12 November 2013

Happy Homemade: Sew Chic + Sew Chic Kids


A couple more Japanese sewing pattern books to drool over - Happy Homemade: Sew Chic by Yoshiko Tsukiori and Happy Homemade: Sew Chic Kids by Ruriko Yamada. If you're familiar with Japanese sewing books (if you're a regular reader of this blog you will be by now!), they're exactly what you'd expect in terms of the one-page-per-pattern instructions with technical illustrations and minimal text, and the garment projects being mainly loose-fitting smock tops and dresses. Some seriously pretty smock tops and dresses, in fact. The kind of garments which make you feel like standing around gazing into your cappuccino like you're in the Toast catalogue.




The kids version features the cutest little munchkins I've ever seen! As usual, I'm coveting children's outfits more than the adult versions, but alas the patterns in this one only go up to 9 years old. These patterns are for boys as well as girls, so if you've got kiddos to sew for you're bound to find something just darling here.


Question for you. Under the "Basic Tools" section, of the 15 essential items of equipment listed are not one but two "bodkins". I'd never heard of a bodkin, but apparently it's used for threading elastic through a casing. Tell me, do you own a bodkin? Am I missing out?!

[Soundtrack: 'Grounds for Divorce' by Elbow]