sewing notions

Check out our adorable Christmas packaging!

by modes4u October 30, 2020

The festive season is fast approaching and we’ve started wrapping up all your orders in our super kawaii Christmas packaging! Have you started Christmas shopping yet? You can still check out adorable festive items we have in our shop, as we’ve got all manner of Christmas products for you to check out such as Xmas fabric, Santa stickers and more. Select Express Shipping at checkout to make sure you get your order faster!

Also at checkout, you can choose a truly lovely FREE Christmas gift, from buttons, ribbons, notebooks or cards (while stock lasts!).

Happy shopping!

Your order will come wrapped up in kawaii packaging!

Adorable ribbons

Super cute buttons!

Lovely little notebooks

Kawaii Xmas cards!

October 30, 2020 0 comment

Crossbody bag FREE sewing pattern!

by modes4u July 31, 2020

If you are looking to sew a new bag for yourself, we have a wonderful free sewing pattern for you! It is especially useful for outings where you don’t need to carry many things with you, and to replace a handbag when you want to go for an especially casual or sporty look.

The crossbody bag uses a super kawaii oxford fabric featuring animals and fruit, from the popular Japanese fabric brand Kokka. Oxford fabrics are wonderful, if you do not know them we encourage you to start using some in your sewing projects. You will very likely fall for them! As you already know, Kokka is one of our regular fabric suppliers from Japan, and we truly appreciate the quality of their fabrics and their adorable designs!

This bag is carried across the back, as it has only one handle instead of the usual two found on ordinary backpacks. Its asymmetrical design is charming, informal and practical: it allows you maximum freedom of movement by leaving your hands and arms free. This cute Kokka free pattern requires some sewing experience and involves several sewing notions, elements other than the outer fabric: inner lining, fusible interfacing, zipper and a buckle + slider set to conveniently adjust the length of the back strap.

We’ve included a number of fabric suggestions for you to go with, should you want to try this out with a different look too. Check them out below!

If you decide to make your own bag, please, do send us photos of your finished project. We love to see and share what you do!

You can make on of these cool bags too!

light blue oxford fabric with yellow watermelons and animals by Kokka

red watermelons and animals oxford fabric in cream by Kokka

cream Kokka oxford fabric with shiba inu bread dogs

marigold yellow oxford fabric with bears in animal costumes by Kokka

Kokka oxford fabric in light cream with colorful budgies

plastic sewing zipper in black

July 31, 2020 2 comments

Free sewing pattern for a hamburger kitchen apron!

by modes4u May 11, 2020

Many people globally are staying or have recently stayed at home for much more time than usual given global circumstances. Around the world, people are learning new things, reading old books, checking on distant friends, starting or taking up a hobby or a collection, immersing themselves in arts and crafts etc.

This of course includes sewing, a great skill that not only will make your life easier once you master some practical basics (like sewing a button, taking up a hem, darning a sock or mending a rip), but may also be an endless source of enjoyment. If you are interested, check out our kawaii fabric and sewing notions for supplies!

Many people are cooking at home a lot more than before, too, so we thought you would love this free apron sewing pattern, featuring Robert Kaufman fabric. Now you can make your own apron to cook in style! If you have little sewing experience, it doesn’t really matter, because this easy sewing pattern is recommended for beginners. Trying to measure, cut and assemble such a simple but delightful clothing item is a rewarding experience for anyone beginning to sew, interested in boosting their skills 🙂 So go for it, and let us know how it works out!

Check below the picture of the finished apron, and some other images of food fabrics available in our kawaii shop. We hope they inspire you to try this pattern!

You can make one of these fun aprons too!

white hamburger fabric by Robert Kaufman

Robert Kaufman hot dog fabric in white

colorful donut Timeless Treasures food fabric in pink

Alexander Henry multicolor fruit ice pop fabric in white

black watermelon slice fabric by Timeless Treasures

red strawberry fabric by Timeless Treasures

pink Trans-Pacific Textiles fabric with colorful pineapples

May 11, 2020 0 comment

Pouch sewing tutorial with pattern by

by modes4u April 15, 2020

Today we bring you a great sewing craft tutorial posted in a Spanish blog, Postreadicción (“Dessert addiction”). In this blog, Julia and Julián share from Madrid many tips, recipes and other bits of info about their passion for kawaii desserts and sweet art. Do take a look at their stunningly cute baby Yoda or Frida decorated biscuits!

