Made by a Fabricista: Sue Makes a Workout Outfit

Every year I vow to get in shape and stay in shape. Typically, I do really well with this promise to myself up until about October. Then it seems like busyness, apathy, and life just gets in the way and I backslide into old habits...including not working out! So to start 2015 out right, I decided the best and most appropriate thing to do is make some workout clothes I will look forward to wearing and why not? They go together quickly and with this AMAZING fabric I choose from Fabric Mart to complete the job, I'll make more!

This is a poly/lycra blend and I wish you were able to touch it, it is SO soft! I wish I could wear something like this to work as I think I'd smile all day long! I'd certainly look and feel comfortable.

For the jacket I used Jalie 2679, or the women's sport jacket. The details are awesome, the directions are good although a little sparse, and the drafting is perfect. I LOVE this pattern and I am so pleased with my final result!

It was fun playing with the layout of the pattern pieces to determine where I would use the contrasting white.

For the pants, I used a Kwik Sew pattern that has been in my stash for quite a while. Kwik Sew 3988 has two versions of Yoga/workout pants with a long version with a waist inset, perfect for color blocking, or a shorter version that's knee length that you can make color blocked at the waist seam and outer legs at the knees. Both views have a gusset at the crotch area--which makes you able to move in multiple ways--even ways you didn't know your body was capable of doing!

I LOVE this fabric. It is so soft and I am very happy with the patterns I choose to make this outfit. If Fabric Mart has any of this fabric left, don't hesitate to purchase is for any knit garment. It is lovely stuff! Check out their activewear selection here. It is a little sparse at the moment, but you can also check out the swimwear section for 4-way stretch knits that could be good for this project as well.

~ Sue

Made By A Fabricista: Revisiting a Pattern After Five Years

Have you ever used a sewing pattern and then immediately vowed never to sew it again? Well, I have. It all began in the spring of 2020 at the start of the pandemic lockdown. I tackled sewing projects that were more challenging to help me grow as a seamstress. There was one pattern in particular that almost did me in, the Seamwork Penny shirt dress. The Penny dress pattern has a classic button-up dress shirt style bodice with a gathered skirt and pockets. It is a beautiful take on a shirt dress, and my sister and I loved it. The only downside is that it was recommended for intermediate-level sewists and I was only an adventurous beginner back then. I think I had only ever made one button-up shirt before attempting this Penny Dress and it didn’t even have a collar! Despite all of this, I thought “Why not try it, what’s the worst that can happen?” Thankfully the worst didn’t happen, and the dress turned out surprisingly wearable, but I had some intense frustration at the end. I...

Made By A Fabricista: A Simple Frock for Spring

Hello friends! I’m really into sewing and wearing tent dresses at the moment. A tent dress is basically a wide A-line style gown. For this month’s project, I’ve opted to try out The Assembly Line’s Square Neck Dress. This style is a little avant-garde in its enormity and shape, and boasts the squared neckline it’s named after, plus some cute hem side slits. All that volume is fun to move around in, plus there’s loads of air circulation which is cooling. This dress’s main feature–its wide and high squared neckline–really piqued my interest recently, and I added it to my Make Nine plans for 2025. I find it so satisfying to check off those boxes as I sew! This beautiful shirtweight linen is a color I simply adore; a muted medium blue. Stormy skies, worn-in denim, and ocean waves all come to mind, and that is exactly what I want to be all wrapped up in. While I think a wild or large print would be amazingly on display in this big canvas of a dress, I also thought that a subtle ...

Made By A Fabricista: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...

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