Made by a Fabricista: Comfy and Cute

The fall season is definitely upon us and the winter is quickly approaching. During these chilly/cold months I love to feel comfy and warm but I still want to look casual chic. Lets face it - the comfiest outfits aren't always cute. Thankfully McCalls released M7688 just it time to provide four different "fashionable" takes on the cozy, winter staple - the sweatshirt. I will likely make all of these views but I started with View E, the drawstring tunic.

I've found the type of sweatshirt fleece that is used in retail wear is difficult to find by the yard. I've order sweatshirt fleece online before that had no stretch - a huge NO GO - for me. Locally a big box store offers a sweater fleece that I find has stretch but is very thick, to thick for practical wear in the south. I decided to give this Candy Red Sweatshirt Fleece a try as it listed 40% stretch and light/medium weight. It has a knit right side and a soft fleece wrong side. I'm very pleased with it as it sewed up easily. Unfortunately it is sold out, but keep checking because I hope they get more in.

I was drawn to View E because it seems like a great go-to outfit for chilly fall days over tights or even fleece lined leggings. It's cute enough to be seen in while running errands or when that unannounced guest stops by during the holiday season and yet still comfy enough to wear all day.

This pattern sews up quickly and the instructions are clear. The only thing that confused me was the fact that the casing for the drawstring sewn to the right side of the front. I just assumed the photo on the cover had the casing on the inside and I started to do just that but ended up following the instructions. Now that it is sewn up I don't mind it on the outside as it just draws more attention to that feature. I'm not 100% sold on the drop shoulders either.

This project sewed up so well that I decided to make a girls version. I knew McCalls 6785 would work great, because I've used this pattern before. For the casing I cut a 14" long by 2.5" wide strip of fabric and sewed a 1/4" hem on each long edge and a 1/2" hem on one short end. Then I eyeballed and pinned the strip to the dress front before sewing in the ditch along both sides and stitching down the middle. Her's is a hooded version, because she loves them.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Tiffany
TipStitched

Comments

Made By A Fabricista: College Inspired Cardigan

Happy Monday All! It has been a while since I wrote a blogpost and it feels great to be back! Today I am excited to share my daughter who hasn’t graced the blog for quite sometime. Now that my children are older, I have to always get their permission to take photos and share. It took a lot of convincing to get my daughter to rock this FAMU (Florida A & M University) inspired cardigan. I originally planned to make the Blackwood cardigan using the orange and green ponte knit for myself to represent my alma mater FAMU but then realized I cut the wrong size. I was a bit disappointed at first that I cut a medium instead of a large but knew my daughter would rock it. Additionally, even if I wanted to squeeze in the cardigan, it just could not even pass my elbow when I tried it on. It was definitely a learning experience because I now know that you cannot add a non stretch ribbon around a fitted knit garment sleeve. It must be added to a loose sleeve as the ribbon stops the fabric from s

Made By A Fabricista: An Outfit for First Snow

We had a marvellous autumn in western Canada with warm dry days and just a couple of hints of frost. When I was perusing Fabric Mart Fabric's site in October, I was tempted to focus on pretty florals for blouses or dresses but part of me knew that ... (da dah dum ... ) winter is coming . Fortunately, Fabric Mart was stocked with a huge selection of fabrics that are perfect for winter or holiday sewing. Over the past several months I've been planning my sewing projects so I have pieces that work together. To stick with that theme, I decided to pick a print fabric for a top, and a solid for pants, using navy as the neutral. Pants For the pants, I selected Navy Poly/Nylon/Spandex Stretch Corduroy. This fine 14-wale corduroy is warm enough to wear outdoors but will be especially comfortable indoors. It also has a bit of drape which makes it nice for trousers. And who doesn't want some stretch? I selected Vogue 9181 (Custom-Fit Bootcut Pants) because it is designed for stretch

Made By A Fabricista: Velvet for the Holidays

Are you getting ready for the holidays? I am. From past years, it gets so busy in my household around this time of year, so it is never too early to start my holiday sewing. This year I decided to sew velvet, a fabric I had not sewn for many years but I think it is luxurious. As luck would have it, FM’s poly rich black velvet flashed on my computer screen and I bought lots. I thought it would be pretty for a one-shoulder gown, which I had never worn before but admired on others. The following week FM’s multi-colored one showed up. It was a poly embossed Bohemian print velvet with jade, yellowish, and crimson colors; it screamed fall and family get-togethers. I just had to have it! When the fabrics arrived, the deep colors did not disappoint. I chose Butterick B6557 for both dresses, View B for the knee-length printed dress and View C for the maxi dress. It was perfect for velvets; the front was one whole piece and so was the back. I cut the fabrics with the nap going down

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog