GIVEAWAY! She wears the pants!

I have a real treat for you today. Tuttle publishing contacted me recently to see if I'd like to review the recently published in English, 'She wears the Pants'. Now this is a no brainer. I have had, for a few years now, the Japanese language version, 'She has a mannish style'. This book remains my number one favourite of all my Japanese pattern books.

I have made the Velour Blouse, the Square Top, the Draped Cardigan and the Draped Mini dress (twice) from this book. Clearly, this is the most patterns used from any of my Japanese Pattern books.

  

In my opinion what sets this book apart from the others, is the edgier styling and the move away from the cute and whimsical feel usually seen in Japanese books. It's a little bit rock, a little bit moodier. The quote from the front contents page says it all:

“Sometimes you want to dress cool and boyish, in special, unique pieces that are only for you…”

I think there is something in here for everyone. There are some complicated pieces, such as jackets and pants, but also some very straightforward pieces (particularly the drape dress that can be made in a matter of hours).  The book comes with full size nested pattern pieces which slip nicely into an envelope at the back of the book.

Gathered Blouse is likely to be my next make from this book given my latest obsession with the dropped sleeve!

I haven't made anything yet using the English instructions, so I can't vouch for how accurate / easy they are to follow, but given they are in English, I know this will take the guess work out of most of the construction for those who usually guess at how to make garments from the Japanese.

Japanese Sewing Books has also written a comprehensive review of this book, which I highly recommend.

Now, the best part, I have two books to give away. To anywhere in the world!  All you need to do is leave a comment and I'll draw two random winners on Monday 30 March 2015!

FINISHED! Pollock Peplum

Part of the Charlie Hebo public memorial in Place Kleber, Strasbourg

We are back home from 6 weeks holiday! Back to school and work on Tuesday, so I am profiting from the last few days off to get to know my new sewing machine, my birthday present from last November (yes such a long wait to get to use it) and to sew up some holiday fabric. Predominately the holiday was to visit family but for those of you who follow me on instagram will know that I also managed to squeeze in two fantastic days with sewing friends. Meeting up with sewing friends who I've met through the online community is really like meeting up with old friends. It just comes so naturally. These days were absolute highlights of my trip especially as they occurred after Charlie Hebdo, a time when I really needed a bit of distraction from the profound sadness.

I'll talk about my  sewing day in Paris in another post, but this make is from fabric I bought in Strasbourg, where I spent most of the holiday. Here, I met up with Christine for a day of chatting, fabric, lunch and shopping.  We were also going to meet up with Connie, who sadly couldn't make it at the last minute.  Next time! And in fact Christine has sent me a list of amazing places to go to in the extended area so now I can't wait to go to Strasboug again next year and meet up with Christine and Connie! In Strasbourg centre ville there isn't really many places to fabric shop, but there is La Droguerie, where I bought two pieces,  This make uses a liberty-esqe lawn called Pollock Flamboyant Ambiance. an abstract splatter paint design.  I bought matching binding (genius!).

I'm always nervous about sewing up holiday fabric. It always seems so much more special, but I was impatient to sew and try my new machine and this was the 'easiest' piece of fabric that I bought. I was going to sew another Marthe, but there has been a lot of talk on instagram on the Japanese Sewalong so I thought I would have a look at my Japanese pattern books.

Last year when I was in Sydney for Frocktails, Lizzy  bought  Clean and Simple and I immediately fell in love with the jumpsuit in it.  I didn't have time to go to the book shop in Sydney and pick up a copy but immediately rang the bookstore on arriving back in Canberra and bought it over the phone. I am still super keen to sew up the jumpsuit, especially after meeting Christine, who is absolutely the jumpsuit queen, (making 11 in the last 18 months!), but I was looking for something simple and quick, so after much deliberation settled on the peplum blouse on the cover.  My love for the peplum is well documented and I have been itching to sew a higher necked top for ages,

During the making of this blouse, I fluctuated between loving it and hating it. The peplum is unusual and sits lower than I would normally like to wear it (being on a trend lately of moving peplums higher and higher) and it is elastic waisted. I find I have to be a bit vigilant with the elastic as it can cause the 'ruffles' to be a bit uneven. I love Japanese patterns as they are drafted for my height 160cm (well I'm a few centimetres shorter but when you round..), but I added a couple of centimetres to the 'skirt' to give me some flexibility. I should have added a bit more as I felt the balance would be out if I did a bigger hem and so only managed a very small hem (overlocked and then turned up 1/2 cm).

