Made by A Fabricista: Crop Top and Mesh Maxi -- A little love can take you a long way!

Now that fall is in full swing, there is no better time than now to break out the long skirts and boots. For this garment, I went with a graffiti type print mesh from Fabric Mart. The top is a stretch jacquard fabric also from FM that I've had for well over a year. The mesh is now sold out, but here are some alternates that would look GREAT with this same concept:

Mesh: I used this for a shorter version of this skirt and am in LOVE with the print (HERE). These are well worth a try as well (Option 2), (Option 3), & (Option 4).

Top Knit: The key here is to get a double/sweater/neoprene/jacquard knit with at least selvage to selvage stretch. (Option 1), (Option 2), & (Option 3).

Construction: I used (1) gold teeth 9" exposed zipper, (1) 29" by 5" piece of wool for the waistband and (2) 9" by 1/2" strips of wool to serve as a stabilizer for the mesh where I insert the zipper. The waistband is basically my waist measurement plus 1" for the seam allowance.

I used 4 yards of fabric for this skirt. The selvage edge is white on one end and fabric toned on the other. I used the fabric toned selvage as the bottom of my skirt. I was able to cut down the top to get my desired length without disrupting the other selvage edge which would be better than attempting to hem mesh!

I did a basting stitch 1/4" from the top of the skirt and gathered my fabric down to 30".

I then prepped my waist band by folding and pressing a 5/8" seam on both ends to encase the skirt. Once pressed, I pinned the skirt to the inside of the waist band, and top stitched it into place.

Once this was complete, I stitched and overlocked my seams with an 8" opening at the top to insert my zipper.

This process is really simple and should take no less than a casual hour.

The top was my first creation using a bodice sloper I created from a Craftsy class I took last month. The sleeves I took from a Simplicity pattern I had not yet stored properly :). McCall 6886 would be a great alternative to the bodice I used. The neckline is the same and the fit can be adjusted with ease.

This outfit came together quite well. After construction, I wore it to a private dinner party and it was a hit! My favorite part of this outfit is the mix of prints. I literally forgot I had the fabric used for the top, but found myself digging through my fabric stash determined not to create a solid top.

As for styling, I paired this outfit with a yellow necklace for a pop of color, leggings, and knee high boots.

Happy Sewing!

Muah

- Jenese

Needles and Fashion

Made By A Fabricista: A Tipsy Martini Transitional Three Piece Look

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon with Sharon Sews with my latest Fabricista make – a three-piece set I can wear as the weather transitions to fall here in Texas. It may look like a summer outfit but there will days filled with sunshine and high temps well into November. At first glance it looks like a nice, lightweight jacket, top and pants. But look closer – it’s sewn from the designer Tipsy Martini cotton sateen that was originally used by the designer for a pajama set. Now I could have sewn myself a pair of pajamas using the Closet Core Carolyn Pajama pattern (available at Fabric Mart) and replicated the designer pajamas. But if I had gone that route the only ones who would have seen this adorable kitschy fabric would be my family. This print is much too cute to hide out at home. This Tipsy Martini cotton sateen fabric was lovely to sew. I used black thread, an 80/12 universal needle, and Palmer/Pletsch Perfect Fuse Medium interfacing (link here). Note that this is a rayon fu

Made By A Fabricista: Hooray for Cozy Fall Sews!

Greetings, all! I am in such high spirits with the best-of-all-seasons just beginning and change is finally in the air. I always rejoice when the sweatiest time of the year passes and we can all take a deep breath and gear up for cozier times. Neighborhood Patterns is a new-to-me designer, and I came across them on Instagram in late summer and fell in love with the Plain Jane Skirt. This is such a simple A-line skirt, but with nice details like large inseam pockets and an optional drawstring, and though I’m sure I could draft this style myself, the appeal of having it all done for me was too tempting to pass up. A sew such as this is a lovely palate-cleanser and this was the first project I sewed after returning from a cross-country trip. Perfect! The gorgeous plaid flannel is exactly what I want to be wearing in the fall. The fabric is SO soft and a pleasure to snuggle up in. Because flannel does not have much body and is prone to stretching or shifting with all its mechanical give,

Made By A Fabricista: Quilted Jacket Chronicle

What do you get when mixing the best things about apparel sewing and machine quilting? A quilted jacket! It's funny that I elected to sew myself a quilted jacket for this Fabricista blog because I don't consider myself much of a quilter. I can count on my hands the number of quilted projects I've made over the last few years. While I fully appreciate the end product of quilting, I don't normally gravitate toward starting quilting projects. That's why making a quilted jacket is a new and exciting project for me! It gives me the fun of making a quilt on a much smaller scale. If you are an avid apparel sewist and are new to quilting, this is the perfect project to take for a quilting test drive! For my quilted jacket, I used the Seamwork Easton Jacket pattern. I decided to stick with a solid-colored fabric for the jacket's exterior and ordered 4 yards of Dark Umber Brown Lycra Stretch Canvas Suiting from the Fabric Mart website. I wanted a contrasting color for the

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