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
Let’s Talk About Fit
So I've been sewing for a while. A quick glance through the archives will tell you that my style has been predominantly muu muu meets prenatal wear when sewing for myself: comfortable, easy, fairly shapeless, ideal for all-you-can-eat-buffets. I absolutely love my potato sacks, and one of the things I've discovered about myself through sewing is that I am not the perfectionist that I thought I was. Thread not matching exactly? Eh. Pocket placement out of alignment? Whatever. Skirt waist doesn't ... Read more