Made by a Fabricista: Springtime Style - Simple ITY Maxi Dresses

Now that spring is officially on my mind, my makes going forward will be spring clothing that transitions into summer. Maxi dresses or skirts are great staple pieces to have. I was ready to start the creation of my Spring makes and when I came across these two great ITY prints I knew they were perfect for dresses. Unfortunately, they are both sold out but these are two great ITY (Interlock Twist Yarn) knits available in solid or floral that would definitely work for this style.

The beauty about maxi dresses is that they are a no worry one piece that can be dressed up or down. I wanted to find a pattern that was easy and selected Simplicity 8595 as a start.

This Floral ITY maxi dress is a staple piece because you I can wear it running errands during the warmer days here in South Florida or to work with my blackwood cardigan (Made here). ITY is a cool and fluid knit fabric that has an incredible drape and does not wrinkle.

I wanted to find a TNT (tried and true) easy to sew maxi dress pattern and based on the cover, I knew VIEW D with and without sleeves was perfect for my pear shape body. This style is only 4 pattern pieces, front, back, neck and sleeve band.

As usual, I had to make a few modifications to the pattern to fit my body type:

1. Graded the size small to the medium from the waist.
2. Added 4 inches to the length

My original plan was to create another maxi dress using McCall 7122 but the sleeve style and the fact that the back piece was not cut on the fold, would require a bit of matching and lining up the print. I opted to reuse the same simplicity pattern as I am in love this print. I layered it with my leather jacket and boots earlier this week when the temperature dropped.

The ITY knit is light enough for the Florida weather and perfect for a maxi or wrap dresses. I am in love with both maxi dresses and can’t wait to make another style VIEW D using some designer ponte knit.

Thank you so much for reading and please don’t forget to check out my latest blog post of the top I made for Valentine’s Day. Be sure to stop by my Instagram page to see some of my recent makes. Have a wonderful day!

One Love,
Marica - Overdriveafter30

Made By A Fabricista: Falling for Knits

We are now well into Fall, even though the temps are still relatively warm here in Texas. I love the fall season and dressing for Fall. When it comes to the conversation of knits vs. wovens I typically sew mostly wovens. So for this post I decided to sew completely knits! With the holiday season right around the corner I saw these three dress styles as perfect for Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving gatherings. The first look is a tried and true pattern Simplicity S9372. Using this gorgeous burgundy ponte knit , I like how this pattern fits throughout. I chose this color to add to my typically neutral palette in my closet. I also wanted something I could wear to my sorority meetings and found this color perfect. It's an easy sew with back fisheye darts and invisible zipper to add to the tapered style. The neckline and armholes are finished with bias binding giving it a clean finish on the inside. I used a universal needle to sew a...

Made By A Fabricista: Closing 2025 with a Lined Jacket

Hello again, sewing friends! It seems we have arrived yet again in the grandest season for layering, all this oncoming cold weather. I like ending the year with something warm and very useful. Seems based on my past Fabricista posts, I love to sew year-end outerwear, and this round is no different! I challenged myself with a new lined coat (wait, jacket? Coat? I feel like the presence of wool changes things?). Anyhoo, since the lovely Chalk & Notch Den Jacket has been in my queue, I proceeded ahead. I like the large pockets, the option to line or not, and the extra bodice and sleeve seams for topstitching. Sewing this coat is not at all difficult, but the many pieces and loads of topstitching will take a bit of time. My version took me a few multiple-hour sessions to complete. I sewed a size 2, which matches my measurements, and I made no alterations. Hint: for a quick size test, just employ the lining pieces. Gorgeous, muted blue as a soft wool flannel ? This is ...

Made By A Fabricista: Chalk and Notch Wren Dress: My Buffet dress for the Christmas season!

I recently sewed the Chalk and Notch Wren dress using a beautifully soft black voile from Fabric Mart, and it turned into such a satisfying, enjoyable project. The pattern itself is very easy to understand and straightforward with clear instructions, intuitive construction, and a relaxed fit that makes the sewing process easy. A buffet dress in the sewing community is a dress that is loose fitting, so you can eat at the buffet without your dress being uncomfortable afterwards, lol! Because the voile I chose is extremely thin and transparent, I opted to line the bodice and first tier. Adding a lining not only provided modesty but also gave the delicate fabric a bit more stability, especially around the neckline and button placket. A helpful tip when sewing a lining into a lightweight bodice is to treat the lining and the main fabric as one. I sewed the bodice as you would for a lined bodice, and the first tier I sewed the pieces together with a basting stitch to make the process...

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