Made My Own Baju Hari Raya 2010

Time taken: approx 4 days.
Fabrics: off white satin lining, sparkly blue chiffon.
Cost: $20 fabrics + $3 zipper.

The sparkly glitteriness caught my attention and attracted me to the huge roll of textile which intrigues me and stirs my imagination. I draped one end of it over other nearby fabrics to  get an idea of what colors would be great as its inner lining. Thought that the sparkly blue fabric looked dreamy and soft when layered over a light colored base. Above it, pasted on the walls were pricings by metres for the different cloths. The sparkly chiffon was placed in between two price labels i.e. RM16.50 and RM6.30 so it made me deliberate whether it's worth getting it at the higher price if that was the right price. Anyway I know I am short of time to sew a new baju raya since I was there to get material to sew new sofa seat covers in the first place. Turns out the price is the latter cheaper label and my mom was supportive of me sewing a new baju raya which encouraged me even further to get it. She told me to focus on the baju first and that she'll help to sew the sofa covers.

In my mind I wanted something simple and easy to sew so that I can finish it asap. While lying on my bed that afternoon, some ideas went through my mind as to what design would really bring out the best in the fabric. This was the design I aspired to make initially, roughly sketched on the back of an envelope which was the most coveniently placed canvas I got a hold of.

The design process brought me along stages which morphed how the baju should turn out- some changes include abandoning the draping section and changing the entire neckline. Ultimately simplifying the entire piece for easier working process. Most importantly I wanted a perfectly fitted one piece dress. So after trying out the baju, tightening the sides and darts did the trick to get a close fitting silhouette.

Stages: drafting in 1/4 scale in my book, real life drafting on paper, cut fabrics, overlock stitches, etc. Very tiring stuff but well worth it.