Journal

This has to be my absolute fave look from Tory Burch‘s NYFW Spring/Summer 2027 collection! I love the retro vibe with a modern twist. The look has fun color combinations, midi skirts in textured fabrics, kitten heels, a boa (!), stacked short necklaces, and reimagined 1950s-style cardis with gorgeous embroidery. Image from here. “It’s opulent… Read more: NYFW 2027: Tory Burch’s New Look is Everything

Earlier this year, I wrote a story for Discover Nikkei about a new children’s book titled, “Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp“. This beautifully written and illustrated book, launched in April 2026, introduces a dark chapter of American and Japanese American (JA) history in an educational yet uplifting way to young… Read more: A New Book Teaches Kids About JA History

I just finished a new handknit shawl made from a beautiful alpaca yarn from Purl Soho! A couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to go to the Purl Soho Sample Sale, held at their warehouse in Orange County, CA. I arrived more than an hour before the start time and waited in an… Read more: Alpaca and Rosebuds Star in my New Handknit Shawl

When I make clothes using Japanese sewing patterns, I am always amazed. The shoulders don’t sag. The waist hits where it should. The length is usually just right. I don’t have to make a ton of pattern adjustments. The fit is just as good as if I drafted the pattern myself using my personal measurements!… Read more: Japanese Sewing Patterns Just Fit Better on Me

“Crown City” cured my laziness, at least for a day. I don’t often make the effort to attend book events. I read reviews, talk to friends, and then read the books that catch my attention on a given day. But this past weekend, I overcame my loafing ways and attended an event at the Fountain… Read more: Crown City: A New Mystery With Cool History

I finally had the chance to sew with double cloth fabric and loved it! Double cloth is a reversible fabric that can be separated into two pieces of cloth. The two pieces are not always the same type or color, which makes for interesting design opportunities. For example, the fabric I used is a charcoal… Read more: Double Cloth Fabric is Two Fabrics in One

“Judgment at Tokyo: World War II and the Making of Modern Asia” by Gary J. Bass was an eye-opening read. As a writer, I spend a lot of time reading, researching, and learning new things. It is one of the aspects of being a writer that I absolutely love. I picked up this book as… Read more: Judgment at Tokyo: Thoughts on the Tokyo Trial

Making a handknit t-shirt hasn’t been on my radar. I mean, I rarely even sew t-shirts so why would I go through the trouble of knitting one? Well, I’ve been convinced and am now a fan thanks to Woolfolk Yarn, who hosted a knit-along (KAL) for the Super Basic Tee by Ohwhata Knit! A Handknit… Read more: A Handknit T-Shirt: My New Super Basic Tee

When the story about my grandfather’s journey from Hiroshima to Canada (and back again) was published on the Discover Nikkei website, I did not expect to receive any feedback. So I was pleasantly surprised to find a thoughtful and detailed message from a reader residing in Hiroshima, Japan. As a retired history professor who conducted his own… Read more: A Reader Response for My Grandfather’s Journey to the New World

Earlier this year, I wrote a short story chronicling my efforts to learn more about my maternal grandfather’s emigration from Kameyama, a small village near Hiroshima, to Canada. Starting with an old photograph and vague family stories about Canada, I delved into various archives and genealogy resources. It was a fascinating journey, as I not… Read more: My Grandfather’s Journey to the New World

When I purchased the fabric I used for my Teddy Top, I selected a cotton/linen blend in a bold paisley print and a solid cotton shirting of “100% Giza cotton” from EOS Fabrics. At the time, I had no idea what Giza cotton was and how it differed from other cotton fabrics. I just really… Read more: What is Giza Cotton and is it the Best?

I made a new Teddy top for summer! Sewn in linen/cotton fabric in a bright paisley print, it features a high-low faced hem, a swingy shape, extended sleeves with cuffs, and a cool collar that can be worn folded or standing. The pattern is StyleArc’s Teddy Designer Top and it comes in a short length… Read more: A New Teddy Top in a Cool Paisley Print

For my Pleat Jacket, I used a beautiful cotton/spandex jacquard fabric from EOS Fabrics. I loved the colors and pattern, but I didn’t know much about this type of fabric, so I did a bit of research. What is Jacquard Fabric? Jacquard fabrics are fabrics that are woven on a jacquard loom, which was patented… Read more: Jacquard Fabric Continues to Link Art and Technology

A well-fitting jacket is probably one of the most difficult garments to find for women who are petite (shorter than 5 foot 4 inches in height). Most off-the-rack jackets that are not specifically sized for petite frames have too-long sleeves and shoulders that sag down, as well as less obvious signs of poor fit, such… Read more: A Beautiful Pleat Jacket is Perfect for Petites

I recently made this retro top — a reissued design from the BurdaStyle archives — that seems just as fresh in 2025 as when it was originally published in 1955. The simple silhouette allows the oversized neckline tie to be the star! The pattern is from the January 2019 issue of BurdaStyle magazine (design 120).… Read more: A New Retro Top in a Heavenly Blue Print

