Fujin-no-Tomosha Life School ✖️ Itoshiro Hyouhinten

Let's hand-sew everyday clothes using straight-cut patterns

In Japan, there were clothes made only with straight cuts. Although they disappeared after Western clothing was introduced, they boast a wonderful construction that can be considered the culmination of Japanese sewing techniques. Itoshiro Hyouhinten has revived these designs and is spreading the knowledge of how to make them.

This time, as part of the Fujin-no-Tomosha Life School project, we will hold a three-part workshop on hand-sewing these clothes.

Due to time constraints, the workshop will primarily focus on measurements, cutting, and main stitching, with participants completing the seam finishing at home.

The instructor will provide support through online channels and messages until completion.

You can learn the basics of making everyday clothes by hand. While it's a three-part series, you're welcome to participate in just a single session to make your preferred garment or attend all sessions.

Contents

• Part 1 (June): Tatsuke (comfortable bottoms, slim pants)

• Tatsuke are indispensable for everything. In the past, tatsuke were used for all kinds of work, from farming to mountain tasks. You'll be amazed at how little fabric is needed to make comfortable pants with this pattern, which uses the least amount of fabric possible. Once you learn how to make them, your eyes will be opened. Let's start by making tatsuke.

  

• Part 2 (September): Echizen Shirt (button-front shirt)

• You can make a button-front shirt with straight cutting! Following the tatsuke, the construction of this shirt is equally surprising. Originally, it was made as workwear for men. Being able to hand-sew a shirt will greatly boost your confidence in garment making. Let's complete a perfectly sized shirt.

  

• Part 3 (December): Mojiri-sode Haori (for everyday wear or as an outing garment)

• The mojiri-sode (twisted sleeve) is made by folding a square like origami. While often seen in Ainu traditional clothing, there was a garment with a similar structure in Itoshiro, deep in the mountains of Gifu. Based on this, we designed a haori that suits modern life. It can be used as a distinctive jacket or as a warm outer layer for cold weather.

  

Dates

• Part 1: June 26th (Fri), 27th (Sat)
• Part 2: September 4th (Fri), 5th (Sat)
• Part 3: December 4th (Fri), 5th (Sat) *During the December workshop period, we will also have a clothing exhibition and sale.

Capacity

10 participants per session

Time

10:00 AM gathering, 5:00 PM dismissal (1-hour lunch break)

Venue

Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan Classroom (2-31-3 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo)

• 7-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station Metropolitan Exit
• When you arrive, please inform the Myonichikan reception that you are visiting the "Fujin-no-Tomosha Exhibition Room." The Fujin-no-Tomosha Exhibition Room is located within a section of Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan. A separate admission fee is required for those wishing to tour Myonichikan.

What to bring

• Full sewing kit (sewing needle, pincushion, 20 dressmaker pins, fabric scissors, thread snips, chalk, measuring tape, ruler, etc.), fabric, hand-sewing thread matching the fabric, bento lunch (there are places to eat nearby, but bringing your own is recommended)
  • Regarding fabric: You can purchase fabric from Itoshiro Hyouhinten. Please see our website.
  • For those bringing their own fabric: Tatsuke / 110cm width 2m, Echizen Shirt / 110cm width 2m, Mojiri-sode Haori / 110cm width 2.5m. Please pre-wash and iron your fabric before bringing it. Further details will be provided in an email after registration.

Participation Fee

• Single session participation: 30,000 yen (two-day course fee)
• Continuous participation: 80,000 yen (three-session course fee, 10,000 yen discount)
  • The participation fee includes the course fee + the pattern book.

Instructors

Certified instructors from Itoshiro Hyouhinten will lead the workshop.

Hiromi Matsumoto

Resides in Ota Ward, Tokyo.

She loved crafting since she was a child. 

She enjoyed sewing by self-study since junior high school and graduated from Bunka Women's University, Department of Fashion Design (now Bunka Gakuen University). Currently, she holds Tatsuke and kimono remake classes in Omori, Ota Ward, Tokyo, and also works as a sewing staff for a recycled brand, handling remake operations.

During her student days, she was focused solely on the glamorous world of fashion, but after learning about the various problems behind mass production and disposal, mainly in fast fashion, she began to question the disposable nature of clothing in recent years. 

It was then that she learned about "Tatsuke" through a friend's introduction. Impressed by the philosophy, history, and construction of Tatsuke, which is filled with Japanese wisdom, she became a certified Tatsuke instructor, hoping to teach this method to as many people as possible and provide an opportunity for them to discover the joy of making their own clothes. (Instagram account here)

Takako Akino

Currently holding workshops for making tatsuke and other items in two locations: Tokyo and Sendai.

I learned about Itoshiro's tatsuke through a comment from a friend who, like me, practices spinning hemp thread daily.

The word "tatsuke" brought back memories of cool tatsuke pants on a mannequin at a BORO exhibition.

The thought of being able to sew tatsuke myself! I wanted to know! That's how it all started, and every moment has been inspiring, from the passion for fabric to the joy of assembly and the comfort of wearing them.

I feel like the dots, lines, and three-dimensional shapes of sewing clothes for the family, which must have been common in every household, are connecting through tatsuke and hemp thread spinning. I always keep in mind to follow what piques my interest. The memories of Itoshiro, the philosophy and vision of Itoshiro Hyouhinten—the more I learn and feel, the more I love it. Through the handcraft of sewing clothes, which continues to evolve in Itoshiro, starting with tatsuke, I share the wisdom of our predecessors and the moving present.

Cancellation Policy

• Cancellation from registration up to 1 week before the event: 5%
• Cancellation from 6 days to 3 days before the event: 50%
• Cancellations thereafter: Full amount