I’ve had the fabric and the patterns for a couple weeks now, but honestly I’ve been nervous to dig in. Unlike the majority of cosplayers I’ve met, I’ve never actually sewn anything more difficult than curtains, or placemats, and after opening one of the patterns and reading the alarmingly complicated booklet inside, I was terrified.
I finally decided to just have at it, and got the fabric ironed and ready for cutting.
I’m using KwikSew pattern K3615, and I’m using two colours of linen. I prewashed the fabric in hot water, and tumble-dried it on high.
I busted out the pattern and lay it on my kitchen table (the sheets of pattern paper are large). I then took a piece of white tissue paper and laid it over top of the pattern piece I want. Since the pattern piece is longer than one piece of tissue paper, I added a second tissue piece to make a tissue rectangle long enough to fit the whole pattern piece. I taped the tissue pieces together on both sides, and carefully traced the pattern size I need onto the white tissue paper. I wrote all the information from the pattern onto the tissue paper, ‘cause I’ll need it later. I repeated this process for the second pattern piece.
*Note: The pattern has pockets, which I am not including because I don’t think Pandaren Monks have pockets, and the pants will lie much more flat without them. The pattern also calls for a drawstring waist, and I’m going to use an elastic waist instead – partly for ease, partly because I don’t want the drawstring dangles to be visible.
After cutting the pattern pieces out of tissue, I pinned each piece to the fabric according to the pattern insert instructions. Once I was satisfied that the tissue patterns were secured, I carefully cut the fabric. After reading the pattern about a dozen times, I threaded my sewing machine (who I call Hodor because it’s a large, old, workhorse that can sew pretty much anything) and followed the instructions to the best of my very limited ability.
I ran into a slight problem when I was trying to sew the crotch seam, since the pieces I cut apparently didn’t fit together very well. I clearly need more practice cutting in a straight line. After trimming the parts that were wonky, I got the final seam finished, and tried them on (still inside out).
They actually fit! I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t cocked them up! Moving swiftly along, I measured and pinned a 1” hem at the waist.
After ironing the soon to be hem flat, I sewed it mostly closed leaving a 1” space through which I threaded a piece of 2cm elastic. I attached a large safety pin to one end of the elastic and gently fed the closed pin through, which pulled the elastic with it. Once the elastic had been pulled all the way through, I overlapped the elastic ends 1cm and sewed them together using Hodor. I then used Hodor to close the 1” gap I’d left to add the elastic.
Turning my attention to the pant legs, I carefully measured 6” from the bottoms of both legs, and cut the unwanted fabric off. I then measured, pinned, pressed, and sewed 1” hems for the cuffs.
The pants are mostly finished – they still need the lighter fabric accent on the cuffs, and the knee pads, but I’m going to make the vest next so I don’t have to wind another bobbin (I only have 3).
Anyone else new to sewing, or want to get started? What have you made?
What’s worked for you? What hasn’t worked?
It Takes A Village To Cosplay!
Earla Alara
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