The Nani Iro Sewing Studio

The Nani Iro Sewing Studio is a tutorial sewing guide with 18 included patterns with variations included. Due out 15th June 2019 from World Book Media, it's 128 pages and will be available in paperback format.

Japanese clothing design has a different aesthetic when compared to most western clothing design. It's minimalist, with strong emphasis on clean lines, natural fibres, classic (not trendy) style and pieces which work together and usually have multiple uses. It's diametrically opposed to fast/disposable fashion. These pieces fit the Japanese ethos.

The included pieces are simple and minimalist (see cover). There are 18 mix and match pieces. Western sewists will want to be aware that the size ranges are much smaller than those we're used to and the max size is roughly equivalent to a US medium. For the sizes, for example, the max waist (XL) is 33.5". Many of the shirts and dresses have a -very- loose silhouette and could work without scaling up, but the fitted pieces will likely need adjustment for most users. Also worth noting, the patterns are provided -without- included seam allowances which need to be added.

The fabrics pictured are gorgeous. Pure cotton, linen, and blends, most of them proprietary to the designer. There is a pictorial swatch gallery that is drool worthy and had my fingers itching to touch. There's also a picture gallery with heights and sizes of the design team showing them wearing some of the models in the book which helps to visualize the drape and silhouette of the finished garments.

I did not finish any of the garments, but a close read-through of the construction notes didn't turn up any glaring mistakes in translation. The included tutorial diagrams are good, and on a par with those included with commercial western patterns. The pattern sheets for the included pieces are similar to the ones included with Burda or Ottobre magazine or other multi-style sewing magazines. 

I really liked a lot of the designs here and there are numerous subtle details which are not immediately apparent. The style is absolutely not fussy or fitted (some will say 'shapeless'). For me it's four stars. I can understand others being unhappy with the minimalist aesthetic (hence the 1 star reviews).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.