Made by a Fabricista: The Cold Shoulder Top

Hey, guys! I'm baaaaack! And look at me, I am totally on trend with my sassy new cold shoulder top. I have never put one of these sort of tops on my body ever in my life until I finished sewing this one, I had no clue if I'd even like it. Surprise, I think I do?!

I used a pattern from BurdaStyle magazine-- it's 3/2017 #116. I cut my usual size 42 to fit my shoulders, and of course no grading for a fuller hip on this flowy and roomy top. I added 1" to the hem of the bodice to account for my slightly taller height at about 5'8". The sleeves and bodice are very, very, very full and loose, perfect for stupid hot summer days to come.

I chose this double border rayon challis print. I was so nervous I'd ruin everything with my pattern matching, so I ordered 3 yards. Likely I only needed 2 1/4 at most considering I was able to take advantage of the fact it was a double border... each side was a mirror image of each other. See the pic on the right, you can see how the pattern is actually printed on the material. Lots of leeway for those who may be anxious when matching prints up like this.

I looove sewing with rayon challis. Initially, I need to wrangle it since it's so slippery--I need to be careful to cut it perfectly straight as I prepare the pattern pieces with my rotary cutter. But it goes through my serger and sewing machine so nicely. It presses up beautifully-- which makes hemming super easy. Pre-washing IS CRITICAL since it will shrink up some. And I severely dislike ironing if it's not associated with sewing. Usually I can toss it in the wash, then remove it from the dryer immediately and hang it for a wrinkly free garment. It'll be a hot wrinkly mess if I leave it in the dryer for any length of time after it's done tumbling.

I was (sort of) surprised that the Burda directions fail to include understitching for neck or shoulder pieces. But then again, it's Burda, infamous for half-@ssed directions. This top is pretty easy to sew up, but it would seem to be frustrating for a newer seamstress to have only partial directions.

Overall, I'm pleased with this trendy look. I was mostly worried it would look like a weird pregnant top that adds mega pounds to a figure. I think it's not particularly slimming for sure, but it's super cute none-the-less.

Happy Sewing!!

~Kathy

Kathy Sews

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Made by a Fabricista: A Wardrobe Staple for Spring - A Denim Coat

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon with Sharon Sews with my latest Fabricista make – a denim coat for spring. Denim is a wardrobe staple for many of us, and even more so this year with denim on denim looks coming back in style. The denim I used is a medium weight cotton/lycra blend with about a 20% stretch selvage to selvage. Fabric Mart always does an amazing job photographing and describing their fabrics, yet I still gasped in delight when I opened the package containing my denim. It was even better than I had anticipated. This fabric would have worked well for a traditional denim jacket – one with button front closure, chest pockets with flaps, and a collar. However, I have wanted to sew this open front coat with kimono inspired sleeves and big patch pockets since February 2021. I saw it in that month’s BurdaStyle Magazine, bookmarked the page, and promptly forgot about the coat. It’s coat #105 if you’re interested in sewing one for yourself. Fortunately, I went on an organ

Made by a Fabricista: Revving up your style in the Dana Marie Moto Jacket

Hey friends - I am so excited to have been invited to participate as a Fabric Mart Fabricista this month! This year is the year I challenge my sewing skills. I have wanted a moto jacket for some time. Not just any moto jacket but one that has a classic and timeless style. I saw the Dana Marie Moto Jacket pattern on the Fabric Mart website and knew that was the one. The fabric I used was a beautiful porcelain white/black/silver 100% polyester plaid weave boucle suiting. Remember when I said I wanted to challenge my sewing skills? 😉 This fabric was beautiful but fragile to work with. It was a great mental challenge that had me problem solving before sewing to avoid any potential problems. I first traced out the pattern onto tissue paper to determine the fit. I used scrap cotton fabric to sew up a “practice run” of the jacket. I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the jacket comes together. I sewed up the muslin in one evening. It was time to cut into the beautifu

Made By A Fabricista: My Version of the Infamous DVF Wrap Dress

Just in case you are not aware, the iconic Diane Fustenberg wrap dress has turned 50 this year. In celebration, Vogue has re-released the DVF Wrap Dress pattern, which now comes in extended sizes. This dress is so classic and fits many different body types. I got a hold of this pattern and decided this would be my birthday dress this year. This pattern is categorized as a Very Easy Vogue pattern, and I would have to agree with that. Wrap dresses are usually relatively simple to put together since there aren’t that many pattern pieces to sew together. I made View A in a size 22 and the only modification I made was to shorten the hem by 6 inches. I will say that since I used a Ponte Knit , I could have gone down to a size 20. I didn’t read the fabric suggestions before picking my fabric. I’ve always remembered seeing the DVF Wrap dress in knits. After reviewing the fabric suggestions, they do say that you can use soft fabrics, like a Challis or a Chambray. As I mentioned, I’ve alwa

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