Made By A Fabricista: Double Knit Concord T-shirt Dress

Seasonally inappropriate sewing alert!

I've got a long sleeved double knit t-shirt dress for you on this hot, hot midsummer day... I was absolutely melting when taking these photos (hence the sunglasses and wet hair!) but I am in love with my new dress!

When I saw this fabulous NY designer double knit at Fabric Mart, I knew I had to make it mine, whether it was appropriate for the current weather or not. The good thing about living in Vermont is that it may be 100 degrees today, but a week from today it could be 50 degrees... and, as always, winter is coming.

This fabric is amazing: it's a nice, thick cotton/poly/lycra blend with fabulous recovery and a cool three-dimensional texture. I love the abstract geometric print in black, white and navy blue, too. It reminds me a bit of an evil eye.

When I got this fabric, all I could think of was recreating the Cashmerette Concord t-shirt dress that I made last winter. That dress was a personal favorite of mine and I knew this double knit would work perfectly with the Concord pattern.

I made the same alterations to the Concord pattern that I did for my last dress version - size 16 C/D lengthened 16 inches and a 1” full bicep adjustment with added 3.25” to the sleeve length. It's form fitting, but not tight. Sleek and easy to wear.

I'm so in love with my double knit Concord dress! I paired it with sandals here, because, like I said, it's 100 degrees here, but I'll likely wear it with tights and boots come fall and winter.

Lucky for me, as a result of careful cutting, I have a bit of this fabulous double knit left... I think it will be perfect for a Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater #2... expect one from me as soon as my sewing room cools down enough for me to re-enter! Thanks for the lovely fabric, Fabric Mart!

Made by a Fabricista: Spring is for Shirtdress

I love shirt dresses! My pattern collection reflects this (I may or may not have eight shirt dress patterns) but somehow my closet does not. I have just two DIY shirt dresses (Mimi G's Katie dress and Simplicity 8546) and maybe two RTW versions. So it's high time that I added some to my wardrobe.

This polyester blouse weight twill by Milly has the perfect weight and drape for a relaxed shirt dress. If you prefer a more structured look, stick to a cotton shirting or light weight sateen. I loved this fabric and print so much that I grabbed both colorways. Unfortunately this fabric is sold out, but you can browse other shirtings and blouse weight fabrics here.

This fabric has a somewhat slinky feel, but isn't truly slippery. There's also a slight sheen without being shiny like a satin. It was easy to cut and sew, but I did get a few snags when pinning so make sure you use sharp pins and a fresh machine needle. I serged my pieces before assembling the pattern because as m…

Fabricista Guest Post: "Julie's Picks" Goes to the Opera

Hello, fellow fabric enthusiasts and sewers alike ! My name is Mary Martha and I am thrilled to be presenting a guest post for Fabric Mart's Fabricista blog. As a bit of background, I fell madly in love with opera in 2015 when I attended my first performance in a movie theater as part of the Metropolitan Opera's "Live in HD" simulcasts, which projects live staged operas in New York City into cinemas worldwide via satellite. (They're fantastic !) Since the start, I have dressed the part of the characters when attending these performances, beginning with outfits fashioned from scarves and skirts in my mother's closet to more ornate costumes. It was during this time that I taught myself to sew using a sewing machine and I haven't looked back ─ my life was changed forever !
In December 2018, I subscribed to Julie's Picks swatch club as an educational experience: I wanted to expand my knowledge of different fabrics besides the typical polyester satins I h…

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog