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!

Overdrive After 30!

Made By A Fabricista: A Wooly Wearable Blanket.

Twirling in a me-made outfit! I live in a small town where the nearest fabric shop is a road trip away, so I almost exclusively shop for fabric online. Having access to an online shop like Fabric Mart with a solid search engine is incredibly helpful. But by far my favorite aspect of Fabric Mart is what I call the “Drape Picture” included in each listing! This picture gives me all the information I need and I find it more helpful than the exact weight per yard/square meter. Seeing how the fabric falls close or away from the body gives me a clear idea of how it will behave and inspires me to make it into something that will highlight the fabric’s nature. When I saw the drape of this “Baked Plum” wool suiting , I immediately wanted to immortalize those beautiful folds into a skirt! I opted for a simple self-drafted pleated skirt with a deep hem. I wear my dresses year-round and rely on wool skirts that I layer under or over my dresses for warmth. I cut two panels for the front ...

Made By A Fabricista: Which comes first – the fabric or the pattern?

Ah, the age old question garment sewers are often asked – do you choose the pattern first and then look for fabric, or do you buy fabric and then later decide what it will be when it grows up? If you are a sewist with a large fabric stash (like myself), then perhaps you are on Team Fabric. I would say I definitely lean that way, but there are also times when I land somewhere in the middle – I see a fabric and I think, I’ve just seen a pattern and these two would be perfect together! And that’s how gorgeous dusty rose stretch velvet and a recently released cardigan pattern came together to create the newest addition to my wardrobe. And had me improvising a few things along the way. First. I have to admit - I have a stretch velvet problem. I see it pop up on the website and I almost always grab it, especially if I see a sale. It’s not the easiest fabric to sew (it’s slippery as heck!), but I love it so much and I especially love using it in non-traditional ways. In my last blog post, I...

Made By A Fabricista: Back In The Saddle

If you don’t know in October my beloved Bernina sewing machine blew a fuse and started smoking while I was using it. She went to the shop for repairs, and then I moved. So it’s been a bit since I’ve sewed last and I’ve had trouble getting back into it. I knew I needed a simpler project to get me going again. Julie sewed up a Jarrah sweater recently ( restock coming soon! ) and gushed about how simple and rewarding a project it was. Then we got in this beautiful wool/cashmere sweater knit from England. I was seeing lighthouse keeper, sheep herder in the highlands. I knew it had to be my Jarrah sweater. I did lengthen the bodice by 3 inches. I actually sewed up a mock up with the curved hemline, but decided that wasn’t for me and went with the straight hem. Of course I took zero photos of said mock up. Oops. Otherwise I sewed it up in a size 6 as is. Using the serger this really does sew up quickly. The dropped shoulder creates clean, simple lines that make it easy to sew u...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog