Pattern Magic 3 Archives - Page 2 of 2

Top; Gone a bit Batty

01/02/2012 7:04 am \ 23 Comments \ Carolyn

My latest project. Do you like the name? I know, right? I could get a job at Anthropologie, thinking up delightfully poetic tag-lines for the clothing, for sure. I am sometimes capable of romanticism, and dreaming up evocative monikers, conjuring up a magical wonderland way of thinking and engaging the senses in a positive way. I could have gone with something along the lines of Black Magic, or Chocolate Swirl or Liquorice Twist. Nicer, yes? But a twisted sense of humour prevents me from behaving all “delightful” all the time.
Besides, have a look at it, spread out on the lawn, recovering from its dye-job. Decidedly bat-like, I think.

So, this is one variant of the design from p47 of Pattern Magic 3, by Tomoko Nakamichi. Like much of Pattern Magic 3 so far, I thought this a very easy project. My thoughts with this one, a very drape-y knit is essential to allow the pointy bits to flop down into each other attractively; and when you put it on you have to pull and fold the layers to sit just so or it can look a bit weird.
Side views:

It started out its life this colour below, and then subjected to 1/4 tsp iDye, in Brown. I initially bought 2m of this brilliant blue fabric which as well as being very cheap had the added advantages of being very light, very drape-y and 100% cotton. However I only have room in my life for one bright blue top and so dyeing was always on the cards for anything made out of the leftovers.

And yes, I have been doing a lot of dyeing lately. Actually, to say I have run a dyeing marathon would be no exaggeration. I’ve been on a fair dinkum dyeing bender!!
But results of the exciting dye-fest will have to wait until pictorial evidence has been collected. You have been warned…
I finished the neckline and armholes by simple turning under the raw edge and topstitching with a twin needle. This is a great and very easy finish for knits, not as polished a finish as the banded edge, but the perfect choice for something like this top where bands would have visually been too much detail on a top that is already chocka with textural detail. Those little shark fins at the hips are as much detail as the eye can take in my opinion, and the plainer the rest of the garment the better.

Details:
Top; from Pattern Magic 3 by Tomoko Nakamichi, bright cobalt blue cotton jersey dyed with iDye in Brown
Shorts; modified Burda 7723, of yellow embroidered cotton, details here
Sandals; Misano, from MarieClaire shoes

Over-exposed and super highlight-ed to show up the folds better… and doesn’t this make the sky look amaaazing??

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: daily outfit, dyeing, Pattern Magic 3, top

Blue bunches top; 6 different ways

15/12/2011 8:01 am \ 16 Comments \ Carolyn

I thought this little top, from p58 of “Pattern Magic 3” by Tomoko Nakamichi (seen first here), might be a versatile little thing from the very first, since I tried wearing it both frontwards and backwards and it looked equally OK both ways… And then I started playing around with it and found that it could literally be worn in six different ways, and I don’t just mean jamming it randomly into six different outfits! although I did put together six different outfits too…. just because it is fun, y’know 🙂

At left; the top worn in its intended form as it appears in the pattern book, that is with the round neck and ties (or “bunches” as I think of them) at the front, and the V-neck at the back…… And at right I am wearing it back-to-front and with the V-neck at the front and the ties hanging down at the back. Oh, I know the details are covered up some in this picture but well I had to throw in just one slightly winter-y option into the mix! And really I’m just trying to show how the top is all-seasonal, layering with light cardis during the cooler months too… (if you want to see this “way” fully and without a scarf and cardi over the top it is shown better here)

Also, the bits that form the “bunches” can be taken out and folded down against the body, and then the top can be tucked into a high-waisted garment. This way it just looks like an ordinary little plain tank top. I dunno if it is just me but I do think the round-neck at the front (at left) is a tad more dressy while the V-neck looks more casual.

Lastly, those “bunch bits” can be left loose and free, and the top takes on even more different and interesting shapes. Again, I think the V-neck and the longer length at the front (on the right) is somehow a more casual look.

Interesting, huh? Who would have thought that one little top could work in so many ways?
Oh, what am I wearing today? I am wearing the fifth outfit; “all out” and with the round neck and shorter length at the front (just above, and on the left) I reckon it looks pretty funky like this too…
Which “way” do you like the best?

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: 6 different ways, Pattern Magic 3, top

Crescent moon

22/11/2011 3:51 am \ 26 Comments \ Carolyn

Now my new little top here is a very quick and easy, yet still interesting design. And like all the designs from the Pattern Magic series; very very clever too, and another example of a “why hasn’t anyone thought of this before” sort of a garment. This one from Pattern Magic 3, by Tomoko Nakamichi.
The names of the designs are so interesting, are they not? Some of them are so full of imagery and poetry. Like this one for instance. When the garment is laid flat you can see at once the inspiration for its moniker. Crescent moon. How clever and beautiful. Just typical of Japanese design and their artistic sensibility towards shapes and images in nature; a concept I really relate to.
For this I used some more of the leftover jersey scraps from the bundle given to me by my friend C, from her late mother’s stash. I had to cut and join the darker blue fabric to get a piece large enough, but that is OK since it is the bottom layer and the seam just looks like an underarm side seam whilst you are wearing it. To finish; the raw edges were overlocked, turned under once, and topstitched down from the outside.
I love the way that when you are wearing it, from the front it just looks like you are wearing a rather ordinary cropped little Tshirt, with maybe just the stripe as its lone interesting feature. However as one turns around, it transpires one is wearing an elegant little draped cape, with a flattering, widely scooped back neckline.
And since capes are “in”, albeit for the northern autumn/winter scene right now, I’m serendipitously fashionable too. In a summery southern hemisphere sort of a way…
Rather chic, yes?

