Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: YouTube Edition | Making a Pinafore


I was so excited to be selected to be a Fabric Mart Fabricista! I am a cosplayer and have been creating my own costumes since 2008. If you’re unfamiliar with the term ‘cosplay’ it’s a combination of the words ‘costume’ and ‘play’ and stands for a community of makers who create costumes to represent their favorite characters in various mediums.

For this project, I wanted to make a pinafore inspired by my favorite Sanrio character, Gudetama. Gudetama is a personified egg character that loves to laze about and take things easy. For the look of the garment, I was inspired by cottagecore and lolita fashion, and wanted to make an ‘out of cosplay’ piece that still evoked a cosplay feeling. I also love sharing information with the cosplay community, and wanted to make a project that would be beginner-friendly for new sewists. 

When it came to fabric selection, I chose a beautiful marigold linen suiting with a crosshatch weave. It was a perfect match to the Gutetama’s signature egg yolk color. I knew that the versatility of linen would also allow me to wear the garment in most weather conditions (with the right accessories). The weight of the fabric also ensured that I’d get the perfect amount of ‘twirl action’ with my skirts. 

Check out the video below to see how I made my piece!


I started off by sketching out a rough design. I knew I wanted a full skirt with length past the knee, and ruffled straps that cross in the back. Originally I had thought to do a zipper back closure, but ended up modifying that for an elastic band in the back (as I already had elastic in my stash but no matching zipper). 


I already had a tried and true circle skirt pattern handy. I modified the length and drafted my own patterns for the waistband and measured/cut the straps directly. 

Since the fabric was prone to fraying, I finished any visible edges on my serger. I interfaced the front waistband to help it hold its shape and ran elastic (Fantastic Elastic also purchased from Fabric Mart.) through the back waistband. I sewed three lines of stretch stitches horizontally down the waistband to secure the elastic. The straps were sewn into place, and I hand-sewed four vintage buttons from my stash to the front of the waistband. 


It was unfortunately too cold to shoot outside here, but I did have a lot of fun twirling around my living room! I even brought my giant Gudetama out to participate in the shoot. I paired my finished pinafore with a sailor-style blouse,a red bow, and wool beret (with a bonus felted Gudetama on top!).




Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following category LINEN.

Comments

  1. Love your colorful outfit. I remember making myself an outfit out of a similar color when I was younger. Thanks for bringing back a memory. I am sure you will enjoy this look and everyone who sees it will smile because you are a beautiful light in it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Those colors are beautiful on you. I hope it’s warm enough soon that your pinafore sees some action outside. Very cute outfit.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made by a Fabricista: Milo + Citrine

Hello sewing friends! It’s Andrea - @happy.things.here on IG and today I’m on the blog to share some sew inspo on one of my favorite kinds of garments to make – cardigans! I absolutely love making them and wearing them year-round, whether it’s an extra layer for around my house in the winter, as my outermost layer in Spring and Fall, or paired with a dress on a cooler summer evening. I love love love cardigans! And there are so many great cardigan patterns out there – chances are that each of your favorite pattern companies offers multiple cardigan patterns. Button-less cardigans are great beginner patterns, and a handmade cardigan is a lovely personalized gift since it’s more forgiving for fit and you don’t have to know someone’s exact measurements to make one. And you can make them in all sorts of knit fabrics too.  Today I chose two cardigan patterns to share with you that I think bring a little something extra to the table. They are the Seamwork Milo and the Made by Rae Citrine.

Week 4: Jeansmaking- What They Made

This is it, the final round! And we certainly did not go easy on our three remaining contestants this time. This round they had to make their own pair of well fitting jeans. I think they all did an absolutely outstanding job! Take a look what these ladies accomplished & be sure to vote for your favorite! (Link at bottom of post.) And, don't forget to show us your me-made jeans on Facebook or Instagram. Details at the bottom of this post. Danesha from  Classyfied Life So first I must say that this entire challenge has been just that...a challenge! Two weeks ago there was hurricane Irma and I was blessed enough to not lose power and then I went out into the aftermath to capture some photos of my submission. Then two weeks ago I had a big trip planned so I had to do EVERYTHING  in two days . Then the BIGGEST challenge of all...THIS week! I got the challenge and I was super excited to have an extra few days and then before I could even get started I ended up in the eme

Made by a Fabricista: Revving up your style in the Dana Marie Moto Jacket

Hey friends - I am so excited to have been invited to participate as a Fabric Mart Fabricista this month!  This year is the year I challenge my sewing skills.   I have wanted a moto jacket for some time.  Not just any moto jacket but one that has a classic and timeless style. I saw the Dana Marie Moto Jacket pattern on the Fabric Mart website and knew that was the one.  The fabric I used was a beautiful porcelain white/black/silver 100% polyester plaid weave boucle suiting.    Remember when I said I wanted to challenge my sewing skills?  😉 This fabric was beautiful but fragile to work with.  It was a great mental challenge that had me problem solving before sewing to avoid any potential problems.  I first traced out the pattern onto tissue paper to determine the fit.   I used scrap cotton fabric to sew up a “practice run” of the jacket.    I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the jacket comes together.   I sewed up the muslin in one evening.  It was time to cut into the beautifu