Made by a Fabricista: A DIY Summer Dress in Polka-Dot and Flowers.

[Dress was made for and modeled by my daughter Mori]

Summer is here, kinda...... over here in PA the weather gets warm then cool, then rain then warmer, then cool. When it comes in full swing Mori will be prepared with all the dresses I've sewn this week. For this DIY dress I used Butterick pattern 6453 will be a summer staple for sure. It's sew cute and sew easy to make. I made three different versions of this dress and the other two are posted on my blog, so stop by and check those out.

The pattern is pretty straight forward no issues and the possibilities of hacking this pattern are endless. The pattern does not call for an invisible zipper, just a regular install. I used a peach color zipper which will give some peek-a-boo color action in the back. I think an exposed zipper would work magic back there with a simple print or solid. I may try that if I make another dress from this pattern.

I purchased this sateen border print when I visited the retail store last year and I bought two panels to make a midi skirt. I never got around to it so it was a perfect choice for this dress. Now the question was what fabric do I use for the top of the dress, no solids in sight, so a polka-dot print it was. Fabric Mart doesn't have any border prints in stock right now, but check back periodically. I think any floral print would make a fabulous dress.

For those of you who know about the sewing magazine I am publishing, I wanted to let you know it's coming along and the Go-Fund-Me is still open for a few more weeks. If you wanted to donate there is still time, just click the picture. All donations big or small are appreciated.

That's all for now folks!

Michelle @ That Black Chic

Made by a Fabricista: What to Make with Silk Taffeta

You may have noticed that Fabric Mart has a *HUGE* selection of silk taffeta right now. A lot of it is either large plaid or large stripes. I was curious about it, and not really sure what I could make with it, but I just knew it would be gorgeous fabric and had to play around with it. Turns out, it's actually great for quite a range of projects! The dress above is my third project. Let me show you the first two. My first was to make some queen size pillow shams. They are the plaid ones in the back of the photo. I also made the two printed ones in the center from another Fabric Mart home dec fabric special! I wanted to make the covers removable with a zipper, and include a braided trim. As luck would have it, I found a whole card of braided trim at an estate sale that worked with my taffeta for just $2! To start, I used a zipper foot to stitch down the braided trim all around one side of the pillow. Then I serged ...

A Yard And Change

Do you have a fabric that you love and has been hanging around but is too small to use? Maybe you found a wonderful fabric with a super cute print but there's only a yard left. I've got a few projects I worked on all with roughly a yard of fabric. And I have a few tips for making that yard and change go further! Cutting Layout: You can get a lot more mileage out of a yard of fabric if you can get creative with how you lay out your fabric. Cutting things single layer will give you the most control. My favorite thing to do is unfold the fabric and fold the selvages in to meet in the middle. That gives me two folded edges to work with. I had to overlap these to get enough width for the tank top. Just make sure that your pattern pieces don't also overlap! This one was especially fun for me because I really loved the print on this swimwear knit but am not yet up to sewing swimwear. But a nice flowy hiking tank is perfect for this! In the future I'd love to experiment with...

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: Burnside Bibs

Hi everyone, this is Byrd with my latest Fabricista make! If you’re looking for the perfect handmade piece for spring and summer travel, these just might be it. This time around I’m sewing up the Burnside Bibs by Sew House Seven using Fabric Mart’s gorgeous Aquamarine/Umber Brown 100% Cotton Floral Artisan Batiks Jungle Dreams by Robert Kaufman. From the moment I saw this fabric, I was completely drawn in by the colors. The combination of aquamarine, brown, and cream feels both earthy and vibrant, making it perfect for warm weather sewing. I immediately knew it would make an incredible spring or summer garment. I’m a longtime fan of Robert Kaufman fabrics and always appreciate the quality and artistry behind the prints. As always, and especially because this is 100% cotton, I gave the fabric a thorough wash and dry before cutting into it. Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way over the years that addressing potential shrinkage before sewing is always worth the extra time. This blouse is...

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