Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Sequins and Lace Holiday Affair

Happy Holiday Loves!

Can you believe 2018 is almost over? This year has been an amazing journey! I have met so many talented sew sisters, crafters, and fashionistas across the globe via my monthly Fabric Mart post.  In 2018 I gained confidence in my sewing skills, took risks and even had some failures along the way. 2019 I am so ready and excited to take on new challenges and stretch beyond my comfort zone.

I wanted to end the year with a little sparkle and challenge myself by sewing and working with sequins.  This sparkly top which is perfect for the Holidays was a challenge and I plan to continue to practice more with sequins in 2019.  My first plan was to create a simple caftan dress using this mesh sequins that can be worn for a holiday event but after making the dress, I hated the fit.  

The pattern that I used was a Simplicity 8657 and I decided that this would not go in my fail pile and created a top instead. The neckline was way too deep and even after re-cutting the XS the fit was still weird. I opted to make it an off the shoulder top and I use bias tape for the seams and neckline as I opted not to line.  I do plan to wear it over a fitted dress bodycon dress.

Now let's talk about this beautiful designer stretch lace that I am absolutely in love with

This designer lace is mixed with lycra and has a sprinkle of sequins. My original plan was to make a midi length dress using McCalls M7569  but at the last minute after cutting the skirt lining, I decided to make a maxi length skirt instead that I know I can wear more ways than one. 

I simply drafted the skirt by multiplying my hip measurement by 1.5 and then dividing it by 2 to create 2 pieces with side seams.  I also decided to create a detachable lining so that I can wear the lace skirt with a short or a longer lining depending on the occassion.
I decided to try something new with the waistband and plan to perfect this technique with another elastic waist skirt.  I did try a few techniques this summer with knit and have shared some great tips HERE on my personal blog.  I have mastered the art of creating elastic waist skirts (pencil and maxi) in 1.5 hours or less.

Here are the steps that I used for creating this waistband!



For the top row, I created a 3/4 inch casing for a 1 inch elastic.  This ensures that the elastic does not roll as I was using the lining fabric to create the waist band has has a 2 way stretch.
For the middle row, I decided to not to include any elastic but separate the rows by creating a 1/2 inch mock casing.
For the bottom row, I created a 1 and 1/8 inch casing for the 1.5-inch elastic.  I wanted to give it a more formal look with this casing method.

This lace fabric has a beautiful scallop detail seen at the hem.  I do plan to use the left-over on a sleeve of a dress or adding details to a top.  I also plan to wear this skirt as a bathing suit cover-up on my next beach vacation and a perhaps a dress with a lining during the summer.  I know for sure I will get more wear from this skirt than a formal dress. 
I have 1 week of work before I am off for two weeks.  I am excited about my 2019 sewing goals and plan to share it with you next month.  Thank you so much for the love and support in 2018.  I appreciate your kind words or encouragement and the love and support this year. Since this is my final post of 2018, I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy NEW Year when it comes!!

As always, don't forget to stop by my Instagram page to check out my latest makes!

One Love,
Marica!

Comments

  1. Great work as always. You never disappoint. Love what you did with the sequin fabric. I could see myself wearing that top . The lace skirt is amazing. Anything maxi, I love! And the fact that it's versatile is a plus! I'm going to use your waistband technique in the next skirt I make.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful garments! Great sewing technique on the waistband.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love these fabrics I am relatively new to sewing--why do you make the casing for the elastic smaller than the elastic. Won't it fold over and create a lump?

    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: Why I Love Sewing Woven Fabrics Over Knits

Sewing is a creative hobby that allows me to express my unique style while adding a personal touch to my wardrobe. When it comes to choosing between wovens and knits I will mostly always choose woven. There are a lot of reasons I choose wovens as my go-to choice. The project I chose for this Fabric Mart make is from Friday Pattern Company’s Patina Blouse .  I used a gorgeous lightweight rayon .  It’s delicate hand is the perfect blouse weight and it drapes beautifully with this pattern. In this blog post, l'll explore the advantages of sewing woven blouses over knit shirts, highlighting the creativity, versatility, and satisfaction that come with this choice.  The Joy of Creativity Sewing a woven blouse offers a chance for my creativity to flourish. Woven fabrics come in a wide array of colors, patterns, and textures, allowing me to unleash my artistic potential. With knits, the stretch and drape of the fabric often limit my design options. In contrast, woven fabrics give me the fr

Fabricista Guest Post: Perfectly Imperfect

Hey Sewing Friends!! I’m super excited to be a guest Fabricista. I’ve been a fan of Fabric Mart since I began sewing again in 2020. Let me begin with an introduction. I’m Eras, and my Instagram account is sewing_andmore. During the day, I work as a Nurse Practitioner, and I  first learned to sew in my local 4-H club when I was in middle school.  At that time, I had an amazing sewing instructor, Mrs. McKinney, who was extremely patient and was by my side for every step. However, in 2020, the stress of being a Nurse Practitioner during the pandemic made me turn to sewing for my mental health. I started out sewing and creating masks, and I immediately saw a change in my mood. I’m so glad I dusted off my old sewing machine, and I haven’t stopped! After seeing the rush of adrenaline and satisfaction sewing provided, I started making clothes. When I no longer needed fat-quarters, I started looking for online fabric stores. It was during this time that I discovered Fabric Mart and their great

Made By A Fabricista: Skipping Winter - Tailored Outfits in Twill & Shirting for Spring

Hi Fabric Mart fans! I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving! This month, while perusing the Fabric Mart collection, I was drawn to cotton twill fabrics. My son, who's growing like a weed, is always in need of new pants! I could easily have made him multiple pairs of pants, however I was also drawn to a bright blue stretch twill for me. I just can't resist a bold color on a jacket, and this blue was calling my name! I hope you love these outfits as much as I do! Since I planned to make pants for my son, I knew I'd need to make a button-down shirt as well. Fabric Mart had a range of fabulous cotton shirtings and it was hard to land on just one, but I eventually picked this royal blue gingham which pairs perfectly with the tan twill pants. When it comes to woven patterns for boys, I can never go past Oliver+S. I've made their dress shirts so many times now - the finishes are always lovely, and always so worth the time and effort. I used the Buttoned-Up Button-Down Shi