Drawn Together by Modesty

blog: DeZines by Zahra 

I may finally announce my good friend’s new business! I’ve been wondering for years when someone would start a biz selling Islamic clothing patterns. Then all within the last year and a half, Joyce/Zahra, a 60-yo widow and mother of a grown daughter, becomes a Muslim, meets me and becomes my friend, tries to find Islamic clothing patterns to sew herself some clothes, and finds a hole in the Islamic clothing market. With my encouragement, she has decided to quit complaining and do something about it. (This idea had better fly or it will be my fault. )

Her patterns are not available for sale yet, although her launch date is fast approaching. She has in production an open-front abaya, a closed-front abaya, a 6-gore skirt, and various designs of LONG SHIRTS. The #1 request for patterns has been long shirts, so she’s answering the call. She is always taking requests for future pattern designs, so click on over to her blog to leave requests. And be sure to sign up for her newsletter so you may be notified of her launch date.

I told her, and she agrees, that she absolutely has to offer petite, tall, and plus sizes because people needing those sizes don’t find much ready-made clothing. She will also offer a girls’ line of patterns, and, insha’allah, if I can convince her, a maternity line as well. If she listens to me, I won’t allow her to launch the biz ’til she has petite, tall, and plus sized patterns ready for sale too because we ladies of those sizes are tired of not being catered to! (It helps that she’s petite and I’m tall. )

If you have even an inkling that you will be buying a pattern or two when they are up for sale, leave a comment on her blog or reply to one of the newsletter e-mails and tell her! She’s being cautious and producing only a small number of each pattern to start with, and I think the demand will be much larger.

So what else do you want patterns for? My suggestions are below:

• Islamic swimming suit
• girls’ abaya
• one-piece prayer garment with sleeves
• long length khimar
• chemise/full slip
• more styles of skirts
• more styles of long shirts
• long maternity shirts
• two-piece al amira