Hi, I’m Karina, and I am not a sewist. Or at least, I wasn’t when I first joined the First Stop Cosplay® team. I was hired to write despite my limited sewing knowledge because I had the drive to learn and the support of our tight-knit band to fill in the gaps. Encouraged to practice what I was writing about, I found myself not just learning about sewing but actually doing it. My first real sewing project happened during my second week when I made a pleated skirt using the FSCO® Dual-Length Pleated Skirt Sewing Pattern. Very early on, I noticed that we don’t just strive toward our mission with others — we do it within our crew, too.

My first finished project, made possible thanks to our Pleated Skirt sewing pattern, available in physical or digital versions.

After my first adventure, I wanted to take on a project that would teach me a wide variety of sewing techniques — something that would help me better understand the beginner experience and apply that knowledge to future blog posts. My boss, Amanda, told me to go for it, providing all the materials and time I needed!

As I continued researching and blogging about Lolita fashion and modeling for our Lolita photoshoots, I became increasingly fascinated by the culture and style. So, naturally, I decided to take on a second adventure: sewing my own Lolita skirt using our FSCO® Customizable Lolita Skirt Sewing Pattern [physical] [digital]. This is more than a simple sewing pattern review, it is the story of my journey — what went well, what could have gone better, and how I found help along the way.

My Master Plan (Or Lack Thereof)

Usually, before you start sewing, you have a vision — a design you’re eager to bring to life. Maybe you sketch it out, maybe you write down the details. But my reality? A bit different. 

All I had was a vague idea of a plaid skirt covered in silver chains the day my project manager, Elaine, handed me a neatly folded stack of fabric and casually asked, “Hey, can you wash this tomorrow?” I didn’t think much of it — just tossed it in with my laundry, threw in some color catchers, and brought it back to the office the following week.

“Nice,” she said. “Now please iron it, and start reading over the Lolita Skirt instructions.”

Woah! This is my fabric? The one covered in adorable little elephant families? Not exactly the Punk Lolita look I had in mind. But hey, who am I to question fate? Plus, I love a good plot twist. So I just laughed and shook my head — classic Elaine, keeping me on my toes.

Channeling Dr. Frankenstein

With my freshly washed and ironed fabric good to go, I read through the first section of our pattern instructions: Cut Out Patterns. It covers how to read the patterns, cut them properly, and all the essential fabric-related info — lightweight fusible interfacing, pinning, you name it. I watched the corresponding videos, then laid the pattern pieces over my fabric, eager to start. 

That’s when Amanda, our small company’s founder and president, stepped in to take a peek at my progress. She admired the fabric and helped me position the roughly cut pattern pieces, only for us to realize they wouldn’t fit. It turned out that the fabric had shrunk a lot (like, a crazy amount) in the wash!

Oh naurrrr…

What does a total newbie do when faced with a fabric mishap? Panic, of course. Thankfully, Amanda had a plan. Instead of starting over, we Frankensteined it. Cue the cinematic montage: papers flying, shears gliding, and tiny elephants patiently waiting to find out their fate.

Don’t worry, we made sure to reunite them by carefully matching up the print on each side of the makeshift seams. (Shoutout to our translucent pattern paper for making that possible — otherwise, yikes!) With Amanda’s guidance, I added extra seams to make up for the shrinkage, ensuring all the patterns fit while keeping the elephant design aligned. 

High-level sewing sorcery, if you ask me.

End of Act I

With my first crisis averted (emphasis on first), I charged ahead and:

• Pinned the pattern pieces to my fabric
  
• Cut one layer where it said “cut 1” and two layers where it said “cut 2”
  
• Marked all the small lines and circles (seriously, so many dots!)
  
• Ironed all the fabric interfacing to their corresponding pieces
  

Finally, I finished the raw edges using an overedge stitch — a super satisfying step. Our pattern instructions highlight exactly which edges to finish, making it ultra easy to follow. My favorite part? I was only sewing long, straight lines, meaning I could relax and hum along while the machine sang its song. 

Once the raw edges were finished, I kept the paper patterns pinned to the fabric pieces (so I wouldn’t forget what’s what), stacked them neatly, cleaned up my workspace, and proudly placed a laminated card on top: “Area in Use by Karina.”

Then, in my best Terminator voice, I whispered, “I’ll be back.”

To Be Continued…

Stay tuned for Part 2, where stitch gets real. (More puns incoming… you’ve been warned.)

Interested in getting into sewing or cosplay? Many of our sewing patterns are perfect for beginners tackling their first project! Already an experienced sewist looking for more to explore? We’ve got you too. Use the code KARINAJOURNEY15 to get 15% off the physical or digital version of our Lolita Skirt sewing pattern!

Whatever your level, we strive to make sewing more accessible. That’s why we offer size inclusive, premium quality paper and PDF printable sewing patterns with detailed, step-by-step digital instructions including visual guides and helpful reminders. Follow us on social media, join our public Discord, and sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop!

Written by Karina M.