Hong Kong Cheongsam Making Technique

Lined sleeveless cheongsam with a square overlap along the opening and a square collar.
Tailored by Master Fung Yau Choi Lined crossed-sleeve cheongsam with a lace overlay, a round overlap along the opening and a round collar.
Tailored by Master Fung Yau Choi Reconstruction of a cheongsam master’s studio in the exhibition "The Oral Legacies Series II: The Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong". Chalk powder pouch
Using chalk powder pouches, cheongsam masters draft their sewing patterns on fabrics directly. They mark lines by drawing a thread covered with chalk powder from the pouch and flick off the powder on the fabric.
Produced by Master Fung Yau-choi Cheongsam master uses sewing machine to sew the fabrics of cheongsam.

Fabrics used for making cheongsam. Needles and threads used for making cheongsam. Iron used for making cheongsam. Tools on the workbench of the cheongsam master. The workbench is lined with cloth such that silky fabric can be placed more properly on it. There are also wooden rulers, tailors' scissors, needles, threads, starch paste, chalk powder pouch, spray bottle and an iron. Chalk powder pouch is a line-drawing tool. After the thread is covered with chalk powder, a plucking-action can leave the mark of lines on the fabric.

"Sui sin" (or water thread) is another line-drawing tool. The cheongsam master wets the thread with his saliva to draw straight lines on the fabric. No mark is left after the fabric is air-dried. The cheongsam master measures the length of the collar and cuts out the shape. Starch paste is applied on the collar before the bias binding is attached. Iron the edge after binding the collar. The collar is sewn to the shell fabric.