Denim separates

These were completed a while back. I love denim for sewing, for comfort, for wearing. Like many my age, I grew up wearing jeans, mostly after I left for college, returning home in my bell-bottom jeans.

The jacket is constructed using a basic kimono approach. I used one continuous piece of denim for the front and back, then two pieces for the sleeves. Lastly, I cut the front up the center, forming an opening and a neckline. I added a strip of denim to the front edge and back neckline to complete the kimono. 

It is very much like the Japanese field clothing hippari (pattern #112), which I have made so many times that I don't pull the pattern out anymore.

I narrowed the sleeves about 6" at the sleeve hems, down to nothing at the shoulder. When I fold the hems back, it will stay in place. And I added nesting pockets.

And then I proceeded to thoroughly enjoy myself stitching sashiko-style designs. So meditative.

I had a smallish piece of heavy cotton painted by Diane Ericson's son, Miles. It became the sleeve facing, the hem facing, and the little pillows at the ends of the cords. I may go back and add ties also on the side seams so I can close it fully and wear as a top.

The pants are made with the Sewing Workshop plaza pants, cropped for warm-weather wear. I'm not seeing it on their website, but periodically they remove old patterns, later to bring them back.

The pants have seams down the center of each leg, and no side seams. At first I thought it might be fun/cool to top-stitch down each side of those seams, sort of sashiko-inspired. But that stitching came out pretty quickly after I finished.

Even though this is sort-of an ensemble, it's unlikely I'll wear them together often.

Ikina 2

Ikina 生名村

a village in Japan that has been combined with another and no longer exists alone

Is it a kimono? a haori? a yukata? Well, perhaps none of these. Clearly it is inspired by Japanese clothing aesthetics and I am always enamored of that. 

Haori made for my daughter using Folkwear's Japanese Field Clothing

I was lucky to visit Japan for a couple of weeks 15 years ago. I would go back in a heart beat. It's beautiful and the people are lovely and friendly. But the biggest draw to me is their love of simple beauty, sometimes not as simple as it seems, always beautiful.

My favorite haori from Folkwear's Japanese Field Clothing

The original Ikina from the Sewing Workshop was a short jacket with interesting side flanges. 

I made it twice. The first time, I lengthened it almost to the floor. I made the side flanges slightly shorter, and the front collar band shorter still. It came out of a workshop here in Atlanta with Nancy Shriber's guidance. We brought fabrics that inspired us and she guided us in planning an artful design.

The second one was a trip back to the weeks leading up to my mother's death from liver cancer, more than 20 years ago now. I bought her a 3-piece ensemble from her once-favorite dress shop in Dallas, hoping she would be able to wear it and feel pretty. The pieces were unlined coordinating linens, fresh, pretty. I think she wore it for a while just to please me.

This second one omitted the side flanges, so it is most similar to the Ikina 2, recently released by the Sewing Workshop. I cut up the 3 pieces in Mother's ensemble and pieced this jacket together. I seem never to have anything to wear with it, but I will not let it go.

Another haori from Folkwear's Japanese Field Clothing, this one made in silk jaqard from SF's China town.

The 2021 Ikina 2 is about 10 inches longer than the original Ikina, in addition to eliminating the side flanges. Little else has changed, as far as I can tell. 

In the drawing, it looks more like a conventional set-in sleeve, but it is decidedly a kimono sleeve, with a slightly shaped sleeve head, much like a man's shirt. Except for the collar band, none of the Ikina pieces are rectangles, as they are in a traditional Japanese haori or other kimono-like garment. The shoulder seams are also shaped and there are neckline darts in the back. There are separate cuffs.

my Ikina 2

The original pattern called for cutting the front collar panel on the bias, taking up a lot of fabric for very little effect, I think. The new version has a more narrow collar cut on straight-of-grain. It hugs the neck and sits in a more flattering manner than the original did.

I did like those flanges, though. Such an interesting take on an otherwise simple garment. I may need to make that version again.

For the Ikina 2, the Sewing Workshop is promoting kits with printed rayon challis. This creates a feminine, relaxed, yet chic look. My first choice was a rayon challis I purchased at Gail K here in Atlanta.

Then, in the middle of the night, I remembered a piece of crisp cotton in stash. During early spring, I enjoy wearing a light weight third piece that I can shed as things warm up in the afternoon. This cotton piece will better fill that role for me as it coordinates with so many of my existing pieces.

Ikina 2 with Liberty pull-over and kinenbi pants

The black and white fabric is a crisp cotton, possibly Japanese. The weave reads window-pane checks and has floats on the back that may prove problematic. I'll see how it wears. I may decide to line it, though I prefer it unlined.

Linen black and cream pin-stripe became piping, after trying out a few others:

This silk check was nearly invisible next to the main fabric.

The pin-striped linen is *vintage* stash fabric. Before cutting large swaths of bias for the piping, I cut out a Eureka top to make later. That may prove foolish as this fabric is ideal for trim and not really a great color for an entire garment on me.