For this craft, they used one of our Dear Stella fabrics, a gorgeous design in navy blue with unicorns in space, to make a useful sturdy pouch, and the result is great! Their sewing tutorial includes a link to the pattern, and very detailed pictures of the process: these will make your sewing a total breeze if you decide to try it yourself!

We especially like how the post exemplifies the use of interface fabric, carefully sewn in between the outside fabric and the inner layer of lining, to help stabilize and shape the final item. There are different types of interface fabrics available in our shop, as well as sewing notions such as colorful zippers, and many fairy tale designs with unicorn patterns or other magical creatures that you may use to sew your own fabric pouch: come take a look!

You can learn how to make this pouch!

There’s a step by step process to help you!

How cute does that zipper look with that fabric?

April 15, 2020 0 comment

Where to buy Liberty Japan Fabrics in Tokyo

by modes4u March 24, 2020

Liberty Japan fabrics are stunning to say the very least so we’re not at all surprised at how many people ask us where to buy their exquisite designs!

Whilst in Japan, Sandra and Alan came across two stores that sell these beautiful designs:

The first is Pakira (you may see it on Google Maps as ‘Pachira’) in Nippori Fabric Town, (you can find the store at: 6 Chome-58-5 Higashinippori, Arakawa City, Tokyo 116-0014, Japan). It’s home to Liberty Japan designs as well as lots of other gorgeous cotton fabrics that are sure to take your breath away! Their range also includes popular Sanrio fabrics featuring classic characters such as Hello Kitty, My Melody and more. If you’re in need of kawaii designs with characters, or lovely elegant prints featuring floral patterns, then you simply must check out this store.

The next shop is Yuzawaya, which actually has a number of branches across Japan (their flagship stores can be found in Kamata at: 8 Chome-23-5 Nishikamata, Ota City, Tokyo 144-0051, Japan). They offer a lot of items for handicrafts and such so you’ll be able to shop for all kinds of nifty items like sewing notions and more there. Their range is huge! They have lots of buttons in all kinds of shapes such as stars, flowers, butterflies etc. Also part of their product line are basket-like containers that feature Liberty x Hello Kitty prints! You’ll find other items they carry such as strap adjusters, ribbons etc. The Liberty Japan fabrics you can find at their store are sophisticated and stylish, you’ll love them!

So if you’re on the lookout for designer fabrics, these two shops are a must! Check out the images below to see more.

Pakira’s storefront

Lots of Liberty Japan designs

Check out all those fabric rolls!

We love ALL these designs!

Oodles of gorgeous fabrics here!

Yuzawaya’s store with lovely items!

More pretty designs from Liberty Japan

Check out all these floral prints!

What would you make with these patterns?

We want all of these designs!

Where to find Pakira

Where to find Yuzawaya in Kamata, Tokyo

March 24, 2020 0 comment

Get a FREE sewing pattern for a super chic shoulder bag!

by modes4u April 26, 2019

Who doesn’t love carrying around a stylish bag? With summer just around the corner, we know how important it is to find the right bag to go with your chic outfits. Now is your chance to MAKE your own chic shoulder bag with this FREE sewing pattern!!

Made using stunning echino fabric, we simply cannot stop staring at this exquisite bag. Featuring silver metallic embellishment, it has a really great shiny touch to it that is both classy and eye-catching at the same time. Whilst this bag may look super hard to make, it’s actually not! Isn’t that cool? You can make this bag even if you’ve only been sewing for a short time! Why not wow everyone around you by making this? You can show off your sewing skills AND your gorgeous new bag at the same time! Even if it doesn’t turn out perfect to begin with, don’t worry, just keep trying! The most important thing is to have fun when making this bag! And besides, sewing up this gorgeous bag would be a great way to help you polish your sewing skills!

If you would like to get creative and add some fun touches to your bag, we have lots of great sewing notions you can use, to give your bag a more personal touch.

It is a ton of fun making shoulder bags you can use or give as gifts. We have lots of other great Japanese fabrics for you to choose from should you wish to give this sewing project a go with a different fabric. If you do decide to try your hand at this project, please do make sure you send us photos of what you make, we’d love to see and share them!