A few months back I saw this photo
and had to buy the book.
Since then the book has been suffering from abandonment issues on my bookshelf. Let's face it folks... that book is in japanese!! I know I knew about it when I ordered but I was in the first flushes of (delusional) love for that perfect top up there, you don't have to remind me... I just thought that maybe one day I'd open the book and a) I could miraculously read Japanese, or b) the book had translated itself overnight.
Disappointing neither of the two options came true. I was on my own.
On my own in a world of symbols and clothing patterns. In a world where I didn't even know if seams allowances were included or not... at times I felt like I was playing Master Mind... was I guessing right? did that character mean 'front' or 'back'? oh no, it can't 'mean 'back' it must be 'sleeve', that is a sleeve, isn't it?
I want my mum! (except that she wasn't exactly the right person to call... I'm still suffering from the aftermath of a banana yellow sweat pants and top combo she made me when I was 13... sigh. Italy is not always the capital of high fashion)
BUT, but sometimes the gods up there smile at us down here... and after much swearing/head scratching/trips up the stairs to the mirror... we have ... this:
And yes, the first 'yes!! it's finished!!' could have fitted a jamboree of bloggers and their stash... but I did eventually get there. It fits too, which is always a bonus for clothes:
not quite like the picture at the top... gotta get me some heavy linen... but hey, I can raise two arms and it's still ok!
It was a real learning experience and I do feel I need to get myself a 'dummy', it would make my life easier - even though I'd loose the aerobic exercise of going up and down the stairs after each seam!!
I'd like to try this pattern again, perhaps with short sleeves for the summer, in the meantime I'm enjoying it immensely!
Relief.
