I did not blog here once last year 😂 it's just so much easier microblogging on insta!

I'm joining in on the #sewjapaneseinjanuary hosted by blogless anna (who has a blog lmao) + crafty jane makes on instagram. It encourages you to bust open your japanese sewing books (if you have any) and it definitely inspired me to crack mine open! I only have one, but i adore pouring through it. It's pretty old but the styles are timeless and the little outfits are so cute. You can see a full review of the book over here on Japanese Sewing Books (a number one resource in sewing from them, too!)

I think i bought this one from eBay a decade ago, to be honest, i think eddie was a tiny baby when the japanese sewing book craze hit my radar. Nova, my baby, is now in the biggest size that this book offers so it's time to crack on and make some things from it for him!

Sewing from a japanese book can be intimidating if you don't know any japanese! There are some amazing resources out there, though, like the Japanese Sewing Books site i linked above. Yifarn has a guide on how to sew from japanese sewing books as well as some translations for some of the commonly used words (like front, bodice, size etc!). I printed the translations out and have them in the book so i can refer to them when i need to.

The pattern pages look like a roadmap, and remind me of when my mum would sew from the Burda pattern books or TopKids when i was a kid! I'm not a stranger to this style of patterns but it does make it even more challenges when my japanese is limited (i can recognise and read hiragana + very limited kanji but i don't know what it means ahha)

I decided on this one at the beginning of the book, a cute little pullover that i did sew for Eddie once but it didn't work out so great. I think i used a fabric that was too thin and i forgot to add the seam allowance (seam allowance is NOT included in these patterns!). I love the little neckline and the pocket at the back. I don't think the pocket is useful for anything but it's a cute little feature anyway. Maybe nova can carry my snacks? 

I used a BEAUTIFUL knit from Missy Rose, it's the knit 220 in a pretty galaxy print and it's so luxe and soft, like butter. I've had it over a year i'd say, it's just so nice and i couldn't find a worthy project to cut into it. I am thinking of making some leggings though. I don't wear leggings that much these days (just plain black ones for work!) but these would be comfy and pretty work out leggings maybe?