A practical and inspirational book for dressmakers, quilters and embroiderers who have long coveted the style of Japanese clothes, in particular the kimono. Expert dressmaker and quilter Jenni Dobson takes you through the techniques for making Japanese clothes with simple step-by-step processes, but goes further, covering details on Japanese design and the various techniques for embellishing Japanese clothes. Colourfully illustrated with images of finished garments as well as practical diagrams and patterns for dressmaking, the author has deliberately made all the garments accessible even for those with limited experience of dressmaking, but there are plenty of ideas to inspire those more accomplished readers.

Contains detailed instructions on making Japanese garments, from kimono towo-toe socks, using either traditional Japanese sewing methods or easierodern methods. The book includes patterns, fabric suggestions and sizingnstructions.

Japanese craft books are loved the world over for their beautiful and practical design, unique aesthetic, and their clear, meticulous and educational instruction. Translated into English for the first time, Stylish Dress Book contains 26 projects for beautiful dresses and blouses. Elegant and loose-fitting, the pieces in this book are designed to be worn in any season and are suitable for women of all ages. The easy-to-follow instructions are accompanied by detailed diagrams and gorgeous full-colour photographs. The full-sized pattern sheets have been adapted for Western sizing and run from AU 6 - 16. IMPORTANT CORRECTION: Correction: The sleeve pattern piece for Dress Y, pictured p. 34, How to Make p. 82, is missing from the pattern sheet. Clik the link in the left side navigation pane to download the Y Sleeve pattern piece.

CRAFT is the first project-based magazine dedicated to the renaissance that is occurring within the world of crafts. Celebrating the DIY spirit, CRAFT's goal is to unite, inspire, inform and entertain a growing community of highly imaginative people who are transforming traditional art and crafts with unconventional, unexpected and even renegade techniques, materials and tools; resourceful spirits who undertake amazing crafting projects in their homes and communities. Volume 01, the premier issue, features 23 projects with a twist! Make a programmable LED shirt, turn dud shoes into great knitted boots, felt an iPod cocoon, embroider a skateboard, and much more.

What is the kimono? Everyday garment? Art object? Symbol of Japan? As this book shows, the kimono has served all of these roles, its meaning changing across time and with the perspective of the wearer or viewer. Kimono: A Modern History begins by exposing the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century foundations of the modern kimono fashion industry. It explores the crossover between ‘art’ and ‘fashion’ in this period at the hands of famous Japanese painters who worked with clothing pattern books and painted directly onto garments. With Japan’s exposure to Western fashion in the nineteenth century, and Westerners’ exposure to Japanese modes of dress and design, the kimono took on new associations and came to symbolize an exotic culture and an alluring female form. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the kimono industry was sustained through government support. The line between fashion and art became blurred as kimonos produced by famous designers were collected for their beauty and displayed in museums, rather than being worn as clothing. Today, the kimono has once again taken on new dimensions, as the Internet and social media proliferate images of the kimono as a versatile garment to be integrated into a range of individual styles. Kimono: A Modern History, the inspiration for a major exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York,not only tells the story of a distinctive garment’s ever-changing functions and image, but provides a novel perspective on Japan’s modernization and encounter with the West.

Fresh from Bunka, the Japanese publisher of Pattern Magic and Drape Drape, comes this stylish book for home sewers. Sweet Dress Book comes with six patterns you can use to make 23 different stylish outfits. An entire wardrobe in one little book! From these simple patterns, Yoshiko Tsukiori has created a collection of beautiful garments that you can easily make yourself, including blouses, camisoles, shifts, kimonos, coats, dresses, pants, and playsuits. These easy-to-follow patterns present a variety of designs and techniques that you can choose to incorporate, such as French sleeves, darts, straight-cut designs, and raglan sleeves, along with stylish detailing such as shirring and ruffles.

The kimono is an iconic garment with a history as rich and colourful as the textiles from which it is crafted. Deeply associated with Japanese culture both past and present, it has often been thought of as a highly gendered, rigidly traditional and unchanging national costume. This book challenges that perception, revealing the nuanced meanings and messages behind the kimono from the point of view of its wearers and producers, many of whom – both men and women – see the garment as a vehicle for self-expression. Taking a material culture approach, The Social Life of Kimono is the first study to combine the history of the kimono as a fashionable garment with an in-depth exploration of its multifaceted role today on both the street and the catwalk. Through case studies covering historical advertising campaigns, fashion magazines, interviews with contemporary kimono designers, large scale and small craft producers, and consumers who choose to wear them, The Social Life of Kimono gives a unique insight into making and meaning of this complex garment.