sewing

Random Things I Made | November 2015

December 15, 2015 By Chie

Here is a round up of what I sewed in November 2015. It was a pretty busy month in terms of sewing! In addition to baby hat, navy blue lace, ox blood corduroy skirt and BurdaStyle Parka, I sewed quite a bit for other people.

(1) Men’s button up shirt. There are interesting details jam packed in this shirt. It was hard to sew. There are pleating details underneath the gold mesh, a stand up collar and the cuff! The cuff was unique since the cuff and sleeve placket are connected.
(2) Fuchsia pink wrap dress. It’s made in high quality jersey and the fit is great. It is a great look for the office.

(3) Kimono. I sewed 10 of those! It was pretty intense. Since most of the sewing was straight sewing, it was not difficult to but was very time consuming. I used 5 meters of fashion fabric and 4 meters of lining for each kimono. Here is the round up of what I made in September and August.

11月に作ったもの、色々です。
先月はメンズシャツや着物など、普段作らないものに挑戦しました。

Find me elsewhere:

MADE | Ox Blood A-Line Skirt

November 24, 2015 By Chie

I’ve seen A-line mini skirts with front buttons popping up all over the place. So, I added it to my to-sew list for the fall. When I saw this ox blood color corduroy at Nippori Tomato, I snatched it. Also bought the same color lining at the sale section in Tomato.

Below is my inspiration board for the skirt. I wanted it high or just waist, A-line, about 10cm above the knees and with the line of buttons in the center front. I also wanted it in some kine of winter fabric, like velvet, suede, leather or corduroy.

Source 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

I cut the fabric based on the patterns I made for the Alice in wonderland skirt (blogged here). I like how this pattern has the side pockets. Since the patterns are for I-line skirt with back vent, I changed up the skirt shape, omitted the vent and shorten the hem. The skirt closure is placed in center back with an invisible zipper and the front buttons are faux. I added a stripe of fabric in the front and added six metal buttons I bought online at Nakamura (ナカムラ), my favorite place to source sewing knickknacks.

The lining was added in a bagged way so that the hem seam is invisible. This finish makes the clothes a bit more expensive!

Now it’s time to wear! Today I wore his with cropped sweater I DIYed last year from an old thrifted cardigan. I’m planning of wearing this skirt with white turtleneck, chambray shirt or polkadot shirt this fall.

コーデュロイのスカート、作りました。
生地は日暮里トマト、ボタンは楽天ショップのナカムラで。

ハイウエスト気味で作ったので、クロップセーターでもいける！
この冬ヘビロテできそうなスカートに仕上がりました。

P.S. Shopbop is having a big sale! Hope over here to take advantage of the biggest sale of the year. I’m eyeing this as a gift to myself…The sale will begin at 7am EASTERN TIME Tuesday November 24th and will end at 11:59pm PACIFIC TIME on November 30th. Find me elsewhere:

Random Things I Made | September 2015

October 10, 2015 By Chie

Here is a round-up of random stuff I made in the month of September. My August version is here. I was away for the first two weeks of September, so by the time I came back to Japan, I missed sewing. As soon as I came back, I got back to sewing every night. Looking back, I think I made a fair amount of stuff considering I was gone for half the month. Next month, I want to start sewing more for myself – I’m thinking bootcut flannel pants, finishing up the Merckwaerdigh bra in sea foam, and start on Deer and Doe Pavot Jacket (thank you Inna for the pattern!).

Cotton lace casual wedding dress in light blue. A customer from Etsy wanted this dress in light blue for her October wedding, so I found this pretty cotton lace from a shop in Kyoto. It’s light-weight and makes it unique and unconventional for her special day.
I sent the dress with my shop card and thank you card I got from Japanese fashion illustrator, Junichi Nakahara‘s shop in Hiroo. Love his illustrations!
2. Blousons, skirt and dress. This was interesting to sew as the patterns were shaped in a way that I would never thought to draft them. The bottom part of the skirt can be separated with a zipper in the middle, and there are shorts underneath.
Blouson with mesh lining. The mesh lining gives it a sporty feel and the pocket on the right side has a unique triangular shape.
Another blouson in quilted fabric. The seams are finished with bias strips.
3. Stretch lace off-the-shoulder top, something similar to the one I made last month.
4. Satin bridal gown. I want one for myself! 5. I refashioned an old maxi dress that didn’t fit me in the bust are to maxi skirt. The fabric is cotton lawn and light weight, so it fit well in my suitcase for the trip. I simply cut the top part off and added elastic. Also added a slit on the side. 6. Lastly, another Watson! This is my second favorite Watson after my black one (I also made it in dot print and another racer back variations). The wide bra band makes it very comfortable to wear and the color white matches almost anything in my wardrobe. What have you sewn lately?