Making it up as I go
Thoughts on faith, life and a fair amount of sewing. Soli Deo Gloria.
Monday, September 30, 2024
One Short Day: The Emerald City Dress
Monday, September 23, 2024
Hakama Making
When we were in Japan in April, I picked up my first hakama. I gave you an introduction to it here, but it is honestly very quickly becoming a favourite addition to my kimono wardrobe. A hakama is a split side skirt (or pants) that you wear over your kimono. They honestly transform the kimono so much, from a rather slim-line dress to one that is flowy and free.
The hakama I bought is 100% wool, so I'll be wearing it in the winter months, but I could see a light cotton one in my future to add to the spring/autumn kimono wearing. As it was, after wearing my purple hakama a few times, I was sure I could make my own. They are made from pleated rectangles of fabric with two waist ties, so very straight forward sewing.
I did watch a handful of YouTube tutorials on hakama sewing to get a bit more of an idea about how to make them, though to be honest, what I was really after was a bit hard to find and a lot of the English tutorials were focused on cos-play versions, not authentic historical garment versions. Still good background knowledge to have. Everything else came from examining the hakama that I had on hand and trying to replicate it.
I actually knew as soon as I decided I wanted to make one that I had the perfect fabric on hand already. From Ikea, of all places! I had bought two metres of this Japanese-looking maple print fabric a long time ago. It was so perfect for this project. I did some measuring though and found I would need at least another half a metre (for the ties), but I'd bought it so long ago it was no longer available! I did find it on the internet (Esty Canada) but paying what would work out to be $40 including shipping for a half a metre of material (that originally was $6/metre) just wasn't worth it.
I ended up taking it to Spotlight and finding a matching plain fabric that worked for the ties. In the end, I actually think that was good anyway, since the hakama print combined with a yukata print can be a little overwhelming to look at; having the plain section in the middle to break it up is helpful.
Deciding to just sew it on the machine, this was honestly the quickest article of Japanese clothing I've ever made. The pleats were the hardest thing, but otherwise, just so so straightforward, barely any seams (literally side seams, hem and then the ties - so minimal!) and all straight lines. If I ever need a quick palet cleanser again, this would be the garment to make!
I did about 80% of it (everything except the final sew of the ties) in a night and then left it with some heavy books on it to really help the pleats set in. It lay on the floor like that for a few days before I got around to finishing the ties. When it's all folded (in traditional origami-like Japanese style) it looks pretty dang cool.I will say too, that a hakama is very "zero waste" sewing, since it was rectangles, the full width of the material, just cut to length and then sewn on to a waist band. Honestly, love this thing so much. The Ikea fabric was 100% cotton, but a heavier weight of fabric. Still, lighter than the wool one. I'd still like to make an even lighter cotton one, but for now, this is good.
Happy days!
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Bunting and Cake
Steve and I have entered the phase of our lives where the people around us are all having mile-stone birthdays. Turning 40 and stuff. I guess our turn is soon enough, but it was definitely a moment for consideration. 40? Really?
Anyway, as with any big party, while most other people are thinking "Who do I invite?" or "What do I wear?", I'm thinking: do we have bunting for this? (Well, firstly "What food will we make?" of course, but the bunting is a very close second.)
Sarah was turning 40 and obviously needed bunting for her party. Even though I'd made bunting for her 30th, they were going for a "fancy cocktail theme" this time, so wanted some matching bunting for it. I didn't promise, given the "middle of term" nature of the party, but when it came to it, I did find six hours to sit at the sewing machine and make a new batch of bunting to suit.
Bunting. So great.
Our local Spotlight was actually closing down (just relocating) so I managed to get a good bargain on the fabric which was good. When you are trying to make specific themed bunting, it's much harder to source the material from stuff you already have. In the end, I was going for a black/gold look and I think I achieved it?
Sarah liked it in any case.
Ironically, when I asked her what cake she wanted me to make, she asked for the same one she did for her 30th - the Black Forrest Cake. I didn't think to look for that recipe at the time, but I still managed to find and use the exact same one, but with a few adjustments to make it more "actual cake" and less "goopy mess of cream and cherries".
