It’s been a busy week of volunteering for me! How has your week been?

In the late spring, I started volunteering for a local Canadian Japanese community association as one of their newsletter editor/translator/writer.

The translation task has been challenging, even though I’ve been doing it for my own blog for so long. But to write my own articles in two languages aren’t quite the same as translating someone else’s writing, you know?Though it’s not easy, it’s been enjoyable and a great learning experience for me.

This whole experience from translating to communicating with others is definitely outside of my comfort zone. But I’ve already met some amazing individuals whom now I look up to, and honestly, it feels good to push myself to accomplish something. As it turned out, Joey from Friends were right, “there is no selfless good deed”—or at least for me, because I think there’s a lot to gain for me from this volunteering work.

Anyway, as a result (and as usual), I’m behind on blogging.

This summer, I made a summery holiday printed Gilbert top, and I was so pleased with how it came out.

There are many thing that are great with the Gilbert Top pattern by Helen’s Closet. One of my favourite things is that this pattern work nicely with quilting weight cotton! You probably wouldn’t want to use anything stiffer than that, but quilting weight (preferably higher quality ones because they tend to be softer) worked just fine.

I had this apple printed quilting cotton in my stash for a few years now. I’ve bought it because I loved the print so much, but wasn’t sure what to make with it before.

Pattern: Gilbert top by Helen’s Closet

Fabric: Quilting cotton

Sleeve hack: from a Japanese sewing book “Joy of Sewing” by Moipon

The only thing I changed was the sleeves. Gilbert originally comes with a short sleeve version and a long bell sleeve version. Because I saw this apple printed shirt as a transition piece that I can wear during spring and fall, I wanted to give it 3/4 length sleeves.

I also wanted to try a style that has folded sleeve end (if you know what this style of sleeves are called, please let me know in the comment!)

The Japanese sewing book “Joy of Sewing” had sleeves just like that, so I used the pattern.

You can also wear them unfolded, too.

These tiny apples make me happy! I’m glad I was able to use this adorable fabric and turn it into something I can wear a lot and hopefully a long time.