Skip to main content

Posts

Foray into Shirtmaking

I love playing with volume and texture! I've always loved well-made shirts: the soft yet crisp fabric, the structure and tailored fit. I love the deceptive simplicity that tries to conceal the precision and details that go into their construction…everything about well-made shirts is fascinating. And despite my interest, I somehow never really owned one. Let’s change that! I took my time with the finishing touches. I decided to bury my nose in a couple of David Page Coffin books on shirtmaking and became even more determined to try my hand at sewing one for myself. Everything I read about shirtmaking emphasized the need for really good fabric, so this 100% cotton shirting was a no-brainer (SKU: DMC 5116). I mean, look at those stripes! It's incredibly soft and light, with lots of body and a voluminous drape. It holds its shape remarkably well, and it was a delight to press. For my first go, I wanted a forgiving pattern that could hide any potential mistakes behind gathers and v...
Recent posts

Double Back

Have you ever used a fabric that you loved so much you had to buy more and make it again.  I can only think of a handful of times that I’ve done that as I am very much a use it all for one project type of person.  However after I first used this snakeskin print stretch twill I knew I needed more of it. It started off when I decided to make this dress for my upcoming high school reunion. I loved the fabric even more in person. When I was playing around with the dress I envisioned making pants with it as well in the future.  I was able to order some matching thread and zippers to complete my dress look. Then I ordered 5 more yards to give myself a second look.  I love to use Pinterest to help me gather my ideas. In the end I came up with this lace up detailed look.  I wanted a slightly rockstar inspired look but still something I could keep in rotation in my wardrobe.  I sketched my idea out and sourced the patterns that I wanted to use.  I used Viki Se...

Office Attire to Remember

Hello everyone! I’m very excited to contribute to Fabricista blog once more! I made another brand new cosplay: Reiko Kujirai from Kowloon Generic Romance! Kowloon Generic Romance is a sci-fi, romance & mystery manga series. It was later adapted to a TV anime and live action film! This series takes place in Kowloon Walled City. It’s about a woman named Reiko Kujirai who suffers from memory loss and doesn't remember her past. She works at a realty estate management company with her co-worker Hajime Kudou, a very easy going and brash man who’s also her crush! Reiko lives her life in Kowloon, while also trying to discover who she is, and the mysteries of this city (I will not spoil everything! You’re going to have to check it out for yourself!). I binged the anime in one day and really enjoyed it. The story and the characters are very intriguing. I love that the main characters are in their 30s, which is very rare in anime! After watching the anime, I knew that I had to cosplay Rei...

Sometimes You Have To Pivot

Hi Guys! I hope you all have been enjoying your summer so far. I know it’s coming to an end soon. So, this month I had decided to make this really cute ruffle top from Viki Sews and things just didn't work out as planned. I made a muslin out of the lining, and it fit great. I worked on that top, making ruffles, for two days. I decided to try it on for fit before installing the zipper and it didn’t fit! I was pretty bummed, but the show must go on. Luckly, I had enough fabric to make something else. I moved on to a button-down shirt pattern from Mood Fabrics. Did you know that Mood has a collection of free patterns? Well, they do and you should definitely check them out if you’re ok with PDF patterns.  I selected to make the Alabaster Sleeveless Blouse. I saw this top a few weeks ago when they released it and I knew I wanted to make it. My memade wardrobe is seriously lacking staples and I thought this top would be perfect to add to my rotation.  Based on my body measurements, ...

Falling for Chiffon Again

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Tira from Tira Cooks, and I finally made the perfect sundress too bad summer is almost over! This is my last sewing project of the summer season, and I chose a beautiful red-and-white print. The result is a lightweight, flowy dress that can easily transition from summer into fall and even winter with the right layers. This fabric was actually my second choice. I originally told myself, “You need a break from chiffon!” But here I am, sewing chiffon again. The crisp hems and sewing overall were surprisingly easy. The only reminder that I was working with chiffon fabric was all the fraying! Even better, this fabric is practically wrinkle resistant. I twisted, tied, and scrunched it, and it still came out looking beautiful with zero wrinkles. Because this was a border print, planning my layout before cutting was extremely important. I mapped out the pattern pieces first to make sure the print continued beautifully throughout the dress without breaking up the de...