Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Keeping Cool with Maggy London Fabrics



When it’s hot outside, I like to dress cool with lightweight fabrics, loose-fitting styles, and cool colors.  For me, blue and white are the ultimate cooling combination!  When Fabric Mart had their last Maggy London fabric sale, I picked out 3 pieces with blue in them, not really knowing what I was going to make.  I hate to admit it, but picking out the patterns for these fabrics took me far longer than actually sewing them!  I have so many patterns that it can be overwhelming to try to narrow it down to the perfect one.  I ended up using some patterns that I’ve had in the stash for a while, so they aren’t still in the stores, but perhaps you might have them in your stash too!


The first fabric was a stretch poplin with a large print.   I chose Butterick 5637, a tiered sundress, to go with it.  With such a large print, I had to really think about how to lay it out, and the print had a little star in one section that I decided to place in the front and center of the bodice.  Then I tried to align the tiers so that the starburst floral would go right down the center front with all of the tiers.



I love this dress.  It is so cool to wear on a hot day.  I absolutely couldn’t be happier with it!  I actually didn't have quite enough fabric to make the bottom tier as intended- mine is half the width of the pattern and I think the length is perfect.  Here's a close-up of the neckline with the gathered band.  


The second fabric was a blue, lavender and green cotton voile.  It has a woven in stripe when you see it up close, and I wanted something as simple as possible for it.  I found an older pattern, McCalls 3919, at a thrift store, and it was just what I had in mind.  It is just a raglan sleeved peasant top with a front tie. 



The fabric was so lightweight that I used a little trick to make sure that the bottom of the shirt stayed down.  I encased some 5/8" wide washers in fusible interfacing, and then sewed them in the hem at strategic places.  I used 5 of these little covered washers, hiding them behind some of the darker flowers so that they aren't visible.



This fabric was really delicate and turning the ties turned out to be my biggest challenge, as I kept breaking through the fabric with my safety pin.

I had been given a tube turner from someone a long time ago and never tried it out, but decided that this was the time.  It worked like a charm on turning these delicate tubes.  Here is what it looks like-kind of like tongs with the ends straightened out. If you can find one, I highly recommend it!



The third fabric was a blue and white chiffon print with palm trees.  This one is still available in the 50% off section!  I knew it would need to be lined, and wanted something really simple that would let the large print speak.

I used Kwik Sew 3160 for this- just a front and back piece, completely lined, no zipper.  This pattern is still available, and is really a great one to have for any sheer fabric.  You could wear it belted, but on a hot day, I prefer nothing constricting.   


I lined it with a white cotton batiste.  Laying it out before cutting, I used the cross-wise grain so that the top of the trees would be right side up.  I cut the chiffon at the same time as the batiste by laying the chiffon on top of the batiste and then using a rotary cutter.  The batiste worked as a stabilizer, plus it reduced the time spent cutting by doing them at the same time.  Another time saver I used was sewing the neckline and armholes with the serger.  With a serger, you don't need to go back and trim the seam.  Especially when working with a fast-fraying fabric like chiffon, I like having the edge double stitched and finished so that it won't ravel. Because this dress is relatively straight, it didn't take much fabric.  I had quite a bit of fabric leftover, so I decided to make a BONUS top!  I love when that happens!  
  

I had made McCalls 6204 before, and knew it worked well with chiffon, so I pulled out that pattern and luckily, I had just enough to squeeze out the top.  It needs to be worn with a cami underneath. 
So, thanks to Fabric Mart and Maggy London,  I'm all set for whatever summer heat may come our way!  And you might have noticed, I got my hair all chopped off too!  It really feels good.  What do you sew to stay cool for summer?

Happy Sewing!
Ann 

Comments

  1. Ann, I love all your new pieces! That Maggy London fabric is always a treat to sew with! Great work!
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  2. How lovely! I like them all. Oh, and your new short haircut is so cute!! Enjoy your summer in your lovely new clothes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. All three garments are beautiful and would be perfect for me. Did you have to line the voile top? I never sewed with voile and have heard that it's quite sheer. If you lined it, what did you use? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jeanette. No, I did not line this one, however, if you were to make a skirt or dress, I would definitely line it.

      Delete
  4. Your new pieces are gorgeous. I'm really loving blue and white this season too! Great job Ann and what a wonderful showcase of the Maggy London fabrics!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Carolyn. I really love that Fabric Mart is carrying this designer's line.

      Delete
  5. Ann, they're ALL SO Beautiful!! Very nicely done!

    ReplyDelete
  6. WOW! All are fantastic!!! I wish I would have snatched up some of that poplin. And I love your haircut!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lovely outfits! They are so fresh and cool looking, well done.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your posts are always super cute and we can always count on multiples! All are nice summer looks and I have the last two patterns in my stash as well as the palm tree fabric, nice to see them made up. Kudos!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww thanks, Michelle! Would love to see what you are doing with the palm tree print!

      Delete
  9. I love you in all of these, but DANG...you look like a college student in the shorts/top combo. Wow. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Dina! I've heard that college students are now dying their hair grey, so I would fit right in! Haha!

      Delete
  10. All your garments are lovely and I like the blue/white theme!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a great summer wardrobe! Very nice....Are you going on a cruise? The looks are perfect for a cruise vacation too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Patricia. No, I'm not, but thanks for the idea! I'll run it by my husband!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Did someone say FREE??? All about Free Sewing Patterns

Hi sewing friends! I am SEW excited to share this blog post with you today! This is my fifth post with Fabric Mart since I did a guest post late last year and then joined the blogging team in 2024 but I would say this is the post that 1) I worked the hardest to create, and 2) the one that has me the most excited! Today I am going to talk about FREE sewing patterns, showcase a few free patterns I’ve sewn, and then share some very exciting news at the end of this post about an upcoming! First, let’s talk about free patterns – where they come from, why they exist, and how you can find them. But first, here’s a recent free pattern I sewed. This is the Finn Crop Tee from Petite Stitchery . I used an ITY (Interlock Twist Yarn) for this one and I was able to squeeze it out a yard of a fabric. ITY is one of my favorite fabrics to dress up a t-shirt and it wears well across all seasons. And Fabric Mart gets the most AMAZING designer deadstock designs you will ever see! Petite Stitchery offers...

Made By A Fabricista: Fall is here!

Fall is here, and I have been in a coat/cape mood lately! I have a few that I plan to make, however, this pattern was not in the plans. It was in my stash, but it wasn’t on my “must make” list. I wanted to make a coordinating set but I thought it might be a little too much with this print. Now, I absolutely love animal prints, don’t get me wrong. I am a sucker for them! When I saw this jacquard double knit I had to have it. Instead, I decided to make an easy, comfortable cape that I can wear casually or dressed up. This pattern and fabric were perfect! The pattern I chose to make is McCall’s 8029. This cape has three designs that you can choose from. I chose to make view C. View C has a hood. All three views have a neck and front facing and a belt/tie. Now, if you are wanting to make a cape but would like something on the easy side, this is your cape! I didn’t realize just how easy this was prior to getting started. This cape has minimal sewing. It doesn’t even require a hem. Which, w...

Made by a Fabricista: Structure

Hi everyone!  I can’t believe the year is nearly wrapping up already and this is my last post for 2024! You may have noticed but the barrel silhouette has been very much in right now from pants to sleeves.  To be honest I was a little bit hesitant about hopping on to the trend.  One I was not sure if the proportions would work for my body also I considered would this be a long lasting trend to keep incorporated in my closet?  But after a few seasons the barrel seems to stay in many variations, I think exaggerated proportions are such a thing now.  I saw this Cult Gaia x Gap denim dress collab with the barrel sleeves and wanted to remake it.  When I saw this brown distressed denim twill I knew it was perfect.  I had been debating between making cargo pants but I wanted to try to do something different and went for the dress once I saw the inspiration.   I used McCall’s pattern 8139 as my base with the following modifications.  Instead of...