This post is part of Purse Palooza 2013.
For full schedule of guest post pattern reviews and prizes, click here!
Gina from Gina Pina is the guest poster for today’s Purse Palooza, and this is her 2nd guest post on my blog of the day (as she is also co-hosting the Tula Pink City Sampler Sew Along right here!)!
Hey there! I am Gina Pina from Austin, Texas. I am happy to be a part of the Purse Palooza! If you know me you may know I am somewhat obsessed with Echino fabrics from Japan. For this post I wanted to decode a Japanese pattern and see how hard it was to follow along when you don’t understand anything they are telling you in the pattern.
Here is the bag that I made! I picked an pleated Echino bag pattern that seemed pretty straight forward and used one of the giant Echino border print out of the canvas weight linen cotton blend.
I am guessing that this is the portion that said Fabric Requirements for this pattern. I had to use a conversion tool for centimeters to inches to figure the dimensions. If I am right that this is the fabric requirements this said 44″(~60cm) x 32″(~80cm) for the outside panels and 44″x26″ for the lining. I think that 3rd listing is for interfacing. I ended up using 1 yard of the outer fabric since I cut the handles and top bands out of it as well and only about half a yard of the same weight linen cotton canvas for the lining since I did not add any pockets. I only cut interfacing for the top band and the handles.
The pattern was only 1 side of 1 sheet of paper with some diagrams and a few sentences, but it did also contain the full pattern pieces on another sheet that I used to cut my pieces out and mark all of my pleats. It contained this handy fabric cutting placement chart which really helped when I was trying to decode the instructions. I stared at this chart for a long time.
Here are some special instructions that I do not understand. There are fortunately some pictures to go by which I also studied for a long time, but honestly a lot of it didn’t make sense until I pretended to understand what they were explaining and started putting my pieces together just like the photo.
This is a part that really stumped me for a long time. I did not understand the right and wrong side of the fabric or handle direction until I actually got to this step with all of my pieces in place.
I feel the bag is a success, but one thing that does bother me is that I found no use for this pattern piece! The one at the very top there. I never cut it out and a piece of fabric that size is not anywhere in my finished bag. Where did they mean that piece to go? I have no idea. Fortunately all patterns are open to interpretation and technique tweaking so I am glad my bag is functional despite missing an entire pattern piece somewhere.
A shot of the striped Echino lining fabric. I placed my pleated outer panel on top of the fabric to cut the shape that I needed and added one of my tags.
Thank you for reading about my experience sewing this Echino pattern! I think I am less scared to try my next Japanese pattern and will just dive right in instead of trying to understand the whole pattern before I start. I hope you will be willing to try one as well!
Wow! You’re so brave even attempting a bag in Japanese. Hats off to you! And, it turned out great! Lovin’ those bright colors. Great job!
I was thinking how brave you are too! I’d be completely overwhelmed! Your bag is beautiful, and I share your love of all things Echino!
Well done on making such a lovely bag from such impenetrable instructions 🙂
Wow! You are some bag maker! I can’t even sew from a regular pattern. I need the PDF stuff with full on photo shoots!
Your bag turned out so cute! Great fabric choices. I know I’ve been guilty of not reading instructions. I usually end up regretting that decision later. 🙂 I can’t say I’ve ever made one in a foreign language. You are brave! I have seen some fabulous tutorials on Pintrest that are in other languages….hummmm? I might have to give one a try now. Thanks!
Cute bag Gina. I need instructions in English though.
I love your bag Gina!!! I would never be brave enough to try to figure tha pattern out with out lots of words. Even then…..
You did a great job.
Good job, tackling a difficult barrier!
Sara, in case you were still wondering what the pattern piece you had no use for is for, wonder no further. I take sewing classes in a Japanese fabric shop and made the same bag. I looked at my pattern & noticed the front & back pattern piece consisted of 2 pieces taped together making it one larger piece. Hope that solves the mystery.