Pattern Magic

I haven't posted a blog in a few days, but it's for good reason. I was visiting my fabulous friend Melanie who lives in northern New Hampshire. I always have a blast with Melanie- just sitting and chatting, or out shopping for clothes and/or home decor, going out to eat or cooking in- it's always a good time. This particular visit involved all of the above, actually. We had a lovely couple of meals out at nice places like The Common Man and the Gypsy Cafe (get the nachos!), as well as some relaxing meals at home with her husband. We shopped at our favorite: Le Marshalles Boutique as well as Bella Funk, a great little boutique in Lincoln, NH. Melanie got a really fabulous dress that I'm hoping will end up on the blog at some point (hint, hint, Mel)! I managed to find some AMAZING pieces for the fall/winter- very versatile pieces that would be appropriate for work, or for a night out. More on those soon, I promise. Because what I want to tell you all about the most is the amazing gift that Melanie got me:

Pattern Magic by Tomoko Nakamichi

The copy pictured is in Japanese, but the book is currently available in English. There is a second volume that has not yet been translated (that I know of), but I hope they do it soon so I can buy it! This book is truly amazing, with incredibly beautiful patterns clearly outlined and explained. It's complicated stuff, but I hope it's not too complicated for me to figure out because I am dying to try some of these out. One of my favorite looks in the book is this bow-dress:

There is another beautiful pattern for a bodice that looks like origami-style basket weaving. Another has a beautifully draped effect that looks like the fabric is twisted, but it isn't! I may have to experiment soon with these patterns, but I can't guarantee you'll see results anytime soon. As I mentioned earlier, these are pretty advanced pattern-making techniques (for me, anyway).

Stay tuned for photos of my weekend purchases and (hopefully) samples of my experiments with the new pattern book! If you've used this book and have any feedback or advice, please feel free to leave a comment!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!