travel – Em Sew Happy Blog

Fabric Shopping in South Korea

I’m not much of a shopper when I travel. In fact, I hesitate to even buy souvenirs for myself because I worry about dusting around those knick knacks. However, I had some recommendations from a friend who had recently had success on her trip so I thought that I would try especially since Korean fabric is famous for its quality especially linen and cotton. With a little research, I found two markets that I wanted to visit which were Gwangjang Markets and Dongdaemun Market. The only difficulty I saw was that I was tied to the schedule of the tour which would limit the window to get to these markets.

We had a few market visits in the tour which were fantastic. The highlight was Jagalchi Market in Busan which was located on Nampo Port. It’s also right next to the Busan International Film Festival Square which also has shops and street food lining the roads. Alongside enjoying a great lunch and being fascinated by the fish market, I kept an eye out for fabric stores. I thought I might come across some small fabric stalls like you do in Southeast Asia but was surprised that there weren’t any. I’m sure that the locals might know of some, but I found an overwhelming number of Olive Young Stores but sadly no fabric shops in sight.

I’m a pragmatic person so when I got back to my hotel, I got in touch with Linen Lab Co which I knew was based in Seoul and I have seen many people using their fabric especially their linen. I sent a DM asking them if it would be okay for me to order online and then get the fabric delivered to my hotel on the return leg of my trip to Seoul. I thought that if I couldn’t find a physical store, I might still be able to at least save on shipping. Also, when browsing the shops, I did find that prices for a lot of brands were better so I was keeping my fingers crossed that it would be the same for fabric. Linen Lab really came to the party and were so accommodating. Usually, their orders would be dispatched as the orders came in, but I had tricky timing because I couldn’t have anything delivered when I was travelling internally because the baggage allowance drops to 15kg on internal flights and I was only arriving back to Seoul on the weekend. I don’t know how they organised it. I was just told by them to have a great trip, and everything was waiting for me when I arrived back in Seoul. I was so happy with the beautiful fabric that arrived. I could never get the same where I live. I also felt so grateful with that I wasn’t charged shipping and for the great customer service I received.

Even with the challenges of the Tour Schedule, I did get to both Gwangjang Markets and Dongdaemun Markets. We walked to Gwangjang Market from our hotel in Insadong. It was a Sunday, and we got there at about 3pm only to discover that the part of the market selling fabric was closed. I did go into a section I thought might be for fabric, but they were selling fabric for making Hanbok and I was looking for cotton or silk. Gwangjang Market is famous for being one the oldest and largest markets in South Korea. It’s worth a visit for the food section which was bustling and teeming with tourists on a Sunday afternoon. Sadly, after speaking to one of the shopkeepers selling Hanboks, and working our way through the maze of shops, we were empty handed from that venture. There was definitely a Fabric Mart quite close to the main entrance (opposite side of the Food Quarter) but the doors were firmly locked.

On the last day of the tour, I had been talking to our lovely tour guide about the fabric in South Korea. I shared with her my interest in sewing and on the last day, she included the area of Dongdaemun Markets. I soon discovered that Dongdaemun is quite a big commercial area. There is huge modern shopping complex which we mistakenly went into at first but realised it wasn’t Dongdaemun Market. We then headed across to Pyounghwa Clothing Market which covered a whole city block but was more of a Flea Market containing all the knockoffs you could ever need. We realised then that we needed to cross the road to another building that could cover a city block which had the fabric. It didn’t have any signage or clear marking on the map so I couldn’t take a proper photo of a main entrance or anything. I’ll attach a photo below which is what you would see standing at the entrance of this building.

Sadly, we were met with disappointment again as most of the shops had closed. Unlike the markets in South-East Asia, this market is mainly based on commercial trade. If you’re a designer wanting to pick out your fabric, then this is the premium destination. You can imagine the scale of things were quite overwhelming with about five floors of closely packed shop stands. The ones that were still open were brimming with fabric and samples. I felt that for the small amount I was buying, I didn’t think it would be fair to get the shop to go to the effort of sending a runner to get the fabric cut, then to bring it back and all within the half hour that was remaining on my tour. I decided it was enough to see the place. If I return, I will allow at least a day and arrive in the morning. This area didn’t seem to be walking distance from my hotel in Insadong, but I was a bit lost at this point.

I was surprised that I didn’t come across any small fabric shops amongst the many stores. Most shops sold k-beauty and there were local dress shops. Maybe I might have saved a little bit by being able to buy fabric at the markets, but I felt quite overwhelmed when I was in those markets and by having to communicate though my phone translator. I doubt I would have found the same quality fabric that I had ordered from Linen Lab Co in the short time that I had to look around. I would say that it really needs someone with more local knowledge and language to be successful. Saying that, I’m delighted by the experience of seeing the fabric markets. It was a wonderful country to visit with so many unique experiences. It was fun to add fabric hunting alongside photo taking on our trip.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to make recommendations. Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

South Korea Unpacked

The Destination

The first thing that everyone asked me when I mentioned that I was heading to South Korea was, “Are you going to go see BTS?” and, “Do you love K-Drama?”. Although I do enjoy all those things about Korea, my husband and I were mainly interested in experiencing something culturally different and were looking forward to the amazing cuisine and indulging in a bit of photography. It didn’t disappoint and in fact, overdelivered in so many ways. For the first time, we decided to join an organised tour which was a great way to see more in the short time that we had available. There’s pros and cons with the tour set-up. The downside was the constant time pressure. We landed very late and were on the bus by 8am the next day for the first round of sightseeing which meant we did not have time to orientate ourselves with maps and e-sims which we figured out a bit late into the trip. Our tour started in Seoul and from there we flew to Jeju then from Jeju to Busan and then to the old capitol of Gyeongju and then back to Seoul. We did forgo the optional tour of the DMZ to have some free time just exploring Seoul on foot which we enjoyed immensely especially at our pace as photography enthusiasts.

Packing List

I’m sure there are a lot of travel blogs out there which are better for the sightseeing elements of travel so I thought I would focus on what I packed and found useful with clothing because those were the blogs I was searching for before leaving. I had come across a few general blogs about Korean weather, but I’ve never experienced the climate that we came across in Korea. It was explained to us that generally we can consider that Korea has 4 seasons but there are 24 traditional seasons based on the location of the sun. We were in Mangjong which meant that the mornings and evenings were cool, but the humidity and temperature were high from mid-morning to evening and we also hit the start of the rainy season. It’s basically summer which coincides with the monsoon season. It would rain and then the sun would come out and everything was humid and steamy.

So, here was my mostly me-made packing list:

Tops	Sewlala Alea TopTrue Bias Ogden Cami Uniqlo Cotton Shirt Uniqlo shelf-bra cami top x2 Swimstyle Velma Top Cashmerette Brattle Top x 2 H&M Sleeveless Top Ash Cami Top
Pants	True Bias Dani Pants x 3 Closetcore Pietra Pants Big W Shorts x 1
Dresses / Jumpsuits	Closetcore Amy Jumpsuit True Bias Darla Jumpsuit Sewing Therapy Tie Dress Sew To Grow Arcadia Dress Sew To Grow Lanti Swing Dress
Outerwear	Uniqlo White Cardigan K-mart Beige Cardigan Rain jacket
Shoes	White sandals Sneakers
Other	Swim wear

Outfits & Outings

Everything was worn except the shorts! All three of my Dani Pants were worn and the denim and drill versions were worn more than once.

I wore the linen version of my Dani Pants on a day when we hiked up Seongsan Sunrise Peak which was steep. It was extremely hot and humid which was intensified when it started to drizzle as we climbed to the top. I was thankful that I had layered a linen top over a cami which made the humidity more bearable.

This is also where you can see the Hae Nyeo Show which is the traditional female free divers of Jeju. We were lucky enough to try some sea squirt from a diver who is part of a new generation of Hae Nyeo.

South Korea is full of natural beauty and can be enjoyed by anyone who loves hiking. There are gardens and parks everywhere to enjoy. Jeju, in particular, was very beautiful with Oreums (extinct volcanoes and craters) scattered throughout the island.

I’m so glad that I packed my dresses and jumpsuits which I could again, layer with a thin cardigan. Surprisingly, in Busan, there is a fantastic beach under the skyscrapers and I actually went for a swim so it was worth packing the swimmers.

I felt that the shorts didn’t get any wear because it felt out of place in a city setting. The other consideration with shorts and tops is that there is generally a dress code for visiting the beautiful Buddhist temples. I especially enjoyed visiting Haedong Yonggungsa Buddhist temple which is by the sea. There was also Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju and we were lucky enough to see the Seokguram Grotto in the rain which made the experience exquisitely magical.

