some of the most useful things on my sewing shelf aren’t patterns — they’re the books i come back to when i’m planning colours, choosing fabric, or working out what to actually make. here are the ones i reach for, grouped by what they help me with.
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colour on the shelf
a dictionary of color combinations
the book i open before i choose fabric. 348 historical japanese colour pairings — i pick the palette first, the fabric second.
read my review → ·
find the book: japanese↗ · (ad)
fashion palettes
an excellent book about color combinations in fashion
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japanese sewing & fabric
a year of sewing with nani iro
soft, painterly projects built around nani iro’s double gauze — the book that taught me to let the fabric lead.
read my review → · find the book: english ↗ · (ad)
stylish party dresses
japanese dressmaking for the occasions that ask for a little more — clean, simple shapes that still feel special.
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flw sewing & styling
relaxed linen clothes for grown-ups by rieko ohashi — wide trousers, long layers, and how to style them together. japanese edition, patterns in s to ll.
find the book: japanese ↗ (ad)
think pattern sewing book
one of my favourite japanese sewing books — i brought it back from my trip to japan. beautiful patterns, and i’ve already sewn a jacket from it. full-size patterns in s to l, seam allowances included.
find the book: japanese ↗ (ad)
basic black: essentials for a modern wardrobe
26 patterns for black wardrobe essentials, by sato watanabe. english edition.
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pattern cutting & art
pattern cutting deconstructed: wearable art
abstract paintings turned into garments — a book to drape and draft from rather than a pattern book. advanced sewing skills needed.
read my review → · find the book: english ↗ · (ad)
metric pattern cutting for women’s wear
a classic and a good reference book for pattern cutting — basic blocks first, then how to adapt them into garment styles.
find the book: english ↗ · (ad)
schnittkonstruktion für damenmode: grundschnitte
the german standard book on pattern drafting by guido hofenbitzer — a reference that is strong and complete in its content. german edition.
find the book: german ↗ · (ad)
learning to sew
love at first stitch
where i’d send anyone just starting out — it makes dressmaking feel doable, not intimidating.
read my review → · find the book: english ↗ · german ↗ (ad)
a slow, considered wardrobe
sewing your perfect capsule wardrobe
for building pieces that actually work together, not a pile of one-off makes.
read my review → · find the book: english ↗ · (ad)
hej scandi chic
cosy scandi basics for colder days — soft, wearable layers you’ll actually live in.
read my review → · find the book: german ↗ (ad)
oh la la, french chic
easy, french-leaning pieces — that undone elegance that looks effortless and isn’t.
find the book: german ↗ (ad)
zero waste nähen
clever pattern-cutting that wastes almost no fabric — sewing that matches how i want to use cloth.
find the book: german ↗ (ad)
hej. skandi chic — kleidung nähen
clean, everyday scandi pieces — the pared-back basics that quietly hold a wardrobe together.
find the book: german ↗ (ad)
handcraft & stitching
creative mending
beautiful darning, patching and stitching techniques by hikaru noguchi, with over 300 colour photos. english edition.
find the book: english ↗ · (ad)
essential sashiko
a dictionary of the 92 most popular sashiko patterns, with 11 easy projects. english edition.
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sashiko for making & mending
15 simple japanese embroidery projects by saki iiduka. english edition.
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