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!).
MARIA | @cocoasugarcosplay
Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following category LINEN.
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Posted on March 17 2021
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.
Those colors are beautiful on you. I hope it’s warm enough soon that your pinafore sees some action outside. Very cute outfit.