Made by a Fabricista: It's Cape Time!

Hey there! It's been a while, but I'm Jess, and I'm back with some more maternity-able garment delight for you.

When planning this project I originally had another pattern in mind; the Butterick 6301 maternity and baby wearing coat. But once I got this beautiful cashmere/wool coating in my hands, I felt like the silhouette of the coat just didn't do it justice.

When Vogue released their Holiday 2017 patterns, I saw 9288 and I knew...

...I knew it had to be mine. By that point I'd already gotten the fabric for the coat, and by some sewing miracle I had JUST enough to make the medium length cape (3 3/4 yards, which is exactly what view B calls for with 60" fabric). Destiny, amirite?

But, a cape? In cold, cold Wisconsin? Is that really a good choice? We'll just say I'm often way too practical in my sewing and I have wanted to try sewing a cape for YEARS, but the thought of time put into a not-oft-worn garment has always stopped me.

That said, I'd heartily argue that the silhouette of a cape is the perfect baby bump accompaniment. Plus, with where the closures end at this cape (just below bust on me) it can be easily worn belted or not, regardless of your midsection's current state!

In a nutshell: I used my pregnancy as an excuse to make this wonderment happen. Practicality be damned!

If this fabric looks familiar, it's because it is! Ann made a beautiful duffle coat with it. It's a dusty purple Armicale wool/cashmere blend that is quite deliciously soft and has a wonderful drape. It's currently sold out, but you can find some alternatives here.

And, what do I think of the finished product? It's a little cumbersome to get on and off, with all of the buttons. And, it's a little hard to use one's arms even with a front opening that high and generous. This is a show-cape y'all.

Those specks on my cape? Not lint; it was lightly snowing as I took these photos.

But, I do enjoy the drama of it. It's so far from my typical wheelhouse. I mean, how do you not do this when you're wearing a cape?

I had originally planned to line the cape with a "warm" winter lining that I purchased for another project, but with only 2 yards on hand, it just wasn't enough. I think I could've squeaked by with 2 1/2 yards to line, but alas it was not meant to be.

In an effort to make it look nice on the inside still, I decided to finish my seams with pre-made bias tape. Not as nice as I could've made myself, but my time and energy is at a premium these days. I used the tape on every seam and also the hem, to the tune of four packages: about 16 yards of bias tape. Mama mia!

And there it is...one picturesque lavender cape, one 3/4 baked baby, and a whole lotta glorious cashmere blend warmth.

Thanks for reading! Until our next sewing adventure...

Jess

The Sometimes Sewist

Made by a Fabricista: Summer DIY Print Mixing

Hello Gems! It's still summer and it's a hot one! I'm not a shorts and t-shirts type of gal, as you all may know by now. That is, unless the occasion calls for it of course! I'm more of a casual chic, flirty two piece, with a little bohemian vibe on top type of gal! So you can find me beating the heat in these last days of summer in this cool and comfy backless tiered flounce sundress. Oh, and let's not forget the puff sleeves! This whole vibe sums up the summer! And nothing says it better than zebra and tribal print! I coordinated the rayon rugged Tribal print crinkle challis with this rayon zebra print challis. These two prints look absolutely amazing together. They are both very drapey fluid fabrics that fair well as summer garments. They are breathable and feel so light and cool against the skin. Challis fabrics make great flounce and it's not too light weight that you have to line it. I absolutely adore both of these prints. Zebra print is one of those pr

Made by a Fabricista: Fast Sews and Cool Summer Fabrics

Happy Friday everyone! Today I'm sharing a few things made with my favorite summer fabrics - cotton, linen and rayon - and as an added bonus these are all super quick sews. Each of these projects took me no more than 2-3 hours to sew. My house gets too hot to sew some summer days, so projects I can whip up quickly are great for that limited amount of time that I have. The first two items I made up as a set, but of course they can also be worn as separates. The top is the I Am Patterns Gaia tank made with a stunningly gorgeous cotton challis. Call me naive but I had no idea cotton challis was even an option! I'd only ever seen challis in rayon. This cotton though is simply a dream to work with, and if you run across it I highly suggest snagging some. The top is a simple V-neck with a facing but what makes it special are the gathers at the shoulder, made by simply adding a bit of ribbon or fabric in a tube. The combination of this pattern with this light cotton fabric is the per

Made by a Fabricista: Summer Ain’t Over Yet

All of my fellow Fabricistas have been looking toward starting their fall wardrobes. But this year, I’m riding my summer vibes right until their official end in mid-September, because I’m doing something a little different: going on a beach vacation after Labor Day! Now is as good a time as any to tackle my first swimsuit, and I have to say, it was a great experience. And of course, I’d need a cover-up too. Fabric Mart had everything I needed to try my hand at a swim suit. I knew I wanted a bright, colorful patterned suit that was more likely to hide any construction flaws, so I picked this really fun nylon/lycra and it just screamed summer fun. Since I wasn’t sure which lining would work best, I ended up picking up the plain black swimsuit fabric to line with, since I read that you can line with swim fabric. It ended up being thicker than I imagined, but for me, I felt like this worked great because the recovery of the two fabrics together is excellent. The fabric is great quality. I

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog