Q&A: Meet Our Newest Fabricista, Marica!

Winner of the 2017 Fabricista Fashion Challenge!

Marica is a simple island girl, born in Jamaica and raised in Miami, Florida. She enjoys the gift of motherhood with her pair Aiden and Arielle. Her passion is to touch lives whether in the classroom as an educator or inspiring someone to live in the moment. In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality time with her children, traveling, sewing and self expression through writing.

What is your day job?

My 9 to 5 is in the field of education. I am currently a Middle Grade Mathematics teacher. I am also a contributor for the Outlook Magazine - Jamaica Gleaner (here).

What is your dream job?
My dream career is to become a travel journalist. I truly enjoy traveling, writing and learning about difference cultures.

What do you sew in your sewing room?

I love to make simple, chic garments for my daughter and me. I hope to start sewing for son as well. In addition to making clothes, I have a passion for simple DIY projects, making pillow covers, shams and pillow cases.

What is your favorite part of your sewing room?

I must say my favorite part of my sewing room is the corner where my sewing machine is located. I also enjoy reading the inspiration quotes located in my sewing area as a daily reminder to enjoy this journey - life.

Give us an organizational tip:

I organize my fabric stash in tubs based on seasons. I currently have a Winter/Fall and Spring/Summer tub. In addition, I have my planned makes for the month organized by patterns in a storage container. I also organize my patterns by brand in numerical order.

When/How did you learn to sew?

I started sewing in High School in the early 90s. I enjoyed sewing rather than cooking and fell in love. Unfortunately, when I left high school, I gave it up. I decided 3 years ago, to find a hobby that was therapeutic after losing my dad. I decided to take a refresher lesson over a weekend and then used You Tube and blog to continue my sewing journey.

How much time do you spend in your sewing room?

For the most part, I only get to sew on weekends due to my hectic weekday schedule. I will spend anywhere from 8-15 hours (Friday to Sunday) depending on the project(s).

Give us three words that describe your sewing style: Funky, chic and classic

Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?

My inspiration comes from a variety of sources. I love art so I love working with vibrant colors and fabric that tells a story. I then look at magazines, movies, fashion bloggers and sewist and draw my inspiration from a combination of sources and make the pattern or creation my own.

What was your first successful project?

My first successful project was in October 2014, an elastic waist skirt for my daughter.

If you could pass along only one piece of sewing advice, what would it be?

The best advice I will share is that when failures come your way, use it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Thanks for stopping by!

Follow my journey at: Overdrive After 30

Marica will be blogging every 3rd Saturday of the month.
Be sure to check back to see her first project, Saturday November 18th!

Made By A Fabricista: Celebrating warm weather with Spring sewing!

Hi sewing friends! I don’t know about you but boy, was winter cold and dreary this year! The weather here in the Philadelphia area has been slowly improving, but Spring sure did take her sweet old time to arrive. So by April, I was definitely in the headspace of needing to sew up things that were either bright and cheery or meant for the warmer weather I am very much craving right now. I recently purchased a few SewBexx Patterns so I took them on a test run to create some Spring makes. First on my list was to make a top using this absolutely gorgeous ITY fabric I picked up last year. I had two yards which was enough for a long sleeve shirt. I chose the Olivia top, which is oversized with a drop shoulder, has multiple lengths and a split hem. I think the pattern is intended for heavier fabrics but I was envisioning how lovely this top would look with the drape of ITY knit fabric, and it did not disappoint. It came together for me quickly and was a straight forward sew…and I love the br...

Made By A Fabricista | Chasing Time: My White Rabbit-Inspired Look for Atlanta Frocktails

For this year’s Atlanta Frocktails, I found myself captivated by a character who’s been quietly tugging at my imagination for years—the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. There’s something so relatable about his frantic energy, always checking the time, always running late. While he’s worried about being on time, I’m usually calculating how late I can be and still technically arrive on time. Spoiler: I’m often wrong. It’s a cycle of procrastination and anxiety that I know all too well. So when I imagined my look for Frocktails, I thought—why not honor the White Rabbit? After all, time has been chasing me too. But this look isn’t just about Wonderland whimsy. It’s also deeply inspired by this year’s Met Gala theme, Tailored for You, which includes a focus on Black Dandyism—a celebration of Black elegance, intellect, and expressive style. I’ve been obsessed with this theme since it was announced. As a Black creative, I find it powerful and moving to see style used as a way to reclaim...

Made By A Fabricista: Getting into the Spirit of Summer

I'm not gonna lie y'all, I had a completely different project I wanted to do, but that's gonna take more time, and I wanted something cute, comfy and fun to wear for my birthday on the 19th. When I saw this goldenrod & off white linen jacquard , I thought it looked a bit like the design on a Koroks body, especially Makar from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker! I started with the bodice from the free Elderberry dress pattern from Mood, but deviated for the skirt, it felt a little plain of a design, and I had scraps of a Korok fabric that I knew would be a nice accent with some cut out pockets. I've made these pockets once before, deciding the cut out was based on aligning with the seam on the bodice for how far in, and as for how low depended on where I wanted the pouch of the pocket to start. From there I cut the visible part of the pocket, making sure to match the curve of the waist and following the line of the side seams of the skirt, as well as cutting a facing to...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog