Japanese Pattern Book Top in Striped Linen

It’s been a long time since I’ve made a pattern from a Japanese Pattern Book. I used to love using Japanese patterns many years ago, especially when my girls were tiny.

I made this top using the cover photo of this book. It doesn’t have an English title but I can give you ISBN978-4-579-11649-2.

I made my top up in the largest size available in the book. My chest measurement is 37 inches. I figured, since I couldn’t make heads or tails of any measurements chart, I couldn’t do too badly by choosing the largest size. This top is supposed to be roomy and oversized. It’s hard to say if mine is a little “extra” through the body in this respect. I feel like the shoulders fit where they should.

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The design is pretty simple. It’s a raglan style with wide sleeves and a gathered neckline. I was drawn to this top because of the pretty collar. The neckline incorporates a drawstring to gather the neck area. It can be gathered as loose or tight as you wish. The bow can also be sewn so that it is tied at the back if preferred.

The style of this top works beautifully in linen. I feel like all of the patterns in this book would suit linen. My linen is from The Fabric Store. I used a pinstriped green linen for the bulk of the top and topped up the sleeves with a little duck egg blue. The stripes I used aren’t available online anymore, but I think this option would be also amazing.

I know it isn’t really the right season to be making a top like this, but I still love it. It’s the kind of top I can see myself wearing every day in Summer.

A Yuki Dress in Rayon Crepe

Sometimes I want to wear an easy dress in Winter. I have a bunch of fitted dresses that I can layer for cool weather. And I do. I wear turtlenecks and tights under many of my classic, fit and flare dresses. However, I love loose, floaty dresses too. I have several simple, shift-style dresses that I love to wear in Summer, but none for Winter. The Yuki Dress fit this wardrobe gap perfectly for me.

I used the Yuki pattern from Tessuti Fabrics. I made it up directly from the envelope. My body traverses three sizes in their patterns but because of the style of dress, (and to keep things simple), I chose the largest part of my body (bust) and selected my size in accordance with that. The dress is quite roomy through the body. I will probably grade the sides down a little next time.

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I toyed with lengthening the dress. I normally lengthen everything I make (I’m 5″10). However, the pattern pieces seemed long to me when I was laying them out, and I wouldn’t have minded this style of dress being a little shorter. It did turn out quite long. It may be a little longer due to my choice of hem. I did a narrow hem on my dress, but I couldn’t tell you what the instructions ask for in this respect.

The fabric I used was a lovely rayon crepe in navy from The Fabric Store. It’s a gorgeous colour in real life, but like black, so hard to photograph to show details. I had to overexpose the above photo which makes the fabric look sheerer than it really is. I would love to make this dress up again in a wool crepe, a heavyweight cream linen, or perhaps a heavy silk satin. It’s a lovely pattern.

I’ve already worn this dress quite a bit. It’s a stylish, yet easy to wear piece that I can easily wear to work with a turtleneck and tights. I’m looking forward to sewing this one again one day!

A silver dress for Fall

Everybody needs a silver dress, right? I’m not actually sure what inspired me to sew this dress. It all started with an amazing silver “Tiara” knit that I found online at Pitt Trading. The fabric is so fabulous that the dress design only needed to be simple.

I used the Poppy Dress pattern by By Hand London as a base for this dress design. I widened the neck and lowered it a bit at the back. I know the pattern has long sleeves but I didn’t have those pieces printed out. So I extended the short version myself, to create a nice, long, slim-fitting sleeve. I also increased the back darts to shape the dress more closely to my measurements.

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The fabric has a great stripe on the underside of the silver right side. I utilized this stripe by folding up the hem on the bottom and sleeve edge. I hate wasting a good double-sided fabric.

This is such a fun dress. It will be the perfect holiday dress in a couple of months.

Kobe top in sheer silk

I’m a little obsessed with floaty, sheer fabrics right now. And in my world, that literally means all the silks. Liberty of London do an amazing crinkle silk which I’ve used before. I’m thinking about using it next time if I sew this pattern up as a dress. For this version, I used a divine silk georgette from The Fabric Store.

I only made a few small modifications to the pattern. I sewed up a size small which is quite close to my measurements. However, I know I have to adjust for my shoulders these days, even when the bust measurement matches perfectly.

The adjustment that works well for me is this. I draw a diagonal line from the middle of the shoulder seam to the CB of the bottom of the top (or very close to it). I slice along this line and spread the shoulder seam by about 5/8″. It generally keeps the waist the same size but adds width to top most shoulder area, which fits well with the triangular body shape that those of us with strong shoulders and lats have. I repeat with both sides, and the front and back of the top. If the top hangs well below waist level, or I am dealing with a dress, I cut the pattern off at the waist so as not to widen the waist or hip area.

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My first attempt at the Kobe top turned out a little shorter in the front than I expected, even with just a narrow hem. I usually lengthen patterns in the bodice by 1/2 inch to account for my 5″10 frame. I didn’t in this case and I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s a little outside my comfort zone, but still like this top a LOT. I don’t mind the sliver of tummy. But I know this top would also pair perfectly with my high waisted jeans.

The back is sitting a little lower in the photos than I expected. I think I wear this top pushed back a little to raise the neckline. I’ve been wearing the top with a little cropped top/soft bra underneath in a complementary shade of apricot in real life to avoid the peek of bra underneath. I think it works.