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Atelier to nani IRO’s Sewing Closet – Book Review and Flip Through Video

March 1, 2018

It’s the time of the year again when the new collection for nani IRO fabrics ship. And this year there is another reason to be excited. After 10 years, she has finally released a new sewing pattern book! (You can read the review of the first book here. )

All the fabrics used in the book are from the new nani IRO 2018 collection. I will be going writing up on that once I get my hands on the fabric. And since we will be practically talking about nani IRO collection the whole month, I would like to declare this month of March 2018 – nani IRO month again!

naniIROmonth2018_sm

I first came up with this idea back in March 2013 where I dedicated the entire month to nani IRO related posts, and oh my has it been 5 years already??? What will I be doing for nani IRO month? First of all, this book review, followed by a post on the new collection this year, and finally my very own makes!

In the meantime, let’s get inspired and hopefully this will help you decide which fabrics to get too! (If you haven’t ordered already)

cover

This time round it’s for ladies only. Sizes S, M&L, L+ and 2L are included. It’s a little confusing, but I will explain later with the size chart at the end of the book review.

innercover

There are patterns for tops, pants, skirts, dresses, pantsuit, hats, coats and shirts. Well practically everything. It is the Sewing Closet book after all!

contents1

The projects are grouped based on difficulty of making – as indicated by the approximate number of hours you will need to make the garment.

A – Bias collar Tshirt
B – Bias collar Dress
C – Cocoon dress
D – Petticoat dress
E – Free Hat

contents2

F – Bias Collar Dress
G – Big Tuck Pocket Dress
H – Big Tuck Pocket dress with half sleeves
I – Tapered pants
J – Wide Pants

contents3

K – Tuck Silhouette Dress
L – Side pocket Long Skirt
M – All in one
N – Work Dress

contents4

Q – Spring Summer Staff Coat
R – Autumn Winter Staff Coat
O – Work Dress (3/4 sleeves)
P – Work Shirt

CandD

The outfits for each page are labelled below. Here is the Cocoon dress with the petticoat dress worn underneath. The main fabric on the dress is Camino in Double Gauze.

grace

Big Tuck Pocket Dress in Grace (Linen)

G+J

Dress G in Ripple (Linen)

situation

Dress K in Situation (cotton sateen)

M

M – All in One. This is basically like a pant suit. It is quite interesting and looks cool on the model. But I’m not so sure I can pull off the look myself 😛 The fabric is Situation (Linen)

buttonskirt

Other than prints, there is a range of solid color fabrics under the new range – Naomi Ito Colors. You can find many different subtrates here – Linen Cotton, Cotton Sateen, Cotton Linen Herringbone, Linen, Cotton Linen Brushed Herringbone (something like the the wool used for men’s suits). The above skirt with side buttons, is made using the solid Linen color – French Red.

rakuenskirt

One of my favourite designs – Fuccra Rakuen is released in new colors and substrates this season. Seen here is the blue linen version, made into skirt L.

shirt

Work shirt in Camino linen.

coat

Another one made using Situation linen – this is a lightweight coat for Spring/Summer.

Some pictures of the Atelier to nani IRO in Osaka. If you ever have the chance to visit and need directions, see my blog post here – Directions to Atelier to nani IRO

AteliertonaniIRO

and now for the size chart. I’ll translate the important information below to help you decide which size is best for you.

sizechart

Choosing the right size
* The attached pattern sheets are for the 4 sizes – S/M&L/L+/2L
* Some items may be grouped into 3 different sizes S/ M&L, L / 2L
or grouped into 2 sizes
– sizes S / M&L, L+, 2L
– S, M&L, L / 2L

Size table (units in cm)
Japanese Text in Left most column
Body part / Size
Height
Bust
Waist
Hip

Confusing???   I was confused too… until I looked at the pattern sheets. Basically, first find out which size you belong to, first refer to the size table (above). You will notice there are overlaps in some of the measurements for some of the sizes. My guess is that it is done this way because most people don’t fall neatly into a particular size, so the table gives you a better idea if you should choose one size up or down based on all of your measurements.

The next thing to note is that, not all the pattern sheets come in the 4 sizes listed above in the table. Certain items have patterns that come in 2 sizes and some in 3 sizes – which means that some of the sizes are grouped into one pattern sheet.

For example, the first pattern A – bias neck T shirt, comes with 2 pattern sizes only. Sizes S, M&L and L+ make use of the smaller pattern, and size 2L uses the larger pattern.
The second example is more straightforward F- Bias neck dress – this comes in 4 separate sizes patterns, S / M&L / L+ / 2L.
The 3rd example is N – Work Dress. This comes in 3 sizes. S / M&L, L+ / 2L

The easiest way to tell is from the material list in the how-to-make pages. If there are 2 sets of numbers, there are 2 pattern sizes, and so on…  The other way is to look at the sizes separated by the backslashes. I don’t know why it has to be so confusing… but that’s just the way it was written.

There are many more garments in the book that I could not post here, so have a look at the book flip-through video!

ATELIER to nani IRO sewing closet / Ito Naomi

Title : Atelier to nani IRO’s Sewing Closet
Author : Naomi Ito
ISBN Number : 978-4579116270

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Japanese Sewing Books New Releases

New Releases – February 2018

February 14, 2018

Is it still cold where you are? Don’t worry, Spring is on the way! Time to get started on sewing for spring with these new and exciting new Japanese sewing book releases! Most of the books have not been released yet, so no links. I will add them in at the end of the month when they are available. But you can pre-order from Amazon.co.jp using the ISBN numbers listed. Happy shopping! 🙂
thedressforkids1

Tomoe Shinohara is back with another “The Dress” book but this time for kids. For sizes 100-140cm. Her style is quirky, colorful and just kawaii! From the cover it seams that there are some boy patterns too.

thedressofrkids2

Title : The Dress for Kids
Author : Tomoe Shinohara
ISBN No. : 978-4579116386
Release date : 23rd Feb 2018

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naniiro

I’m super excited about this one and I know many people are! This is the new book from Naomi Ito of nani IRO textiles. Her last pattern book was published in 2008 which was 10 years ago! This time, the patterns revolve around her newest 2018 collection which will be shipping at the end of the month. I am definitely preordering this book and will make something as soon as I receive those fabrics.

This book is for adults only, unlike the previous where there were patterns for kids as well. Sizes from S,ML, L, LL.

naniiro2

Just an excerpt from the contents page
naniiro3

This is one of the new fabrics – a jacquard weave which is nice and thick and suitable for coats. I will definitely be reviewing this book so look out for it!

Title : Atelier to Nani Iro’s sewing closet
Author : Naomi Ito
ISBN No. :978-4579116270
Release date : 23rd Feb 2018

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3sidedconfig

3sidedconfig2

A new book by a new designer, well, at least I couldn’t find any other books by her. This book is called 3-sided configuration (as written on the book). Well, the Japanese title is roughly translated to “the use of 3 pieces of pattern to form a 3D one piece dress”.

Title : 3 sided configuration
Author :Masuko Shinkawa
ISBN No. :978-4579116355
Release date : 23rd Feb 2018

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patternbook_dresses

Oooo I love this series! If you are into pattern drafting, this is a great series to own. Published by Bunka, the previous books in the series covered, tops, pants and skirts. Finally we are at dresses! 72 bodices, 29 sleeves, 29 collars – for an infinite number of designs! Ok if you really know math you know it’s not infinite but that is really a lot a lot of dresses you can make. Just an excerpt from the contents page.

patternbookdresses2

Title : Pattern School – Dress edition
Publisher : Bunka
ISBN No. : 978-4579073481
Release date : 16th Feb 2018

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The next 3 books are under the NHK sutekini handmade magazine label, but sold separately as books. I don’t know how this works, but if you are a fan of Yoshiko Tsukiori, you might want to check this out! The series is called Katagami book which basically means paper patterns. The books are divided into Pants, Coats, Dress and Tunics. Sizes 7-15. Unfortunately there are no preview pics so I’m not sure how many patterns or variations are included. But these are like thin books 16 pages each.