Happy Birthday older sister! I guess if you are now 40, I'll definitely be there soon. :P
Monday, September 16, 2024
The Flip Side
I feel like this should be a really excited kind of post, given that it is largely about Book Week and sewing, but alas, it is not. Sometimes I love sewing things. Most times, I could not be more excited when someone asks me to make a costume. But it turns out that there are times where I just couldn't care less; this is one of those times.
It's been a pretty up and down kind of year. I was plugging away at the start of Term 3 feeling actually ok about life, but when it came to making Rachel a Nanny Piggins costume for Book Week, I somehow found I had no real interest in it at all.
The costume itself was quite straight forward, and I picked up a blue business shirt to Frankenstine into a drop-waist dress from the op-shop easily enough ($7 - bargain!) But actually sewing it was... let's say different. I didn't put it off, I wasn't lacking motivation. I got the job done, but I had about zero interest or excitement for it. It was honestly so weird.
Rachel was so keen for it, since she loves Nanny Piggins, and I thought her enthusiasm would be infectious, but it was not. I made the little blue jacket out of some leftover fabric from the stash, so I didn't even have to brave a trip to Spotlight to make it happen, but I was so disconnected from sewing it that I didn't even bother to hem the dress or the jacket.
I didn't know what it was then, and I still don't know what it is now, but I was absolutely meh about the whole thing. Weird.
My take away from this is, that for everything in life, there is going to be a flip side. Times when you love it, and times when it's meh. And in those times, you just do it anyway.
So I did it anyway, and, even if I never finished the hems, Rachel does love it. I knew I'd be off to work early on the day of Book Week, so I got the girls into their costumes on the weekend before to take some photos. Rachel couldn't find her book on that day, but was happy to pose with the chocolate wrapper since Nanny Piggins always has three types of chocolate stashed in her bag.
On the actual day, not only did Rachel find her book, but also improvised pig ears out of balloons. Crazy child. Sophie went as Tilly from Tilly and the Book Wanderers, in a costume that I didn't sew anything for but did contribute to by making the bee necklace.
Saturday, August 24, 2024
Sweet Book Week Reflection
I would usually highlight a Japanese book for book week, but this year, I went in a saree. We have a large population of Indian students at our school and I wanted them to know I see them, and that their culture and language are respected and valued in our school too. The number of Indian parents who took the time to thank me for wearing their dress made the hours of practice putting it on worth it.
What I do at school as a teacher is more than just my passion for Japanese. How are you seeing and recognising the various languages and cultures represented in your school, workplace or community?
The book, Amma’s Sari by Sandhya Parappukkaran, also perfectly encapsulates why I wear my yukata and kimono etc, as often as I can. Such a simple yet moving book for people who are representing one culture while living in another.
My other Book Week posts will no doubt be late this year, since I've been swamped at work and quite overwhelmed with life at the moment, but reflecting on this beautiful saree and the choice I made to wear it gives me hope of a brighter future.
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Mass Production: Colouring Shorts
Sunday, August 04, 2024
Japanese Fabric Sewing Part 2
Continuing to catalogue my sewing adventures so I can look back and see the work I've done, here is another dress that I made with some Japanese fabric from our April Travels. I was (and still am) very actively trying to sew fabric that I buy, rather than let it languish in my "stash". And also trying to be intentional about what I buy, and how I make it, so that it does indeed become something great that I will wear again and again, and not just add to the current insurmountable waste problem the world has.
Small rant over, onto the dress.
Just using the self drafted pattern that I've used before here, this dress is fun and perfect for being a crazy Japanese teacher. (Side note; I honestly thought I had made more dresses with this pattern, but I think I'm remembering wrong... time to make another?)
I sewed it in less than a week so I could wear it for Bento Day at school, which means I must have made it in May. Productive month!
My only regret was that when I laid out the pattern, I didn't realise I could cut the pockets out of another section and end up with a strip of material for a waist tie/belt. As it is, I have the exceptional pockets and a slightly obscurely shaped leftover bit of fabric, which isn't the end of the world since I'll surely use it up for some other project. Slowly, slowly I get better about achieving minimal waste.