Pattern Release! the Senpai Bomber Jacket!
I’m super stoked to be introducing you to my latest pattern, the Senpai Bomber Jacket, which is releasing today! It’s part of the latest Project Run & Play Designer Collaboration: Project Streetwear along with patterns by Jenn from a Jennuine Life, Aimee from Puzzle Patterns, Audrey from Skirt Fixation, Anne from Sofilantjes, and Susana from Suco by Susana.
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty and find out more about the Senpai Bomber Jacket:
The Senpai Bomber Jacket:
““Senpai” is a Japanese term which refers to an upperclassman who looks out for or mentors those younger than themselves. Sorta like a big brother/ big sister type that you often find in anime or manga!”
After making the Ichigo Bomber Jacket, I was really interested in doing something with a simpler design but that had tons of options to change it up! The Ichigo has a slimmer and longer silhouette, so I drafted the Senpai to have a higher hem and a boxier fit. And since the fit is boxier, wovens are also a part of the fabric list! 🤯
The pockets are the same, simple, unique design as the Ichigo’s but the chest pocket is a tad smaller so that it can double as a sleeve pocket if you prefer! And in instead of the fruity appliques, the Senpai offers large collegiate letter and number templates for the back bodice and smaller ones for the front bodice/side sleeve.
The Senpai has the option to be fully lined, making is winter ready for those brisk months!
Who doesn’t love a good hood? In our family, a good hood is nice and roomy and the Senpai’s hood is definitely that! Or leave it off altogether and opt for the neckband only!
Ever since I made the girls their jackets, they have worn them every chance they get! It’s really satisfying to make them something that rad and practical that they love.
Mandopop & Ryu
These kids are so much cooler than I ever was at their age. 😂
My middle girl has this sense of style that blows me away. She puts so much thought into what she’s going to wear and it’s bold and glorious and I just love it! I tell my girls all the time that you can pull off any outfit so long as you have the self confidence to wear it. That’s all you need. Accessories and all the other stuff are nice but if you don’t feel good about yourself then the clothes are just wearing you, not the other way around. I try to make things for them that empowers them as they get older, and while I still like to make the cute stuff for them, I’m drawn more towards edgy and more thought-provoking clothes.
So it’s no secret that we are massive Asian pop-culture fanatics; anime, K-drama, mandopop and kpop, and all of the street styles from Harajuku, even the architecture is so lively and interesting! 90% of the things we’re watching or listening to are in Mandarin, Korean or Japanese and the girls have lots of favorites. The both have quite the list of idol inspired fashion they want me to make them and I am super willing to do so!
Mandopop
Sephira’s Senpai Bomber Jacket is fluorescent and fabulous just like her personality! When I was planning her Senpai, I knew exactly what I was going to applique' on it. Her favorite idol (well in fairness she has lots of favorites but this one is the one she wants to marry when she grows up 😂) is Bii. He is a solo, mandopop (which stands for Mandarin pop) artist who usually sings his songs in 3 languages and wears some of the most drool-worthy outfits. She actually shares a birthday with him which she loves to proudly proclaim but he was born in 1989 (hence the Bii 89 applique on her sleeve). I used a matte, aqua vinyl on the sleeves, interlock for the lining and cuffs, and sweatshirt fleece for the rest.
Since the jacket is super bright and colorful, I wanted to make her outfit more monotone. The top is one of the many variations of the Indigo Pattern by Jenniune Designs: cropped, banded, and long-sleeved. Using black stretch velvet, I made it in between sizes 6 & 7 but still took it in a bit so it fit her nice and snug. She gets so excited over crop tops and weird rompers (like this one) and then gets extra bummed when she outgrows them. I love the cut of the back! I’m sure she’s happy because now I can keep making her new ones as she gets older!
Her pants are the Metro Pants Pattern by Suco by Susana, in a size 7Y extended to an 8Y, taken in by the inseam a little (my kiddos are on the slimmer side). I went rouge (😂 not really) and used this medium/heavyweight knit pattern I discovered and one top of that, I turned the fabric against the grainline since the stretchiness ran down the selvage and the pattern looked better. Is it me or does it seem sometimes that selvages and grainlines are mix-matched? This isn’t the first time I’ve seen a fabric that seems like that; I’ve seen stretch wovens with the stretch running along the selvage too! At any rate, it didn’t affect the silhouette! They’re so comfy!
Her suspenders are a freebie pattern that I’ll be releasing the tutorial for later this week, called the Densen Suspenders (named after the Japanese word for electrical wires). We’ve all seen suspenders skinny and wide but I thought it would be cool to combine the two and make some interesting pops of color to her monotone outfit!
Ryu
Her Senpai Bomber Jacket is inspired by kpop. I’ve been wanting to make a jacket like this for her for years now. Her sister was more than a little miffed that it wasn’t hers as well (greedy much? lol) Give it time, little one, it’ll be yours before you know it. 😏 I sorta fell in love hard with the brick red, primary red, aqua combo. I added all of those patches and stitched them on for good measure to make sure they don’t come off! It’s cozy on the inside and has a faint sheen on the outside and furry and patchy! Be still my heart! I wish I had made it for myself!
I used the Metro Pants pattern again for Azriella. The pants are so crazy and busy which is so us. We’re on the extra side of extra. I had this fabric in my stash for over a year now and it looked so good next to the jacket fabrics that I just had use it, even though I only had a yard (which meant I made the top waist separated and sewn as well as using a different fabric for the pocket linings. I made up for the pockets by making a facing for a few inches so you can’t tell) I managed to make it work without it looking noticeable at all. I also took in the pants at the inseam because, again, slim legs.
My eldest daughter loves dragons. I’m not talking like, “oh she likes dragons,” she legit studies them on a regular basis (she even asked what dragon-related jobs could she get when she’s older!) For her top, I used the Easy Street Tee for girls by Skirt Fixation in a size 10Y and took it in along the side seams a little. I wanted to go simple. The rest of the outfit is so out there so I figured it would be nice to have some white space so to speak. It was hard resisting color-blocking the cuffs or neckline! The decal I made using heat transfer vinyl and a good ol’ Exacto knife (because I don’t have a fancy Cricut or other cutting machines). It says “ryū” and then the Kanji for it: 竜 which, as you might have guessed, stands for dragon in Japanese.
I made a vinyl, slip-on bracelet using the same fabric as the Sephira’s sleeves on her Mandopop jacket and did an “X” top-stitching. Then I covered it in safety pins (teenage Kat would be so pleased, lol).
So there is a massive sale on the bundled patterns this month and a free lookbook that showcases the whole collection that we put together as well! If you’re interested in the Senpai Bomber Jacket and/or the rest of the Project Streetwear collection, be sure to check it out! I had a lot of fun making the spreads for the girls’ outfits!
YAY! You're here! I'm so happy! I'm Kat! Mom, shawol, and pattern designer, this is the place where I share all of my sewing projects, chibi cosplay fashion, and DIY/tutorials! Everything around here is action-packed with color, silliness, and tons of kawaii stuff!