Friday 8 February 2013

Baju Kurung; Part 4: How to make the neck/leher for baju kurung

There are many methods of making the neck for baju kurung. For most, using an interfacing and bias binder. I somehow like to use the traditional method... it is slightly tedious and time consuming but the result is definitely better than former.

Methods

1. Place the neck interfacing (wrong side up) over the hole of the neck (right side up).
2. pin the interfacing over the neck of the dress.

4. machine stitch or hand stitch (back stitches) 2/8 inches away from the raw edges of the neck.


5. make a slant nip using scissor at the end of each side of the neckline. Trim the interfacing with scissors so that it is 1 inch in width.



6. fold the interfacing inside out.

7. press iron the neck hole.
8. Hand stich the interfacing to the dress using sembat stitches.
I usually do the bottom part last since it is the most difficult part to sembat.



9. Finally add decorative stitches like mata lalat, sulam karipap or tulang belut at the edges of the neck.

Now you are done for a day...



Tuesday 5 February 2013

Baju kurung: Part 3 ; How to cut the fabric

This is the continuation of long awaiting  ' Making baju kurung' series....

The length of fabric needed for baju kurung (45 inches width fabric)

babies = 1 metre
toddler = 1.5 metres
4-6 year old = 2 metres
7-10 year old = 3 metres
11-14 year old = 3.5 metres
adult = 4 metres depending on size of the adult

if using 60 inches width of fabric:
adult: 3.25 metres of fabric.


Methods
1. cut the pattern from the brown paper. Cut the pattern for the 'leher' according to the photos below.







Cut the quadrangle part on the dress pattern.




2. Fold the fabric horizontally along the "length" of the fabric. Place the 'dress/badan' pattern on the folded fabric. Since the pattern does not include hem/basi, add 0.5 inches on the side of the 'dress' pattern. Add 2.5 inches hem on the lower part of the dress.

Note that there is 0.5 inches extra on the left side of the fabric left for the hem.

3.Fold the folded fabric vertically with size according to the pattern. Don't forget to add an extra 2.5 inches on the lower part of the dress for basi/hem. Cut the fabric.

Place the pattern with the small quadrangle on its side on the folded side of fabric.

4. With the fabric remain folded in to two, cut the 'pesak'. Mark the straight line part of the pesak with 'X'. Make sure you add an extra 0.5 inches around the pesak for basi, and an extra 2.5 inches on the bottom part of the pesak. Cut 2 sets of these.
 



mark the straight line part/ the longer part of the pesak with 'x' along the way with the marker.

5. Fold the remaining fabric horizontally, and cut the 'hand' according to the pattern. Add basi; 0.5 inches around the trace fabric and 2.5 inches on the wrist area for hem. Cut 2 of them.


6. To cut the 'leher', fold the cut dress fabric vertically into two. Mark the midline area with the marker.


7. Mark the quadrangle on to the fabric using the marker on the folded site of the fabric.

8. Using the 'leher' pattern, trace the fabric with the marker using the 'leher' pattern. Make sure that correct side of pattern is traced on to the fabric; "up and down"; up = 1/4 inches away from the end of the shoulder , down = 1/2 inches below from the neck line)



Mark 4 inches straight line from the neck line area.



9. Cut the fabric.




10. Fold the fabric remnant in to 2. Trace the 'leher' pattern again to create an interfacing for the "leher".



11. Cut the fabric.


12. cut the kikik ( 2 of them). Don't forget to add 0.5 inches basi/hem around it. 

The cut fabrics are now ready to be sewn.
You should be left with 2 metres of fabric meant for the skirt/ kain.
You also should get 1 body, 2 hands, 2 kikik, 4 pesak and interfacing for the leher.

I know it is bit complicated, but I really hope that i am making sense here... Please ask if you get lost in any steps.

good luck!