So first off, I am sorry for being absent from my blog for the past few weeks. It has been a whirlwind, to say the least. A few weeks ago, a very close friend of mine commissioned me to make a Yukata (a spring kimono usually made with a cotton material). I was honored, and flattered, and well… nervous.

The outfit in question also had to be hand-painted, which for me was the challenging part. Back in my freshman year of college, I remember going to my friend’s dorm and trying to express myself through paint… it did not go too well. I fondly remember painting with Barbie feet as a brush and when comparing my “masterpiece” to my fine arts major bestie… well, there was no real comparison to be made. And in true LadyCat fashion… I procrastinated. I waited until maybe three weeks before I had to have the garment done to begin working on it since I was pretty anxious about the painting portion.

I think I went through about five different stencil iterations before finding the best version. I was recreating Fuu’s yukata from Samurai Champloo (a classic!) and wanted the flowers to look as close to hers as possible. (I even learned that most edo era yukatas were in an indigo hew because that was the least expensive dye available. And to make your yukata stand out, you would paint it with a combination of white ink and tumeric or some sort of bleach/ sake/ running alcohol alternative). After careful deliberation, I decided to sew the entire garment before I painted it. That way I could fill in the seams with paint and not risk chipping or ripping off portions of the paint (since it was a bit stiff in comparison to the fabric).

The end result is hands down one of the best things I think I have ever made and has sparked a Sewing renaissance in my studio. I have since made two skirts and a coat. And I am finishing up my first cosplay that I am dubbing “Atlus bounding”. It is a coat inspired by one of my favorite Persona 4 characters, Margaret, the Velvet room maiden.

I have also launched an initiative to have a new YouTube channel that will have sewing and crocheting tutorials, storytimes, and live steams of my sewing and/ or crocheting. I will also be launching a new podcast with my dear friend, Alexis, from the anime cover band, Otaku Ongaku. The podcast is called “Shojo Mojo” and is us nerding out over anime and manga we loved growing up and now as adults. I hope you will support these endeavors, as well as my new collections coming in June 2020.

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