Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Happy First Friday of May! I am truly excited that I have 22 more work days left before the summer break.  This school year has been a roller coaster ride and I have enjoyed some high moments and dealt with some low ones in between.  I wanted to start my summer looks early and decided to focus on looks I can wear when I visit Jamaica or other tropical places. These looks made are both great for Sunday brunch as well. This set is my first faux romper for this year and I love the fact that I can rock it as separates. When I came across this yellow graphite gray polyester fabric , I knew it was perfect for summer.  To top it off, I found the perfect matching earring from Purple Paradise Studio in lime (Rise stud in lime) and knew I wanted a chic summer faux romper set.  I decided to hack  McCalls 7943 dress pattern and create another top.  I have made it several times as I truly love it and plan to use this pattern as one of the beginner patterns for my summer sewing class. I have made it

Have you ever made a garment that you concluded was a skill builder?  The pattern, the fabric, the technique all taught you something?  Well this post is all about the skills I learned or improved on with this dress.   First let’s start with the fabric.  We got stripes.  Stripes can be used in fun ways to create a lot of visual effects.  When I got this rayon challis from Fabric Mart I didn’t really know what exactly I was going to do with it.  I ran through a list of patterns I already had and none of them quite fit.  I knew going in I was going to have to match up the stripes at least on the sides of whatever I made but I did quite know what was in store for me with the pattern I ended up picking out.  Now let's get to the pattern. Deer and Doe is one of my favorite pattern companies.  They have nice classic silhouettes that I feel work well with my body and frame.  I wanted a new pattern though so I went on the hunt for what I thought would be a simple design.  Boy was I surpri

People often speak of the “Winter Blues”, but today I bring you the “ Summer Blues ”, and it is all good news. Most people don’t think of blue as a summer color but personally for me any color is Summer ready depending on the style and fabric. The moment I seen this Polyester Lycra Diagonal Plaid Stripe Print DTY Knit (SYB8432) I knew I wanted to make something fun for the hot weather to come. I love the Navy/Black/Powder White mix of colors and prints all in one designed fabric. This DTY Knit is made up of 96% Polyester and 4% Lycra with a 4 Way Stretch. It has just the right amount of stretch but yet not too much to make it difficult to work with. If you used a pattern not calling for stretch fabric you definitely want to make adjustments when choosing your size.   With the different patterns in this fabric and made cutting it a breeze because I actually misjudged the amount of fabric, I needed but was able to cut the bodice in one direction and the skirt in another. That’s what I

YouTuber's Dee & Dory are back on the Fabric Mart blog today with their most recent Fabricista Makes. Make sure to click play on the video below to hear all about their fabric choices & how their projects turned out! Dee: For my spring dress I chose a 100% Cotton Poplin Shirting , with a soft smooth finish, being tightly woven.  I loved the fabric and did not use my original dress pattern as the poplin did not drape or flow as I had hoped. For me the fabric is just a bit crisp for the pattern I had originally chosen and, I feel, even for the pattern I made. The color palette is a beautiful green background with black dots and black and white flora branches.The fabric being a 100% cotton handled with ease and sewing on it was a breeze.      I used Simplicity 9138. This dress has 3 views, with the various views being a change with the sleeve view.  I choose the three quarter sleeve view with elastic insert,  the neckline is finished with a bias binding made out of the fabric.

Happy Spring!  We have finally made it into my favorite season which happens to also be my birthday season.  I feel like the New Year really starts in the spring season as everything comes back alive, and we all feel refreshed. So, for this post I created two separate looks to encompass my spring vibes. This first look I dared myself to create a look using two different prints.  I don’t work with prints often, but I had been really inspired lately by fellow Fabricista Marcia (keechiibstyle) who just has a magical way with mixing her prints. For this I used two different print jersey knits of 2yds each and McCall’s Pattern M8238 which allows for easy color blocking but in this case print mixing.  The fabric requirements call for a 2 way stretch but this knit worked just fine for the pattern. I love the contrast between the two prints.  This is the perfect spring style but can also but transitioned into summer as well. I did view C which had a high slit in the center.  Initially I planne

I was lucky to go on a weekend cruise to the Bahamas with my husband! For the occasion, and for this April post, I initially planned on doing two versions of the Wanda Wrap Dress: a colorful sleeveless one for daytime excursions and a darker mid-sleeved one for nighttime outings. Thankfully, I did the black one first and realized I preferred to sew something else with the other fabric. Why? Indeed, the dress is very comfortable to wear. It is flowy, elegant and a good option for day or night, depending on the chosen fabric. But, with its six panels full skirt, its faux-wrap top, and its extended waistband, this dress took almost two yards of fabric to make, even in a small size! With this jersey knit elastic fabric, it ended up being bulky and heavy to pack. Knowing I am used to traveling with very minimal luggage (backpack forever!), bulkiness and weight do not work for me. I will wear this in Miami, but it won’t travel much with me in the future.  Also, making the Wanda Dress wasn’t