My family went downtown today to run some errands and while at Kinokuniya (Ngee Ann City), I picked up two Japanese sewing books I couldn’t resist. This is my first time buying Japanese sewing books though I have been checking them out on etsy.
The first book entitled ‘Les couleurs francaises’ is a japanese sewing book for mum/daughter outfits (ISBN 9784579112791) which I mentioned here. It is by Yoshiko Tsukiori, who also authored ‘Retrospective is Stylish’, a sewing book I have been trying to get a copy of only to discover that it is out of print. The second book ‘Feminine Wardrobe’ (ISBN 9784579112906) by Jinko Matsumoto is themed around town, party and resort wear for ladies. I didn’t expect the bookshop here to carry so many of these books and even the very recent ones! When I realized that they were actually cheaper than on etsy, I went straight to the cashier. I saved around US$7 per book from shipping! Yay! More importantly, I get to browse through the books before buying.
These were the photos that induced me to decide on these two books. The outfits I am so tempted to sew from ‘Les couleurs francaises’ include these dresses featured on the book’s cover,
this blouse and pants ensemble,
these matching blouses for mum & daughter,
Oh! Did I also mention that there are a total of 26 outfits you can create from the full scale patterns and instructions? Though all the text are in Japanese, the illustrations are pretty detailed. Similarly, there are 19 outfits to create in ‘Feminine Wardrobe’, including, this sweet blouse,
this winged sleeve dress,
this one-sided ribbon camisole,
and this ribbon collar blouse (the ribbon can be tied front or back).
Great outfits for summer, don’t you think? Have a great weekend everyone!
The Sew Convert 