What could it be?! It is probably obvious. This project is really about the fabric, Muddy Works by Tomotake for Kokka. A lovely double gauze. It seems to be offered exclusively at Okadaya and a handful of other shops in Japan. I wish I’d bought more.
I made this shirt and I don’t love it.
I loved making it, but wearing it is another story. This is one of my hesitations with sewing clothes — what if you spend all that time making something, and in the end it’s not meant to be? I know that alterations can help, and with experience I will hopefully learn how a garment is constructed and can change it to fit my shape. But until then, I have this shirt.
It’s not terrible. I put it on and I still smiled. After this photo was taken I was going to change into something else, but forgot and had to dash off to class. Both me and the shirt survived.
This was actually a practice shirt for some lovely Nani iro flannel I bought from Miss Matatabi, a fabric seller here in Japan. This practice fabric is some cotton I bought for cheap in Fabric Town, only because it has sneaky huntsman.
The pattern is Wiksten Tova, and the fit wasn’t quite right for me. It is a perfectly decent pattern with easy-to-follow instructions, but I learned that this style of shirt isn’t for me. I might be the only person in sewing-blog land to say that. Sorry everyone out there. Maybe I’ll try it again someday, but I’ll be ready to try some alterations. It’s not you Tova, it’s me. Let’s just be friends.
Have any of you made this shirt? Did you alter the pattern? I’m curious to hear!
Does everyone know how much a necktie costs in a Tokyo department store? Let me help you – about ￥10,000, which translates to USD $127. For a basic, silk-ish boring striped necktie.
I haven’t bought my husband a new necktie in years because I couldn’t stomach paying that price for something I knew I had the skills and resources to make. This meant he had no neckties. I experimented with making ties using Liberty of London cottons, but the ties proved too flimsy. A good tie needs some heft, and the fusible interfacing in these made them more like wispy bits of cardboard hanging from a shirt. Recently, I tried again with wool.
The thicker wool and sew-in interfacing allow these ties to swing freely. Because we know men like their accessories to swing freely. I altered Burda pattern 3403 to create a skinny 2 1/2″ tie rather than the fat 4″ as instructed. The fabric is a Pendleton plaid with cotton shirting lining, and cashmere blend herringbone lined in red silk.
With more practice I think I’ll be able to master better points. More practice means more ties, and a way to lure someone into fabric stores with me.
During this photo-op Dan informed me he would never wear this outfit in public. He would obviously need to wear a suit jacket with a tie. Such discerning taste.
And yes, that is a baseball bat tie clip.
Saké Puppets 