The Road to Japanese Sewalong

裁縫テーマのインターネットの掲示板でやってる、日本の布や日本の洋裁本（実は海外で日本の洋裁本はとても人気）にインスピレーションされたものを作るという挑戦に参加しました。
最近、こういう目的をもってする裁縫が好きです。「いついつまでに、こういうテーマで」っていう囲いがあることで、意欲がわくんだな。

布は何年も前に日本に帰った時にトーカイで買った布。買ったはいいけど、どう使っていいか決められず、ずっと持ってて、今年こそは使うぞ、とわざわざイギリスまで持ってきた布です。

パターンは、茅木真知子さんのドレスアップ・ドレスダウンの本から、２ピースのトップとスカートを同じ布で縫ってワンピース風なセット。
本についている型紙はこんな風にいろんな型紙が一度にのっているので、別の紙に型紙を写すことから始めます。

すごい簡単な型紙なんだけど、首周りと肩幅が合わなくて、試し縫い３回した。
明日おでかけするのに着る予定。
姿見がないので、お風呂場で、お風呂の端に立っております。

I am participating in The Sewing Place's Japanese Sewalong, where you enter a sewing project inspired by Japanese fabric or pattern or whatever.

I find these sewalongs and sewing challenges and contest very inspiring. I like sewing with purpose, and the boundary of the challenge, time-wise and theme-wise, makes me a better sewer overall.

Anyway, I have had this cotton fabric that I bought in Japan for several years. As much as I liked the fabric, I didn't know how to use it and I was a bit scared to cut into it. When I was packing in January for my move to England, I packed this fabric, determined to use it while I was in England. So the sewalong was a perfect opportunity to use it.

It is a mid-weight cotton with horizontal raised ribs at somewhat random interval. It does not have a good drape but very soft to touch.

The pattern is from Simple Chic Dress Up Dress Down by Machiko Kayaki, the same book that I used for my bow collar blouse. It is a two-piece set: sleeveless top and pleated skirt.

Like I said, the challenge makes me a better sewer. Since I did not want to cut into the real fabric without assurance that fit would work, I made proper toile, three times.

I had enormous neck gaping, both front and back, and I had to do a lot of research to find out what's causing the gaping.

After the third toile, I moved on to the real deal.

I am going to Goodwood car show tomorrow and am planning to wear the set!