Made by a Fabricista: Working with Panels

If you browse through our website often, you may periodically come across fabric that comes in panels or borders. While some may feel like it's too much of a challenge, they offer wonderful possibilities for something out of the ordinary! You can be really creative with panels! Maggy London is known for using paneled fabric in her garments, and we just so happen to get some of those.

I recently offered this fabric in Julie's Picks and was pleasantly surprised by the number of people that purchased it! It was a stretch cotton sateen with a large stripe-effect floral design. You are seeing the entire panel in the dress.

Here are examples of other panels prints in garments:

So I put myself to the challenge of making something with a panel. I chose the Purple Floral Lace Half Medallion ITY Knit.

I really enjoyed trying to figure out how to use it. I used my mannequin as a model. I tried the panel at my shoulders, at my waist and even along one side of my body. (I didn't get a photo of that one though...)

I really liked the panel at the top of the dress. Comparing it to the second photo, I felt like the panel on my hips would just accentuate more than is necessary. Plus the panel sort of looked like an apron. I love aprons, but I just wasn't going for that look. The panel at the top really frames my face and ascetically looked better. As I mentioned before, I tried the panel at the side, but didn't care for that as much either. Here is an example of how you can use a panel like this on the side of your body:

Here is the completed dress! I used McCall 6112, which looks to be discontinued from McCall's website. I made this a few times before, so I knew the pattern pretty well. It's not a very hard pattern, which makes it much easier to work with panels. Hint: Don't select a pattern with too many pattern pieces in the place you're using the panel. This was a simple 4-piece pattern with no sleeve pieces since it was a dolman sleeve!

So I guess you're wondering how I did this??

I looked at my bodice pieces and made sure they were going to fit on the fabric. Once I determined that they would, I placed the pattern in the middle of the medallion. I also placed the shoulder seam at the straight edge of the medallion. I traced around this, then turned the pattern piece to cut the other half of the bodice front. Cut out the entire bodice front, then repeat for the back.

When flipping your pattern to create the mirror-image, I used pins to show me the middle of the bodice. I didn't want to have a chalk mark going down the middle of the fabric. I know it washes out, but I fear markings not coming out!

You're probably wondering how much fabric I need for this dress? You will need two panels. One for the front and one for the back. But keep in mind that depending on your size, you may have to buy a different black knit for the skirt. I was able to get the skirt out of the left side of the fabric (where the small stripe design is.) If you would see the dress in person, you would see that I have a small 1-inch medallion print on my side.

That's all there is to it! Have you worked with panels before? What did you make? Share you experiences with us!

Check out our selection of Maggy London Fabrics Here. Also check out our Pinterest Board featuring our Maggy London fabrics and ideas!

~Julie

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing Summery ITY

Hi sewing friends! I’m dropping in to share a few makes sewn with ITY fabrics and inspire you to try out this slinky, cool-to-the-touch fabric for hot weather if you haven’t yet, or to recommend some patterns that work fabulously if you already love it. This is by far my favorite knit to wear in summer. Since it moves easily there’s lots of airflow, and it just skims the body. More often than not, it has a four-way stretch that doesn’t grow when worn, so it works great for loads of styles. ITY stands for Interlock Twist Yarn and the knit gives it some wonderful drape and stretch. There are lots of different weights and even some differing textures. Because it’s so fluid, the fabric really resists most wrinkling. I’ve sewn three different weights and prints here to show off just what ITY can do! This white floral is a lighter weight and features a slightly crepe-textured finish, and I think that combined with the large and spread-out floral makes it quite elegant and eye-cat...

Made By A Fabricista: Basics vs Fun Clothes

Every summer I make flowy, pretty dresses because they are so fun for me to make, wear, and they keep me cool as temperatures rise. But when the days get shorter and autumn rolls around, I’m not always confident on how best to transition my summery dresses into garments that will allow for the seasonal changes. In an effort to be more intentional about maximizing the use of my clothing, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to make for August. It’s been a hot summer in New Jersey. From what I can see, it’s been a hot summer across the US. Looking for clothing that will keep me cool, perhaps hide some sweat stains, and allow me to transition between seasons, I decided to make separates that would pair well with each other and allow me to mix and match with the rest of my wardrobe. For the top, I wanted a basic tank top, something I could layer later on. For the bottoms, I wanted flowy, summery pants that can last into brisker weather or become phenomenally cozy in front of my wint...

Made By A Fabricista: From Paris with Love!

Bonjour! I am still in bliss from my recent trip to Paris!! It was much more than I expected and I absolutely fell in love with the city. I can honestly see myself living there one day. I knew before leaving I wanted to make something to fit into the Parisian landscape because I knew it would be a special opportunity. I was inspired by one of my favorite fashion creators Juliette Foxx. Her checked gingham corset and wide leg pants were on my list to remake. For fabric I used this red and white pin stripe denim twill and deep red sateen for the pants. The pattern I used for the corset was McCall’s #M8182 with a few modifications. The fit was a little large so I took it in along the sides and shoulder seam. I then lowered the neckline since the shoulders were taken in. I used the sateen as my lining which gave a great contrast. My pants are my unreleased pattern which happens to be exact from the inspiration. I drafted these last year and have been wo...

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