Lotta Jansdotter Everyday Style: Key Pieces to Sew + Accessories, Styling, and Inspiration

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I can see myself making most of the projects in this book. I made the pants this afternoon and I love them. The patterns are printed on both sides and on top of one another, so you have to trace them out, which is a bit challenging. But most books with patterns do it this way now.

Opening a studio shop in downtown San Francisco allowed me to spend time with customers, a much-loved interaction that would eventually blossom into workshops. An inspiring guide to creating a flexible, seven-piece wardrobe with modern Scandinavian elegance from style icon Lotta Jansdotter.

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I have followed Lotta Jansdotter's fabric lines and like her look, but had never bought anything. A couple of years ago, a picture of her wearing a flowy sleeveless maxi dress in one of her fabric prints surfaced. I looked everywhere for the pattern, only to come across it in this book long after I had given up. Were the instructions easy to follow? There are no finished measurements provided and required fabric amount is only given for narrow width fabric ~ 115 cm, for the different versions. You need to jump around in the book to find the size table, sewing instructions, pattern layout diagrams and the guide to find the pattern pieces on the pattern sheets. I traced the size M yoke and made up a sample in scrap fabric and was happy with the fit. A new yoke was cut out and sewing could start again. I used the size S armhole facing. I'm very happy with the finished dress. It involved a lot of frustration. The book is a must-have for those who are a bit fed up with the demanding fashion trends. The motto of this book is mainly: wear or make whatever you want and choose your own unique and sustainable style.

When Yumiko, founder of a Japanese lifestyle brand, approached me at a trunk show, she saw a shared aesthetic and licensed my designs for a postcard collection in Tokyo. These cards launched a career-long relationship with Japan.

Waitressing part time in a middle eastern restaurant in San Francisco didn’t simply help pay my rent, it fueled me.It was here I learned more about customer service and the everyday running of a small business. And I also met my accountant, many dear friends, andmy benefactor, a property manager who let me have a small studio space in his building. I borrowed this book from the library twice, tracing out the pattern in late 2022 and started the sewing in May 2023 as I thought I had but actually hadn't copied the instructions.

The thing is, for all my misgivings about actually trying out the patterns, I still really enjoy paging through the book, imagining what different pieces would look like in different fabrics. Whether or not I ever get around to making the clothes, I feel like the book has informed me in developing my own personal style, and reading it and looking at the pictures has been a real treat. The line art of the garments look hand drawn rather than the perfectly smooth line art when computer drawn. I would have really liked to have a not hand drawn line art illustration of each of the garments. They are accompanied by fabric swatch photos and brief comments about the design. I thought I would make a scarf (there are a few easy projects through out the book as well as the patterns) but I didn’t have the right fabric for a scarf and I can’t buy any fabric until November. The tunic in the book, (it’s also made into a dress and a top) was calling my name but summer just started and I live in the south which means it’s just going to get hotter. I traced off the sleeveless Kiomi top pattern instead. Simpler anyway; let’s start there. When Jansdotter wears one of her signature clothing looks, fans frequently ask, “Did you make that?” Lotta’s answer is, “Yes, and so can you!” With that in mind, she has created her second book of easy-to-sew pieces that can be layered to create a variety of looks.As for the sizing, unless you're really skinny and tall (or in the case of the pants, short with no curves at all), you'll likely need to draft your own patterns to get a decent fit. It looks like each was drafted for the book with only the model in mind. And even the extra-large size for each isn't that big--if you're over a size twelve or have any hips or a somewhat larger bust, definitely plan on altering and remaking all your own patterns for the clothing. Highly recommend buying a lot of muslin to really figure things out before you cut into the real fabric. Lotta writes about how the various pieces will work in different fabrics and with different styling details. She features her friends and colleagues wearing the clothes so you get to see how they have interpreted the designs. It makes the book fun to read and inspiring, and she includes interesting details about her friends--I felt like I could relate to them and share their creative outlook. Note that the book author is Lotta Jansdotter; the pattern designer is Felicity More. This dress is on the front cover. As I build towards marking 25 years since founding Lotta Jansdotter, I have reflected where this journey has taken me.