Made By A Fabricista: Jacquard "Cynthia Rowley" Red Romper [1 Hour Sewing Project]

[The Romper was made for and modeled by my daughter Mori]

I picked out this cool textured Red Jacquard fabric in the hopes of making a suit.....well you know how it goes, I let time get by me and now I needed to make something else, quick fast and in a hurry. So I looked through my latest pattern purchase and found this dress that I had on my to-do list. Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 8124 Pattern. Now the problem was this fabric, I was a little concerned as to how it would lay, it's a little more structured than I think is needed for this pattern, still I pushed forward. I decided to make the romper this time around.

Let me take a minute and say honestly this is the easiest romper I have ever made. It can actually be done in under an hour, seriously. If you were ever interested in teaching someone to sew and you need a project, this would be it! Have you tried this pattern?? Tag me on Instagram if you have @thatblackchic

I love how this fabric works for the bottom but I ain't crazy about the top. I loved working with this fabric and it takes an ironing really well. [Did you check out the crease on those shorts??? I went old school on those bad boys, that crease ain't coming out.] I think you need a shirting/cotton fabric to get the correct gathered look for the elastic around the shoulders and the wrist. I still have enough of this fabulous fabric to make a pair of wide leg trousers, so all is not loss plus and this is still a super cute date-night romper.

I just bought Oxford Striped Denim Blue & White Shirting and Light Blue Oxford Cotton for the dress. I also think this Green and White Gingham Seersucker would be cute.

........Hold the presses just in! I could not get this collar out of my head. I thought about the elastic I used and then I realized I probably could get the look I wanted with a heavier elastic. So off to the store I went to pick up this elastic and I didn't realize there were so many different types elastics in the world! I was able to get what I needed and fix the collar before this post went live. I used the non-roll elastic for woven fabrics on the right. Now this is the look I wanted. I win, Ha!!

Michelle @ That Black Chic

photo 35845374-bce1-426b-9e7a-633f43c85d42_zps12c60185.jpg

Made By A Fabricista: A Wooly Wearable Blanket.

Twirling in a me-made outfit! I live in a small town where the nearest fabric shop is a road trip away, so I almost exclusively shop for fabric online. Having access to an online shop like Fabric Mart with a solid search engine is incredibly helpful. But by far my favorite aspect of Fabric Mart is what I call the “Drape Picture” included in each listing! This picture gives me all the information I need and I find it more helpful than the exact weight per yard/square meter. Seeing how the fabric falls close or away from the body gives me a clear idea of how it will behave and inspires me to make it into something that will highlight the fabric’s nature. When I saw the drape of this “Baked Plum” wool suiting , I immediately wanted to immortalize those beautiful folds into a skirt! I opted for a simple self-drafted pleated skirt with a deep hem. I wear my dresses year-round and rely on wool skirts that I layer under or over my dresses for warmth. I cut two panels for the front ...

Made By A Fabricista: Which comes first – the fabric or the pattern?

Ah, the age old question garment sewers are often asked – do you choose the pattern first and then look for fabric, or do you buy fabric and then later decide what it will be when it grows up? If you are a sewist with a large fabric stash (like myself), then perhaps you are on Team Fabric. I would say I definitely lean that way, but there are also times when I land somewhere in the middle – I see a fabric and I think, I’ve just seen a pattern and these two would be perfect together! And that’s how gorgeous dusty rose stretch velvet and a recently released cardigan pattern came together to create the newest addition to my wardrobe. And had me improvising a few things along the way. First. I have to admit - I have a stretch velvet problem. I see it pop up on the website and I almost always grab it, especially if I see a sale. It’s not the easiest fabric to sew (it’s slippery as heck!), but I love it so much and I especially love using it in non-traditional ways. In my last blog post, I...

Made By A Fabricista: Back In The Saddle

If you don’t know in October my beloved Bernina sewing machine blew a fuse and started smoking while I was using it. She went to the shop for repairs, and then I moved. So it’s been a bit since I’ve sewed last and I’ve had trouble getting back into it. I knew I needed a simpler project to get me going again. Julie sewed up a Jarrah sweater recently ( restock coming soon! ) and gushed about how simple and rewarding a project it was. Then we got in this beautiful wool/cashmere sweater knit from England. I was seeing lighthouse keeper, sheep herder in the highlands. I knew it had to be my Jarrah sweater. I did lengthen the bodice by 3 inches. I actually sewed up a mock up with the curved hemline, but decided that wasn’t for me and went with the straight hem. Of course I took zero photos of said mock up. Oops. Otherwise I sewed it up in a size 6 as is. Using the serger this really does sew up quickly. The dropped shoulder creates clean, simple lines that make it easy to sew u...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog