Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Winter Casual Comfort


Every winter I search for pieces that are warm but can transition seamlessly into spring.  I love a great button down and find that I wear them in all seasons, in the warmer months I just roll the sleeves up.  The Closet Case Files Kalle shirt is perfect for our mild Georgia winters and will fit beautifully into my spring wardrobe.

I've always wanted to try the Kalle and knew that pairing it with this fun color speckled chambray would make it a true workhorse in my wardrobe.  I have had fun pairing this top with different pants in my closet and the neutral chambray goes with every color of pants I own.  I'm especially partial to pairing it with the leggings pictured here and a red pair of ponte Simplicity 8748.  




The chambray was great to work with- I love a good stable woven and find them such a pleasure to sew.  I also love the small flecks of color in the weave of this fabric, however it was a challenge to figure out which was the right and wrong side of the fabric.  Since it was only really discernible to me I only spent a small amount of time obsessing over which side was which!  





The buttons were from my stash and are clear with yellow, red and green coloring painted on the back, perfect!  And since I ran low on them I used two small green buttons on the sleeve plackets.
I used Palmer/Pletsch Perfect Fuse sheer anywhere that interfacing was called for and at this point in my sewing journey won't use anything but this fusible for projects that I hope will go through many many wears.  Its always fused perfectly, stays fused and adds just the perfect amount of stability. 



 As much as I love a workhorse piece in my wardrobe, I also love something a little frivolous and colorful, that's where these floral tights fit in!  Now I am positive these tights put me squarely into suburban Mom territory, but I have to admit that they are so comfortable that once they're on my legs I don't care what kind of fashion statement they do or don't make!  They are a double brushed poly and people, this stuff feels sooo good.  Double brushed poly is perfect for fantastic leggings, I now have two pair and they feel like soft clouds on my legs.  Ultimate winter comfort!

The colors on this fabric are so vibrant.  You just can't get the total effect in these pictures.  When I first saw the fabric in person I just smiled a huge smile and petted it for some time.  Only other sewy-fabricy people understand the thrill of receiving a fabric order in the mail and the elation of discovering the fabric is even more beautiful in person than you thought it would be, the small joys in sewing life! 

I plan on making a Grainline Driftless cardigan from the remainder of this lovely fabric. Then I'll have the hard decision of deciding whether or not its permissible to wear this fabric head to toe!


A note about the pattern for these leggings.  I had a pair of worn out and much loved H & M leggings that simply couldn't be worn any longer.  I cut them on the seams and used them for a pattern.  It worked like a charm and the leggings are a perfect fit.  You might try doing the same with an old pair of leggings.  Just be sure to add seam and hemming allowances, I eyeballed mine.  I now just use that cut up H & M legging as my permanent legging pattern and have made three pairs using it.

 


I hope that all of your winter sewing adventures are going well and include some double brushed poly softness or easy matching chambray.  My dog just wants to say that he approves of this outfit and he hopes you enjoyed hearing about it too.  Thank you for reading and happy winter sewing!

Elizabeth

Comments

  1. Beautiful makes. The shirt would scare me, however you did a fantastic job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen, thanks for your kind words! I remember making my first button up, I took it one step at a time, trying not to be overwhelmed by the enormity of what I felt I was accomplishing. I believe you can too, and you should know that I still make mistakes on my makes... all the time!

      Delete
  2. What a perfect winter combo! This is a great shirt, and what a smart idea to cut up the leggings for a pattern!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Elizabeth! Its been fun to wear and yes, the cut up leggings make a perfect pattern piece! Highly recommend giving it a go.

      Delete

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: A Pink Suiting Set for Spring

Spring is here! So is my first blog of the year. I had some inspiration with this one. I saw a picture on an Instagram profile and wanted to make my own. Now, my version ended up a little different, but overall, I really love it. However, I still want to recreate the inspiration pic at some point. For this look, I chose a cotton candy pink double weave suiting . It is soft, has a semi-textured hand, and has a crepe weave on the wrong side. The fabric does have some stretch to it. I absolutely love the color and feel of this fabric. This is a suiting fabric with the softness of a knit. The thing I do not like about it though is it snags. So, I had to be careful using pins and seam ripping to prevent snags. I had the Fernanda Vicki Sews pattern in mind but once I downloaded the instructions and saw how many pieces were involved, I switched to a different pattern, lol. I ended up making the Riana Blazer. It has a semi-fitted blazer with a straight silhouette. A belt and belt loops that yo...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing the Eleonora by Silversaga – A Romantic Dress you need in your closet

I recently had the pleasure of sewing up the Eleonora pattern by Silversaga, and I’m excited to share my thoughts because this one really surprised me—in the best possible way. If you’re not already familiar with Silversaga, their aesthetic leans into romantic minimalism—think timeless silhouettes with poetic details. The Eleonora Dress is a vintage-inspired, chemise-style from the Regency Era of the 1800’s design infused with modern elements like adjustable sizing, soft gathers, and flexible fit details.  The Eleonora is a thoughtfully designed dress pattern with multiple views and customizable features. Some of its standout design elements include: • Adjustable fit via ties and elastic channels at the neckline and waist, allowing it to flatter a range of body shapes and sizes. • Sleeve options, including short or long gathered raglan sleeves, often finished with ruffles for added softness. • A full, swishy four-panel skirt—complete with in seam pockets and a deep hem—that b...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing the Chalk & Notch Hayes Dress

Hey lovely friends! With summer knocking at the door, I am absolutely ready for breezy dresses at all times. I love linen all year round, but summer is my particular favorite for this fiber. This bright happy color fills me with delight, and it’s so perfect in the sunshine.  For this project, I got all my supplies in one go! I chose this stunning Sea Green linen , lightweight fusible interfacing , ½” elastic , and of course, matching thread. If you haven’t sat down to create your own little sewing kit with all the bits at hand, it’s quite a nice gift to yourself and makes getting started that much easier. I’m all about ease these days.  I sewed the new Chalk & Notch Hayes Dress with the open back cutout, which is View A. The other two options are a closed-back dress and a two piece set. I was a tester for this charming pattern, and I can confirm the two piece set is also gorgeous and really fun to wear. I have looked forward to sewing this version for weeks!  Please...