Tuesday 17 November 2015

Japanese Sewing Week - Pyjamas, a skirt and a GIVEAWAY

Konnichiwa! And welcome to Day 2 of the inaugural Japanese Sewing Week.


I had just given my Japanese sewing books a good working over for Kid's Clothes Week (here, here and here) when the call went out to join a Japanese Sewing Week. Never one to let life get in the way of sewing I was IN!

If you're new to my blog then hello. I use this space to document what I've made - hopefully in order to prevent ever making the same mistakes twice (you can guess how well that works). You may choose to skip to the giveaway at the end, just look at the pictures or read every word. Mostly I stick to sewing talk but sometimes get distracted by native Australian fowl, or some such....


My daughter has been wanting a "real, proper nightie" for some time now. I have a strong pyjama making history (this being my 18th pair) but never yet, a nightie. And still, I haven't sewn a nightie, as these are, you guessed correctly, pyjamas. :)

But they're white and lacy and she adores them. (to the point of constantly rolling around or prancing and generally making any decent photography almost impossible!)


The pattern is pattern 19 from Girl's Life by Mayumi Yamagata (ebay link) published by Bunka Books. I picked up my copy in a local secondhand bookshop when it was closing down.

The patterns are for girls from size 100cm to 150cm but each pattern only covers the smaller or larger half of the size range. There are quite a few patterns that would make fantastic school uniform dresses, a couple of pretty dresses, a pair of shorts, some overall shorts and a jacket. And, of course, the nightie and pyjamas. The nightie was in the larger size range, so the pyjamas were chosen instead. I've made size 110cm for my 4&3/4 year old.


This pattern sheet caused me to pause... It's organised by size rather than pattern. So first, you work out which are the markings for the size you want to make. Then you find the mass of those type of lines. This is the size you want, but every pattern in the book is there, one on top of the other. The individual patterns are numbered along each line, so you need to do a sort of dot-to-dot to trace off the correct pattern. Of course don't forget to add seam allowances.


The pintucks are created on the fabric first and then the front of the blouse is cut from the pintucked fabric. I misread the diagrams and didn't add the required 1cm seam allowance to the front neckline. Oops. It's not entirely clear from the cutting diagram, but you DO need to add a seam allowance to the front neckline.

My other gaff was in not realising that the notions called for 1cm lace all around, EXCEPT for those bits at each side of the pintucks. They should have been a smaller, half centimetre lace. That meant I ran out of 1cm lace just shy of the second trouser leg. As the law of Blog Tour Sewing would have it, the extra lace I bought doesn't quite match the original. You wouldn't have noticed, but like I said, I confess in order to try not to make the same mistakes twice!


The pyjama pants have a nice, comfy waistband incorporating two channels for 5mm (1/4inch) elastic. No idea why that feels much nicer but it does.


Now you can reach out to try and win some fabulous prizes through the Rafflecopter widget below. Three lucky winners will receive either 2 japanese sewing books from Tuttle Publishing or a $40 fabric voucher from Urban Sew. Great sewing books and gorgeous fabrics! Go for it.




This should be the point where I stop, and direct you to another participating blog. However, just as I was sewing the last hem of these pyjamas there was an announcement that blog participants who sewed from a Tuttle publishing book could be in the running for a prize for themselves.

Ok life, step aside again, there's more sewing to be done!


In almost no time, this darling little skirt sewed itself together. It's pattern C (double layered skirt) from Sew Sweet - Handmade Clothes for Girls by Yuki Araki. I'm a huge fan of Yuki Araki's clothes designs for girls, having a few of her other books. They are always such lovely designs and very nicely fitted. This is the only book of hers that I have in English (thank you Tuttle!) and I enjoy reading the notes about fit, styling and her own daughters that are scattered throughout the book.


It's a simple skirt, being two rectangles gathered to a waistband. My original intention had been to put the patterned skirt under the plain skirt, but when I'm trying to sew and ignore demands (like kindy pick up time) I am prone to errors. Still, we both like it better this way!

