no coat. two light jackets.

I have decided NOT to sew any new coat for this winter in September to make my life simpler.

I love to sew coats, but at the same time, I also hate to sew them very much! I have this mixed strange feeling in it. Making coats is very exciting & fruitful, and the results always make me feel accomplished and so great. However, I am also very nervous throughout its whole process of both cutting and sewing. Especially in every aspect of dealing with the fabrics. Most of the time, the fabrics for coats are great indeed and I love to look at them at all, but they are also simply more expensive and more precious, practically not available any more than once, larger to handle, easier to fray, too fluffier, unwillingly messier, seriously more delicate and disappointingly less iron-friendly than the fabrics for other items. I am most likely to feel running away when I myself decide to make a wintry nice coat, imagining of all troubles and accidents on my fabric before getting the coat.

I think I can describe it like this too, "I adore gorgeous fabrics too much, especially for those that are used for coats. Because I love them so much, I feel ill with the idea of ruining them in my hands."

I know it sounds way too silly. I wish I had a skill to describe it less stupid.

Anyway, without any plan for new coat, my autumn and winter this year is so relaxing and peaceful. I'm feeling more productive and sewing small things happily. Here I have pictures of two jackets that I made recently.




One of them is actually a cardigan, but I used a jersey with less elasticity to make it look more jacket-y.
(The fabric is the leftover of this cape, as you may find.)



I found so much use of it in my everyday life. LOOOVE IT. It's nothing special, but it's perfect. Warm, cosy, pretty and white.

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pattern: 7victoria (cardigan, PDF) from anneeduex*
size 38
body shortened (-3cm)
sleeve lengthened (+2cm)

wool/polyester blend, jersey
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Other is a jacket with an interesting shape.




The pattern is from miho's shop, and I think it's so hers.
It has a pair of dolman sleeves, but the shape of them are slightly different from you would imagine with the word of "dolman". I recommend you to refer her photographs & technical drawings if you would like to know how the sleeves originally shape, since you wouldn't see their specialness in my pictures with my arms down (sorry!).

The jacket is very pretty, and it's special! I think the combination of the color of pale beige and this interesting shape suits me very well. And, it gives me every chance to show off my lovely pairs of hand warmers too. What do I need more.



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pattern: Hilda (jacket, PDF) from TAMANEGI-KOBO

one size (free size)

fashion fabric: plain woven wool/acryl blend, 142cm x 2.5m
lining fabric
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Have a happy holiday!
-yoshimi

hand warmers

I am just telling you that I love them and need them everyday! (in winter of course, but they can be protecting our arms from the sunshine in summer as well)
Get a free pattern from BurdaStyle.

Pattern page: yoshimi hand warmer






material notes
one white thin woolen turtle neck that made my neck itchy to death (deep corner in my closet)
one very tired cardigan which is made of colorful spotted woolen jersey (thrift shop)
one peppermint-colored cotton vest with glitter beads on the surface (thrift shop)
made 5(!) pairs of hand warmers.

knit skirt

I knitted a purple skirt.

I'm so proud of myself being able to finish this knitting project with a satisfying result. I'd say I'm getting used to knitting! (I'm still just a seasonal and occasional knitter though.)

The pattern is from my favorite old knitting book "A/T creation-knit" from NIHON VOGUE-SHA Co., Ltd. (Unfortunately, the book has been out of print for ages...AND written in Japanese.)
The original version in the book is an ankle length-, hem fringed-, rather sporty- and tight brown skirt. As you can certainly see I shortened it quite a bit, but I knitted as exactly as the chart said except some minor executions and length.
It has a knitted body with a crochet hem with fringes.




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#17 cabled skirt with fringes on the hem
by Keiji ITAKURA

Rowan Lima Colorway 884, 5 skeins
5.5 mm and 4.5 mm knitting needles and 5mm crochet hook
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I really like the color of the yarn. Isn't it nice!



**the raspberry colored hooded jumper is also one of my latest results. made of woolen jersy. pattern from anneeduex* (PDF), omitted front zip and front kangaroo pockets from the original. **
**If you are one of Ravelers, visit me for other pictures!**

Have a great week!

sister pants

 I've made two pairs of 3 tuck pants.

 I made two pairs (I said it twice) in the same fabric in different sizes, using a pattern. It may sound that I start mass production, but it's not the case! It was kinda an experiment.

 After finishing the one pair of these, I noticed that I could squeeze myself into a size smaller, and also that I couldn't resist to see how I look in different-sized same pants. I wouldn't think such thing if I was talking about jean pants, because I'd rather think I just look either of a woman in a tighter jeans or a woman in a larger sized jeans. But this time I imagined that different sizes of these kind of trousers on one person(me) might give very different styles and impressions. So I dared to check!

The pattern I used was for one of harem pants (called also sarrouel pants) from TAMANEGI-KOBO. The pants look quite similar to the ordinarily tucked pants, but actually they have a slight but obvious dropped crotch to give one tiny hint of those harem pants. I really like it.


the first (size9)
sorry for the photo, it's just a snap shot after an weekend lunch! lots of creases...



the second (lengthened a bit, size7)





As you probably agree with me, the impressions of those pairs are different.
The first pair (larger size) look more casual and gives more playful impression, and the second pair (smaller size, longer legs) looks more versatile and seems to fit for a matured wearer, staying on the side of fashion. It is not beyond expectations at all and it sounds so reasonable even without seeing the result, but I really love what I see here. I have learnt a lot about the idea of intended sizing for my future projects from these pairs. I also got two pairs of charming pants from one pattern in cheap. Lucky me!


