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Closet Case Files Carolyn Pajamas in Silk

July 7, 2016 By Chie

I made silk pajamas! After making my Ginger Jeans (white version here), I became a big fan of Closet Case Files patterns. The jeans fit pretty well for me and the high waisted version is more flattering to my body than most store bought jeans. So, when a friend asked me to make silk pajamas for her friend’s wedding gift, I immediately thought of Carolyn pajama patterns.With so many cheap versions out there (like this GU one), I wanted to make it special by crafting it in pure silk satin.

The fabric used is beige silk satin. I made my own pipping with some white silk left over from making wedding dresses. That was the recommendation from the pattern instructions, so the width of the pipping can match the seam allowances, which is 1.5cm in this case.

From putting together the patterns to finishing two pajamas took a long time…about 17 hours. One of my goals of 2016 was to keep track of my work hours in excel in order to up my efficiency. Silk satin slips around a lot so cutting it on proper grain was a challenge. I mostly used a rotary cutter and a mat to cut the fabric and interface. Silk PJ feels so luxurious! I am not sure how they will care for it since silk satin loses the shine once you wash it with water, but I am assuming this is for a special occasions. Any thoughts? For a men’s version, I used BurdaStyle Men’s Pajama Set 12/2010 #134. It is almost identical to Carolyn PJ patterns. The only modifications are to omit drawstring waist and added a pipping cuffs on pants hem. Unlike Closet Case Files pattern instructions, BurdaStyle’s instructions are like reading foreign language at times…I had to just guess and figure out.

Here is the picture of pants fly with hidden pocket for men’s PJ pants. 結婚プレゼント用に、男女お揃いのシルクパジャマを作りました。
素材は100％シルクのサテン。
ベージュに白のパイピングでクラシカルな雰囲気のパジャマが仕上がりました。
型紙は女性用はCloset Case Files Carolyn Pajama、男性用はBurdaStyle Men’s Pajama Setを使いました。

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How to Alter the Back of a Dress that is Too Small to Zip Up

June 8, 2016 By Chie

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How to Alter the Back of a Dress that is Too Small to Zip Up

What do you do if your wedding dress is a bit too small? Zipper don’t go up all the way? I had one of those situations with my customer who is renting a dress from a dress shop. She is renting a dress, so the adjustment needed to be removable. I suggested making a gusset and a ribbon to hide the gusset.

A gusset is a panel that is added to expand a garment in a given area. For this wedding dress, a removable gusset was added in the center back in a place of a zipper. The gusset is shaped like a wedge with the wide end of it in the area that you need extra room. I made a gusset with an invisible zipper in center back so that attaching the gusset to the dress will be easier when putting on a dress.

To make a gusset inconspicuous, I made a 2.5cm width satin ribbon in matching color so it goes like a corset laced up.This is “before” picture of the dress with a flat knit zipper in center back. Here is the picture of a gusset. Invisible zipper in center back and shirred with elastics for easy fitting. Also there are small loops on sides so it can be attached with strings sewn inside the dress.The loops are attached inside the dress by hand so the ribbon can go through.

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MADE | Nautical Stripes Skirt

May 27, 2016 By Chie

I am participating in Me May May 2016 on instagram – I think it is a great idea. For those who do not know what MMM is, it is “a challenge that I (Zoe from So, Zo…What do you know?) organize annually that is designed to encourage people who sew/knit/crochet/refashion/upcycle garments for themselves to actually wear and love them“. I’ve been loosely documenting since 2012 and it is a great opportunity to take a look at what you actually have in your closet and examine where those items came from. I am happy that this year I have much more me-made clothes in my closet than back in 2012. Actually, I rarely buy clothes at stores any more. I used to have this small binge buy session at forever21, where I would buy 2-3 cheap pieces on sale. I enjoyed the stress relief but when I did it, I was mostly looking at the price tag (how much I’m saving by buying this on cheap!) than whether I really liked it or would actually wear it. I have not had a binge buying session for a while partially for a lack of time to shop by myself, but I think it’s good I no longer do it. I can spend more time and money on curating my wardrobe in a way that’s actually functional by buying quality fabrics, good patterns and investing on shoes and bags.

So my recent make is this striped midi skirt. When I found the fabric in Nippori Tomato, I immediately thought of making a dress like this. After a bit of thinking, I decided to go for a midi skirt instead for more versatility. I added inverted pleats around waist line and side seam pockets. An invisible zipper is placed in the center back as well as small hook and eye to close the waistband. It is not lined but not sheer, and I love how easy it is to take care of this fabric. No ironing is required after a wash. Worn with Nike sneakers, clutch from my friend and T-shirt by T by Alexander Wang With a left over fabric, I made a skirt for Kiko. It’s a second matching clothes this month! 日暮里トマトで購入した太めのボーダー生地でミディスカートを作りました。
ワンピースを作るか、スカートを作るかで迷ったのですが、着回しを考えてミディスカートにしました。
歳のせいか、このぐらいの丈のスカートがなんとなく安心します笑