Fit-Along Episode 1 is Live!

Episode 1 of the Fit-Along is now live! I'm a few days late in posting this (sorry!) We've had a really great response to the first epsiode and I'm so glad there are many of you going to fit and sew along with us.

In this episode, Melissa and Julie will go over the history of Palmer/Pletsch Tissue Fitting Method, the supplies you will need and how to measure and choose the right size for your body. Julie will give a rundown of knit fabrics including the best types of knit for this design. Melissa will show you how to prepare your pattern for successful tissue fitting. You will even see some old pictures of Pati tissue fitting in the 70s!

The great thing about the videos is that they will be available forever! You can fit and sew along with us anytime, whether you do it now or not.

And to make your experience even better, we're offering fabric kits. I have hand-picked a selection of knits and rayon challis that are perfect for this wrap dress pattern. The kits include enough fabric to make the long dress with the long sleeves in the largest size, thread to match and the pattern. You also get a pre-printed copy of the Palmer/Pletsch body map and fitting order which you can print for free HERE.

The fabric kits have been live for a few days and as I type this they are actually kind of picked out! Since we didn't know how well they would go, we put together a select number. But now that we had a positive response, more patterns are on order and the kits are being cut. Watch for an update here, Facebook and through our website email list. We'll let you know when they are ready to go!

We'd love to hear from you! If you have any questions along the way, don't hesitate to post a comment or email me at fabricmartblog@gmail.com.

Made by a Fabricista: Spring is for Shirtdress

I love shirt dresses! My pattern collection reflects this (I may or may not have eight shirt dress patterns) but somehow my closet does not. I have just two DIY shirt dresses (Mimi G's Katie dress and Simplicity 8546) and maybe two RTW versions. So it's high time that I added some to my wardrobe.

This polyester blouse weight twill by Milly has the perfect weight and drape for a relaxed shirt dress. If you prefer a more structured look, stick to a cotton shirting or light weight sateen. I loved this fabric and print so much that I grabbed both colorways. Unfortunately this fabric is sold out, but you can browse other shirtings and blouse weight fabrics here.

This fabric has a somewhat slinky feel, but isn't truly slippery. There's also a slight sheen without being shiny like a satin. It was easy to cut and sew, but I did get a few snags when pinning so make sure you use sharp pins and a fresh machine needle. I serged my pieces before assembling the pattern because as m…

Fabricista Guest Post: "Julie's Picks" Goes to the Opera

Hello, fellow fabric enthusiasts and sewers alike ! My name is Mary Martha and I am thrilled to be presenting a guest post for Fabric Mart's Fabricista blog. As a bit of background, I fell madly in love with opera in 2015 when I attended my first performance in a movie theater as part of the Metropolitan Opera's "Live in HD" simulcasts, which projects live staged operas in New York City into cinemas worldwide via satellite. (They're fantastic !) Since the start, I have dressed the part of the characters when attending these performances, beginning with outfits fashioned from scarves and skirts in my mother's closet to more ornate costumes. It was during this time that I taught myself to sew using a sewing machine and I haven't looked back ─ my life was changed forever !
In December 2018, I subscribed to Julie's Picks swatch club as an educational experience: I wanted to expand my knowledge of different fabrics besides the typical polyester satins I h…

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