Great Japanese Sewing Books

日本語ソーイング本 01 Dec 2023

Here are some Japanese sewing books I’ve used:

乙女のソーイングBOOK
- Very cute designs ranging from stand-out classic lolita to gothic to more casual wear and basics such as blouses and bloomers
- Many of the volumes are out of print, but I have volumes 15, 17, 3, 1, and three of “best selection” compilation volumes.
- Each volume contains an impressive number of designs.
- Most patterns include measurements so that it is possible to draft the patterns without access to the attached “actual size pattern”. Some designs aren’t included in the pattern paper and must be drafted by hand according to the drawings.
誌上パターン塾
- Contains volumes for different types of clothes.
- Allows you to draft patterns from scratch.
- After reading this, I feel like I could make a pattern for any design imaginable.
ザ・ワンピース
- Sizes are small
- A bit retro-styled.
- Many designs have a Japanese touch.

コスプレソーイング&デザインBOOK
- Sleeves are a little too puffy for me—I recommend reducing the sleeve patterns fluffyness.
- The illustrations are cute-anime style throughout the book
- The best feature is how the book always shows it’s work how the patterns are designed based on standard bodice/sleeve patterns.
COS衣装
- Has lots of nice patterns, but I’ve only made one of them.
Cosplayモード
- Frequently released magazine.
- Focused more on other elements of cosplay such as photography/posing/makeup/editing/goods than actual design of the garments.
- Somewhat disappointing that there’s only 1/2 simple patterns in each volume.