If it ain't broke.... make it in Japanese fabric

Behold! Another Simplicity 2343. Trust me, folks, when you find a skirt pattern that miraculously gives you a flat stomach and is comfortable to wear all day, it’s hard to do anything else. I believe I now have what is known in the sewing blogosphere (yes, there is such a thing) as a “TNT” pattern – tried and tested. The great thing about having TNT patterns is that you can then change them to add cool new design elements, while being assured that the basic pattern will always fit you. Result!

So, this time, I used some delicious Nani Iro Japanese herringbone linen that I bought from the lovely Seattle based Dry Goods Design. It’s hard to see, but it’s a herringbone pattern, in what looks like fountain pen scratches. It has a great border print which is just like a brush-stroke of ink, so I decide to attempt to be clever and use it in the design.

And it pretty much worked! Yes, I did have to re-do the side seams three times until the ink line matched perfectly, but I could hardly bring shame on myself with unmatched ink lines, non? It does, inevitably, have creases across it after an hour of wear, such is the wont of linen skirts.

Here are some close ups. I finished the insides of the pockets in a stone-washed grey silk I got on the Goldhawk Road a few years ago in London…

And lined it in the same silk. I’ve since found a better skirt lining tutorial on a Fashionable Stitch which I’ll use next time to get a better result. However, this isn’t bad! After one wear, the lining was pulling a bit on the back seam, so I interfaced it and re-sewed, and now it appears to be standing up well.

Many, many other things have been made, or are in the process of being made, at Chez Cashmerette at the moment. However, they’re all Christmas presents and hence unbloggable, for now, alas! That said, one big new winter project is coming up soon, so watch this space… If you’re looking for more Japanese fabrics, I really recommend checking out Miss Matatabi – it’s an English language Japanese fabric store in Tokyo and it’s amaaaaaazing.

6 thoughts on “If it ain’t broke…. make it in Japanese fabric”

Mary Danielson says:

November 23, 2013 at 5:30 pm

Absolutely lovely! This is such a chic use of fabric. I adore how you incorporated the border ink!

Also, this is totally one of my TNT patterns, as well. It’s the perfect straight skirt–close fitting, but comfortable, with ingenious slimline pockets. It looks killer on you, Jenny!

Jenny says:

November 23, 2013 at 5:44 pm

Thanks! I love that I can now whip up a wearable skirt in an evening (or two) – it feels like a milestone for an advanced beginner like myself. I have a black boucle and purple/white/black tweed version coming up, hopefully before I get bored of making it!