I love Japanese clothes but in England they are hard to find, expensive and unless you are extremely petite, usually a little on the small side. Thankfully, I just found these great new books called Feminine Wardrobe: Twenty-One Beautiful Skirts, Dresses and Tops for You to Make, and Stylish Dress Book: Simple Smocks, Dresses and Tops, so that I can now make my own! The books are part of a series of Japanese sewing books, all reprinted in English and published by Laurence King. They feature lots of very wearable clothes in simple shapes that have just the right amount of Japanese quirk to stop them being boring. The instructions come through a series of simple, step-by-step diagrams, as well as actual-size patterns included in the back so they are really easy to follow. I have my eye on several of the designs and hope to make a couple in the coming months.