looked at those ramekins filled up with that dark gooey chocolate substance, I could not resist the temptation. I had all the ingredients on hand--they were not many, read the instruction--quick and easy, and convinced myself for the last time reading the comments that follow the recipe. At 10.30 pm we went to bed hoping for nice chocolate pudding to gobble after brunch (it was weekend).

In the morning...

It was gooey--exactly which the author raves about--and was not anything that we had expected. It had cornstarch in it and I could still taste it. The next day the upper layer formed a skin to the rich chocolate liquid underneath. The next two days, my husband and I believed that it was chocolate ice cream. It had the kind of consistency of ice cream that you move from freezer and leave in the fridge for an hour.

I'm not sure how to rate this recipe but I'm sure not making this again.