Freedom, Sweet Freedom!

Whew, I made it - just barely. I am officially off for summer vacation for the next 9.5 weeks. This was a very tough year, so I really need this break to decompress.

Things are looking up though.

Firstly, my hip/back is once again in perfect working order - so I can get back to doing stupid things like lifting objects that are much too heavy for me :) Thank you to everyone that offered advice and words of sympathy - they were much appreciated.

Secondly, I am now the proud owner of even more super delicious Japanese pattern books. I think I may have stumbled upon a new addiction (at this point it is yet undetermined where this addiction ranks among all my other addictions, like fabric, vintage patterns, shoes, chocolate and bag piping - okay, maybe not the last one). Here are my new lovelies - behold the splendour:

Sewing Lesson by Machiko Kayaki















Skirt a la carte by Machiko Kayaki















Utsukushi Silhouette no Skirt Angkor Shitakunaru My's Size no Kawaii Smart Style 27 by Watanabe Sato
Okay, this last one doesn't have a shred of English on the cover, so I cut and pasted the title given on the yesasia.com site (the retailer from whom I purchased the books). I have no idea what on Earth that title is supposed to mean. Honestly though I don't care, because inside this book are the most lovely skirts and that's all I need to know.










These books are like the other books I have purchased recently. They all come with full sized pattern sheets that must be traced because there are several pattern pieces, in several sizes on each sheet (think BWOF). After browsing through the newest acquisitions, I have a million ideas buzzing through my brain. Now, it's just a matter of listening for which one buzzes the loudest to determine what's up next on the sewing docket.

Japanamania

I loved the first Japanese pattern book that I got so much, that I bought a few others. Following Angie's advice, I checked out yesasia.com and before you could say "smokin' credit card", I had put three books in my cart. My new loot consists of the following:

Simple Chic by Machiko Kayaki















Pindot Polkadot Coindot Etc. by Machiko Kayaki















Home Couture by Machiko Kayaki















I simply cannot get enough of these books (and if truth be told, I have another three books on order - I'll show them to you when they get here). I could flip through them over and over and never get tired. There is something so appealing about the photography. Of course, I love the clothing, too. The lines are simple and clean, the fabrics are classic and sophisticated - it's like Machiko Kayaki peered into my head and created exactly the wardrobe that I want.

Even if I never make up a single garment, the inspiration to be found in these books is fabulous! However, I definitely do have plans to dive into some of these patterns as soon as I'm off on vacation.

Before I sign off, I wanted to say a big thank-you to everyone for their advice and suggestions on figuring out how to use these patterns. After studying the first book more closely, I have come to realize that reading Japanese is really unnecessary. Between the excellent diagrams and my sewing experience, I can't imagine I will run into any problems.

Made in Japan

On a tip from Tany, I purchased a Japanese pattern book, Retrospective is Stylish by Yoshiko Tsukiori. I purchased it from the eBay seller, pomadour24 (and I was very happy with this seller BTW).

There are 21 retro inspired projects in this book, created through tweaks of a few simple patterns. The outfits include skirts, dresses, vests, jackets and blouses. Each garment is found on a full scaled pattern sheet included with the book.

The patterns come in four sizes, with bust, waist and hip measurements listed in brackets: S (79 cm, 59 cm, 86 cm), M (83cm, 64cm, 90cm), L (88cm, 68cm, 94cm), XL (93cm, 74cm, 98cm). All patterns are drafted for a person that is 160 cm tall. To say that I am pleased with these measurements is an understatement - I am a M bust and waist and a L/XL hip and the height is perfect. It's not often that I find patterns drafted for a smaller person. Many pattern companies seem to forget that there are women of smaller stature out there - New Look, Silhouette, and Marfy are just a few of the companies that routinely start their sizing at a point that is too large for me. This is one of the reasons I use so many vintage patterns - the sizing is more up my alley. I guess women came in smaller sizes back in the day!

The only problem is that everything is in Japanese and unlike Spanish or French, it will be impossible to use the internet for translations (my keyboard doesn't have Japanese symbols on it). Thankfully, the patterns are all fairly simple, so I should be able to muddle my way through. If worse comes to worse, I can always ask at school to see if any of my kids can read Japanese (another one of the joys of being at a school with many cultures).

I am really looking forward to using this book and if all goes well, I may pick up a few more Japanese pattern books - there are some other really cool looking ones out there!

ETA: I just found this page, full of pictures of the projects in this book.