Inspired by...Japanese Dress Patterns

This post is dedicated to all the crafters who are amazed, like I am, by the ingenuity of the Japanese pattern book! During my first visit to Japan I was pleased to discover Japanese craft books. Even though the books are typically not in English, they are beautifully illustrated and full of inspiring photographs. I am addicted to these books! When I visit a book store, I find myself heading straight to the crafting section and immediately dive into the crafty-goodness. These books are so inspiring that I feel like I am ready to create my own wardrobe and try out for Project Runway (of course, I'll wow the judges!) just as soon as I purchase this book! And attempt to translate the text into English!


So you can understand why I was thrilled to read the post at Sew Daily announcing the release of an English translation of I Am Cute Dresses, a book of 25 dress patterns by Sato Watanabe.


I am Cute Dresses Cover



I am Sassy Sundress

 This book is full of beautiful, yet simple to make dress patterns.    
Usually Japanese pattern book include all the pattern pieces in the back of the book. This book is different because you actually draft your own pattern so that each garment is custom fitted to your measurements. Each dress pattern is designed to be easy to sew with minimum tailoring required.


If you want like the simple aesthetic of Japanese sewing but are intimidated by the idea of drafting your own patterns, you might prefer Simple Modern Sewing: 8 Basic Patterns to Create 25 Favorite Garments by Shufu-to-Seikatsusha. This book is available for pre-order and should be released on 11/07/2011.


Simple Modern Sewing Cover

This book uses 8 different  pattern pieces that are mixed and matched to create 25 different garments. All of the pieces are including in the back of the book. This book, like I am Cute Dresses, is in English. Since I live in Japan it is pretty much impossible to find an English version of any craft books. I am still working my way through my first book of patterns and I have to admit that I was intimidated by a huge piece of paper that looked something like this...

 

Pattern Image for PurlBee.com

While searching online for advice, I found this wonderful tutorial at The Purl Bee. Things to keep in mind: You will need to trace your pattern into another piece of paper. Also, these pattern usually do not include a seem allowance, so you will need to add this to your draft. Japanese pattern tend to run small so you may want to make a muslin copy before you cut out the pattern using your best fabric.


Have you had any experience with Japanese patterns? How did you "make it work"?