Made by a Fabricista: Spring Sewing with Fabricista Diane

I'm so happy to be back this month on the Fabric Mart blog with my first spring projects, simple and lightweight black pants and a flowy and sophisticated print top.

Inspiration for sewing comes from everywhere and I'm thrilled (like everyone else) that I no longer have to organize stacks of torn out pages from catalogs and magazines but now can save anything that inspires me to my "I Wanna Make This" board on Pinterest, no papers, no mess. And this outfit today is inspired by one of those pins.

The top is McCall's 7093, a brand new tunic pattern with different color block variations. I made View A (without the slits) in this geometric viscose print from Fabric Mart.

The top is a quick and easy sew and the only changes I made were omitting the slits in the front, taking in the sides 1/2", and adding black bias trim to the neck. I used the wrong side of a black silk charmeuse I had in my stash. It can be tricky to get bias trim to be even and I've found that if I ditch the pattern piece and make a free cut, I can have even binding. Here's how I do it:

Cut strips of bias at least 1" longer and 1" wider than the neckline pattern piece.

Fold fabric in half lengthwise and press.

Using a ruler and rotary cutter. Cut the folded bias strip down to the desired width (see photo).

Cut bias same length as the pattern piece and add markings.

Yay! Even bias strips = Even neckline trim.

I'm sure I will end up making this McCall's pattern over and over. I always want to wear leggings but never have the right top to go over them. Finally, I found the perfect blouse for leggings... longer in the back and shorter in the front.

The pants are from one of my "Tried and True" (TNT) patterns, Simplicity 1696. Now, of all of my TNT pattern types, a pant pattern is most cherished. A good fitting pair of pants is really hard to come by.

I've made these pants many times before, all with different variations, and this time I used this lightweight cotton twill from Fabric Mart , deleted the slash pocket and added 4" to the length. I ended up with a classic pair of pants that fill a gaping hole in my wardrobe.

Spring has sprung and I couldn't be happier. What's your first spring project?

And here's a gratuitous dog picture....he's my photography assistant!

Have a great day! Diane - Gatorbunnysews

Made By A Fabricista: Why I Love Sewing Woven Fabrics Over Knits

Sewing is a creative hobby that allows me to express my unique style while adding a personal touch to my wardrobe. When it comes to choosing between wovens and knits I will mostly always choose woven. There are a lot of reasons I choose wovens as my go-to choice. The project I chose for this Fabric Mart make is from Friday Pattern Company’s Patina Blouse . I used a gorgeous lightweight rayon . It’s delicate hand is the perfect blouse weight and it drapes beautifully with this pattern. In this blog post, l'll explore the advantages of sewing woven blouses over knit shirts, highlighting the creativity, versatility, and satisfaction that come with this choice. The Joy of Creativity Sewing a woven blouse offers a chance for my creativity to flourish. Woven fabrics come in a wide array of colors, patterns, and textures, allowing me to unleash my artistic potential. With knits, the stretch and drape of the fabric often limit my design options. In contrast, woven fabrics give me the fr

Fabricista Guest Post: Perfectly Imperfect

Hey Sewing Friends!! I’m super excited to be a guest Fabricista. I’ve been a fan of Fabric Mart since I began sewing again in 2020. Let me begin with an introduction. I’m Eras, and my Instagram account is sewing_andmore. During the day, I work as a Nurse Practitioner, and I first learned to sew in my local 4-H club when I was in middle school. At that time, I had an amazing sewing instructor, Mrs. McKinney, who was extremely patient and was by my side for every step. However, in 2020, the stress of being a Nurse Practitioner during the pandemic made me turn to sewing for my mental health. I started out sewing and creating masks, and I immediately saw a change in my mood. I’m so glad I dusted off my old sewing machine, and I haven’t stopped! After seeing the rush of adrenaline and satisfaction sewing provided, I started making clothes. When I no longer needed fat-quarters, I started looking for online fabric stores. It was during this time that I discovered Fabric Mart and their great

Made By A Fabricista: Skipping Winter - Tailored Outfits in Twill & Shirting for Spring

Hi Fabric Mart fans! I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving! This month, while perusing the Fabric Mart collection, I was drawn to cotton twill fabrics. My son, who's growing like a weed, is always in need of new pants! I could easily have made him multiple pairs of pants, however I was also drawn to a bright blue stretch twill for me. I just can't resist a bold color on a jacket, and this blue was calling my name! I hope you love these outfits as much as I do! Since I planned to make pants for my son, I knew I'd need to make a button-down shirt as well. Fabric Mart had a range of fabulous cotton shirtings and it was hard to land on just one, but I eventually picked this royal blue gingham which pairs perfectly with the tan twill pants. When it comes to woven patterns for boys, I can never go past Oliver+S. I've made their dress shirts so many times now - the finishes are always lovely, and always so worth the time and effort. I used the Buttoned-Up Button-Down Shi

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