Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: A Love Affair with Leopard Print and Black

Happy Saturday ALL!!

Hope you are all READY for HOLIDAYS! I am super excited as I am on break for 2 weeks and can't wait to finish up a few sewing projects before 2017 is over.  For the holidays this year, I opted and plan to make garments that can be worn year round, creating staple pieces in my closet rather than focusing on seasonal items or prints.  I have always wanted to create a leopard print cardigan or sweater and when I came across this beautiful print on sale, I had to grab it.


I love any animal print which is less of a trend and is more of a classic print.  I have always grabbed anything in cheetah or leopard print that catches my eyes. My favorite sweater in cheetah print has been worn so many times the last 4 years and is now in a dump pile.  When I found this print, I knew it was perfect to replace the sweater that I loved so much.




 I wanted to mix the print with the black ponte knit and add my own twist to it.  I opted to use the print only in the front and on the cuffs.


I wanted to create a  wearable muslin and a simple view from one of McCall Winter Holiday collection pattern M7688 (here) and wore it over my little black dress. I created view A without the pocket as I wanted the remaining black ponte knit to create the dress below.


Can you believe for the last 3 years of sewing, I have never made a black dress?


I have been looking for a thick ponte knit fabric for the last 2 months and came across this great find on sale for 50% with a pre-cut cardigan kit (here).  I was so happy to grab the last kit with almost 3 yards.  Based on the amount left over from my sweater, I knew it was just enough to create a little black dress without sleeves so instead, I used some black polyester sheer lace from my stash to jazz it up. Fabric Mart has a similar lace available in stock. (here)


The pattern that I hacked is Mimi G's - Georgia knit long sleeve turtle neck top pattern (here).  I decided to create a midi dress instead of the top and omitted the ruffles from the sleeves.  

This dress is so perfect for a NEW YEAR'S EVE party!


I am totally in love with my first lace sleeve dress and plan to add my own flare to future sewing projects and take more fashion risk with commercial and self drafted patterns.  I can't wait to cut into some amazing fabric the next 2 weeks while I am off.  I am super excited about 2018 and plan to step out of my comfort zone and sew more often than I did in 2017.

Thanks for stopping!
Happy Holidays and Cheers to the New Year!  

Comments

  1. Both are gorgeous Marcia! Happy holiday sewing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. U go Marica.... Very talented. Looks gorgeous

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love them... No more ready-made...you go girl....

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a great idea to make the sweatshirt to give a completely different look to your LBD! And I liked how you only used the leopard print for part of it. You look amazing in this dress. Happy Holidays to you as well!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Both items are really nice looking on you. You did a fabulous job. Hope your Holidays are Merry and Bright.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Stunning! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for sharing Marica. You did a great job and you look amazing. Love the pattern, hacks and fabric choices. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you so much. Happy Holidays to you too.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Simply beautiful! The lace sleeves are so chic!

    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: Three Bengaline Basics – A Jacket, Skirt and Vest

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews excited to share my latest Fabricista makes with you.  When Fabric Mart offered an array of stretch bengaline suiting fabrics , I choose three different fabrics to sew myself a few basics to be worn as the season transitions from winter to spring. The bengaline fabric I used is a woven rayon/nylon/lycra blend fabric with the stretch running vertically (lengthwise on the fabric) instead of horizontally (selvage to selvage).  It lends itself well to fitted and structured garments, such as jackets, pants, skirts and dresses. Because of the vertical stretch, I folded the fabric cross grain to cut out my fabric pieces so the greatest stretch would go around my body.   I used a stretch needle size 75/11 due to the lycra in the fabric. I also eliminated the interfacing as I discovered this fabric did not like fusible interfacing and I did not have any sew-in interfacing on hand.   Now let’s talk about the garments...

Made By A Fabricista: FROM FABRIC TO FASHION: - The Saguaro Set with Fabric Mart Fabric

The weather in Southwest Florida is finally starting to warm up.  With the warm air and bright sunshine, I have been thinking about refreshing my “at home” wardrobe with some fun easy pieces this year.     I have wanted to make The Saguaro Set for some time now.   When I saw the beautiful selection of rayon challis on the Fabric Mart website, I knew now was the perfect time to get it started.   THE FABRIC I researched a lot to see which fabric would work the best for this pattern.   I chose the Deep Amaranth Pink 100% Rayon Twill Challis for my project.    It is a beautiful color that to me looks more coral. The fabric is light to medium weight and has beautiful drape.  The care instructions said gentle wash or hand wash.   I prewashed the fabric in cold water on the delicate cycle.  However, after drying it on the delicate cycle, the fabric had an almost vintage distressed look.   I was a bit co...

Made By A Fabricista: Revisiting a Pattern After Five Years

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...