Little Jimmy sported his new Sweater Bandana this weekend! Handknitted to match my Sweater in the Most Beautiful Red, the striking red color practically glowed in the morning sun. This was such a fun and quick knitting project — and I love that Jimmy and I have matching sweater knits! The bandana is worked in… Read more: A Sweater Bandana in the Most Beautiful Red

I recently finished knitting the Anniversary Sweater by Woolfolk and I can’t get over the beauty of the Tov yarn red colorway (T20)! It is such a flattering shade of red — cool, saturated, and striking. Released as a limited colorway to celebrate Woolfolk’s 10th anniversary, I hope it remains as part of their permanent… Read more: A Sweater in the Most Beautiful Red

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, is a big kimono book with beautiful photography and smart text — a must read for anyone who loves textiles and fashion history. It is the official exhibition book for the V&A Museum exhibit of the same name, which ran from 27 Aug 2020 to 25 Oct 2020. Unfortunately, I wasn’t… Read more: Kimono Book Educates with Gorgeous Photos and Informative Stories

It’s March and Spring is around the corner! When the weather is unpredictable, a perfect accent is a handknit shawl like the Elisabetta Damask Shawl, a light-as-a-feather piece made in fine tussah silk yarn that shimmers in the sunlight. The shawl is knit loosely in a geometric design that adds texture as well as dimension.… Read more: A New Handknit Shawl Welcomes Spring in Style

Is it a coat? Is it a cape? Well, it’s actually a fabulous hybrid — a coat-cape made of felted wool fabric. With its swingy silhouette, stand collar, and lantern sleeves, it is comfortable and easy to wear, yet so stylish. I love capes with their simple style, but sometimes they can be a bit… Read more: A Coat-Cape is the New Piece I Didn’t Know I Needed

Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, author of 1973″s “Farewell to Manzanar”, the classic book about the World War II incarceration of Japanese-Americans, passed away last month. I had heard about the book since I was a child but never had the chance to read it until recently. What a powerful story. Houston’s memoir about her family’s experiences… Read more: Farewell to Manzanar: A Relevant Read 52 Years Later

Camel is a magical color. Timeless and elegant, the color describes the rich shades of a camel’s coat. While it hasn’t been a popular color in my wardrobe, I now have two articles of camel-colored clothing in my closet — my Retro Camel Coat and Connelly Cardigan — so I decided to explore the history… Read more: The Magic of the Color Camel

The Connelly Cardigan is my latest handknit project. This visually stunning design features a twisty cable pattern for the body and a simple 1×1 rib stitch for the elegant neckline and underarm. The resulting fabric is highly textured, ultra squishy, and dense, with a wonderful weight and drape. Worked from the top down, the neckline… Read more: The Hand-knit Connelly Cardigan and its Twisty Cables

My new retro camel coat is the first camel-colored article of clothing I’ve ever owned. Yes, you heard it right. I’ve never gravitated to brown colors — always black or gray. So this new make in such a classic and timeless color is a first for me! Reissued Burda Pattern from 1955 When I saw… Read more: A New Camel Coat with Retro Style

My Obaachan’s (grandmother’s) super secret teriyaki sauce is legendary in my family. It has the perfect balance of sweet and salty and an unparalleled depth of flavor. Despite the tenacious efforts of various friends and family members over the years, she managed to keep the recipe a closely held secret. At least, I thought she… Read more: The Keeper of the Super Secret Teriyaki Sauce

It’s finished! My first project using the Alabama Chanin reverse applique technique is done and dusted! The skirt is made up of four identical panels. Each panel has a slight flare at the hem, giving the skirt a nice A-line shape when stitched together. The hem is left unfinished, as the jersey knit fabric will… Read more: My New Skirt: Reverse Applique in the Alabama Chanin Way

This past week, the Nobel Peace Prize 2024 was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki for “its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.” These efforts strive to maintain… Read more: The Nobel Peace Prize 2024 Shines a Light on Nuclear Taboo

The shirtdress is the ultimate one-and-done garment. It is comfortable to wear, looks pulled together with a few key accessories, and doesn’t require time spent in front of a mirror agonizing whether an outfit “matches”. It is a classic that is always in style. Speaking of classic, who can forget Audrey Hepburn’s iconic shirtdress moment… Read more: The New Shirtdress: Femininity and Freedom are Always in Style

I finished knitting the Woolfolk Pringle Twinset back in June but didn’t have a chance to wear it out until now because the weather has been so warm! As I wrote in a prior post, I love how this set turned out. The Woolfolk Tynd yarn knits up into a soft, drapey, and lightweight fabric.… Read more: Wearing my Handknit Twinset in the Wild

I have to admit that, when Alabama Chanin’s unique reverse applique t-shirts gained popularity in the late 2000s, I wasn’t a fan. Unfinished edges (even though cotton jersey doesn’t need to be finished), uneven hand stitching, and exposed thread tails — the details that others found charming went against my tailored style aesthetic. I couldn’t… Read more: Learning How to Reverse Applique the Alabama Chanin Way