Made By a Fabricista: Jumping into Spring

It's the first week of spring! Though it is quite chilly in the southeast (hence my indoor photos) and the northeast has snow. Still, I'm excited because I can't wait to say goodbye to winter. I dislike cold weather (by the way anything under 59 degrees is cold - lol). I'm starting to sew for warmer temps in the hopes that 60s and 70s are in my weather forecast. But since that doesn't seem imminent I'm starting my spring sewing with this jumpsuit. Jumpsuits can be a great transitional pieces, paired with a cardigan or blazer they can carry you from a chilly morning to a warm afternoon.

What comes first the fabric or the pattern? For me it can be either, but this time I was moved by the fabric. As soon as I saw this Green Aztec Print ITY I knew it had to be a jumpsuit or a maxi dress. Obviously, I opted for a jumpsuit, Butterick 6630 to be exact. Mostly because I've had this pattern for a while and I haven't used it. I also love that it has pockets!

The pattern sewed up easy, nothing tricky here. The majority of the sewing was done on my serger, although I did reinforce my crotch seam with my sewing machine and finish my pants hem with my coverstitch.

I made my first thread chain loop.

The only alteration I made was shortening the hem of the pants by 2 inches (and I still used a 1" hem double folded hem) and I'm 5'5". I'd always rather pants be drafted too long than too short, so that wasn't really an issue.

I had enough fabric left to make Miss Socialite (my stepdaughter) a jumpsuit too! She's pretty into the cold shoulder trend so I figured she'd like this off-the-shoulder look. She also really likes joggers soI knew the harem pant hem would be a hit. I used a tween pattern from New Look, NL6444, that also includes a romper and two dress views.

I didn't love the instructions for adding the elastic to the ruffle so I just winged it. I won't share what I did because its a mess. As fast as she's growing I don't care to fix it, but I'll figure out a better approach if I sew it again. I also dislike that most kid and tween patterns do no include pockets, well at least not functional ones. So I added side seam pockets because the more she can carry the less I have to!

I think I will also sew the maxi dress from the Butterick 6330, since I already now that the bodice fits well. I'm already eyeing this Precut Mod Orange and Yellow ITY or this Precut Diagonal Striped ITY. Wouldn't these be fun?

I am looking forward to sewing more spring and summer projects. How about you?

Tiffany

TipStitched

Made By A Fabricista: Just Wear It Out!

Originally I wasn’t happy with my make this time around. I put it on fresh off the sewing machine and didn’t love how it fit. My elastic was slightly too narrow for what the pattern called for. I did end up putting a stitch to close up the v-neck on the top. I thought my sewing on the waistband looked sloppy and I looked kind of frumpy in the outfit. I was going to put the project down to fix later but decided to wear it out for some feedback from our web manager and one of the describers. I ended up pleasantly surprised! The fabric is super comfortable and I felt really good wearing it. All the things I didn’t like kind of melted away wearing it out. The flaws were so small that only I noticed them. I think it’s important to remember that while striving for perfect seams and flawless construction is good, a handmade garment doesn’t have to be perfect to be wearable. This isn’t the first time I’ve softened on a garment after wearing, and it certainly won’t be the last! The 100% c...

Made By A Fabricista: The Sheer Volume Of It All!

This garment was inspired by a dress I saw in an ad, and when I went to purchase it (which I rarely do)…I realized that the dress didn’t come in my size. Ticked off and with $300 back in my pocket, I decided to draft it myself. The description listed the fabrication as a silk cotton voile, so I used that as a starting point to recreate the simple yet elegant silhouette. My drafting experience is limited; I’ve only ever made garments that are pleated rectangles that fit into an elasticated waist. No darts, no complicated calculations, and definitely no sleeves. But I’d have that dress if it’s the last thing I do! I made a drawing, created a Pinterest board to document my inspiration, and narrowed down the features I really wanted to have: billowy bubble-hemmed bishop sleeves (say it three times fast!), a fitted and lined bodice, and a gathered tiered skirt. Finally, it was time to shop for fabric. I knew I wanted a silk blend of some kind, without breaking the bank. For weeks, I ke...

Made By A Fabricista: In Love with Linen

Linen is the best fabric to sew and wear. I selected a beautiful 100% linen from Fabric Mart that is a steel blue and cream floral linen to sew up a By Hand London Hannah Wrap Dress pattern. The flowers look like Dahlias. I originally sewed a Toile from a black and white cotton bedsheet, wore the dress a lot but never made it again. I gave the Toile away to a friend who always commented on how much she loved the dress. When I saw this fabric, I knew I wanted to make the Hannah again. Linen is so easy to sew the entire experience reminded me why linen remains one of my favorite fabrics to sew. I look for a light to medium weight European linen for a dress. I like a rayon or cotton blend with linen because it seems to have more drape and be more soft. Linen gets softer with washing and wearing it. This particular linen feels crisp and after ironing and washing, softens up. I like how Fabric Mart describes the fabrics as top, dress, blouse, shirt weight under “Use” and will describe...

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