yt_pants

Title : Yoshiko Tsukiori’s Katagami Book – Pants
Author : Yoshiko Tsukiori
Publisher : Bunka
ISBN No. : 978-4579073481
Release date : 19th Feb 2018divider
yt_haoirmono

Title : Yoshiko Tsukiori’s Katagami Book – Coats
Author : Yoshiko Tsukiori
Publisher : Bunka
ISBN No. :978-4141992592
Release date : 19th Feb 2018

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yt_dressandtunic

Title : Yoshiko Tsukiori’s Katagami Book – Dresses and Tunics
Author : Yoshiko Tsukiori
Publisher : Bunka
ISBN No. :978-4141992585
Release date : 19th Feb 2018

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checkandstripe

This new book by Check & Stripe will actually be released only in March, but from the preview pics it looks really nice!

Title : Yoshiko Tsukiori’s Katagami Book – Dresses and Tunics
Author : Kayoko Ishida
ISBN No. :978-4087808216
Release date : 5th March 2018

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And for the periodicals, we have

mrsstylebook

Mrs Style Book – Spring edition

cottonfriendspring2018

Cotton Friend Spring Edition
ASIN : B0788WV1VGsutekinihandmadefeb2018

NHK Sutekini Handmade Feb 2018
ASIN : B06XFY96S5

cottontimemar2018

Cotton Time March Edition 2018
ASIN: B079B358D5

Book Flip Through Videos Japanese Sewing Books

Book Review – The Silhouette Permanent Dress

January 27, 2018

I spotted this book – The Silhouette Permanent Dress, just a few weeks ago while compiling the list of new book reviews. One of the dresses totally caught my eye, and if you followed me on Instagram you might have seen it already. It was released in October last year, and it seems pretty well reviewed on Amazon. The main headline on the book says that you can make an [everlasting] dress using 3 pieces of silhouette…. eh… what does that mean? Let’s find out in the book 🙂

cover

I didn’t include the index page because it was all in Japanese, but anyway this is what the book is about. Based on three patterns using the basic shapes – A, I and X, you can make a whole variety of dresses that will last you for a long time. That basically what it means.  The book comes with patterns for 5 sizes 5,7,9,11,13 (These are Japanese sizes). Let’s see what the letters mean in terms of pattern shapes.

The first section is the A-shaped silhouettes. This simply means A-line. I think that’s quite straightforward. The A-shaped dresses are flared from shoulder to hem (As described in the introduction).

Aline

The A-line dresses come in a variety of sleeve styles – from cap sleeves, 3/4 length wide sleeves, half length flare sleeves, and 3/4 length tight sleeves (shown below)
A3

The next section showcases the “I” shape dresses. –  This “I” silhouette actually refers to a princess cut, straight and slender shape. I think the picture below shows it best. All the “I” dresses come with side panels, which you can choose whether or not to have in contrasting fabric.

I5
i4

The last section is for “X” shaped silhouettes. This is basically a princess seam plus flare skirt, in a one piece dress with no waist joining lines. The sleeve options across all three sections are pretty similar. Cap, half length, 3/4 lengths, tight or flare.

X2

Of course, this is my favourite dress! I think it’s more common to see the main print on the front panel and solids for the sides but this is the other way round. You may have noticed by now that the fabric plays a very important part in the look of the dresses. The dress above is made of grosgrain fabric (グログラン). I only knew of grosgrain ribbons. I had no idea it came in fabric as well! Apparently it is not that common and only used in brandname wear?

x5

Just another X-shape dress with 3/4 flare sleeves. This is also made in grosgrain fabric. Look at the shine on the dress!

Want to see more? See all the dress variations in the book flip-through video below.

Now for some technical information.

 

sizechart

Refer to the above table for the sizes included in the book. All measurements in cm.

howtomake

Here’s a sample of the how to make page. At the bottom of each pattern page, there is also a size table for the finished dimensions of the dress.

samplediagram

There are no photos for instructions, but the good news is that the diagrams are pretty detailed and the diagrams are bigger than usual! There are some quite advanced techniques for dressmaking included that I find pretty useful. Most of the dresses are unlined (because the fabric used is quite thick), but the insides are finished with facing. There are also detailed instructions for zip attachments, darts sewing and sewing skirt vents (for the I shape dresses) I think this is definitely a go-to book if I need to make any formal looking or working dresses.

There is also a page on the author’s website, which lists down the full list of fabrics used for the dresses, and there is even an order form for the fabrics! http://atelier-keisuzuki.com/product/books/

patternsheets

2 sheets of double printed full size pattern paper. It seems like the patterns are grouped by sizes instead of pattern numbers.

backcover

Title :  3つのシルエットで作る「永遠」のワンピース
The Silhouette Permanent Dress by Atelier Keisuzuki
Author : Kei Suzuki
ISBN Number :  978-4579116188

3 Tsu No Silhouette De Tsukuru "Eien" No One-piece / Suzuki Kei / Cho

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Japanese Sewing Books New Releases

New Releases – January 2018

January 2, 2018

Happy New Year Everyone!

After the long year end break, everyone must be dragging their feet to work and school. I felt the same way myself, after waking up way too early today to get the kids ready for school. So I think a little shopping is in order. I will get the New Year going by listing some of the new releases for the past few months, and a couple of books that will be released soon in Jan and Feb.

Disclaimer : There are some affiliate links included in the post below, especially those linked to cdJapan. There is no difference to the price you pay but I will get a small commission on the sale which helps me buy more books for reviewing purposes.

If it is not available on cdJapan I will also link it to either the publisher or Amazon.co.jp where you can find more information/read reviews about the book. Amazon.co.jp also lists books quite early which allows you to pre-order them before the official release dates as well.

Happy shopping!

handsewbabygoods

Hand sewing book for Cute baby items. Easy for beginner Mummies.
ISBN : 978-4259565664
Note : this is a hand sewing book which means you do not need to use a machine. This probably means the focus will be on hand sewing techniques. But you can definitely use the patterns with a sewing machine as well.
release date February 2017 (available for pre-order on Amazon.co.jp)

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thesilhouette

The Silhouette Permanent Dress  by Kei Suzuki
ISBN No. : 978-4579116188
I am putting this book in my cart as I speak because this picture has already sold the book to me. From the excerpts, the book revolves around three main type of patterns, A, I and X and with these 3 pieces you can make a dress you can use forever/for eternity… I don’t know how it got translated to permanent but I think you get the idea.

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checkandstripe

Check&Stripe Special Sewing Book
ISBN : 978-4391640502

Check & Stripe books are always tempting to me, because of the clean visuals and photography. It makes everything look good! I cant remember how many Check & Stripe books I have in my collection already but unfortunately this one doesn’t seem so well reviewed on Amazon. You can try to view the translated reviews here. There are not only clothes but also handmade daily goods(zakka) items that you can make.divider

 

dresseswithoutfasteners

Dresses without Zips
ISBN : 978-4834745276
(literally dresses that do not need attachment of zips)
This is part of the Lady Boutique series of books, for sizes S,M,L

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handmadezakka_fukobasics

Handmade Zakka Living
ISBN : 9784259565619
By the author of Fu-ko basics series of books, this is a book dedicated to zakka, or handmade daily items.  This is another hand-sewing book which means there are patterns and instructions on hand sewing. I’ve always loved her style and was really tempted to buy this but it’s on backorder…. Maybe next cart then. ;P

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cottontimejan2018

Cotton Time 2018

Cotton Time welcomes the new year with a new calendar as usual. The Calendar contains 12 projects, one feature for each month. This will be perfect for the sewing room.

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ladyboutiquejan2018

Lady Boutique Jan 2018 
145 items to make including New Year accessories.

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marugotopouch

Marugoto Pouch Book
ISBN : 9784529057721
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I don’t really know what Marugoto means. The online dictionary says it means “its entirety; whole; wholly” So does it mean the whole book is all about pouches? Whatever it is, there are 54 pouches to be made from this book. Go have fun, pouch making addicts 😛

 

suguremonobag

Sugure mono bag
(Excellent Bag)
ISBN : 978-4529057714
43 items to make.
This book is not released yet (20th Jan 2018) but you can preorder here – link to Amazon.co.jp

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The last few books were so similar I had a hard time telling them apart. These are the back to school sewing books. The titles are also pretty similar, so I’ll just refer to them by their numbers 😛

schoolgoods

Lady Boutique Series 4544
ISBN : 978-4834745443

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schoolgoods2

Lady Boutique Series No. 4537
ISBN : 978-4834745375

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kindyschoolgoods

Easy and Cute School Goods
ISBN : 978-4529057608

That’s it for this month! I will try to blog about new releases every first week of the month. Unless there are very very few books, especially nearer the end of the year when most of the books are knitting or crochet books. But I really want to have a more regular schedule because it helps me keep track of when I should blog about what.

Hope you found some good books to buy this month!

Book Flip Through Videos Book Reviews Japanese Sewing Books

Book Review and Flip Through Video – Pattern maker Toshio Kaneko’s Men’s Clothes

October 14, 2017

At long last, a book that I have been wanting to review ever since I received it in the mail. This is by far the most comprehensive Japanese sewing book for Menswear that I have seen. The book is titled Toshio Kaneko’s Men’s Clothes.

fundamentalmenswearcover

This is Toshio Kaneko’s second pattern book. The first – All Season’s Men’s Clothes, was also favourably reviewed on Amazon. The previous book included more daily wear, with a couple of variations on shirts, t-shirts, pants and even home wear. This book is more like a Essential wardrobe for Men’s kind of book. From outerwear to shirts to pants to accessories! You really have to watch the Book flip through video (below) to see what I mean.

The sewing patterns included are for sizes S,M,L,LL and 3L. There are 21 projects in all, with 4 detailed step by step lessons in full color photographs.

I can’t quite decide which ones to show you because there are so many but I want to highlight the details of certain garments, just to show you what high quality patterns these are. Details which can’t really be seen in the book flip through video. I will also translate the contents page as I go along so that you have an idea of what’s included.

The projects are grouped by Tops / Bottoms / Outerwear / Accessories

Tops

A. Cleric Shirt
B. Button down shirt
C. Military shirt
D. Denim shirt
E. Outdoor shirt
F. Boatneck Cut and sew (Cut and sew in Japanese terms usually refers to tshirts/easy garments made of knitwear)
G. Polo shirt
+ Point Lesson – 4 detailed pages with full color photographs on how to make the A. Cleric shirt

clericshirtA. Cleric shirt

clericshirtdetail

Only found on tailored shirts – Gussets for reinforcing side seams.

lessonA

There is a Point Lesson for the Cleric Shirt – this is called the point lesson because they only show certain “points” in full detail, and these are usually the ones related to the detailed shirt finishings, for example the sleeve placket, the collar, attaching the sleeves, as well as the side seam gussets. The easier steps like sewing shoulder seams, attaching pockets etc, are detailed in the how-to-make page and not shown here.

millitaryshirt
C. Military shirt

denimshirt
D. Denim shirt

boatneckcutandsew

F. Boat neck Cut and Sew

poloshirt

G. Polo shirt

The next section is for

Bottoms
H. Dress Pants
I. Chino pants
J. Jeans
K. Sweat pants
+ Detailed lesson for Dress Pants

jeans

Yup, you read it right. Jeans. Honestly, I have no idea this is possible, making your own jeans that is. I glanced at the 2 page full of instructions and wonder if I will ever be brave enough to attempt it. I don’t think so, but for those of you who have ever been ambitious enough to make all of your own clothes, you might want to give this pattern a try. Look at the detailed finishing in the inside seams.

dresspants

But the one pieces I wanted to highlight the most, is the dress pants. My DH has always lamented that it’s so hard to find a good tailor. Recently he asked me if it was possible to widen the waist of his tailor made pants. I’ve always thought of this as a tailor only project but can you believe it there are 8 pages of full color photos instructions for this project. At least 9 photos on each page. Again, not for the faint hearted, but if you have always wanted to try it, I can say the instructions are excellent, although I must admit that you will need some translation help because there are so many parts to it. 14 pattern pieces to be exact!

lessonH
dresspantsdetail

If you have ever flipped a pair of tailored pants inside out, yup it pretty much looks like this.