I created my "ribbon" using some satin turned into a narrow tube. By using lightweight fabrics for the skirt I could do french seams for the side seams and fully enclose the waistband seams so it's nice and clean on the insides.


She wasn't drawing on my pattern books, but writing me teeny, tiny notes in her fairy sized notebook.

That must be enough from me! Check out today's other Japanese Sewing Week participants:


If you sew anything from a Japanese Sewing book then join in the party by using the hashtag #japanesesewingweek. And don't forget to check the Japanese Sewing Week roll call over at Made by Sara for each day's links.
Skirt: pattern "c" Sew Sweet, size 110cm, Cotton print from The Fabric Store, mystery pink polycotton from the stash, satin bias trim for ribbon.

54 comments:

  1. I love the pyjamas! So sweet! :)

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  2. Wow! What a beautiful pyjama. I want one for myself. :)

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    1. They do look comfy don't they. We're heading into summer which is always hot for sleeping, so I think she'll love them!

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  3. Wow, do you sleep?? Love the pyjamas so much, and I totally would not have noticed the lace! ;) I like the skirt a lot, too. It is another one on my ever-growing to-sew list. Better get sewing!

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    1. Oh Emi, not enough! I was so pleased I had this blog tour sewing all wrapped up and I might have actually groaned when I saw the Tuttle prize dangled like a carrot. Of course I couldn't help myself!

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  4. Oh! Who wouldn't want something so precious to sleep in!?! Lovely work.

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  5. Those PJ's are so pretty. Shame they can't be warn outdoors too ;-)

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    1. I've always wondered how to distinguish a "nightie" from a "dress". I think the answer is the white/lacy is only for sleeping in! No climbing trees in your pyjamas kiddo! :)

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  6. these are too cute. I am always on the look out for patterns for the traditional nightie but that is just for me!

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    1. THanks Sarah. you know any blouse with a yoke will look like a nightie if you lengthen it and sew it in white! - or at least that's what I think whenever I wear my white blouse with a yoke. :)

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  7. Hello from Finland :). First time here. I love love love the pyjamas, it's exactly the style I would want my girls to use in the nights but sometimes they just prefer t-shirts ;).The other oufit is cute too. I have the same book and I have made a couple of dresses, the hat and a jacket from it. Maybe I could show at least some of them on my Instagram account later this week :)

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    1. Hi Krista, thanks for coming by all the way from Finland! Good to know the Tuttle book has proven to be a good one, I've only just opened it...

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  8. Ahhh, my girls would loooove pajamas (in plural?) like that too. She looks adorable! And way to go to whip up another item to enter the competition. Good luck!

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    1. If only some of the dresses I'd made had been received so well! :) THanks!

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  9. This is the most adorable pyjama!! Love it :-)

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  10. Love both pieces so much - the pajamas is adorable - the top is absolutely perfect: tiny lace and the pintucks are among my favorite things ;) and the skirt looks so cute on her!
    Also, I strongly believe sleeping is highly overrated - especially when we could be sewing <3

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    1. We're lace and pintuck twins this week!
      I can forgo sleep for sewing, but only for a few nights per week. :) I'm at my limit about now!

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  11. Beautiful PJs (and skirt too) - I do love white on little kids, and now that I think about it, nighttime is the perfect time to wear it. And the lace is a girlish touch guaranteed to win approval! You get extra points for conquering what sounds like a fiendishly complicated pattern sheet, too :)

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    1. Thanks Marisa. I'd never seen a pattern sheet organised that way. My problem is my stubborn refusal to ever mark a book. none of that highlighting the line you want stuff for me!
      Yep, white for the bedroom is alright on little girls. Nowhere else. Although it's my laundry skills that are more likely to be the ruin of these pyjamas! :) (the other reason for choosing a polycotton over a pure cotton. The first being no need to iron!)

