3rd Challenge Winner + 4th Challenge Announced: Lady in Red

The winner of the 3rd Challenge is...

Sue from I Love to Sew!

Congratulations Sue! You have won three free patterns from Fabric Mart Sewing Pattern Collection!

Unfortunately, someone has to go home. We're sorry to see Sarah from Musings of a Seamstress leave the challenge. As always, great job to each and every one of the participants. This entire challenge is truly a challenge to add into your everyday life!

Winner from the Flickr Page: Kitty from Denver Sews is the winner of a free pattern from the Fabric Mart Sewing Pattern Collection. This was a randomly selected drawing. Please email me
(fabricmartblog{@}gmail.com) to claim your prize.

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There are a number of challenges in the sewing community that have sewers create their signature little black dress. We did the Little Black Dress Challenge in last year's Fashion Challenge. I've seen the White Dress Challenge on Pattern Review, among many other similar challenges in the online sewing community. I wanted to do a challenge where we focus on one color and when I thought about red, the first thing that came to mind was the song, "Lady in Red" by Chris De Burgh.

I have heard the song many times, but never knew who it was written about or why. After doing some research, I found out it was inspired by a time he saw his wife from across the room in a nightclub. He didn't realize it was her and later on realized that so many times people never appreciate that the most important person in their lives is taken for granted. You also fail to notice what attracted to you to them in the first place.

In this challenge, I would like you to create the perfect red dress. It can be any version of red - burgundy red, bright red, red-orange, etc, just as long as it is red! If you need to send me a photo for confirmation, you can definitely do that.

I would also like you to create a story for us. Are you going out with your husband on a romantic date or a fun night out with the girls? Where will you be going? What will you be doing? Your dress should be able to tell your story.

We will be judging on a 1-10 scale (10 being the highest) using the following criteria:

Fit - Does the dress fit well? No unnecessary pulling in problem areas? Is it flattering to your figure?

Creativity - Does the dress have something interesting about it that sets it apart from your everyday dress? Also, did you come up with an interesting story to go along with this dress?

Craftsmanship - Did you put a lot of care into the construction? Top-stitching straight, careful overall construction, etc.

Presentation - While we totally understand not everyone has a professional camera and the perfect backdrop for photographing their creations, (Me included!!) you are in front of a world of other sewers! Make yourself look presentable. Submit a photo of the front, back and side view of the garment, as well as a "presentation photo" (this should be the best photo!) Detail photos are also requested so we can be better judges. So if you do some embellishing or a specific technique, zoom in and share with us! (Not all photos may be used in the final blog post, but shared with the judges.)

Guest Judge will be Laura Nash from Sew Chic Patterns. I interviewed her earlier in the summer during the In the Studio series. Read her interview here.

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Entries are due by Tuesday, September 30rd, with viewer judging on Wednesday, October 1st-Thursday, October 2nd. The winner will be announced Friday, October 3 and a new challenge will begin!

PRIZES!!
The winner of this challenge will receive a Sewing Room Assortment pack which will include thread, a square ruler, grosgrain ribbon, scissors, and MORE! You will also receive a free 10 yard Mystery Bundle packed with beautiful fabrics from our website.

Reader Participation!

Don't forget!! If you are watching from the sidelines, you can participate in the challenge too! Head on over to our Flickr page and upload your finished red dress! Follow the same rules as the Challenge participants. Upload a photo of your finished garment by Wednesday, October 1st (made during the challenge please, no previously made items!) We will have a random drawing for the Flickr winner! They will win one free pattern of their choice from the Fabric Mart Pattern collection. (All prizes are sent to winner at the end of the challenge.)

Ready, set, go!!

Made By A Fabricista: Closing 2025 with a Lined Jacket

Hello again, sewing friends! It seems we have arrived yet again in the grandest season for layering, all this oncoming cold weather. I like ending the year with something warm and very useful. Seems based on my past Fabricista posts, I love to sew year-end outerwear, and this round is no different! I challenged myself with a new lined coat (wait, jacket? Coat? I feel like the presence of wool changes things?). Anyhoo, since the lovely Chalk & Notch Den Jacket has been in my queue, I proceeded ahead. I like the large pockets, the option to line or not, and the extra bodice and sleeve seams for topstitching. Sewing this coat is not at all difficult, but the many pieces and loads of topstitching will take a bit of time. My version took me a few multiple-hour sessions to complete. I sewed a size 2, which matches my measurements, and I made no alterations. Hint: for a quick size test, just employ the lining pieces. Gorgeous, muted blue as a soft wool flannel ? This is ...

Made By A Fabricista: Chalk and Notch Wren Dress: My Buffet dress for the Christmas season!

I recently sewed the Chalk and Notch Wren dress using a beautifully soft black voile from Fabric Mart, and it turned into such a satisfying, enjoyable project. The pattern itself is very easy to understand and straightforward with clear instructions, intuitive construction, and a relaxed fit that makes the sewing process easy. A buffet dress in the sewing community is a dress that is loose fitting, so you can eat at the buffet without your dress being uncomfortable afterwards, lol! Because the voile I chose is extremely thin and transparent, I opted to line the bodice and first tier. Adding a lining not only provided modesty but also gave the delicate fabric a bit more stability, especially around the neckline and button placket. A helpful tip when sewing a lining into a lightweight bodice is to treat the lining and the main fabric as one. I sewed the bodice as you would for a lined bodice, and the first tier I sewed the pieces together with a basting stitch to make the process...

Made By A Fabricista: Sheer Elegance and Everyday Comfort with my Two New Tops

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with my last Fabricista make for 2025. While many sew a special holiday outfit at year’s end, I went in another direction sewing two tops that couldn’t be more different. One is sheer and elegant while the other is easy comfort for everyday wear. These tops reflect how I dress at this stage of life. As an over-50 sewist, these two tops reflect how I dress at this point in my life. Sometimes I want something a bit special, other times more basic. Either way, sewing them in beautiful fabrics, custom fit to my body, makes all the difference in how I feel when I wear them. Even though I’m quite pleased with my two tops, my original plan was to sew a jacket with the tropical print stretch twill and pair it with a top sewn from the soutache mesh knit . Sadly, I wasn’t quick enough to get enough of the stretch twill to make a jacket, so a top it was! You do know you have to act fast when you see something you love on Fabric ...

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