sen ritsu archer for nani IRO month

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a couple weeks ago, i got an email from Frances of the online Japanese fabric shop, miss matatabi, asking if, by chance, i might want to participate in a little celebration of nani IRO she was putting on in June.  to me, nani IRO fabrics are some of the most beautiful and interesting designs on the market, but i’ve only sewn with them a couple times…largely due to cost/selection constraints.

i happened to be out of town when i got her email, with only my phone and a spotty cell signal – plus i believe it was almost midnight – but i couldn’t tap out a YES fast enough!

when one is offered free nani IRO fabric, one says yes.  and then one requests enough to make herself a shirt with it.

sen ritsu archer

i chose sen ritsu – b, a lovely neutral floral with metallic copper accents on some of the flowers (didn’t know that part until the fabric actually came, what a perfect surprise!)  sen ritsu – a has neon accents and more springy colors, also great.  many Nani IRO prints (designed by Japanese textile designer Naomi Ito for Kokka) have a hand-painted quality that makes them unique – i keep finding surprises within the print itself that make me happy.  i love the romantic quality of it, and especially the fabric it’s printed on.  the famous Japanese attention to detail is evident in both the fabric and the pattern. Continue reading →

valley of azure tank

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i’m on a sewing for ME kick!  my closet has been feeling very stale lately and sewing for me is still a fun challenge, so i’m rolling with it.  woo!

valley of azure tank

the pattern is the ubiquitous wiksten tank.  it’s quick, easy, and stylish.  this is my second straight up tank (here’s the first one); but i’ve also remixed it a couple times.  i made a small because it was already traced, even though my current baby-nursing status causes a bit of tightness/pulling in the chest and i probably should’ve made a medium.  oh well.  nursing is temporary. Continue reading →

charcoal undercover hood

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I took a break from Britex blogging while I was pregnant, but i couldn’t stay away for too long, because I want to sew with their fabric every chance I get!!  Fabric is my drug of choice.  During my break, they set up a bunch of partnerships with indie pattern designers, so for this project I not only got to sew with the softest fabric ever, I also got to try out a new-to-me pattern company, Papercut Patterns!  They’re based in New Zealand and their patterns are so cool – a very stylish approach to sportswear.

I chose to sew the Papercut Undercover Hood in Britex’s amazing charcoal Double Faced Rayon Knit.

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The pattern is a slouchy, basic hooded sweatshirt with raglan sleeves.  I sewed a size small and the fit is great.  The sleeves and main hem are done with cuffs, so I actually sewed all but the pocket and hood topstitching on my serger.  It was a quick, simple sew and an easy-to-wear, comfy result!  The instructions are printed directly on the pattern itself rather than in a separate booklet, which was new for me but worked fine for such simple construction. Continue reading →

lily pond lulu dress

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I love blue. it’s the color of sky and water – it’s calming and peaceful and makes me happy.  so, when my friend Rae gave me a peek of Lotus Pond, her new line for Cloud9 Fabrics, and asked if i would be a part of a tour showing it off, it’s no surprise that i was immediately drawn to the gorgeous blues in her beautiful aquatic themed prints.

i was so inspired by the fabric, in fact, i knew i had to make the extra effort to get photos by a body of water!  like, say…the Pacific Ocean perhaps!  and i did!

lily pond lulu

oh the whole lotus pond line is so good – the colors are perfectly saturated and complement each other so nicely within each print and as a group.  i especially love the different florals!  such interesting/beautiful/playful designs – it was sooooo hard to pick my favorites for the tour.  the fabric i chose for this project, lily pond, is mostly green, blue, and aqua, but there’s just a bit of pink and orange and yellow in there too, which keeps the eye dancing around the print and makes me really happy. Continue reading →

beach bum shorts

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did you see that oliver + s has a new free pattern out?  they seem to have a tradition of great summertime free patterns – lazy days skirt, popover sundress, bucket hat, and now…sunny day shorts!

beach bum shorts

it’s a basic, no-frills shorts pattern but the kicker is it has front, back, and waistband pieces which makes it super easy to customize.  as part of my ongoing contributor gig for them, i did a tutorial on how to add front pockets, a drawstring waistband, and frayed hem for a casual, day at the beach look. Continue reading →