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  12. Oh my goodness I want these for ME! Those are beautiful, very nicely done :)

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  13. I just love the style of these Japanese books! Those pjs are so sweet! :)

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    1. Don't they make everything look so lovely?! I always feel like I need to buy an antique watering can or some such prop for the photoshoot! :)

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  14. The PJ's are gorgeous - I'd love a pair!! I'd happily wear the skirt too. Either I'm way too in touch with my inner child or they are just great patterns.
    Abbe

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    1. It could be cute (or odd). :)
      Thanks for the lovely compliment.

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  15. Absolutely love those pajamas! Beautiful! <3 And the skirt is super cute too, way to go for sewing a second piece. :)

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    1. THank you. If only I'd been tardy and not started until the last minute!

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  16. Adorable and so sweet! My little gal loves her nightgowns too, and she's been growing out of them all lately. Poor kid.

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    1. Thanks Kristin. The bigger nightie version of this pattern reminded me of the Oliver +S Family Reunion dress. That could make a cute bigger nightie, although I don't think nighties/pyjamas should take so much effort to make, only to never be seen!

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  17. Both the top and skirt look great. The skirt is super cute for being such a simple (and it sounds like it quick sew)

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    1. It is a quick sew. highly recommended by me and my daughter!

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  18. Hello, I'm new at your blog, just loved to read this post and curious to see the rest of it.
    Absolutely love the pyjamas you made, such lovely details. Made me Sant to make onde too.
    By the way, is that book translated to English? Seems crazy just to fins out which pattern is the onde you want 😐
    And, nice to meet you!

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    1. HI Tania, thanks for coming by! The Girl's Life book is only available in Japanese, but as with all of these books the picture diagrams are sufficient to work out what to do. Although you need the right amount of the right lace as I discovered!
      The second book, from Tuttle, is in English.

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  20. Oh my gosh. I love those pajamas. And the pintucks--they are perfect. But that second photo in her new skirt is priceless. She looks lovely. I had no clue about this Japanese sewing week until I found this right now...that sounds like so much fun.

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    1. Thanks Asmita. There's a facebook group that you can ask to join, which is where the initial planning of this week came about - search for Japanese Sewing Patterns. You can link up any Japanese sewing you've done this year at Sara's introductory blog post.

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  21. Those PJ's are just the cutest and the skirt isn't far behind.

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  22. Oh my! Those PJs are divine! It's SO similar to a nightie that my wee girl is wearing at present. A hand me down in a bag of clothes sent my way. Glad to get the heads up on a pattern I can use when time comes to replace it! 😀
    & LOVE a lady-lady bustle skirt.

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    1. Is that what it's called? I'd wondered if there was an official style name for a skirt like that one. Hope you can get the Girl's Life book (if you don't have it already) for sewing sleepwear in the future!

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    2. Me too! Tho I doubt I'll be just making sleepwear. :)

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  23. I have been waiting to see the jammies. Isn't it every girl's dream! Good thing life stood aside to give you an opportunity to make these gorgeous things :) Do you mean you got the first book from a second hand book shop? We have a couple of very decent secondhnd book shops in Bendigo. I never thought to check if they had sewing books! Dough!

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    1. I think they are dream girl pyjamas, and with no Disney character print to make them so! The second hand bookshop was a Japanese bookshop. An oddity in our largely vietnamese/african/mediterranean cultural melting pot, but I loved that it was there.

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  24. 18 pajamas! That is really impressive! Although, come to think of it, I might be right about there myself! The nightgown is so sweet! And I am with Emi - you are one prolific sewer!

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    1. I don't think I've ever had pyjamas rejected, maybe that's why I'm happy to make them. It's been a busy month for sure!

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  25. Pretty pintucks. I love how it looks so timeless. Traditional yet totally wearable. X

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    1. Thanks Sarah, they are nicely "vintage" but without being all old and yellow looking! :)

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  26. Ah, pintucks and lace - so perfectly sweet and classic! My daughter has also requested a nightie, yet somehow I keep making pyjamas too:)

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  27. I love that top, perfect for QLD summer!

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