I did not have white rat tail on hand and so this piping is flat. I'm actually happy with that, as there is less bulk to deal with at seam intersections. 

Here, sewing the front bands, starting with the lower front hems and meeting at center back.

Inserting the piping took some time. I wanted the plaid to match across the jacket fronts and collar bands. Also I wanted the piping to spiral in opposite directions on left and right fronts. I took it slowly and did not have to use the seam ripper overly much. That's good because those floating threads can be challenging to avoid when ripping.

As I worked on the front collar bands, I considered how I might use piping on cuffs or even faux cuffs. In the end, I was worried the jacket was beginning to look like a bathrobe and thought the additional piping on sleeves would tip the scales. There are moments when I hold back on details. Less is more. Sometimes.

I have 3" deep hems on the 3/4 length sleeves, as well as the bottom hems. I faced the side vents, smoothly covering the side seam transition and giving the vents some weight. It was an opportunity to use Linda Lee's method of mitering, a go-to technique for me.

For seam finishes, I used a mock flat-felled approach. I have a tuck on one underarm where the 4 seams come together. I worked the flat-felled seams from each direction, meeting at that intersection. It's one of those cases where you are sewing into a hole.

I'm not surprised that a tuck resulted. At least it did not happen on both sides. I'm still carefully removing stitches until I can find enough room to ease everything in. It may all be hand-work. It is hard to control the sewing machine in such instances, I think. There is always a blind side in machine sewing.

I have a few details to add. It needs a back neckline patch. And pockets, too. I'm very short on remnants but may be able to squeeze out 1 or 2 pockets. I'll only do so if I have enough to match the pattern. 

There will be no sashiko on this piece. The weave is too dense. It was difficult enough to hand-stitch the front collar panels down.

True confession - I did not purchase the new Ikina 2 pattern. Instead I modified my original Ikina pattern, lengthening it and re-drafting the front collar band. It was not difficult. And I had such a good time making it!

Blue and White

Blue and white - forever and ever a favorite combination for me. Toss in a little rusty red, and my heart sings. Indigo dyeing is maybe even more seductive to me. It fits nicely with my craving for blue and white. I do love most colors and have trouble sticking with a curated palette, but I always return to blue and white.

So as I approach the birthday of DD1, my bio daughter, I created with my favorite combination. This is dangerous territory, making wearable gifts for people who don't want to hurt my feelings, but I cannot stop myself.

The first item is a haori in cottons and precious scraps from previous projects. I cut out the solid dark navy cotton with some petite mods for her tiny frame, and then proceeded to piece on top of that.

I've been down this road before, with less than spectacular results. So I was not surprised when I discovered that it just wasn't working.

All that piecing creates a very busy and somewhat stiff silhouette, like wearing a quilt. Not good.

So I took every single piece off the solid dark navy cotton and began again with the solid navy cotton pieces.

Finished Haori

I purchased this cotton print with the intent to use it with the solid navy, but I veered off course. Once back on course, I completed the haori, fully lined with the print.

Making sure that the outer coat and lining were as exactly the same size as possible, I sewed them together by first sewing the hems right sides together and adding several rows of top-stitching.

That's when I decided to add patch pockets.

I basted the two layers together to keep things from shifting during the finishing. The sleeve hems are a double fold silk bias, from a favorite blouse.

And I used some of the precious scraps for the front band. That was very satisfying.

At the end of this, my entire sewing room was covered with piles like this.

Rather than put it all away, I made DD1 a komebukuro or rice bag. Maybe she will like this, even if she doesn't like the haori. If not, I'll take it back and use it myself! I actually like it quite a lot. 

My first komebukuro bag, 6x6 inches

The komebukuro pattern is from kzstevens. I previously blogged about the red one. It is so worth the $6 for a PDF download. The download is just instructions and measurements, no pattern pieces.

This time I made the larger size described in the pattern. Of course, it's pretty easy to scale up or down, but I used her measurements. The finished large bag is 8x8 inches.

quilted bottom

I got to use some of those precious scraps (hooray!) and I quilted them to cotton flannel that was a little larger than the finished cutting sizes. 

Then I cut it down to the exact sizes listed in the instructions. This is key to making the pieces fit together.

I made a few changes to the instructions based on my previous experience making the small version. I made dots in the bottom square and quartered off the main bag piece, which is like a soft bottomless box.

That made it so much easier to attach the bottom to the body of the bag. I sewed it in 4 steps - one for each side of the square bottom, clipping at each corner in the main bag piece.

Outer bag before attaching lining

The lining was cut to the exact dimensions and sewn in 4 steps too. I got to use some scraps from Christina Daily's kind donation to me. It is shibori-dyed cotton and linen, and has a fairly beefy hand. There was no need to interface anything, given the quilting on the outside and weight of the lining.

I added a little rusty red square and lamp shades to the cording ends. These two additions finally did make my heart sing.

Note: I'm sure these little fabric scraps on the ends should not be called lamp shades. I just cannot remember the proper term, as taught to me by BSF.

I am so grateful for this satisfying hobby that allows me to surround myself with colors and shapes I treasure.