Design Time: Fuu's Kimono Part 1

I was inspired for Fuu's Kimono template by Nuno Life's Mini Kimono pattern (she has an excellent collection of simple and easy sewing patterns for dolls -- you should check it out!). By coloring the shape of the pattern in Excel, I was able to use grids as stitch guidelines for defining different colors to create the flowered design. Each grid represents one stitch, making it easy to not only see how it will look, but also making it easy to write a workable pattern. 
I am now in the process of creating a written pattern... hopefully it will only take a day or two! 

If you're interested in the story of Samurai Champloo, you can check out the homepage or Wikipedia. 

**Please be aware that this is not an anime for children; it is geared towards adults and contains some adult language. 

One of my favorite quotes from Episode 16: "Lullabies of the Lost (Verse 1)"

Mugen: (to Fuu, about Jin) Tall, dark, and four-eyed here is thinking the same thing: hanging around with a girl with absolutely no sex appeal isn't my idea of fun.

Jin: That's it; you've gone too far.

Fuu: Yeah!

Jin: That four-eyed thing, take it back.

Fuu: Hey!

Design Time: Fuu from the anime "Samurai Champloo": Phase 1

The anime genre was a vast unknown until my husband introduced it to me several years ago. My only knowledge of anime was the little clips I caught of Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z--not my style and not great representations of anime's full potential in my own personal opinion--but the genre has come a long way since my teen years! He and I are picky about our anime -- good writing, good voice acting, good plot, and exceptional animation are a must! We recently finished watching Samurai Champloo, a great series created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe about the Edo Period in Japan. 

I absolutely love the character Fuu, perhaps because I identify with her in many ways (slightly clumsy, practical but prone to bursts of emotion, always hungry). 

I also fell in love with Fuu's kimono! So, Design Time! 

This will definitely be a larger Amigurumi doll when completed. 

(You can find this wallpaper and others @ www.samuraichamploo.com)

♥ Amy S