If you are impressed by what this book contains so far, you haven’t seen nothing yet.

The third section covers Outerwear

L. Wool Jacket
M. Denim Jacket
N. Knit Jacket
O. Duffle Coat
P. MA-1 Type Blouson (also known as a bomber/flight jacket)
Q. Stand collar Coat

+Lesson – Wool Jacket

woolcoat

This is the wool coat on the front cover. No I didn’t steal those photos from some tailor’s website. These are from the book and yes this is what you will be making! A proper wool coat.

lessonL

There were only 8 pages of instructions for the dress pant. This wool coat has 16 pages of full detailed instructions! 21 pattern pieces to trace and cut and transfer. Impressive!

Other than formal looking coats, there is also this

ma-1jacket

MA-1 bomber/flight jacket – apparently the sage green color and orange lining is the standard color. Look at the details – sleeve pocket and lining.

duffelcoat

I like this too, duffle coats never go out of style and always look so cozy for winter.

standcollarcoat

A more regular looking Stand collar coat. Something that looks more suited for mild winters and business trips!

The last section is for Accessories
R. Necktie
S. Tote Bag
T. Work Apron
U. Knit Trunks

Lesson – necktie

accessories

The last section is probably the easiest and if you have completed something in the earlier sections, you can probably sew these with your eyes clothes. Having said that, this might be the section I feel more confident in starting out with 😛

There is a detailed lesson for the necktie too (forgot to take a picture but you can see it in the book flip through below). Great for handmade gifts especially if you use a luxe fabric like Liberty (as seen in 2 of the 3 neckties above)

adjustingpatterns

An important aspect to tailored men’s clothes, you do need to ensure good fit, but as most of us don’t fit neatly into a particular size for dimensions, it is important to know how to adjust parts of the pattern for your own measurements. For example, it could be that the sleeves are too short although the rest of the shirt/coat fits well. The above shows you an example of where you should make the extension to the sleeve pattern. The book devotes a couple of pages showing you how to make size adjustments for chest, body width, length, sleeve length , length and width for pants.

sizechart

This is the size chart for the patterns in the book. The Japanese terms on the leftmost column are :
Size / Height (from the midline) / Bust / Wasit / Hip / Shoulder width (from shoulder tip to shoulder tip)
There are diagrams in the book to show you how to take these measurements properly.

howtomake

The above is an example of a typical how-to-make page.

samplediagram

A close up detail of one of the diagrams. 


patternsheets

This book comes with 3 full size, double printed pattern sheets which makes it a total of 6 pattern sheets in all. No wonder, since there are so many parts for each garment.

Here’s the book flip-through video of the entire book. You will notice more gems in there!

backcover

I bought this book knowing that some of these patterns may never be used, not because they are not good but because they really look too complicated for my level of sewing. However, I bought it as a reference because I have always been fascinated by the great workmanship that goes into a proper Men’s coat or dress pants. In particular how the lining is added on so that you can’t see the stitches (hand sewing is involved I think). I believe that this may help me unravel the mystery of how to make adjustments to my DH’s tailored pants (if I ever get the guts to do it). There are some easier patterns that I will start with though, probably the button down shirt which is more casual and looks easier for a first project. So there are quite a number of easier patterns and I hope to work my way up to finally being able to make a proper shirt.

Patterner Kaneko Toshio No Honkaku Men's Fuku / Kaneko Toshio / [Cho]

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Title : Pattern Maker : Toshio Kaneko’s Men’s Clothes
Author : Toshio Kaneko
Publisher : Nihon-Vogue
ISBN : 9784529056397