The good times in the snow are all over and we're back to green and luscious Auckland in the middle of a hot summer. It's taking some getting used to! I'd have more photos to show you but they're on a DVD and my laptop's disk reader has finally died after hinting at it for a couple years so I'm now pondering a new computer or fixing this old one! Either option is expensive.
Hazel and I came back with 4 pieces of luggage, most of which were her Christmas presents, but they did contain quite a lot of fabric and lots of books - some of which were craft-related! "Oh how surprising" you say.
I thought I'd show you a few bits and pieces from them all, especially the Japanese books and the delightful "All You Can Sew For Children" books I and II which date from 1972 and 1973. I stole them from mum and had a great time going through having flashbacks to clothes she'd made for me from them. Some of the photos of clothes are wonderful (in an unintentionally hilarious way sometimes) and I'm hoping to make a few of them up and see how they translate to modern sensibilities.
I bought the Japanese books from Yes Asia and they were meant to take a month to arrive but they actually beat me home (and no I suppose they weren't in my luggage then were they...) in less than 2 weeks! On the left: Innocent and lovely girls' wear by Mano Akiko, ISBN 457911194X, and on the right: Dressy Little Girl -From one piece dress to coat (Onnanoko no oshare fuku) by Araki Yuki, ISBN 4529045269 / 9784529045261.
These are the Yes Asia translations, I think I've seen them called different names elsewhere, so if you were looking for them I'd go on the ISBN. Dressy Little Girl is probably the most accessible of the two and I discovered I already have an earlier book by the same author.
The buttons down the back of this are gorgeous.
Oh my goodness I love this navy knit dress but Hazel hates high necks so I'd have to adapt it and the buttons wouldn't be as lovely. She'd like the skirt though.
The top is from the same pattern as above. The skirt has these cute little kick pleats at the back.
This is such a cute jacket, but I was just thinking it would make a great dressing gown too.
I'll take a few photos from the other book tomorrow!
Yay! you're back!
ReplyDeletethanks for that! i totally forgotten abt checking magazines
ReplyDeletelooked through my old stash of cotton time and cotton on and they have quite a few patterns in them too! so i'll check them where i can!
good luck with your sewing! u can email me if you need any help with the japanese! ^^
i just bought that second book [from Araki Yuki] ! i dont have children but a friend of mine recently had a daughter so i am all gearing up to sew something for her ^^
ReplyDelete[the japanese title is Onnanoko no oshare fuku] ^^
The sizing for this book begins at 90cm tall, so I'd say you have a gap of
ReplyDeleteup to a couple years before these clothes would fit? I can't remember how
old Hazel was when she hit that height sad to say! The other book begins at
100cm. You could try books that span the gap like
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55058614/simple-plus-one-children-clothes,
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61691568/simple-natural-baby-dress-japanese-dres
s, or the Cucito magazines
http://www.etsy.com/listing/37309107/cucito-babies-and-toddlers-winter-09
(there's a more recent one too I think) I don't know if these books are as
expensive in Japan as they are to get outside of it, but you definitely want
them to last awhile and span a good range of sizes to get your money's
worth!