She Wears the Pants「気分はマニッシュ」is the first English-translated Japanese sewing book that I owned. All my other Japanese sewing books are in well, Japanese, and it's actually quite a challenge to try and 'decode' it. Heh. So it was really with ease when I wanted to pick my next (Japanese) sewing project from this book; I didn't have to worry that I didn't understand a particular term or piece of instruction. Heh.
The book is penned by Yuko Takada and it's meant for ladies who are opting for the boyfriend look. The clothes featured are simple and classy. And even though there are completely no frills, there's still a hint of feminine sophistication - which I really like. (:
There are 20 different projects altogether. At the end of the book, there's also a small section that shows you how to choose and make the patterns, and teaches some basic sewing techniques.
No. 05 Velour Blouse
This piece is a combination of velour and knit - 2 fabrics which I have yet to work with. I really like the sailor-looking collar though, which takes structure from fusible interfacing.
No.06 Square Top and No.07 Fleece Jacket
The square top is an interesting piece - it's basically a long rectangular piece of T-cloth (Google says that this is a plain-woven cotton fabric.) with 2 arm holes. I'll probably try making this during the holidays!
No.12 Draped Mini Dress and No. 14 Semi-flared Culottes
I love, LOVE culottes! This year alone, I have bought 4 and we haven't even hit June. Haha. It's a real pity that I can't wear them to work but anyway, the one above is stitched from corduroy and fusible interfacing.
No.16 Tippets
These tippets are adorable and dress up any outfit in any instant! They do look a tad more challenging though, because of all the curves.
No.18 Dotted Blouse and No.19 Semi-flared Culottes
Culottes again! This is the same pair as the aforementioned one. And a dotted blouse that's made from a fabric with a dotted pattern in 2 different colours.
No.20 Belt Stole
The book ends with a knitted belt that comes together with a big safety pin, which is a little strange but I suppose it can double up as a scarf as well.
The small little section on 'Basic and Techniques'.
The patterns which come in 2 double-sided sheets.
There's a good mix of simple and more challenging projects, and various fabrics are explored. Instructions are succinct but there were some tiny bits which beginner me needed help figuring out.
The patterns for all 20 projects are compiled in just 2 double-sided sheets, which makes tracing the patterns a tad difficult. So I use Pilot Frixion pens (Pictured right above.) to go over the patterns first. These pens' ink goes away with some heat from the hair dryer. (:
No.10 Pompom Blouse
For my 2nd 'major' sewing project, I tried making the Pompom Blouse, without the pompoms. Didn't quite like the idea of having little fluffy balls hanging around my neck. Heh. But I do like the strip of contrasting fabric!
This blouse is a lot simpler than the previous one, so it took a shorter time to complete. The most challenging bit was actually sewing the bottom seam (Haven't erased the chalk marks above!). I must have tried sewing it close to ten times. Haha. And the front neckline sags a little. I think it was meant to cater to the pompoms but because I don't have them, it looks a little strange. Heh. I'm probably gonna make a little fold in the centre or at the side. Still very not perfect but yay, I did it! :D
She Wears the Pants (ISBN No. : 978-4-8053-1326-8) will be available from May 12th onwards here.
