Well hello. Allow me to introduce myself.
Watashi no namae wa Adrienne desu.
I learned that in grade 8, and I just managed to pull it out of my bum for you. It’s “my name is Adrienne” in Japanese. Are you impressed yet? What does a girl have to do!?
So, fall apparently is a time for buying books. Lots and lots of books! I honestly don’t know what has come over me. Perhaps because my house was stripped of belongings for selling (which it did in six days, holla!) that it feels like I don’t own anything anymore? Regardless the rationalization, the transactions have been approved and they are all starting to arrive in the mail, which has been fun and exciting. All the books I’ve ordered fall into two categories, babies and fashion, and one really special one called “Teaching your Infant to Sew”. Kidding, gah!
Today I received a wonderful little mystery called Pattern Magic. It’s a Japanese pattern making book and it’s awesome! There has always been a kind of reverent mysticism around Japanese pattern making in my head. I didn’t know anything about it and often heard of it being spoken in hushed, in-the-know tones, and for good reason! It’s wacky and complicated! The whole book is in Japanese but the diagrams and photos are extensive enough that someone with a good knowledge of pattern drafting can easily figure them out. There are a few ideas in it that are really inspiring. Check these out-
pretty
These concepts lend themselves well to understated elegance. I like. Check out this collar thingy-
cool collar
It looks really neat but I think the actual sewing is more complicated than the pattern, which is really just two separate undercollars. It has kind of a tuxedo shirt vibe. Enjoyable. And lastly-
does anyone have a vase I can borrow?
There are a few weird ideas too, of course. Like the skirt above with the vase in the side. I don’t know why this would be necessary, or in what instance the detail would be anything other than awkward. I’m trying really hard to figure that out. Perhaps it’s a handy carrot picking skirt? Or maybe it’s more of a ‘welcome to my nightmare’ blackhole kind of thing.
I’m really stoked about my new book. Never in my life have I ever wished I knew Japanese more than I do right now.
One last picture, this one of my amazing party animal daughter- totally stoked about my new book too!
frat boy impression
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When she is released from the exersaucer stage, I think you are going to have lots to do.