Happy Sewing!
yoshimi


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subtly sarrouel-y
pattern: Evan from TAMANEGI-KOBO (PDF, trousers)
size: JPN9 and JPN7

fabric: plain woven, wool:silk=80:20 blue gray, 150cm x 120cm/ a pair of pants

notes/changes:
lengthen from the pattern by 2cm(larger one), 7cm(smaller one)
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Cape Frago

 I made a cape.

 I knew the fabric had been sitting in my stash for too long, but I didn't know what to do. I knew the reason why though.

 It was supposed to make a pretty poncho (cape) which had cute fringes on the edge when I bought it. I thought what I bought was a tweed, but the fabric was actually a knitted fabric. (a great mistake!) aw..



 It took me more than 2 months to get over my mistake and I finally had a go this week.

 Seeing it in the photos right now, the fabric positively looks nothing but a woolen knit (even to me). I must have been too excited about it on the purchase... What kind of love makes me so blind?

 Thus it has no fringes on it. It's fun to wear, and reasonably warm. I'm happy with the result. This is the end of the story for today!


 Oh yes, I sewed this short and gray skirt for my wintry wardrobe too. I love this skirt. It is simple, yet simply cute.


Happy sewing!!

yosxoxo



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white Frago cape
pattern: Frago from anneeduex*
 (not PDF pattern)
size 38

fabric: wool knit, milky-yellowy white with silver lame, contains some curly bulky threads, pretty, seemed almost no elastic, about 140cm x 110cm

notes:
*thin leather string and a pair of toggle buttons for front closure
*straight grain cut
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gray woolen Laurent mini skirt
pattern: Laurent from anneecotton*
size 38

fabric: wool blends, grayish white with iron-silver lame (my supplier loves lame thing so much...), about 130cm x 70cm
lining: cupro, pale gray, about 140cm x 60cm
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blue denim dress, named Dita

I was about to sew another pair of jeans with this pale blue denim. However, that night, the idea of blue denim dress with big buttons hit my sleeping brain and I managed to remember it until the next morning. The idea seemed extraordinarily good in THAT dream, but I forgot what was that nice about it or why I thought so, without any trace. The dream left one convinced seamstress without any convincing reason!

Anyway, I was too convinced that I was getting a great result while I was sewing it. It was so much fun. I knew I was making fun of myself in that way. perhaps.

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blue denim dress
pattern: Dita from TAMANEGI-KOBO (PDF, dress)
size: JPN9

fabric: stretch cotton denim, pale blue, about 148cm x 150cm

notes/changes:
 *add a pair of big buttons(30mm) on the pockets
 *shortened by 2cm at skirt hem
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By the way, I am in love with this comfortable dress and also I think it's quite pretty, did I forget to say?




Have a happy day!

a shirt and a jacket

It's getting cooler and cooler day by day in my area. I've made two garments for the season.

a satin shirt



A shirt was made of slightly shiny satin, silk/cotton blend. I bought this fabric to make an under dress, but it was so pretty and I couldn't use it for hiding under my dress in the end. So I made this shirt. As I'm not a good shirt wearer, I tried to make it like blouse as much as possible. I hid front buttons underneath a front flap, chose a narrow stand collar, and omitted pockets, waist darts and topstitches. I think I can say I did well. I really love this color, and I'd love to wear it often in this autumn.




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silk-cotton satin shirt
pattern: anneecotton* BL5023(shirt)
size: 40
fabric: silk55 cotton45 satin plain woven, soft and bouncy shirting fabric. 112cm x 170cm
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a Columbo jacket


I have been curious about jackets with big silhouette, but never had a chance to try before. When Miho started her shop, the first line-up included this big jacket called Columbo, and I had no way to dismiss it. This is my first tailor-collared jacket sewn by myself, too. I used this pale gray wool gabardine for making it. When I found this fabric on an online shop, I thought I was really lucky. This is a fabric same as ones for the jackets from Loro Piana, and it was miraculously discounted (because of this funny mice-y color). Hey I don't mind the gray at all!

The sewing of this jacket was easier than I had imagined, and I'm enjoying the result! A very big jacket brings my style a fresh breeze and I feel good in it. I love my Columbo! Actually I think the color suits me rather than other deep colors, because I mostly wear pale colors and they match to this gray anyway.






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Columbo jacket
pattern: TAMANEGI-KOBO Columbo(jacket)
size: JPN11
   (JPN9 at around the shoulders, as my shoulders are proportionally narrower than other parts)
fabric: wool gabardine, about 148cm x 220cm

notes/changes:
 *I used a pair of 20mm buttons on the cuffs, instead of using 2 sets of 15mm buttons as said in instruction).
The pair of pink buttons was a kind gift from my French friend. Thank you, Helene!!

 *The corners on cuffs, hem, collar, and lapel were slightly rounded.
 *I put only left mock pocket on the chest, but omitted the right one.
 *Invisible hemming was done by hand, instead of straight stitching by sewing machine.
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Take care!