A while back I did a tutorial on an abaya I made out of a sari (indian garment that you wrap and drape around your body), and here I am wearing it to show you how it looks on an actual person. I absolutely love the color and look of this abaya, but like I said before, I am not big on abayas, I don’t really wear them. I guess I will save this for a special occasion, maybe Eid-ul-Fitr this summer??? It’s perfect for the summer, it’s light and airy and very comfortable.
Adjusting the hem of my abaya, the hem and the center piece (two borders pieces sewn together) was once the border of the sari.
Hijab made from remaining fabric, I just serged the edges, but you can hand hem or machine hem it as well, the finish looks clean without any fraying.
You can be as creative as you like, you never have to follow my directions or anyone elses completely unless you want your garment to look the exact same way as the one your following. Try different fabrics and colors and prints, you may not always like your results, but it doesn’t hurt to experiment a little.
I finally finished the abaya tutorial, it’s been a crazy past 2 weeks for me! Allhumdulillah everything is okay, it’s just been hectic with both good and bad days! I am happy that I finally get to work on editing and uploading the videos. I have used sari fabric, this is fabric that Indian women wrap around their body, using draping and other methods, wearing a petticoat and blouse underneath. I used to wear it, I just found it uncomfortable, but it all depends on how it’s wrapped and many women find is really easy to put on and wear.
My mom had given me a bunch of saris years back to play around with, I never wanted to cut it up and make something but she did tell me to make something beautiful with them. So I finally took a chance and made an abaya with one of them. Let me tell you, I don’t really wear abaya’s, maybe to the mosque or for Eid, but I am totally in love with this abaya that I made. The patterns from the fabric worked to my advantage and it looks stunning. I didn’t use lining for this project, so if you do plan on making an abaya with light fabric, lining would be a smart option. I plan on pairing it with a long sleeved shirt and pants so it won’t be see thru. The sari is made up of 6 yards of fabric, I used my entire sari and the last yard and a half I will make a hijab to match my abaya.
For those of you that are comfortable with sewing, you won’t have any problems with this. For those that are new and may have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask, leave a comment below, on my YouTube page or email me at hijabizlovefashiontoo@gmail.com. Using something in your wardrobe for a pattern is OKAY, when you are an expert, then you can make your own patterns.
What you will need for this project:
5-6 yards of fabric (buy get 58″-60″ wide material)
sewing machine
matching thread
a shirt that you can trace from (should be loose fitting)
scissors
measuring tape
marking tool
pins
You will also need to measure: PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO ADD EASE, IF YOU WANT YOUR ABAYA TO BE LOOSE, AFTER YOU TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS, ADD AS MUCH EASE AS YOU NEED. I WOULD SUGGEST TO USE A VERY LOOSE FITTING SHIRT OR AN EXISTING ABAYA THAT YOU MAY HAVE IN YOUR WARDROBE AND THIS WAY YOU’LL ELIMINATE TAKING YOUR OWN MEASUREMENT AND JUST TRACE.
shoulder measurement
bust measurement
waist and hip measurements
sleeve length
body length (to decide how long you want the abaya to be)
DO NOT FORGET TO ADD EASE AND SEAM ALLOWANCE!!!!
I tried my best to make this into one video, but I ended up making a part 2 video because it was too long. It’s really hard to do a short tutorial when you are making everything from scratch and even with eliminating a lot of sewing steps and just explaining the cutting, I still ended up with a really long tutorial. I had an hour of video on this and somehow I made it fit into two under 10 min videos!
PART ONE
PART TWO
Good luck with your projects, I would love to see pics!!! I am sorry about the video quality, I promise that one day I will have perfect lighting and an area all to myself to do the tutorials.
Mas Salaama xx
PS: Don’t forget to like my fan page http://www.facebook.com/zebaramosclothing :)…You will get updates on my collection and will be the first to know when my website is up and ready for you to browse and buy 🙂
I hope you’re all in good health Insha’Allah! Let me introduce to you another amazing new UK clothing line that actually launched on the web today, they are called Vela Clothing.
I have had the pleasure and honor of reviewing the website and clothing before the launch. They sell everything from hijabs to wedding gowns, abaya’s, bags and also some snazzy evening sandals. Vela Clothing’s inspiration came from the elegance of women in Turkey which they transformed into modest and professional abaya’s for women in Britain and in the West.
One of my favorite pieces is the pink taffeta wedding gown! I would wear it with a light pink undershirt and spruce it up with a fancy hijab and some type of head-piece for drama!! They also sell gorgeous Turkish hijabs that you can mix and match with the abaya’s. If you are going to a ladies party, then you can get away with wearing the gown without much coverage, but if you’re like me, and prefer to cover your arms, throw on a shawl or a shrug/bolero. If you are the bride or are attending a wedding, buy an undershirt fabricated in stretch rayon or polyester for a slight shine effect to put the outfit together.
Please join Vela Clothing on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and don’t forget to register on their website at www.velaclothing.co.uk site for email updates. They will be having promotions and who knows, you may be the lucky winner!!
Amal Murad is a UAE abaya fashion designer. Her designs are amazing, I love her work!!! She incorporates the latest fashion trends into her designs, adds a touch of color, or print to make the most stunning styles! She is an inspiration to me. Although I myself don’t wear abaya’s, her designs make me want to wear them!! Some time in the near future one of Amal Murad’s abaya’s will make its way into my closet. Here are some of her designs shown during Dubai fashion week 2010. Does anyone out there already own a designer piece by Amal Murad? If you do, please free to send a picture of you wearing it!
Hijabiz love fashion too's by ZEBA RAMOS 