Details:
Top; from Pattern Magic 3 by Tomoko Nakamichi, two different colours of cotton jersey scraps
Shorts; Burda 7723, white linen, details here
Camisole (underneath); Country Road
Thongs; Mountain Designs

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: daily outfit, Pattern Magic 3, Sienna, top

Blue bunches

05/11/2011 7:23 am \ 26 Comments \ Carolyn

Next up in my Japanese pattern book experiments…
When I saw this top in Pattern Magic 3, by Tomoko Nakamichi, I nicknamed it the “bunches” top. Y’know because the other one on this same page was the “ponytail” top (not its real name, btw) Well this one had two fabric thingies bursting out of each side of the self-fabric scrunchie thingy (it’s OK, I know what I’m talking about) so since we used to call this hairstyle “bunches” when I was in primary school then that is what I have dubbed this top. In actuality, it has the same name as the ponytail top, (thread escaping loophole, thank you to Yoshimi, Janine and KD!) version A
But I have to admit the final result is actually not super “bunch”-y but is just sort of “knot”-y. Even verging on “bow”-y. This is because of my choice of fabric, a rather fine and light cotton knit and with not as much body as the green cotton jersey I used for the ponytail top. So in my version here, that long casing for the bunches hasn’t held its shape at all but just collapses in on itself. I thought that the lighter fabric would be better, but now I see that the thicker fabric did give a better structural result. Don’t worry, I will still be wearing this top a whole bunch (hehe) this summer; its bright bright ultramarine blue shade is very vivid and therefore so very now. Very colour-blocking… See that, how I manage to slip trendy buzzwords like colour-blocking in to my posts like that, hmmm? Oooh, I’m so with-it… not! But I do newly love this intense colour. I confess I’m seriously craving shoes in this colour…
I think it can be worn successfully either way. With the bunches at the back you get some interest at the back of the outfit, which is nice. It’s noice it’s different it’s unusual… * Often in an outfit there is nothing interesting to look at from the back view. Something else I’ve discovered since I started taking pictures of my clothes…
I think I like better it with the bunches at the back. What do you think?

bunches; source

* an Aussie in-joke

Details:
Top; drafted from Pattern Magic 3, by Tomoko Nakamichi, made of lightweight cotton jersey knit
Skirt; my own modifications of Vogue 8363, burnt orange raw silk, details here, and this skirt styled in 6 different ways here
Sandals: la soffitadi Gilde, from Zomp shoes

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: daily outfit, Pattern Magic 3, top

Pattern Magic 3; ponytail top B

22/10/2011 5:49 am \ 37 Comments \ Carolyn

I’ve made an interesting little top…
This from the marvellous book Pattern Magic 3 by Tomoko Nakamichi. I’ve nicknamed it my “ponytail” top (version B), because of the way the pieces are pulled together, bunched up and held together with a sort of self-scrunchie and flow out of the other end like a girl’s ponytail. As for its real name… well my husband and I have seriously spent the last Half. An. Hour; pouring over Japanese character translations and come up with “pulling hair through a hole”. Could be completely wrong, but just maaaybe my nickname might be vaguely related to its true name bestowed by its Japanese designer? If somebody actually knows and could correct my bad translation then that would be super wonderful, hehe.
So, on the down side I think I am a failure at Japanese :(((
But on the bright side I don’t think my new top is a failure 🙂
Pretty cool, no? It has a wide, slightly cowled neckline which is quiiiite nice, but which is a wee bit flappy on my figure, so I just fold that down into the inside and it looks pretty good like that. I considered stitching it down to the inside, but decided that isn’t really necessary as it sits down nicely all by itself.
All the seams are stitched, then the raw edges overlocked together to finish. The raw edges of the hems, armholes and neckline were overlocked, then the allowances turned under once and topstitched in place. Simple dimple!
I used some green cotton jersey that has been in my stash for yonks, initially intended for some St Patrick’s Day thing which never got made. And I still have a bit left over which I am in the process of transforming into a little cardi…

Top; this is one of the designs on p58 of Pattern Magic 3, by Tomoko Nakamichi, made of green cotton jersey
Skirt; Vogue 1023, turquoise synthetic stuff, details here, and this skirt styled in 6 different ways here
Sandals; lasoffitada Gilde, from Zomp shoes

