Travel Blog – Em Sew Happy Blog

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!

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

Spring Holiday Capsule Wardrobe

The capsule wardrobe is synonymous with a collection of garments, a selection of wardrobe pieces that match well to create multiple outfits to suit multiple occasions. I’ve been curious for a while now about this concept. Sewing allows so much choice in style, colour, fabric selection but what makes a workable closet? This is not an original question as evidenced by the numerous books, blogs and YouTube videos on the topic.

My personal challenge in my short spring getaway, was to be thoughtful in the process of making outfits that fit the criteria of a Capsule Wardrobe. I then wanted to test this out on the upcoming trip. Historically, I am not a minimalist when it comes to packing, in fact, my husband would argue that I pack everything but the kitchen sink.

First step in the planning was to consider the weather. We were heading to the Margaret River region which sits in the south western corner of Western Australia. It’s has tall timber forests, gorgeous countryside and hugs a pristine coastline. It has maritime climate which is cooler than Perth so I had to consider some layering options.

So considering all this, the second step was to determine how many items to make and pack. I decided to limit myself to 5 items plus 1 outerwear. The items I took were:

Grace Dress from Abby Sews and Marsha Style
Pietra Wide Leg Linen Trousers from Closet Core Patterns
Ogden Cami from True Bias
Grace Dress hacked into a pinafore (see previous Blog post)
Comfi Tee in white bamboo jersey by Pattern Scout Studio
Wooster Jacket from Sewing and The City*

On the trip down to Margaret River, I wore the long version of the Grace Dress. The 100% cotton gingham shielded me from the hot sun streaming in from the car windshield which made it so comfortable to travel in. When we reached our destination, we ambled down one of the walking trails on the property. This was a beautiful eco-retreat where the owners went to great lengths to help guests reconnect with nature. It was forest bathing at it’s best. The quiet still air was only broken by the sound of bird calls and the whisper of the eucalypt leaves rustling in the wind.

Forest Bathing and a chance for some plant photography (a favourite pastime)

The next day was overcast but fine. Heading into Margaret River town centre, we settled for an unhurried brunch. This set us up for a day of exploring starting with Voyager Estate. Margaret River is a world-famous wine region, a funny destination for two teetotallers, but the region is packed full of things to see and do regardless. Most of the wineries have beautiful gardens and magnificent restaurants. Voyager Estate has also been a favourite for us because they make the most delicious non-alcoholic grape juice. In fact, we’ve often ordered a delivery of it when the craving gets too great!

Back into the car, we took a scenic drive to Boranup Karri Forest. These beautiful ancient trees tower like skyscrapers with an understory of ferns and wildflowers. Layering is always good for changeable weather. I was glad that I had my Grace Pinafore worn with my Comfi Tee. The Wooster Jacket was thrown on when the sun disappeared behind clouds. I was glad for some cloud cover because I spent most of the walk looking up at these towering trees, some are up to 60 metres tall! My only regret was not bringing the right camera lens to capture the beautiful birdlife.

The final destination for the day was Mammoth Cave. My husband initially convinced me that the name was derived from fossilised Mammoths, but he was telling porky pies. There have been fossils of Australian megafauna, which have been extinct for tens of thousands of years, found in the cave. It was very cool in the cave as you use the walkway that guides you through the cave. Special features of the cave light up as you walk through which is accompanied by an interesting self-guided audio tour.

I was so impressed with this combination of Comfi Tee, Grace Pinafore and the Wooster Jacket. It was dressy enough for a morning out and about in town and a visit to a winery, comfortable enough to be traipsing around a forest, everything was made with natural fibre fabrics so it never got hot during the bush walk and it was warm enough in the coolness of the cave.

The final day had an early start. We decided to head to Prevelly Beach. There are two parts to the beach, one leads to surfer’s point and the other part sees the Margaret River meeting the beach. If there had been more time, and with warmer weather, there is a canoe tour which I would love to keep in mind for future visits. However, this day was overcast again so it was great for an early morning walk. I wore my Pietra Pants and Ogden Cami with my Wooster Jacket. I’m so glad I made a light denim version of the Wooster Jacket. The cropped length of the jacket makes it so versatile. It matched equally well with the high waisted Pietra Pants and the Grace Dress and Pinafore.

Dipping my toes into organising a Spring Holiday Capsule Wardrobe will shape the way I organise and consider my sewing projects in the future. It’s so good to know that everything I’m making has a purpose and is used fully. Also, a bonus of planning a capsule is that I only had to pack one pair of shoes. Everything mixed and matched so well!

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

*Full Disclosure – pattern was gifted in exchange for instagram post. Now a treasured item in my wardrobe and there was no obligation to blog about it.

** I’d like to acknowledge my husband for his beautiful and skilled photography.