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

Design Time: Poncho Pattern Phase 2.5

(This post was transferred from a previous old blog.)


I've had time on my hands lately to think more about the poncho I WILL get around designing one day (crosses fingers), and I realized that as far as the random stripe design goes, I'd rather go back to the simple two-color, same-size strips like the movie's design. Now I must choose the colors....and this time, I have to make a final decision. Suggestions, anyone?

  

Design Time: Poncho Pattern Phase 2

Princess Mia's Pink Poncho

(This post was transferred from a previous old blog.)

Earlier I posted my decision to create a pattern for a crocheted poncho based off the one featured in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Now that I've selected the poncho I want to crochet, I've been thinking about the colors and the stripe pattern. I want something a little more personal in color, as well as a varying stripe pattern.

I created a color palette for various colors and shades, based mostly on combinations of my favorite colors. I ended up choosing the first pair, brown and pink.

I used a Random Stripe Generator to create this stripe pattern:

This is the mark-up that I will use to start measuring and counting size and stitches:

The pattern progresses...

Design Time: Poncho from Princess Diaries 2

(This post was transferred from a previous old blog.)

When The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement came out in 2004, I recall being captivated by one of Anne Hathaway's costumes that sadly got so little screen time: her poncho. It looked so comfortable and casual that I wanted to wear it. At the time, however, I gave little thought to trying to make one. Fast forward to 2011. As I skim the seemingly endless crochet patterns for a poncho/wrap that will suit my style, I suddenly recall the one I admired 7 years ago.


After YouTube-ing several videos to capture screen shots that covered enough angles, I finally came up with a reasonable pattern idea in my head. Transforming the image into a beginning sketch took a bit of time, though, and honestly, doesn't look all that great right now. I'm hoping my sketching skills will get better as I progress with the next step: measurements.

Wish me luck--I'm heading into an area of pattern creation that I've never been before, but I'm looking forward to the challenge.