Skip to main content

Fan Feature: Erika from Erika Made It

Have you ever seen a beautiful fabric on our website and fell in love and then discovered it was a panel and thought, now what the heck am I going to make with that?!
Well, wonderful things are possible and our guest today, Erika from erikamadeit.blogspot.com shows us how it is done. 

We found Erika while prowling the interweb for great sewers. 
I was shocked and amazed when I came across Erika wearing Fabric Mart fabric!
And even more impressed when I realized that the fabric she chose was in fact a panel. 

Enough of me talking...check out this gorgeous dress will ya?!
I love this dress! My maid of honor told me to get sewing, and make myself a dress for my bridal shower. Everything about the shower is a surprise, so I handed off the dress to her right after I finished it, and won't see it again until after the surprise. 

This dress is all about the fabric. When I saw this double paneled floral cotton from Fabric Mart's daily pick on facebook,  I snapped it up at only $3.99 a yard. As you can see, one side has more flower coverage than the other. 
I never worked with a paneled fabric before, and carefully cut the pieces for this Frankenstein pattern. I used vintage Butterick 9752, as the inspiration, and followed those directions, but used the trusty pattern simplicity 2444, for the front bodice and skirt, just to make fitting a little easier. The scoop neck back and buttonholes pattern was a raised version of the vintage Butterick, I raised the scoop a bit just so I could wear a bra. I love the ric rac trim around the neckline and hem, I can't believe I've never done this before. 
The back closes with 5 buttons, and is attached to the skirt that has a small invisible zipper closure. I will surely make another version of this sweet dress. 

Is this not this just the greatest?
Thank you, Erika!
We love admiring your dress! Great work!
Visit Erika's blog to see more of her fabulous projects: http://erikamadeit.blogspot.com/

Comments

  1. see also http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/2012/06/blue-rose-sheath-dress.html for another dress made from the same fabric

    ReplyDelete
  2. So cute! I love the details: the rickrack trim used as piping and along the hem, the button back. And she did a great job with the pattern placement! I love the way the roses climb up each strap in the back, and there is a bib-like effect in the front. She'll be happy to look back at these pictures in her wedding album!

    The fabric is beautiful too. I love the combination of printed and embossed flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just found the Fabricmart blog, I can't believe I never noticed it before. Fabulous projects and fun content. Keep it up!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Help Our Buyers Shop!

  Comment on this post with what you are looking for right now and our buyers will seek it out!  I am craving wool gabardines and ponte knits in fun autumn colors. What about you?

Made By A Fabricista: From My Imagination to My Closet

One of my favorite parts of sewing is taking an idea that exists only in my head and turning it into something I can actually wear. This project was exactly that—a quick, intuitive exercise in imagination, experimentation, and trusting my process, brought to life with Fabric Mart’s sweatshirt fleece. I started with a loose concept rather than a fixed plan. I knew I wanted something comfortable, but still fashion-forward—elevated loungewear that felt intentional rather than basic. Fabric choice was key, and Fabric Mart’s sweatshirt fleece ended up being the perfect foundation. Working with Fabric Mart Sweatshirt Fleece This fleece was an absolute dream to work with. It has a slight stretch, which made the final outfit incredibly comfortable while still maintaining structure. After pre-washing, the fabric held up beautifully with no pilling or texture issues, which is always a big win. It sewed smoothly and handled like a fabric that wants to be worn, not babied. Safe to say, I’m offici...

Made By A Fabricista: Three Methods to Explore Colorblocking

Hey sewing friends! As I pondered what sort of plan to tackle for my next wintry project, a new and glorious array of rainbow Polartec fabrics filled the Fabric Mart site. I’ve enjoyed sewing with this brand’s fabrics for many years now, and I’m all too happy to add some more to my wardrobe.  I picked two of my favorite types, the Power Air Grid Double Knit and the Power Grid Fleece.  Choosing a few colors in matching weights to combine them into something totally me sounded perfect. Look at this stunning heap!  When I’m sewing two different fabrics together, I prefer to use the same weight and type so that they behave similarly and hang well together. Any extra piecing like this also creates topstitching opportunities galore! (You already know I’m all about that available thread matching.) In this case, I opted for three colors in each of the two fabric varieties I mentioned above for the best combining results.  I figured I’d dive in with a brief overview of how y...