Dress reduction...

Oh hello!  I have a blog here.  Sorry about the lack of updates.  I've been too tired and busy to sew anything.  However, now I'm on summer vacation which I started by mending all my clothes that needed mended.

In addition, I also got busy shortening some dresses.  See there's this great store here called Uniqlo.  (I think it's sparse in the US.)  Their clothes are super cheap.  Super cheap.  I found these maxi dresses (on the left) on sale for ¥590:

The problem is that I don't really like maxi dresses on me.  They make me look shorter than I actually am.  But I can never turn down cute summer dresses for ¥590!  So I bought three.  (One I've already shortened,)  The dress on the right I bought at a store called Esquilo Branco for ¥990 and even though it's not quite as long as the others, I still though it would look better shorter.

So I just got out the scissors and cut.  First, I used a dress that was a good length to measure against.  It would have been a tragedy if I made it too short.  (Actually, I probably could have made said tragedy into a cute shirt.)

And here's how they turned out:

Ah summer!

A little longer than I would have liked but it's still cute.

And it's fitting that this is my favorite design and it turned out to be the perfect length!

Anyway, that's all on the sewing front.  I hope to make something this summer.  I hope I can!

Jumper...

Hi all!

Sorry for the massive delay in between posts.  Life in Tokyo doesn't give me much time to breathe let alone sew.

Before I am allowed to buy any new fabric, I have to use what I have.  I have had this fabric my grandma gave me for a long time and when this pattern came out (McCall's 6396):

I set aside the fabric for it.  Life has a way of getting in the way of sewing projects, so it sat.  Today was the beginning of my 2 day mini vacation so I decided to make it.

First it's marked "EASY" and in my opinion it's not easy.  There are a lot of pieces and lining to make.  In addition, my zipper doesn't look great and I am not sure if I needed to but I had to put a pleat the back.  Also, the bust is a little large even though I used the A/B cup option.  A cups might find this a bit too big.  So it's not perfect but it's okay.  What do you think?

I'm glad I can sew...

Because then I can take big curtains from Daiei and make them into little curtains which fit my windows perfectly.

Kitchen:

Bathroom:

That is all.

Back in the saddle again...

One day my mom said she had sent me a surprise package.  I couldn't even guess what it could be.  Some of favorite foods?  Clothes?  Turns out it was my sewing machine which was even better than anything I could have guessed.  Since she sent it (I can't remember when), I've been using it primarily for mending jobs as none of my patterns are here.  When I went back to visit my family at Christmas, I made sure to buy some fabric and pack some patterns so I could sew some actual clothes.

Here's my sewing space:

It's in my bedroom because I didn't want it in the main room.  You know because I have so many parties.  (Sarcasm)

We're on the tail end of a three-day weekend and since the forecast promised rain, I promised to be holed up inside sewing.  Weather forecasts never quite go according to plan in Japan and by noon the rain was full blown snow.  Well, after taking about a hundred pictures and going for a short walk up to the store snapping even more pictures, I finally settled down to sew.

I used this pattern, McCall's 6400:

(I prefer not to talk about the first time I made this pattern and I used the incorrect size.)

This is the fabric:

And I'm sorry but this is the best of like 50 pictures:

I don't have a wide mirror, not even in my bathroom, so this is the best I can do.  Also, I'm pretty inept at taking pictures one handed but I was trying to show off the dolman sleeve.  Sorry if it hurts your eyes!

All in all, I like this pattern.  In the picture the neck is supposed to sit like normal but it kept falling off my shoulder. So much for work clothes!

Anyway, I can't wait to check out the fabric stores here.  Thanks to my mom, I'm back sewing again!

Are you still there?

Hi dear readers,

I just realized that I have not updated this blog since last December!  My life took an unexpected but happy turn of events this June when I took a fantastic job in JAPAN! 

What does this have to do with sewing you ask?  Well, one of the things I had to (very sadly) leave behind was my beloved sewing machine as I didn't want it to get shoved around in the underbelly of the plane and it wouldn't fit in my carry on.

However, I am flying home briefly for Christmas to visit my family and friends and I hope I can cart the sewing machine back with me when I return to Japan.  I've already managed to find a place that sells fabrics and sewing notions.

So fear not friends!  I have not given up sewing!  I am just on a mini hiatus while I settle here in Japan.

On that note, if you have any interest in reading about my adventures in the Land of the Rising Sun, you can visit this blog.  (There my creativity is manifests itself in food rather than clothes I've created.)

It might be a while, but I'll post here again.

Today's accomplishments...

My back hurts.  No, that's not really an accomplishment.

But this is:

How could I not fall madly in love with this fleur de lis cardi?  Obviously, I did but I soon noticed there were button issues.  I think (more than anything else) age and use contributed to this gem ending up at Goodwill.  Note the tiny buttons I removed.  The buttonholes were too stretched for those little ones so I ordered some new magnificent fleur de lis buttons and voilà!  Perfection!

I also made a top today with my favorite fabric, knit.

Apparently, when I try to take one handed photos anymore, it's too blurry.  :/  But at least you can see the sleeve detail.

From Butterick 5497:

And here's the close-up of the fabric:

What do you think?  I didn't realize the fabric was so sheer!  But I like it otherwise.

Not really...

So I made these pants:

From McCall's 6403:

The pattern said easy.  I hate when patterns lie to me.  They were not easy.  I made so many mistakes and I don't even think I like them.

What do you think?