Fabric Mart Fabricistas

I'm proud to announce that we have the newest patterns from Thread Theory Design Inc. Based out of British Colombia, Canada, the husband and wife duo of Morgan and Matthew, create a line of men's clothing patterns. There is a definite void of men's patterns in the sewing world and thankfully they help fill part of the void. I interviewed Morgan last summer during the 'In the Studio' series.  We are now carrying the   Finlayson Sweater ,  Jutland Pant  and the Camas Blouse  (which is a women's pattern).  Men can be picky about their handmade garments. They don't want them to look too handmade. They need to be just right! There are a lot of factors to consider -- techniques used to make it look store-bought, ease of use and fabrics.   I think the hardest part can be selecting the right fabrics. Men's clothing is so much plainer than women's clothing and a bit more rugged. I took a look through my husband's closet and I found - medi

When the latest release of Vogue Patterns was posted, I was immediately drawn to this one- Vogue 9104.  The two tone soft wave effect reminded me of an ice cream sundae, an ocean wave, a sand dune. Ahh- just so organic and relaxing. I just couldn't wait to make it. The only question was what fabric to use? The pattern suggested crepe de chine, broadcloth or jersey.  I chose two rayon jerseys from Fabric Mart, and ordered 3 yards of each color. The fabric shrunk quite a bit after the first washing, and I was left with 2-1/2 yards of each. That sounds like a lot of fabric, but the dress really took the entire length of it. I do have some bits and pieces left that I'm hoping to piece together another top. Rayon jerseys have many pluses- they drape beautifully, they are extremely soft and silky to the touch, and are breathable. On the minus side- they tend to grow longer as the day goes on, so you have to do something to stabilize areas like necklines and armh

Hello!  I'm glad to be back on the Fabric Mart blog and joining the other Fabricistas with a new summer project for May. Well, I may have been one of the few people on the sewing planet that hadn't made  Wiksten's Tova Tunic,  but folks things have finally changed. I'm bringing summer in with a sunny sunburst Tova. There are plenty of reviews of the Tova tunic out there so there's no need for me to review it here. But I will say although the blouse has simple lines and lends itself to all types of fabrics and embellishments, I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner. It's a seasonless pattern and would be a great project for an intermediate sewer. Some time ago I pinned a Steven Alan shirt onto my  I Wanna Make This  Pinterest board because I loved the fabric. Eureka! I found it! Fabric Mart's abstract bursts 100% lightweight handkerchief linen in white, blue and pale coral  is just that fabric! This linen is lighter than any other I've e

A little while back, Fabric Mart had the most adorable elephant printed cotton fabric available , and even though I wasn't 100% sure of what I wanted to make with it, I figured it would go fast, so I took a chance and purchased three yards of it, knowing I could likely make three yards work for something! After receiving it, and seeing all the ridiculous craziness that came with the Target/Lilly Pulitzer collaboration , I decided I *had* to make a Lilly inspired dress from this fabric AND because it is pink and green, I knew that if I didn't make a dress for my daughter from the same fabric, I would never hear the end of it.  ;-) Well it turns out, upon doing research with Mr. Google and Miss Pinterest, that I happened to have bought actual Lilly Pulitzer fabric from Fabric Mart, or if it isn't actual fabric from them, it is a darn good duplicate.  Above you see some items from Lilly Pulitzer's 2014 summer line!  And, yep, those look an awful lot

Mothers Day -- There is nothing better than being able to share your craft with the ones you love.   My daughter, Jordan (10 years old) has had very minimal interest in sewing these past years. While I have made her several garments in the past, her desire to learn was minimal at best. Attempts in the past yielded a good hour of attention.   I have been planning on re-introducing her to sewing with some fun summer projects. My daughter loves summer dresses, shorts, colors!   I used a hot pink/coral red/beige/white abstract print poly/lycra Charmeuse found ( HERE ). While I typically don't lean towards pink garments, I fell absolutely in love with this print! My daughters pattern is New Look S0814. We opted for a mix between view D and view C.  I created view A of this pattern just last week and she wore it to her summer concert at school. I believe her love for the dress sparked her wanting to sew this time around. My daughter constructed 95% of her