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: daily outfit, Pattern Magic 3, top

Pattern Magic 3; dress with 4 sleeves

05/10/2011 1:20 pm \ 23 Comments \ Carolyn

… aka; the design on page 18. I’m sorry I don’t know the correct English translation of its name; but it is the design I picked as my favourite from the very first flick through of this marvellous book. I apologise for the photo overload, like seriously! Sooo many photos sorry, and particularly after my oft-repeated rant about the vanity of zillions of photos of the same blinking outfit, in one post…. yikes. But this dress has several unusual little features, creating lots of different views that all needed picturing to appreciate them. I tried to keep the numbers down, honestly. The thing is; innovative fashion sometimes needs to be seen from lots of angles in order to appreciate all the little extras. So that makes it all OK now, yah? Still friends…?
And now guess what… this is the same dress….!

No, I’m not kidding… the back views…

still the same dress…

It is very easy to draft and make up, and I used a medium-weight cotton jersey. I fiddled about a bit with the shaping to get a more shapely middle section, because the dress as it is is rather sacklike. Oh, OK then, it is still pretty sacklike. My husband commented I looked “choir-y”. Thanks, sweetie. Actually, I’m very happy to add another costume-y thing into my wardrobe. Terri commented on my Futuristic Nun dress that she like the idea of me as a nun, and I have to secretly admit that I like the idea of myself as a nun too.. and a choirboy sounds like a pretty good sartorial aspiration too, methinks.
I also added length, which eventually got shaved off again, piecemeal. It was a toss-up between having an extremely loooong dress when worn one way, and a pretty short dress when worn the other way. I strived for the best compromise I could… and I think I can still wear this decently the short way, sans tights.

So, it has three openings at the top, which could be either sleeves or a neck-hole, whichever you prefer. These are funnel shaped.. and I decided to leave the edges raw here. Partially because my fabric was a little thicker than ideal, and to hem would have added some bulk and made the edges more defined. I decided this was not what I wanted here. When these sleeves/neckholes are acting as a scarf, you really want the whole area to be quite floppy and soft, and if I had hemmed or faced these areas they would have lost this quality… The lower edge is similarly left raw.
There are two additional holes at mid hip height. When you are wearing the dress at full length, they appear as sort of pocketholes, but without the actual pockets. So, you will need to wear either tights underneath the dress, as I have here, or a long camisole. That is unless you like for your undies to be on display… but hey, nobody’s judging … much.

When you use these holes as armholes, this is when the whole top bit becomes a kind of scarf. Pretty cool, huh? These lower holes needed proper edging, so I finished them with a narrow band overlocked in a ring, folded right sides together along the long midline, and then simply overlocked in place.

more side views…

And kbenco requested a view of the heel of Mum’s socks; so here it is. The stripes join in a kind of star design; yup, they are pretty clever, yes?

Details:
Dress; the design on p18, drafted from the Japanese pattern book Pattern Magic 3, by Tomoko Nakamichi; ivory cotton jersey
Tights; my own design; red cotton jersey here, my tutorial for drafting your own custom fit tights here
Socks; handknit by my mother, here

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged: dress, Pattern Magic 3

The Futuristic Nun

29/09/2011 1:57 pm \ 13 Comments \ Carolyn

Self-stitched September, the penultimate day!!
Some thoughts on the day; lovely weather, things are warming up beautifully around here! Walking this morning was so lovely, the highlight of my day. Apart from that a fairly uneventful schedule; office work, cooking, blah blah blah. Oh I forgot, I have been sewing! And I have a couple of new things to show off now!! But I’ll hold off until after self-stitched September is over. I’ll write more about my thoughts on the challenge this time around, tomorrow… when it is actually over (tiny yay!! with a self high-five that I’ve almost finished)
My dress; I know it’s kind of an unusual one… I made it a few years ago inspired by the fabric. I’ve always loved the contrast between the heavy shimmer-y grey/purple fabric and the flimsy white fabric that is a pseudo petticoat. Together they reminded me somehow of a nun’s robe. Soon after finishing it I read a report about a runway show (I think it might have been Rick Owens, or Helmut Lang, someone like that??) and the journalist described the parade as like being confronted by an army of futuristic nuns stomping down the catwalk… well who could resist an image like that? Certainly not me. So that is how I’ve always thought of this dress. It isn’t a copy of any dress, or doesn’t even look like anything that was in the collection, but I picture sister Perpetua giving aid to the needy on board a space-ship being garbed in something like this. You see I do sometimes play little games with my apparel, even if they are very silly games, hehe. I wore my brown cardigan for some of the day too.
Yesterday a birthday gift from my parents arrived. LOOOOOK!
Here are some of my favourite projects, that will probably be attempted first. Ohmygosh, I just have soooo many plans…

Details:
Dress; my own design based on Burda 8511, grey/purple shimmer-y stuff and white cotton, white velvet ribbon
Cardigan; my own design, of Jo Sharp Silk Road DK Tweed in Brindle
Shoes; Country Road