Sew & Tell - Yufu's layered Skirts & Dollies

Yufu's little girls got a new addition to their wardrobe. She made these double layered skirts with the green tulip print and limey green solid. They are so springy! You know these girls love pink, and it is not that easy to convince them to wear some colors outside their comfort zone. But, the result is that they love it! A skirt for a little girl is super easy to make in general. Just fold fabric in half lengthwise facing the right sides together and sew to make a big tube. Then hem the top and bottom and put the elastic through the top casing. An instant skirt done in 30 minutes. You could add the band on the bottom, or add another layer underneath like these skirts. I promise you if you have a little girl, you might be making it in mass production like Yufu. Thanks always, Yufu, Saho, and Shino!

look at these dollie sisters! saho named them dollie saho and dollie shino :-)

yufu used this print...five other colors available...

the girls are happy together :-)

Sew & Tell - Sophie's Messenger Bag

Please meet Sophie. She is nine. Yes, I said she is nine. She first came to the shop about a month ago and picked Amy Butler's High Street Messenger Bag pattern. I asked her who would be sewing it as she was accompanied with two adult women, assuming one of them would be sewing it for her. She said, "Me!." Wow, do you know how challenging this pattern looks? A very intricate design. Intimidating enough for most grown-ups. But, she really made it. Yes, she has a teacher who helped her, but she amazed me for being such a fearless sewer. And the result is just jaw-dropping! She was very articulate about what she wants to be when she grows up. A designer! "Yes you can" Go Sophie! And thank you!

guess what...she made this dress too. no, it's not my fabric. it's marimekko!

a bird pattern from the dolce collection...pretty isn't it?

Happy Earth Day!

I can't keep track of dates...I thought tomorrow was Earth Day. Did you bring your own bag to a grocery store? I did. A very little thing I can do to be nice to the Earth. I met Tori of the Ecology of San Francisco the other day. She is an expert on this subject, and her organization is doing amazing things to the Earth, kids, and the communities. If you want to meet her and celebrate Earth Day with a bunch of earthy people, you should go to School of the Arts High School this Saturday. More details available here.

organic canvas restocked...
never mind the ouf of season deco...

Sew & Tell - Taye's Tunic

I know some people got inspired by my tunic, tunic, tunic, and finally someone came to share with us. Yay! Here is Taye's tunic from the mini dress/tunic pattern. She is always very very modest, and she knows that she chooses exactly what represents her personality. She is also very very very neat and follows exactly what I suggest. She's made a couple skirts before, but this tunic was kind a big thing for her. She came to ask me if she could make one with her old Kenmore without a zigzag function. I said yes! I told her about Flat Felled Seam, and she did it! Nice and neat! No fraying edges. She did an excellent job! She absolutely loves the result and is making another one as I type. Thank you, Taye!

Taye used the following print...

Sew & Tell - Elysha's Birdie Sling

For a mother with active children, a large bag is essential for everyday use. Birdie Sling is a perfect size for those who require to carry a lot. So Elysha made it with an orange floral print from the lovey Dolce collection. I love that she combined it with a brown circle print which is on the modern side. It kind of closed the sweetness of the floral print, and made a nice combo of modern and girly. It really looks great on her, don't you think? And see her mustard colored scarf? She appliqued a cute owl on one end. Too bad I didn't ask to take a shot of the owl...it was really cute. Thank you, Elysha!

Her kids love mom's bag too! Thanks Ellen and Leo!
Elysha used the following prints...

Sewing Book ISBN - 978-4-579-11277-7

Speaking of sewing books...this is what I picked up in Japan this time. I don't own a lot of sewing books. At least, not as many as I probably should as a fabric store owner. As you already know there are tons of beautiful sewing books in Japan. But sewing books are just a small fraction of what Japanese book stores offer. From sewing to chrocheting to decorating to food, there are so many beautiful books. It is just hard to pick. A bookstore is one of my favorite places to visit every time I go back, but this time I didn't really have time to hang out at the big book store near my father's house. I stopped by quickly and picked up this adorable book. And trust me it was hard to do. The designs are all simple, and I already have a few books that contain very similar patterns. And I hardly make things from those books I have purchased. But when I saw a girl in the green dot hooded cape, I just could not resist.

I love any shirt with a peter pan collar...

oh babushka girls...

oh little green dot riding hood...

Sew & Tell - Ryoko's Seahorse Shirt

Everyone is making little girl's clothes, and I love it! A newly sewing addict, Ryoko finished this adorable shirt for her friend's girl. You know 'the seahorse.' It's just so well known I don't even have to mention by whom this print is designed. The pattern is from a lovely Japanese book - ISBN978-4-579-11054-4. A simple A-line shirt is perfect for beginners. In fact, this is Ryoko's first clothing she's ever made. The shoulder ties look like long bunny ears when untied, and they are adjustable. No buttons. No zippers. It looks like a reversible with the orange dot print peeking out, but it is actually the facing matching with the pockets. You could make it reversible as Lisa's dress (see yesterday's post) if you want. Ryoko is happy with how it turned out, but only thing she would do differently next time is to skip fusing the facing. It's just not needed, she said. Thank you, Ryoko and keep sewing!

Sew & Tell - Lisa's Dress and Bloomers

We already know that Lotta Jansdotter is a great textile designer, and we love her simple modern designs, right? I know Lisa does. She made these toddler dress and bloomers for her niece from Lotta's Simple Sewing for Baby. They are adorable! I love the choice of fabrics. Simple and modern. And I have a tunic with the same print too :-) It was a great pattern, but sorry no longer available. You wonder why one dress and two pairs of bloomers? Well, she made the dress reversible with the blue and orange print on the other side. Clever, huh? The only thing we were wondering about the book is the dress size. In the book, the dress looks like it's for a two to three years old. But, the finished size here looks more like size one as a dress. The dress looks so much larger in the photo in the book. Or it's just our eyes? Well, it is cute. Very cute. She will modify the pattern a bit next time, she said. Thank you, Lisa!

Sew & Tell - Annette's Birdie Tote

This post is so overdue. Annette shared her happy birdie tote with us before I was away. You know this lovely birdie print that I used to carry in green and yellow? Somehow this print in pink had a silkier feel than the other two, and it is really nice. She used red dot oil cloth (coated cotton) for the bottom and handles with rick rack on the seam. It's such a happy tote! She has a little girl for whom she makes dresses a lot even though I've never seen any of them :-) Maybe next time, Annette? I'm just imagining her little girl in a dress with this birdie print and her walking with this tote side by side. Wouldn't it be cute? Thanks, Annette!

A Piece of Kyoto

okay taxes are done...phew!
looking back at the trip... yeah, i went to japan to make sure my dad was well taken care of. it is hard enough to take care of an aging parent who lives near by, but harder when he lives 5000 miles away. he needed a little medical attention, but the test result came out negative. a good news! not much vacationing for me, but one sunny day i went on a mellow back "road trip" on bike with my boy. as usual, it was nothing special. just enjoying "tiny happiness" along the way. this is my first time going back in spring. it was beautiful ! cherry blossoms were everywhere almost overwhelming. food was oh so good. i didn't even think about taking a picture of what i ate. who would remember taking a camera out of your bag when you are right in front of yummy food. and they were so reasonable. well, they are in the middle of deflation, so every price has been dropped. but, they keep its quality. it's a japanese thing :-)

a laid back back street day trip began...

visited mibu temple again...looking up the stone jizo tower...

praying for an academic success at the goddess of study again :-)

making a wish for peapod's success again at "mizukake jizo"

pour water over the jizo, and your wish will come true...

a group of stone buddhas...

among them is a stone buddha from oregon...

oh yeah it says so...

i love that there is always a tiny local shopping strip on a back street.
a meat shop name reads "joyous happy house." i love anything with "happy"

a traditional meat shop usually sells freshly fried items like croquette. a perfect snack...order and wait for a few minutes, a hearty finger snack is ready to bite...

good luck charms for merchants' success called "ebisu" on a bamboo branch at the meat shop. visiting a local "ebisu" shrine every february to return the branch and receive a new one for the new year is a traditional event for business owners of the western region of japan. As a daughter of a small business owner, i remember as a kid doing the ritual with my parents...it was always the coldest night of the year :-(

in the cell phone-age, a vintage phone booth surprised us on a quiet back street where only the locals go by...

mini shrines everywhere in the city...this one was between the two houses...

a traditional japanese print...traditional, yet it represents japanese modernism...

available at peapod...quantities limited...

with more young folks in sight, i could tell we were in a rather new touristic town around sanjo street. well, it was just an old town with traditional old houses when i lived there...now it is a mixture of "old" and "new" as an older couple walking by a vw camper cafe...

this restaurant is a perfect example of what i mean. a super traditional house called "machiya" converted into a trendy diner. we just stopped to take a shot. must be a famous spot for tourists. many of them with a guide book. "machiya" houses belonged to the merchants in the old days, but left out as life became modernized. but, they started to attract younger generations as the slow life movement began more than 10 years ago...today, from fancy italian to french to casual sweet shops are everywhere in the "machiya" style as east meets west...

otani honbyou, known as "otani-san" one of the powerful temples i visit every time i go back...

simplicity...

aesthetic...

tranquility...

yasaka shrine at the end of shijo street...

flamboyant...

what's the word for this? i just wanted to show a different kind of cherry blossoms :-)

vast...a buddha statue at ryozan kannon. i never knew this...

powerful...

serenity...

"the kyoto, japan"...

"the balcony" at kiyomizu temple, one of the most famous places in japan known as "kiyomizu no butai"...

kyoto tower zoomed in from "the balcony"...

spring weather was unpredictable...chilly and gray one day...

warm and sunny another day...perfect for a cherry blossom picnic called "hanami" viewing flowers in literal translation...

simply pretty...

pretty kimono prints...available at peapod...quantities limited.