Fit-Along Announcement!

I'm so excited to announce a special collaboration between three amazing companies in the sewing industry! Fabric Mart, Palmer/Pletsch and McCall Pattern Company are coming together to bring you the Fabric Mart Fit-Along! This project has been in the works for a couple months and I think it's a great opportunity for beginning sewers, sewers that have never used the Palmer/Pletsch tissue fitting method or someone that wants to brush up on their pattern fitting skills.

Melissa Watson, designer for McCall Pattern Company and a certified sewing instructor for Palmer/ Pletsch, & Julie Brown (me) Fabric Buyer and Wholesale Manager at Fabric Mart teamed up to take you through the steps of fitting a pattern on your body using the Palmer/Pletsch Tissue Fitting Method. In particular, we are focusing on how to fit patterns suitable for knits. (This is slightly different than tissue fitting patterns suitable for wovens.) This method is the fastest and easiest way to get a great fit with your sewing patterns. Things you learn through these videos can be used in your other sewing projects, too. Learn all the details about the Fit-Along HERE.

And, every Saturday in February 2016, we will introduce a new video until at the end we will have a finished garment.

Melissa will be fitting McCall's 7246 on me (Julie) and then fabric fitting the garment on me. You will get to see the entire process from start to finish through this Fit-Along. I will also be talking about fabric options for this pattern.

We will also be selling fabric kits to go along with the video. The kits will include fabric used in the video so you can make your very own wrap dress. Plus, the first 50 sold will get a FREE sample of PerfectFuse interfacing. (Enough to use for your project.) Fabric kits are almost finished and will be available soon.

We've released a trailer to get you inspired, check it out! And, every Saturday in February 2016, we will introduce a new video until at the end we will have a finished garment. We hope you will join in the fun!

~ Julie

Made By A Fabricista: Falling for Knits

We are now well into Fall, even though the temps are still relatively warm here in Texas. I love the fall season and dressing for Fall. When it comes to the conversation of knits vs. wovens I typically sew mostly wovens. So for this post I decided to sew completely knits! With the holiday season right around the corner I saw these three dress styles as perfect for Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving gatherings. The first look is a tried and true pattern Simplicity S9372. Using this gorgeous burgundy ponte knit , I like how this pattern fits throughout. I chose this color to add to my typically neutral palette in my closet. I also wanted something I could wear to my sorority meetings and found this color perfect. It's an easy sew with back fisheye darts and invisible zipper to add to the tapered style. The neckline and armholes are finished with bias binding giving it a clean finish on the inside. I used a universal needle to sew a...

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...

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