Yaya's Cosplay Fabric Review!

If you'd told me 15 years ago when I started making cosplay costumes that Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores would be selling a whole line of materials just for us, I don't know if I would have believed it! In 2016, this is a reality thanks to Yaya Han’s efforts. So, is the fabric really what we’ve always wanted? I’ve tested some of it out.

Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts was kind enough to send me fabric to try out. I’ve been wanting to make a certain costume for years but never really got around to finding the right fabric for it. That costume is Phoenix from X-men. Think 90’s cartoon X-men… Big hair and fire. Yeah, I wanted something shiny!

I wanted a stretch material that would react brilliantly under lights, but not all Metallic Spandex is equal. Over the years I’ve dealt with a fair amount of Metallic Spandex that would easily delaminate or crack when stretched. When I received my Cosplay by Yaya Han Metallic Spandex in Black, Gold, and Green the first thing I checked was if this material would flake or peel. It passed the test like a pro!

Okay, so I’m using Yaya’s hand picked fabric, so why not use some of her patterns too? I’m doubling down on the Yaya Han products here and it yielded good results! I modified McCall’s M7217 for the bodysuit and McCall's 7397 for the boot covers.

When working with material with a coating like this, avoiding pin holes is important so I like to use clips. No puncture holes or poked hands!

Part of Phoenix’s costume is a her iconic emblem right on the chest, so an appliqué was in order. Doing appliqué on metallic spandex might seem iffy since you’ll be ironing over a heat bonding webbing and then topstitching on temperamental material. It is much easier to approach than you might imagine. I used a silk setting on my iron without any issue, but every iron gives off different levels of heat. Be sure to test on a scrap and start with a very low temperature or press cloth.

​To my relief, this material wasn’t fussy to work with.  I powered through making this costume over the course of a few weeks, crafting at night after work. The material has a nice thickness and looks absolutely lovely under light. I look forward to using the gold color on plenty of other projects. Hello, awesome metallic trim!
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​So, here’s the end result (with some fake FIRE for good measure!)

Living in big cities has made it easier for me to shop for a larger selection of materials over the years but not everyone is in travel distance of NYC or LA’s fabric district. In fact, I’m several hours away from a big fabric district now too. Having a strong line of cosplay friendly fabrics available all over the nation is a pretty big game changer.
​I went into a local Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts and was bowled over by the new Cosplay by Yaya Han collection. I hope the fabric line will continue to expand into more colors and materials. (I can never have enough stretch cotton sateen in my life, just sayin'.) Grab a coupon, and check out the new threads for yourself! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. 

Big thanks to CosplayFabrics.com & Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores for sponsoring this project and a shout out to Yaya Han for her efforts to make cosplay more accessible in the US!