The blouse has dropped shoulders, which I love and as a result I kept the elastic loose in the peplum as it looked like that was how it should be in the cover photo and I like how this lets the blouse hang. The sleeves are quite puffy and have elastic in the wrist. I took 3cms off the length of the sleeves to assist with balance.  I always like to show the wrist bone when there is elastic in the wrist! :) I might consider reducing the puffiness of the sleeve next time.

There are no darts to sew and the neck is finished with binding and the back is closed with a button - which is self covered as I amazingly didn't have anything that I really liked in my stash.

So my verdict on the blouse. I like it. Ok, it's not exactly a woo hoo make, but I do like the quirkiness of the design and I really like wearing it and can imagine wearing it at different times. I've worn it here very casually but it will also look ok with skinny leg jeans or for work. I wore it yesterday to meet up with sewing friends and there wasn't much love for it there, but I know this isn't a blouse for everyone and in reality I couldn't see any of my friends wearing it so I wasn't offended. So maybe that's why I like it, in fact, that might make me like it more! So that's the first make of 2015 done!

FINISHED! A Liberty Atrium Nightdress

I made a few things for our trip overseas, this dress and this hoody which have both been seeing quite a bit of wear, but always after 4 weeks into being away, the clothes I take start to feel pretty tired and you long for something that isn't on high rotation. Not so, my third make which is just a simple nightdress I made using Liberty of London Atrium.  I bought this fabric from Shaukat early last year and not really knowing what the colour-ways would look like in real life I ended up buying two colour-ways (!). The other colour-way, is a real favourite which I made up into a Kanerva , but this one is just too pale for me to make up into day wear, so just days before we left I whipped up this simple nightdress.

The pattern is from a Japanese Pattern book that I've had for a while and I used the 'Lesson 1' pattern. I have made this pattern up before as a top.  It's an interesting design feature because the pintucks just 'flap about'. But I like it.

There really isn't much else to say is there. The pattern is perfect as a nightdress and it goes great with my lounging Liberty Kimono!  The total Liberty lounging (sleeping) ensemble.

Drape Drape 2

Drape Drape 2 isn't a new book but I had completely forgotten about it until recently when Ginger makes had a competition to win it.  As soon as I saw some of the patterns I really wanted it, but alas I didn't win...I have Drape Drape 1 which I made only one dress out of, but this one seems to have a lot more patterns that interest me - maybe also the fact that it is in English.  So, when I saw it at the Portrait Gallery Store yesterday (this is conveniently across the road from where I work), and in English (!!)  I knew I had to have it.  I made the excuse of an early birthday present to myself. As if I needed an excuse!

I had only planned to make 3 things* during 'It's all about me November' but now I feel compelled to make a yellow skirt using McCalls 5591 to go with my new shoes (I've changed my mind on the culottes) and now something/s from this book.  I'll be pushing it as there aren't that many days left in November, but I am really taken by some of these patterns.  In particular, I think this dress is super cool for Summer (and I think the stripey fabric my sister gave me here would work perfectly - so that could be a goer).

I love this tshirt and skirt below as well. 

How cool is the tshirt pattern.  I really love interesting pattern pieces like that.

I will have to choose soon - can't make them all by the end of November.

*The wiksten tank is cut out - just need to sew it now.  Oliver has 2 friends coming over today so hopefully they will busy themselves and I will be able to sneak in some sewing. Oh, and we are off to a party tonight so I'll be wearing my drape tree dress for the first time. Hopefully I'll be able to get some photos. 

