Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricistas: Summer Staples

By
Hi Fashionistas!

 Summer is in full effect and we have had some really hot days.

 I sewed up a couple quick summer tops. I wanted something basic but cute, to wear with shorts, skirts, or jeans. So I decided on two summer tops. The first one is in a gray jersey knit. This fabric is so soft and comfortable. I ordered one yard and that was enough and I have a little bit leftover fabric.



This is seriously the most comfortable thing in my wardrobe right now. 

I self-drafted this top. The drafting took about 30 minutes. The sleeves are dolman, which means there is no setting in the sleeve, which also makes the sewing very quick. 


Also, I  love the clean cover stitch on here.  I used my Brother Coverstitch machine, which I absolutely love and have been using for over two years


I drafted cuffs for the sleeves and a band for the waist.


Here is the back view. I made the neckline on the front and back exactly the same, and gave it a boat neck shape, which is one of my favorite.



 Now moving on to the next top, I also made a white top in a white french terry. This was my 1st time working with a french terry. It is also very soft and is a stable knit. It is thicker, more like a double knit.

 Since this fabric had more structure, I decided to play with the sleeves a bit, and create some pleats/gathers.  I call them pleats/ gathers because although they are technically pleats facing up, they look more like gathers because the fabric is a knit. This same pattern manipulation on a woven would look very structured, like pleats.


I chose the McCalls M6886 pattern and changed up the sleeves and the hem, and also turned the dress into a top. I do this often. 


I did a curved hem. 


On the sleeves and neck, I once again used my Brother Coverstitch machine, which I highly recommend. 


I hope you enjoyed reading about my latest makes. Next I am working on creating a custom dressform cover for myself. A custom dressform is something I have wanted for a very long time. I'll be sewing up my custom shell using this online class on Craftsy, but instead of using a commercial pattern, I plan on creating my shell from my custom sloper, which can be drafted using this Bodice Sloper Class

 So lots of sewing and fitting for me in the near future, but a custom dressform has been a life long dream :) I'll share my progress with you once that is done.
See you in July!
XOXO

Comments

  1. Linda TJune 21, 2017 at 7:22 AM

    Love them all but especially the little white one with the pleated sleeves! Of course, you look great in anything you make; such a great figure!

    ReplyDelete
  2. LindaJune 21, 2017 at 11:45 AM

    You look very sad in your photos today. I hope you feel as beautiful as you look. Your tops are quite lovely and I am particularly fond on the neckline on the white, pleated sleeve top. Very nice!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 28, 2017 at 1:18 PM

      Thanks Linda! I do feel as beautiful as I look ;) We are all going through a shared human experience called life, and some days I do feel sad! But I am very happy today and thanks for your sweet comment.

      Delete
  3. Monica DJune 21, 2017 at 11:53 AM

    Don't you look CUTE as always ... FIESTA :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Revisiting a Pattern After Five Years

By
Have you ever used a sewing pattern and then immediately vowed never to sew it again? Well, I have. It all began in the spring of 2020 at the start of the pandemic lockdown. I tackled sewing projects that were more challenging to help me grow as a seamstress. There was one pattern in particular that almost did me in, the Seamwork Penny shirt dress. The Penny dress pattern has a classic button-up dress shirt style bodice with a gathered skirt and pockets. It is a beautiful take on a shirt dress, and my sister and I loved it. The only downside is that it was recommended for intermediate-level sewists and I was only an adventurous beginner back then.  I think I had only ever made one button-up shirt before attempting this Penny Dress and it didn’t even have a collar! Despite all of this, I thought “Why not try it, what’s the worst that can happen?”  Thankfully the worst didn’t happen, and the dress turned out surprisingly wearable, but I had some intense frustration at the end. I...
8 comments
Continue Reading »

Made By A Fabricista: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

By
 As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...
1 comment
Continue Reading »

Made By A Fabricista: A Simple Frock for Spring

By
Hello friends! I’m really into sewing and wearing tent dresses at the moment. A tent dress is basically a wide A-line style gown. For this month’s project, I’ve opted to try out The Assembly Line’s Square Neck Dress. This style is a little avant-garde in its enormity and shape, and boasts the squared neckline it’s named after, plus some cute hem side slits.  All that volume is fun to move around in, plus there’s loads of air circulation which is cooling. This dress’s main feature–its wide and high squared neckline–really piqued my interest recently, and I added it to my Make Nine plans for 2025. I find it so satisfying to check off those boxes as I sew!  This beautiful shirtweight linen is a color I simply adore; a muted medium blue. Stormy skies, worn-in denim, and ocean waves all come to mind, and that is exactly what I want to be all wrapped up in. While I think a wild or large print would be amazingly on display in this big canvas of a dress, I also thought that a subtle ...
2 comments
Continue Reading »