Skip to main content

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!

Comments

  1. love your gorgeous outfits! such an inspiration for me. Is there a pattern for the orange and pink top? and what fabric did you use?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The pattern is Mccall 7573. I found this amazing fabric on clearance at IKEA for $4 for 3 yards.

      Delete
    2. It's a really nice cotton blend.

      Delete
  2. I love your makes, your style, and your use of color! I look forward to seeing more of you on the blog!

    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: Feeling Festive in Red

Happy Holidays! I’m so excited to bring you this all red holiday look that would be a hit at any holiday gathering this season. Whether you’re headed to your company holiday party or just going to sit in your living room, you’ll fabulous doing so. For this month’s post I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I have been a Sew It Academy student since Mimi G opened it back in 2016.  Sew It Academy is her online sewing academy that shows you what to do once you open your sewing machine and different lessons come out every month showing you different techniques and how to sew different things. Sew It Academy now offers PDF patterns and sewalongs that come with them. I made the Boxy Pullover Top and the Bubble & Wide Hem Skirt which are both Sew It Academy patterns. The Boxy Pullover Top is the first garment class offered in Sew It Academy, so it’s super easy to make.  I’ve seen several YouTube videos for the same top and they are all pretty much contructed the same way.  I...

Made By A Fabricista: Everything Old is New Again: A Linen Skirt Using an Old(er) Pattern

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with my last post for 2024!  This time I used one of my favorite fabrics, linen. Fabric Mart usually has an excellent selection of linens .  I should know as I’ve ordered my fair share over the years. This time I choose a medium-weight 100% linen with a black and white abstract print.  When I ordered the fabric, my plan was to use an old Issey Miyake pattern and sew myself an oversized linen coat.  But when the fabric arrived it told me it would be happier as a skirt.  Your fabric also talks to you, right?   I’ve been drawn to the look of satin bias skirts paired with oversized sweaters but knew that skirt style doesn’t work on my body shape.  Plus, once the holidays are over a satin skirt would just sit in my closet.  But a linen skirt, in a neutral black and white print, could be worn during the winter months with boots and a sweater and easily transition to warm weather with a tee and sand...

Made By A Fabricista: Cozy Sewing Season

The cozy sewing season seems like it came early this year! Temperatures in Pennsylvania have been in the freezing range for weeks, so it is time to break out the flannel, sweater knits, sherpa, wool, and other warm fabrics. Fabric Mart's website is stocked with gorgeous cozy fabric perfect for sewists living in cold climates. While searching for fabric for my first cozy sew of the season, a Cranberry Plaid 100% Cotton Flannel fabric caught my eye. I loved the colors and the plaid pattern. I ordered 3.5 yards to make a button-up flannel shirt for myself, and a little extra fabric to make a button-up shirt for my son. I also ordered two packs of 10 Soft Pearl Plastic Shirt Buttons and "My Mama Made It" sewing labels from Kylie and the Machine. I envisioned one of these labels being added to the side seam of my son's shirt for a bespoke detail. Once my order arrived, I washed my fabric and reached for my Grainline Studio Archer Button-Up paper pattern. I used this pat...