Saturday, October 4, 2014

Blog Hop!

Hello, I hope you all are doing great!

I sometimes sew for my family too.

As you probably expect from the title, this is my blog hop post. I've been loving reading everyone's blog hop and I'm really happy to have a chance to be involved in! Thank you, Jenny and Debbie, for passing me the batons.

I met Jenny last year in Melbourne at Modern Love exhibition meetup when we had such an exciting and fun day together. Jenny is kind, clever and witty! When she visited Japan in April this year, I was wishing to come up to Tokyo to meet her, but I couldn't make it because of my work schedule. I hope that we will see each other very soon to catch up, either in Australia, in Japan, or actually, in any other place.

Debbie sent me an e-mail to ask if I could accept the baton shortly after I got one from Jenny, and I of course said yes! I visited her blog thanks to blog hop and found that she sews very pretty clothes! Jenny's blog is Rennous-oh-Glennus and Debbie's  LILY SAGE & CO. Check them out before you are hopping to the next blogs I pass the batons!



Why do you write?

I write this blog because I'd like to have chances to think things in English regularly.

I have no one who speaks in English to me around. I mean, off-line. I am hoping that my English will be maintained at least at the level of "somehow understandable" by occasional thinking and writing for this blog. I know there are a lot of funny expressions and incorrect sentences in my posts. I admit that it's not good to have incorrect sentences, however, I'm kinda enjoying that kind of imperfections in my writing at the same time, because I could think that they are my type of dialect. Maybe not. Anyway, I know I should answer that my first reason is to connect with the wonderful like-minded people through my blog, but...er I thought I'd better be honest with you.

pants Gilbert, batwing top, fringed bag on vacation

I started this blog almost six years ago. Although I already had another sewing blog that was written in my mother tongue and it had quite a lot of (to me) Japanese readers by then, I impulsively started this because I just felt like writing a new one in English. I remember that it was when BurdaStyle was rapidly expanding and also when PDF sewing patterns were booming. I loved being active in BurdaStyle community and shared many projects there. Eventually I got a few comments that said I should write a blog in the language that the members could understand so that they could be interested in my projects and so that we could chat more. Though I took their comments as friendly jokes and diplomatic kind compliments, the idea of writing a blog in English grew in me gradually. It seemed a good plan for me to help my decaying English to survive. So I started. I didn't know how long it would last because it was a tough job for me, and still it is, but funnily it is here even now. Maybe my answer is a bit off the point but this is why I write here.

Actually, I now recognize a blog works as a name card and it can be one of the reasons why I blog too. I am no one special, but I can be someone if you've visited my blog once. I hope you know what I mean! I can tell people that
"I love sewing my clothes and I have a blog about my sewing. I'm yoshimi and the blog title is blah-blah-animal."
then I would expect...
"Oh you're the one who writes the nonsense, I recognize your blog title. I think I visited your blog once. By the way, I love sewing too."
"Great! make friends with me!"
"Okay! Your writing was utterly ununderstandable."
"I know! You're so sweet and honest."
"I am!"
"By the way, do you like making fly fronts? Oh, I was gonna ask you if you have ever sewn a bathing suit too." 
... conversation flows beautifully like this!
How convenient (sometimes). I doubt SNS accounts do the same thing at the present moment. Social networking services are for current friends, blogs connect future friends, at least in my situation.

What are you currently working on?

I'm now in between sewing projects. (I'm those who take only one project at a time. I mean, Single Task People.)


Yesterday I received a package from Vogue patterns, which contained two dress patterns. This means my next project will be either V1359 or V1351, I'd choose one of them after making their muslins. Because they were on sale and $5.99 per each, I got a great deal and paid $26.98 in total. By the way, I wouldn't be surprised even if you are surprised by the international shipping+handling fee. It's still much cheaper than I actually go for shopping to USA, though.

How does it differ from other sites of its genre?

It is very rare for you to find (1)sewing tutorials (2)sewing reviews (3)sewing details or (4)sewing related trendy topics in this blog.

This is because I am not interested in being useful to others in general. (And this nature is also the main reason why my life is involved in basic science, but it is totally trivial, of course.) ...now this question makes me embarrassed to think of my blog as a sewing blog. The blog hop may be an elusive bullying, sob.

upcycled jeans and oversized Wilma at work.

How does your writing process work?

I don't think you can guess how long it takes for me to write a post. It is definitely long enough to make a jacket or maybe even longer.

Usually I start to write right after finishing a garment. I mainly write why I sewed it, what I wished to get and what I finally got by talking about the patterns and fabrics, because I care for them most. Of course I admire beautiful executions of other people's sewing, but somehow I'm OK without that part for mine. If my stitches are straighter than ZARA's, I pass the test. So my blog has words for motivations, materials and end products, without description for processes of actual sewing. After writing, I take photos, put them within the post, and revise the draft several times more to check. The drafts are usually entirely rewritten at this stage(!). And then there have to be spelling checks and so on. Phew...

Linen coat at photo shoot. photo by Chigu

 

Passing the baton

It was a long post! I hope you are not too tired. I am blog hopping now to Beth of Sunny Gal Studio and Carolyn of Handmade by Carolyn. Beth sews immaculate garments and one of my dreams is to visit her and take private lessons for making a well tailored jacket with her. Carolyn is one of my blogger friends whom I actually met in person. We had a photo blog project(photo maisonette) together too. I would love to read her answers very much!




Happy sewing!
yoshimixoxo

P. S.
Carolyn and I are posting new photographs on photo maisonette every day. This is a one-month project. I hope you can drop by in your spare time!

26 comments:

  1. I love your blog, Yoshimi, I love your way of writing, and I love love love the photo of you in your lab!

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  2. You are also very funny, Yoshimi! I didn't know you had a Japanese-language blog! I am very glad you keep an English blog, even though it must take a long time to write!

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  3. 普段コメントはしませんが、いつも楽しみに読んでいます(^_^)Tutorialとかなくても、もう出来上がった服見るだけでうっとりです。

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  4. Thank you for sharing a bit of yourself with us, Yoshimi, this was a lovely post and I am enjoying following you.

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  5. Great post Yoshimi! I love that your blog is a way for you to maintain your English. Maybe I should start writing one in French!! I always enjoy your posts and can always understand you. I think that your writing is charming which, while I don't know you personally, think it reflects your lovely personality. Thanks for sharing!

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  6. I love your blog and always impressed with everything you have made. I am glad to know more about you and thank you for sharing :)

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  7. I love your blue shoes who's the designer.

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  8. Just dropping in to say I really enjoy your blog. Your style is lovely.

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  9. I love your blog too - and had no idea it took you so long to write posts in English! That makes me love it even more:) Plus, you really do have a fresh voice (style of writing).

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  10. I always enjoy reading your blog and seeing the pictures, to envision life on your side of the world.

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  11. I have followed your blog for a long time but rarely comment. I am from New Zealand. I love seeing through photos and writing how other bloggers from around the world live as much as I do like seeing what has been made. Your clothing is always stylish and your photos gorgeous and knowing that English is your second language it is easy to ignore small writing imperfections. Keep up the good work!

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  12. Thanks for sharing your blogging story :) I can so relate to it! Especially writing, editing, proof-reading part... Not posting tutorials and sew-alongs is fine with me: there are other bloggers who do it. On the other hand, your style is very unique in the blogosphere and I admire every new creation that you post.

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  13. Thank you for sharing your thoughts Yoshimi! I think it's pretty rare to have followed someone's blog from the very beginning so it's always nice to hear about the motivations & history behind them. I for one love reading your posts, and am always happy to see you pop up in my feed! I thought blog writing might be a pretty lengthy process for you so thanks for taking the time to join in!

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  14. Yoshimi, as always I've enjoyed your post and your answers very much! Thank you so much for taking the time to write in English, and I think your English is excellent. I love your "voice". Phew, if I had to write in Japanese my blog would be dreadful. Or hilarious. Or both!
    thank you so much for passing the baton to me too :)

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  15. I love seeing what you've made and it's great that you do it for your own reasons!

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  16. I love reading each of your posts Yoshimi - and not only do you sew delightfully, I love your photos and humour too - thank you for continuing this english blog - and it was wonderful to meet you in Bendigo last year ;)

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  17. I've been following your blogs (plural, yes!) for a while, but never posted my comment. I just wanted to say thank you for creating such inspiring blogs. I can't wait for seeing your new projects :)

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  18. I love reading your blog and appreciate the time and the effort you put into it. Your garments are always so beautiful.

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  19. I look forward to your posts. I love your lab photo and especially your jeans. Did you embellish them or purchase them? And I would love a full length photo of them. Thank you for your sharing.

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    1. Hello, thank you for the comment. The jeans can be seen in this post. http://yoshimitheflyingsquirrel.blogspot.jp/2010/03/jean-upcycled.html I made them while ago.

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  20. Hi, I love the bunnies in front of the Eiffel Tower painting. Can you share the name of the artist? Thank you!

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    1. Hi Karen, the bunny type fictional animals in the painting are Gaspard and Lisa, that appear in the book series by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben. They appear in the books and also in TV animated series as well. I visited Lisa and Gaspard Cafe one day and it had wall decorations like that. I think all original pictures are done by Georg. They're cute :)

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    2. What darling art! If my kids were younger I'd get a poster.

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  21. Yoshimisan
    Thank you for this wonderful blog. It is lively and very interesting to read.
    The incident at the Royal Albert Hall makes me a bit mad...I think the woman took the opportunity not only to accuse you of using 'fur', which was fake fur only, but I suspect racial prejudice. I'm Asian and grew up in New Zealand, so I get that kind behaviour now and then.
    Anyway,your photos are so professional. All the best.
    Ms V

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  22. Hi, Ms V-san! Thank you for leaving your comment. Maybe you are right, she might have had something extra in her mind when she made the rude action to me. I honestly don't know if it was from racial prejudice, though. I was fully surprised by an unexpected show (it was like a puppet show!) and couldn't observe what happened exactly. In England, I had almost none experience of racism directly towards me (I encountered quite many strange strangers in the town but I don't count them seriously.)
    I'm sorry to hear that you had some experiences of such behavior from strangers, it is wrong and positively stupid.

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Thank you for your comments!!