Made By a Fabricista: Warm and Cozy Sweater Dress

HI Fashionistas!

It's getting so cold and I plan on doing everything in my power to stay warm!

I am that person who is always cold. So when I saw this sweater knit with a fleece backing, I was intrigued! I made this dress and have a little bit leftover that I am hoping to use for a top.

I used this fabric, which is a sweater knit that feels like fleece on the inside. It is very nice and warm. This is my 1st time sewing a sweater knit and I loved it. It is very forgiving as the texture hides and sewing mistakes :)

I made the sleeves super long so they can be pulled over the hands, something I do often in clothes I make (Don't you love how we can customize our clothes ?)

For the pattern, I used McCall's 6886 that I previously used HERE

Here is the back view:

And front:

LOVE the drape on the cowl. It is self-lined, so super warm . I free-handed the cowl neck. It was very easy to do. I will be adding a tutorial on this on my blog soon.

You probably did not notice it yet, but the cowl neck is stand-alone

I really was opposed to doing this initially, but eventually decided to do it. I have been wanting to simplify and downsize my wardrobe, so having pieces that can mix and match to create more looks is key. Deciding to make the cowl separate allows me to wear both pieces many ways.

The black dress can be worn with many other scarves, and the chunky cowl can be added to other looks as neck warmer.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post. I would love to sew with this fabric again! I highly recommend it. Let me know what y'all are working on. Love to hear about your sewing projects.

XOXO

-Vatsla at Fashion Behind The Seams

Made By A Fabricista: From My Imagination to My Closet

One of my favorite parts of sewing is taking an idea that exists only in my head and turning it into something I can actually wear. This project was exactly that—a quick, intuitive exercise in imagination, experimentation, and trusting my process, brought to life with Fabric Mart’s sweatshirt fleece. I started with a loose concept rather than a fixed plan. I knew I wanted something comfortable, but still fashion-forward—elevated loungewear that felt intentional rather than basic. Fabric choice was key, and Fabric Mart’s sweatshirt fleece ended up being the perfect foundation. Working with Fabric Mart Sweatshirt Fleece This fleece was an absolute dream to work with. It has a slight stretch, which made the final outfit incredibly comfortable while still maintaining structure. After pre-washing, the fabric held up beautifully with no pilling or texture issues, which is always a big win. It sewed smoothly and handled like a fabric that wants to be worn, not babied. Safe to say, I’m offici...

Help Our Buyers Shop!

Comment on this post with what you are looking for right now and our buyers will seek it out! I am craving wool gabardines and ponte knits in fun autumn colors. What about you?

Made By A Fabricista: Three Methods to Explore Colorblocking

Hey sewing friends! As I pondered what sort of plan to tackle for my next wintry project, a new and glorious array of rainbow Polartec fabrics filled the Fabric Mart site. I’ve enjoyed sewing with this brand’s fabrics for many years now, and I’m all too happy to add some more to my wardrobe. I picked two of my favorite types, the Power Air Grid Double Knit and the Power Grid Fleece. Choosing a few colors in matching weights to combine them into something totally me sounded perfect. Look at this stunning heap! When I’m sewing two different fabrics together, I prefer to use the same weight and type so that they behave similarly and hang well together. Any extra piecing like this also creates topstitching opportunities galore! (You already know I’m all about that available thread matching.) In this case, I opted for three colors in each of the two fabric varieties I mentioned above for the best combining results. I figured I’d dive in with a brief overview of how y...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog