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: A Tipsy Martini Transitional Three Piece Look

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon with Sharon Sews with my latest Fabricista make – a three-piece set I can wear as the weather transitions to fall here in Texas. It may look like a summer outfit but there will days filled with sunshine and high temps well into November. At first glance it looks like a nice, lightweight jacket, top and pants. But look closer – it’s sewn from the designer Tipsy Martini cotton sateen that was originally used by the designer for a pajama set. Now I could have sewn myself a pair of pajamas using the Closet Core Carolyn Pajama pattern (available at Fabric Mart) and replicated the designer pajamas. But if I had gone that route the only ones who would have seen this adorable kitschy fabric would be my family. This print is much too cute to hide out at home. This Tipsy Martini cotton sateen fabric was lovely to sew. I used black thread, an 80/12 universal needle, and Palmer/Pletsch Perfect Fuse Medium interfacing (link here). Note that this is a rayon fu

Made By A Fabricista: Hooray for Cozy Fall Sews!

Greetings, all! I am in such high spirits with the best-of-all-seasons just beginning and change is finally in the air. I always rejoice when the sweatiest time of the year passes and we can all take a deep breath and gear up for cozier times. Neighborhood Patterns is a new-to-me designer, and I came across them on Instagram in late summer and fell in love with the Plain Jane Skirt. This is such a simple A-line skirt, but with nice details like large inseam pockets and an optional drawstring, and though I’m sure I could draft this style myself, the appeal of having it all done for me was too tempting to pass up. A sew such as this is a lovely palate-cleanser and this was the first project I sewed after returning from a cross-country trip. Perfect! The gorgeous plaid flannel is exactly what I want to be wearing in the fall. The fabric is SO soft and a pleasure to snuggle up in. Because flannel does not have much body and is prone to stretching or shifting with all its mechanical give,

Made By A Fabricista: Quilted Jacket Chronicle

What do you get when mixing the best things about apparel sewing and machine quilting? A quilted jacket! It's funny that I elected to sew myself a quilted jacket for this Fabricista blog because I don't consider myself much of a quilter. I can count on my hands the number of quilted projects I've made over the last few years. While I fully appreciate the end product of quilting, I don't normally gravitate toward starting quilting projects. That's why making a quilted jacket is a new and exciting project for me! It gives me the fun of making a quilt on a much smaller scale. If you are an avid apparel sewist and are new to quilting, this is the perfect project to take for a quilting test drive! For my quilted jacket, I used the Seamwork Easton Jacket pattern. I decided to stick with a solid-colored fabric for the jacket's exterior and ordered 4 yards of Dark Umber Brown Lycra Stretch Canvas Suiting from the Fabric Mart website. I wanted a contrasting color for the

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