Now that both K's and my wardrobes are entirely DIY'd (incidentally, am I the only one who has trouble saying DIY aloud? I always want to pronounce it "Dee-Ee-Why"), I find myself sketching a lot of potential sewing projects. I deviate from my plans more often than not, especially with K's stuff, but it's helpful to consider the holes in her wardrobe so that I'm not spending time on yet another linen dress that will never see the light of day. What she needs are shorts, and lots of them. All ... Read more
Summer Reading List
I've always had an insatiable appetite for reading, but up until the third grade, I only read Japanese comic books outside of school assignments. Japanese was my first language, and I learned to read it when I was itty bitty thanks to my mom's ardent training. She made these crazy felt animal letter books and a giant phonetic sound board -- under my mother's tutelage, learning Japanese was a lot of fun. In fact, even though I was born in the heart of L.A., I had very little command of the ... Read more
Monday Outfit: Scraps Tank + Matcha Shorts
Good morning! At last, I have something made from scratch that's K-sized to share -- it was getting to the point where even K was starting to wonder when I was going to make clothes for her again. Oh, I shouldn't forget to mention that K made that necklace with fake pearl buttons and a bell, and is so very pleased. I think she might be starting a trend. A bonafide Monday Outfit this week: I wanted to sew from this knits-based book, and I was specifically looking for an A-line tank. It would ... Read more
Happy Friday + Randomness
Happy Friday! A week ago, M, K and I piled into our intrepid car and drove an hour and a half east to Central Washington. Destination: Roslyn, WA. A former coal mining town, it became a surprising tourist draw when the 90s hit show Northern Exposure was filmed there. They even have a Northern Exposure festival every year. This was a big deal for us because we really don't take very many vacations. We stayed in a most charming Bed and Breakfast called The Huckleberry House. M and I used ... Read more
Sewing for Me: Tuttle Book Reviews + Giveaway! [CLOSED]
More pictures of me, yes. I'm trying to hold back from apologizing because after a certain point, you just gotta go forth boldly with this whole sewing-for-self-and-taking-selfies-and-posting-them-online gig, even if it feels like your face is plastered all over the place already and giving people nightmares. But I promised the good folks at Tuttle Publishing to review a couple of pre-release Japanese Sewing Books translated into English that they kindly sent me, and here we are. While ... Read more