Made by a Fabricista: My Ditsy Daisy Button Up

I wasn't sure if I should have entitled this post "My J. Crew Knock-off" since I drew heavily from the idea of this adorable J. Crew button up in a daisy Liberty of London print. When I spotted this very similar shirting fabric from Fabric Mart I knew I needed a daisy button up of my own!

Classic button ups are one of my favorite go-to-work items since I can roll the sleeves down if the A/C is frigid indoors and roll them up when I am out in the field. For the pattern I used McCalls 6436 which is a classic button up with almost every imaginable pattern piece for a traditional button up with the exception of the sleeve placket and back yoke. That is to say, there is a lot of cutting out of pattern pieces in this process. The pattern also includes bust darts and back darts which give it a bit more shaping than other button up's I've sewn.

This is my "I push my sleeves up like a J. Crew model" pose!

I knew I would want to roll up the sleeves of this top and wanted the seam finishes to look decent so I used this method. This finish encapsulates the raw edges in each respective seam allowance. I've used this method before and am partial to it. I know how to do hong kong seams, flat felled, serged and french seams but I just prefer this method- mostly because there is less fiddly cutting away of tiny strips of fabric which clutters my floor and is tedious.

When making this shirt I wasn't entirely sure what work clothes it would coordinate with so when it was complete I had fun pairing it up with this skirt. This has been an orphan skirt in my closet for a while so I am glad its finally found its mate! It also pairs well with a pair of persimmon slacks. The little centers of each flower have a shade of pink that is somewhere between pink and red.....persimmon!

If you are interested in making your own button up I recommend the sew-along tutorials from Grainline Studio for the Archer button up. Most of the techniques you need are covered there and can help you when you are trying to decipher the process.

As far as patterns there are so many button up patterns that it can be hard to choose. So here are a few suggestions:
Grainline Archer- a looser fitting button up
Butterick 5526- I've made this one previously and had a good outcome
McCall 6124- nice princess seams on this one
Simplicity 1538- I like the contrasting fabric suggestions on this one
Sewaholic Granville- this was a "Best Pattern of the Year" at Pattern Review

I draw a measure of satisfaction from making a knock off item with my own two hands. The creative process of making a garment has almost completely eclipsed the satisfaction I once felt when buying a similar item at a store. Its this feeling that brings me back to my cutting and sewing tables again and again.

Thanks for reading, and happy sewing!

Elizabeth

I Sew, You Sew

Made By A Fabricista: Why Sew A Muslin

Here it is, my September blog post featuring Newlook N6692 and this pretty rayon challis from Fabric Mart! This pattern style is so in right now. The square neckline, cute puff sleeves and the tiered skirt are all exactly what I was looking for in a summer dress. As always I started with making a muslin first! Let’s get into why it’s important to start with a muslin. A muslin is basically a practice garment. It prevents you from cutting into your good fabric prematurely. I usually use a muslin fabric (natural cotton) but you should also consider using a fabric that is the same weight as your fashion fabric. This will give you a truer gauge of how the garment is going to lay in the final fabric. Anytime I try out a new pattern company I make a muslin. This was my first time using a Newlook pattern so I need to know what the ease would be like for this pattern. Also I need to see how the bust would fit me and where I would need to make adjustments. Plus there were some new techniques

Made By A Fabricista: End of Summer Swimsuits

My kids have been in desperate need of new swimsuits this summer, but with a busy season of moving house and spending nearly a month in Australia, it left barely any sewing time! When I spotted a whole collection of Beach Riot swim fabric land at Fabric Mart, I knew it was just the motivation I needed to get new suits made! Last year my eldest was on swim team and I was floored at the cost of her suit - somewhere in the ballpark of $80! Using less than a yard of fabric and some elastic, swimsuits are incredibly cheap to make yourself! I ultimately selected three prints and four solids (one being a beige color I intended to use as lining), with input from my children to get their preferred designs. I made an initial sketch in Photoshop to get a visual on what they would look like, and then made a few more changes once the fabric arrived. The easiest suit to make was my son's - I used Jalie Gerald underwear and Nico raglan. This was my first time making Gerald and I loved how quickl

Made By A Fabricista: The Love of Sewing - Basic Pieces for a Beginner

Happy Friday All! It has been a while since I made myself a dress. I am excited to sew after not making anything since my last post (whew) and finally sharing some photos. This past summer has been a roller coaster journey with plans to release a small collection and then deciding that right before the launch to postpone. Sewing has brought me joy over the past 8 years and the mere fact to sew daily for orders had me in a panic mode. I really don’t want to walk away from my craft due to burn out and decided that if I do sew for others, it would be only for local clients. Moreover, If next year I decide to launch, it would be seasonal and not year round. I really want to share my talent and love for sewing with others but don’t want it to be a full time job and lose the passion in me. After a bit of soul searching, teaching and sharing my talent with my community will always be my first love. For the past 2 summers, I was blessed to partner with two nonprofit organizations’ local sum

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