FINISHED! pink bolero drape cardigan

With the dark pink Jersey I bought yesterday I made myself, in no time flat, a little bolero / drape cardigan.  Influenced heavily by the drape cardigan I did here (and have since worn heaps and heaps of times) I wanted one similiar but didn't want it so long and drapey at the back.  In fact, I was never going to be able to make it as I only bought 1 metre of the dark pink jersey... so.. I pulled out the Japanese Pattern Book: Clever and Unique Clothes My Style, which I was supposed to have sent to my sister last Monday (sorry J!) and used view H as a basis.  H is made from woven material so I improvised a bit and used the same technique as the drape cardigan to attach a binding piece all around.  It kind of worked.  With a binding piece on the sleeves as well.

The sewing on the back is a bit messy as I first had the V going the wrong way but I'm not too worried about it and the curve which I made at the front seems to have worked ok.... and because I used interfacing I was able to put some buttons on 'a la the original drape cardigan'. Who would have thought a month ago I'd be applying buttons where they don't need to go!
I'm all 'buttoned up' in the photos but obviously I'll be able to button it anywhich way you like!

Buttoned lower makes it longer at the back!  Ta da!

a quick birthday present

We work with this gorgeous girl who is having a birthday next week and one my colleagues said that she thinks she hangs around with really intelligent people (she probably didn't mean her work mates) and that she wishes she sometimes had more  intelligent things to say.  I find this hard to believe - but anyway, it was decided that as part of her present we (meaning me) would make a little cloth book and then we'd collect little facts that she would have readily available to impress even the biggest geek!

So, I remembered I had this cute little japanese pattern book at home with a pattern for a book cover in it and got to work deciphering the pictures and Japanese instructions. 

Her favourite colour is blue, so I tried to use blue where I could and I managed to use up a few Liberty scraps in the process.

The finished product is small - the perfect size for a credit card. It's a bit wonky (obviously), so don't look too closely at the lines, but I think this has great potential.  The instructions were in Japanese so now I've done it once I think I can improve my construction... and if I can work this out, it might just replace the tissue holder as my new go to for the end of year 'teacher Christmas presents'.

The cord skirt

After spending the first two days of the long weekend on smaller projects, I decided it was time to connect with the cord skirt that has been sitting in the pile for quite some time.
Monday of a long weekend and everything was perfect for sewing.  It had become progressively overcast and cold - and Oliver was on a play date and Elliot had a cough that just won't stop so he was relaxing on the couch.  So I had a few free hours up my sleeve.
The pattern is E from 'My Favourite Handmade Style' and I'm pretty happy with the skirt overall.  It is a bit big which is why the buttons aren't sitting exactly right AND my machine decided that it didn't know how to do button holes so I had to do them a really dodgey way. Nevertheless I was excited with the finished product to do a little photo shoot, complete with cord hat. You can tell Ben isn't that enthusiastic..I mean if he was a real photographer he would have removed the blue ball from the background!!
BTW, the shoes Ralph Lauren and I haven't really had anything to wear them with but I will definitely be wearing this to work tomorrow, although perhaps with some better matching stockings!
This morning I also quickly knocked up a little tissue holder made out of Liberty scraps for a friend at work who is off on holidays on Thursday.  

31 May 2012 - the final day

The last day of MMM12! The community of MMM12ers decided that as a thank you gesture to Zoe, we would have photo with "thank you" and also if possible, wear something a bit Zoe-esque.  I'm wearing my dancing ladies shirt from 7 May so it isn't really Zoe-esque.  I did have plans though as I too love 'the nautical' and a long time ago I purchased some pretty poor quality stretch that had anchors on it and did a few things with it for the boys.  I remembered it the other day and thought it might be good to see if I could make something out of it for today. There hasn't been much time for sewing this week but on Tuesday night (late, very late) I got out the material and drafted up a super quick pattern and sewed away.  It was pretty good although the side seams were making holes in the fabric -from a blunt needle maybe or poorly aligned fabric -but I  reinforced those seams and they were fine.  Unfortunately, the bigger problem that I noticed as the clock ticked past midnight, was the extremely uneven hem.  At first I thought I wouldn't worry and leave it uneven, but I remembered that I had a tiny bit of fabric that I might be able to put around the bottom to 'fix it'.  Anyway, I started attempting to fix the hem at 10.30 last night and needless to say the top is in no state to wear today - in fact it is in the bin.  I was happy with how the pattern worked out though so will try it again at some other time.  But not with panic sewing.

So no Zoe-esque homage, rather dancing ladies shirt returns but with my shorts.

Another thing we have to do is write a thank you to Zoe, so here's mine:

THANK YOU ZOE for organising and to all the other MMMers who made this such a fun challenge. I'm glad I challenged myself to not repeat an outfit, it was hard passing up my favourite items, but it was nice to get out some of the 'back of the cupboard' clothes. Starting up the blog also meant that I have now documented just about all my handmade clothes.  I've also stopped lurking so much on blogs and started commenting (as I realised just how fun it was to receive feedback).. and MMM12 introduced me to a number of new blogs that I now follow, inspired me to make a number of new things during the month (granted I'd classify them as 'panic sewing') and added more and more to a big list of patterns I want to try from others!  Phew, what a month!

23 May 2012 - peacock mini

I took this picture to show off my new earrings that I got for mothers day..

Tonight, we are going out to dinner. For steak. We really love the Charcoal restaurant in Civic but haven't been there for ages, so Ben and I are taking my mum out - for a belated Mother's Day and Ben is also determined that he must have a good steak before he goes in for his operation on Monday.  So the Charcoal it is. The surgeon made some stupid joke about not eating a steak too close to the operation otherwise he might mistake a piece of steak for the tumor.  Ha ha ha ha. I hope we'll be giving the steak enough time to digest!
The dress I'm wearing is an adaptation of my favourite pattern W from Les Couleurs Francaises, but lengthened into a mini.  I made this super quickly at the last minute last year for my birthday after realising I'd just spent 5 weeks leading up to my birthday in France without buying anything to wear for my party.  Now that was very bad planning. I do like the dress however and it's nice to bring it out for dinner tonight.

22 May 2012 - first liberty goodbye

I'm still home today with Oliver, and now Elliot has joined us with a cold.. no spots yet.  Of course both boys should be lying in bed but instead are messing around for now in the playroom...
So, for being at home, I'm wearing the first ever Liberty of London top I made, in 2010 I think.  The material is from Tessuti and the pattern is A2 from Happy Homemade vol 3. To be honest this top is really badly made.  Really really badly made.  I wore it a bit when I first made it (because back then I was pretty proud of it), but I certainly haven't worn it in ages.  The sleeves jut out like crazy, although I pretend that this is a design feature; but the badly assembled neck could never be passed off as anything but sloppy.  This morning I was thinking of getting out the scissors and putting an end to this top and recycling the material.  Now that it's on, I'm ever so slightly more forgiving, but it's end is certainly nigh and this will most likely be it's last official outing.

19 May 2012 - fish dress

Today I am wearing a cute little dress I made in September 2010.  The material is Liberty of London Akinobu from Tessuti and the pattern is loosely based on Y from Les Couleurs Francaise, but I added a double peter pan collar after falling in love with a See by Chloe dress that had an enormous double collar like this.  At the time I had Polly help me with this and we didn't exactly match up the collar properly so it doubles over at the back - which I think is actually a nice design feature! I am extremely happy with how we matched the pattern up on the collar! Other changes I made was a tie at the back so it comes in a little and also some very useful pockets!  Hooray for pockets.  The first time I wore this dress was for a beautiful friend's birthday - though with different shoes and tights.

Today I have an afternoon at the theatre - well I'm off to Sesame Street presents Elmo's World Tour!  so thought I might dress up a bit rather than wearing jeans!! 

marc for marc jacobs 

Photo taken back in 2010