I was on the waitlist for Drape Drape 3 by Hisako Sato at the San Francisco Public Library for weeks. And finally the book was available for me to check out last week, which means I better get going on sewing something before I have to return it! There are 15 patterns in this book. I absolutely love the creativity and imagination of the patterns, but there are only a few of them that I would consider wearing. They’re either just not my style or I think they would drape in areas that wouldn’t look very good on me.
Some of the styles seem more flattering on slender figures, not curvy ones. So far I’ve only made one thing from the Drape Drape series – the asymmetrical top from Drape Drape 2, which I just realized that I have not blogged. I think I posted a photo on Instagram (@csews) last year. I need to dig it out of the closet. MaciNic of the Somnolent Dachshund inspired me to make my own DD2 asymmetrical top. I saw her post last year on her fourth version of this top (see her other versions here). I just loved the way it looked. I need to make another one. I bought the fabric for it a while ago – a beautiful rayon jersey from Britex Fabrics.
Meanwhile, I flipped through DD3 and picked out the few things that I think I would actually wear. For me, many of the things in the Drape Drape books are outfits that I would not wear. BUT I can usually find at least one or more things that are really unique and wearable. I do love the draping on many of the garments but some are just too low (or high!) cut or not really suited to my figure. (I usually have to grade up a size in the hips and go down by least a half-size in the waist.)
You can see a lovely version of Drape Drape 3‘s No. 12 Wrap Dress by Sew Busy Lizzy here. She jokingly calls it a “wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen.” Heheh. When I saw it in the book, I could tell that it was really revealing. It goes way up on one leg, beyond thigh-high to nearly hip high. Whoa. Sew Busy Lizzy pulls it off with her great legs but I don’t think she plans on wearing it in public again without pairing it with trousers. 😉
So here’s what I might sew and wear, in no particular order. (The fabric behind the book is a blue print remnant I got from Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics last week for $7.)
No. 7. Two-piece v-neck blouse
This top looks wearable, doesn’t it? Though you can’t tell from this photo, what it would look like when your arms are down.
Luckily, there are two more photos of this top later in the book. The model seems fond of having her arms up. This blouse was made from a very lightweight linen. I’m not sure how it would look on me but I’m intrigued enough to make a mock-up. I’d like to use really lightweight fabric too but I wouldn’t want it to be transparent. Maybe a lightweight linen in a bright color? What fabric would you use?
No. 11 Three-piece Sun Dress
This is a lined dress made using a woven print. You can see the edge of the lining at the hem. There’s an invisible zipper in the center back. I like the look of this dress – even the bow – and I’m not big on bows. For some reason, this dress appeals to me. Plus I’m sure we’ll have some scorching hot weather this summer so I would have the chance to wear it. The one drawback is that you can’t wear a regular bra with this dress so if you don’t have a small bust, you’ll probably want to get one of those “adhesive backless bras.” (Just do a search on those terms and see all the different styles. I had no idea there were so many variations – backless thong bodysuit anyone? I guess if I were a backless, halter-top wearing gal, I would know this already.)
No. 13 One-piece Boatneck Tunic
Yes, this is actually made from one big piece of lace fabric (width: 1 m 40 cm, length: 1 m 60 cm). It seems sort of a hybrid cape/tunic. It could be casual or dressy – depending on what you wear with it. Beach coverup or add a bit of elegance to an evening outfit?
Jen of Grainline Studio made it in 2013 and wore it at the beach. You can read her blog post here, plus see a few more photos from the book as well as her version of this tunic.
Amy of Sew Well made No. 3 Three-piece Cowl Neck Top, which she blogged about here. The cowl neck dips quite low so you need to wear a cami with it unless you’re daring and don’t mind revealing your bra. 😉
Sizes in this book go from S to XL. But some of the patterns have just two sizes -S/M or L/XL. According to the book’s chart, the largest size is for someone who’s 168 cm, which is about 5′ 5″ – not very tall. I’m around 172 cm (5′ 8″). But Japanese patterns usually have a lot of ease so I’m not worried that the patterns won’t fit. It also helps that I have a small bust. If you have to do FBAs, then you will definitely need to make some adjustments. (See my post on Japanese pattern book sizing for more info.)
Have you made anything from DD3?
Drape Drape 3 is currently $20.13 on Amazon. Considering that you can spend that amount (or more) on one full-price Vogue pattern, an indie pattern or a couple of PDF patterns, it’s a good deal.
If you want to see many images from the Drape Drape series, check out this Drape Drape Pinterest board.
Happy sewing!
[*There are affiliate links in this post for the books mentioned but I haven’t seen any money yet from it so it’s not exactly earning me any money. I’m experimenting with seeing whether it’s possible to make money.]
Comments, tips, or suggestions? I'd love to hear from you!