Often, Asian tours are synonymous with Temple Overload but I thought we had the perfect amount. There were a lot of cultural and historic areas to visit. It was hard to pick a favourite but I narrowed it down to two. Gamcheon Village in Busan was gorgeous and an engaging place to visit. I loved getting off the beaten track down narrow alleyways, visited the shops and we had our portrait drawn by a talented caricature artist!

The colourful alleyways of Gamcheon Cultural Village in Busan

Bukchon cultural village is worth a visit as well with the amazing group of traditional houses. It has a curfew and opens from 10am and closes at 5pm because there are residents who live in this village. I think that there is one street in particular made famous by social media which has created most of the headache for residents. Not sure why everyone crowds in the one street when you could get equally good or better photos in the street next to it. The best thing we did was going into the Bukchon Cultural Museum and Observatory. It’s at a high point so you can look out over the rooftops and get a nice cool iced tea which is free with entry.

There was such a variety of sights and activities in South Korea from the lively tourist hub of Myeong-dong where you can try street food and shop till you drop, to the narrow and charming alleyways of ikseong-dong crammed full of restaurants and trendy cafes.

I ended up with just over 700 photos because everything is so picturesque in South Korea. It’s definitely worth a visit or two or three.

Final note on a favourite memory was dressing up in the traditional Hanbok and I’m so glad that my husband joined me too. I can highly recommend Hanbok Day Rental which is just around the corner from Gyeongbokgung Palace where we went to see the changing of the guards and strolled through the palace grounds. We did this on the first day of our visit and it really set the tone for the rest of our stay.

Thanks for reading my extremely long blog post and happy sewing!

X Em

PS I will be following up with a blog post about fabric shopping in South Korea. There was too much to unpack in this one!

Winter Weekend Getaway Wardrobe

Margaret River is a short drive from Perth in Western Australia which makes it an ideal destination for a weekend getaway. It’s such a beautiful region with so much to see and do but the goal of this getaway was to do less and reset after several very hectic few months. Forest bathing amongst the giant gum trees works wonders for the mind and the blood pressure.

It’s currently winter so I decided to be very practical in my packing. We did have a slow lunch booked at a winery which meant that my outfit had to be good for walking but dressy enough for the venue that we were lunching at. Before leaving for the trip, I managed to finish sewing two versions of the Swimstyle High Waist Pants* which I wore on the first day. We were staying in town, which was great for walking around town, visiting some of the unique shops in Margaret River Town. The highlight was finding Margaret River Artisan Store which is run by a cooperative of local artists. We also picked up some delicious goodies to bring home to share the taste of Margaret River with our family from Vasse Virgin and another favourite was dropping into Margaret River Bookshop for a few new books. There are so many boutique stores to explore but we had to head out to lunch.

Lunch was at Xanadu Wineries which is one of the more established wineries in the region. I would highly recommend booking for any of the venues before going as it gets very busy. I’m glad I paired my High Waist Pants with my Jarrah Jumper and had a cardigan with me.

I also packed my Nova Jacket which I was grateful for as the temperature dropped and there was an icy wind blowing by the time we had finished out slow long lunch. A trip to Margaret River is not complete without popping into Voyager Estate.

We headed back to our accommodation for a rest and to change before heading out to dinner at Swings and Roundabout. Another fabulous venue but book ahead or risk missing out. The temperature was considerably cooler by nighttime, so I was glad that I had packed my Dawn Jeans. I wore it with my Alea Blouse (this pattern was a collaboration between Sewlala Patterns and Marsha Style). Sorry, no photos in situ but popped some old photos below. I think the key is to layer up as often venues are quite well heated interiorly but getting to and from the venue can be wet and cold.

Our last day started with pastries and coffee at the beautiful self-contained unit we were staying in. The sun was streaming in, and the air warmed to a beautiful 20 degrees.

I decided to wear the denim version of my High Waist Pants with the Brattle Top. I only needed to throw on a lightweight cardigan for the rest of the day. We were driving back to Perth with a detour to Wild Hop Brewery. This came highly recommended from friends, and we were glad that we had followed the recommendation to book the Rotisserie Chicken as well. It was a worthwhile detour!

Most of these items were made well ahead of time. I’m glad that my wardrobe is slowly filling with my handmade items.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

*Pattern gifted as part of Ambassador Program but all opinions remain my own.

Tropical Holiday Capsule Wardrobe

Thailand has always been a much-desired destination that my husband and I have wanted to explore. We headed off to Phuket mid-March for a quick visit when my husband was lucky enough to win the trip through a work raffle! The tropics are known for hot and humid weather but there are some variations in the seasons according to when the monsoon is passing through. The best time to visit Phuket is between December and March with the temperatures between 24 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees Celsius and the lowest humidity in the year. It was often hottest at midday to mid-afternoon with a sea breeze picking up after 5pm.

So, armed with this information, I prepared my travel capsule. Believe it or not, I started with shoes. In Thailand, everyone wears flip-flops or sandals majority of the time, even when you are going to restaurants. Starting with shoes just makes it easier to pick out the items that I know will with the footwear.

The next item most worn are swimmers. I brought three pairs as I knew I would be swimming daily, and we had also planned excursions to the Elephant Sanctuary and the Ao Phang-Nga Marine National Park. The Elephant Sanctuary gets very muddy so I had a pair of swimmers that I knew I would put aside after that excursion (until I could get home to give it a proper wash). The Elephant Sanctuary was really the highlight of my trip. There’s no elephant rides at this sanctuary and the objective is the rehabilitation of elephants but it also includes looking after the livelihoods of the caretakers (Mahouts) of the elephants and their families. Phang-Nga Marine National Park was another outstanding outing. Most people know it from films like The Beach and James Bond.

The best space savers were the dresses that I brought. I brought three, the Hannah Dress from By Hand London, not photographed unfortunately, but it was the first dress I wore out to dinner. The Pattern Scout Flora Dress was also very cool and easy to wear in the humid weather so it got a few wears and was great for beach walks and for dinners. Lastly, I also took along my True Bias Lora Dress which has a very flattering silhouette, and it was made with very lightweight cotton. Again, it was something that could transition from a shopping trip at the local markets to dinner at a restaurant on the beach.

Surprisingly, the item that I over packed were shorts. One was left unworn. I had packed four but honest could have just packed two. I loved the Sorrento Shorts which is a great high-waisted style of shorts from Sew Eloh Patterns. This paired well with the Avola Cami and the white Cashmerette Brattle T-shirt. I packed and wore all three of my Brattle shirts.

Sew Eloh Sorrento Shorts and Cashmerette Avola Top

Thailand is home to some amazing temples with 94% of it’s population being Buddhist. To visit these holy sites there is a dress code where legs and shoulders are covered out of respect. I wore my True Bias Dani Pants with my Cashmerette Brattle Top and the linen in the pants were so cool to wear. We visited the Big Buddha which has amazing views and we also stopped by Wat Chalong Temple which is a huge complex of temples. Unfortunately, we were also taken to Tiger Park. I can’t comment on the ethics of this type of tourism. It was very clean and the tigers looked well fed but I did not do any research beforehand as I wasn’t expecting this stop. They are magnificent creatures and I hope that this sort of tourism encourages people to look after their habitat.

True Bias Dani Pants with Cashmerette Brattle Top

On the day that we went to Old Town Phuket, I wore my Sewhouse 7 Free Range Slacks with my Fabricstore Ash Cami. This was handy as there are a few temples that we visited in Old Town and we stayed until evening so my covered legs were kept safe from mosquitos. Old Town is filled with interesting Sino-Portugese architecture and reminds me of Malacca and Penang. It’s worth a look, I just wished we had timed our visit with the Sunday Markets which are famous as two streets are closed off for the stalls and food carts.

Fabric Store Ash Cami and Sewhouse 7 Free Range Slacks

Apart for wildlife excursions and tourist destinations, my husband and I travel for the chance to taste the cuisine. We were a bit disheartened at first at the watered-down versions of Thai dishes we were being served at the venues we had tried until my husband came across Silk’s Restaurant. It’s a fine dining Thai Restaurant attached to a resort. For the special long lunch, I wore my Swimstyle Set made with the Tallulah Tie Top and the pants of the Tamarama Set. It was a delicious lunch and it felt special to get dressed up for the lunch date.

Swimstyle Set – Tallulah Tie Top and Tamarama Pants

Final mentions are some accessories that I made and brought along. The Motif Studio Utility Tote was great as a poolside and beachside bag. It contained so much and the big pockets inside and outside were very handy. The other accessory was my Melco Bucket Hat. I’m super proud that I was a tester for this pattern which Melco are making free for their subscribers.

I’ve probably overpacked by some people’s standards but I was happy with my items. The only unworn item was one pair of shorts and in a country where humidity can get quite high, I felt that multiple changes were needed out of necessity and sometimes excursions needed items that were appropriate for the context of that tour.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em