Browsing Tag

dress patterns

Book Reviews Japanese Sewing Books Ladies Sewing Patterns

Book Review – Daily Comfortable Clothes

June 29, 2012

This week’s book review is from a book I bought on my recent trip. It’s not a new book judging by it’s published date (Feb 2012). The title of the book is 毎日の心地よい服  by  櫻井悦子 (Etsuko Sakurai).

I love the mood of the photographs in this book. Everything has a light and airy feel to it.
Very dreamy… There are also illustrations superimposed on the photographs on some of the pages. Continue Reading

Book Reviews Japanese Sewing Books Kids Sewing Patterns

Book Review – Cucito Summer 2012

June 22, 2012

Cucito is a kids sewing magazine published by Boutique-sha. The same people who publish Lady’s Boutique and Cotton Friend. They also publish a lot of other craft books and magazines. This is one of the magazines that I will buy regularly because not only is it cheaper than a normal sewing book but also for the projects using new fabric lines, so it keeps me “aware” of the latest fabrics of the season 🙂

This is the latest Cucito for Summer 2012. Perfect for the hot weather here!

Cucito magazine is a “kids boutique” magazine, so naturally, there are patterns for both boys and girls. A plus for those of you who have little boys!

Some of the projects featuring both boys and girls.

 Some of the featured projects include step by step photographs for instructions, and they look like this…

Other than kids patterns, there are also quite a number of patterns that feature matching Mama and kid sets. Nautical is in again this summer (again? ;P)
Hence the stripes and anchors you are about to see.

Even the bags and accessories are matching!

Summer yukatas! Super cute on kids. My kids got to wear them at the onsen, and they are super comfy.

 This book includes projects for babies as well!

Baby boys and girls both included.

Summer yukatas in baby size too. Even cuter! Boys pattern on the back of this page, I forgot to snap a picture of it 😉

I might be wrong about this but somehow projects for girls still outnumber the ones available for boys. There were 4 or 5 additional dress patterns just for girls.

And check this one out. Its a Yukata dress which is actually composed of a top and a skirt (which can be worn on it’s own).

Looks complicated to make, but luckily this pattern has 4 whole pages of step by step photograph instructions.

For the rest of the projects that do not have step by step photographs, it is the usual how-to-make pattern with instructions in point form and diagrams such as the one above. Pretty clear and concise pictures so it shouldn’t be a problem understanding them.

And now we move on to hats! 4 whole pages on hats, and 2 more on crochet hats.

This is what the instructions for crochet hats look like. I only know how to crochet using written instructions, not sure if this diagram is in “universal crochet language”.

Some extra craft ideas. This is a macaroon shaped case which is really cute!

 You also get to see the latest books available from the same publisher. KIV for future book shopping! 🙂

Title : Kodomo Boutique CUCITO 2012 July Issue
Publisher : http://www.boutique-sha.co.jp/
No ISBN number but there is a JAN (Japanese Article Number) code : JAN4939459402072

Translations and Help with Patterns

Translation Wednesdays!

May 16, 2012


I know that despite the best translation guides and dictionaries, sometimes it is still hard to deciper a pattern especially when you pick up a book like this. Some books provide great step by step picture, but this book gives me a one page “how-to-make”, with no step by step diagrams. I’m suppose to guess what to do with the numbers pointing at the coat? Actually, all the instructions are on the left, but in Japanese. If you have one of these books you probably bought it for the pretty pictures. But given that these books are not cheap, let’s try to make the most of them by actually making something from it!

I have mentioned before that I am not Japanese, nor am I proficient in the language. In fact, I can hardly speak it except for the phrases that recur in dramas 🙂 But I have learnt enough to read and understand, and when necessary, input the characters into a translation or online dictionary for translations.

As a matter of fact, I have just decided to be more conscientious in my learning of the language since I really love it, and it will certainly help during my trips to Japan. So as part of my learning exercise, I would like help some of you translate patterns/sections out of Japanese sewing books. It will be good practice for me, and you can finally make something out of the book!

In order for the translations to be helpful to everyone, I will only do translations for how-to-make pages like the above, where the materials, preparation, and procedures are listed. Alternatively, you are are stuck trying to figure out the meanings on pages where important information, such as sizing/general know-how, I can try to translate it for you too. Please try to restrict the number of pages to 1-2 pages. As that’s the usual number of pages for how-to-makes in Japanese sewing books. Hope you understand that it takes time and I can only handle 1 request a week! 🙂

To send me your requests, please take a clear picture of 

1. The cover of the book
2. The page you wish to translate
Please also provide the ISBN number so that I can find references of it on the internet and link it up so that others who would like the purchase the book can find it.

Email all of the above information to japanesesewingbooks@gmail.com
I can’t promise to be able to translate everyone’s requests but I will try to do one a week and post it up on the blog on Wednesdays. Send me your requests now! 🙂

Free Japanese Sewing Patterns Links Free Patterns

Free Japanese Sewing Patterns – Nuimonotictac

April 23, 2012

I’ve seen a couple of requests for boy patterns. Sorry to say that because I have two girls, the only boy patterns I have are from books that have a combination of patterns for kids. I don’t have any books specially for boys! But today’s free pattern link will be useful to those of you with little boys. 🙂

Today’s free pattern comes from a website called Nuimonotictac, Nuimono means sewing, and tic tac I suppose just means tic tac.. lol 🙂

The website is well organized, the links to the instructions are accessible from the thumbnails. There are clothes for babies, boys, girls, mama and even one for papa. There are also some cute accessories and school accessories.

What I like most about this site is how clear the photographs and diagrams are. Even the patterns look like they are fit to be sold and not free downloads! Look at the examples below.

 

Other than sewing, if you access her website from the main page – http://nuimonotictac.mameshibori.net/ you will see links to an introduction to her site where she lists some basic instructions for printing as well as her terms of use of her free patterns.

She also provides information on stenciling on clothes using fabric stamps/paint, as well as some handmade toys like making trains out of old milk cartons.

I hope this will make mummies of little boys very happy 🙂 I for one, love that little rugby shirt! I think I might make one for my girls if I can find some nice jersey material.

Happy Sewing!