Made by a Fabricista: Spring Equals Dresses

Y'all know I love dresses and I wear them year round, but they are almost all I wear in the warmer months. So to kick off the spring season I have TWO new dresses to share. I used two types of double knits for this month's post. I love double knits because they are sturdier than jerseys or ITYs and easier to sew for most.

Up first I paired a bold print with a standout pattern. This leopard print techno was an immediate must have for me. I love leopard print anything; fabric shoes, purses, whatever. Don't believe me? Check out my Jasika Blazer that I whipped up with some amazing leopard corduroy from Fabric Mart last year here.

This print was more abstract take on leopard spots, but I loved it for this fun dress. I love a techno knit, it's very similar to scuba, but smidge lighter. It has a slinky feel much like a ITY but with the weight of a light ponte. (Head over to my latest video to hear how I distinguish neoprene, scuba and techno knits).

McCalls 7833 was the runaway hit for the fall releases last year. Initially I was going to pass on it as I knew I could draft this myself, but laziness got the best of me and I grabbed it during a sale. I think it did so well for a few reasons:

It's flattering. Who doesn't love ruching?
It stands out. Hello dramatic hem!
It's a quick sew. Instant gratification.

This view only requires three pieces, but I cut it down to just one because I eliminated the facings. I HATE knit facings so instead I folded over the seam allowance and finished with my coverstitch. Sadly a drawback only having one main body piece is that the neckline is the same for the front and back. For me the front neckline was too high. After trying on the dress I decided which way I wanted my hem to fall and deepened the front neckline by about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.

This techno knit was great for this pattern, the lighter weight allowed for great side gather and yet it has enough heft not to show every lump or fold. Sadly this fun animal print is sold out, but it's currently available in a fun teal colorway here. If animal print isn't your thing, no problem! There's also a bright graphic floral here.

Next up is a little black dress I whipped up using this lovely black ponte. I'm a sucker for ponte but this has a very smooth hand and is a rich deep black. It also has a good medium weight and nice stretch. There is still a little left, so stock up here.

Simplicity 8330 has been in my queue forever. I grabbed it couple of years ago when it was released because I loved all the views. My lifestyle doesn't give me a reason to sew the two longer views, but I can definitely put the short dress use.

I think this sat unsewn for years because the options with this dress or endless. It calls for a woven though I knew it would work with a sturdy knit. It works equally well with prints and solids. I considered sewing one up in bright red, deep eggplant or royal blue, but after realizing that my closet lacked a LBD I knew I had to go black.

Though I was tempted to go with the open back I decided that the closed back is more versatile. I love everything about this dress. This pattern calls for full interfacing of the front and back bodice, which I suppose is necessary for the open back view, but I omitted it since I chose to use a knit. I did however keep the interfacing for the collar because it needs to have some structure.

Now that it's officially spring I will really have to force myself to sew something that is NOT a dress.

I hope the weather is warming up where you are. Follow along with all my make on my blog, TipStitched.

See y'all next month,

Tiffany

Made By A Fabricista: A Tipsy Martini Transitional Three Piece Look

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon with Sharon Sews with my latest Fabricista make – a three-piece set I can wear as the weather transitions to fall here in Texas. It may look like a summer outfit but there will days filled with sunshine and high temps well into November. At first glance it looks like a nice, lightweight jacket, top and pants. But look closer – it’s sewn from the designer Tipsy Martini cotton sateen that was originally used by the designer for a pajama set. Now I could have sewn myself a pair of pajamas using the Closet Core Carolyn Pajama pattern (available at Fabric Mart) and replicated the designer pajamas. But if I had gone that route the only ones who would have seen this adorable kitschy fabric would be my family. This print is much too cute to hide out at home. This Tipsy Martini cotton sateen fabric was lovely to sew. I used black thread, an 80/12 universal needle, and Palmer/Pletsch Perfect Fuse Medium interfacing (link here). Note that this is a rayon fu

Made By A Fabricista: Hooray for Cozy Fall Sews!

Greetings, all! I am in such high spirits with the best-of-all-seasons just beginning and change is finally in the air. I always rejoice when the sweatiest time of the year passes and we can all take a deep breath and gear up for cozier times. Neighborhood Patterns is a new-to-me designer, and I came across them on Instagram in late summer and fell in love with the Plain Jane Skirt. This is such a simple A-line skirt, but with nice details like large inseam pockets and an optional drawstring, and though I’m sure I could draft this style myself, the appeal of having it all done for me was too tempting to pass up. A sew such as this is a lovely palate-cleanser and this was the first project I sewed after returning from a cross-country trip. Perfect! The gorgeous plaid flannel is exactly what I want to be wearing in the fall. The fabric is SO soft and a pleasure to snuggle up in. Because flannel does not have much body and is prone to stretching or shifting with all its mechanical give,

Made By A Fabricista: Quilted Jacket Chronicle

What do you get when mixing the best things about apparel sewing and machine quilting? A quilted jacket! It's funny that I elected to sew myself a quilted jacket for this Fabricista blog because I don't consider myself much of a quilter. I can count on my hands the number of quilted projects I've made over the last few years. While I fully appreciate the end product of quilting, I don't normally gravitate toward starting quilting projects. That's why making a quilted jacket is a new and exciting project for me! It gives me the fun of making a quilt on a much smaller scale. If you are an avid apparel sewist and are new to quilting, this is the perfect project to take for a quilting test drive! For my quilted jacket, I used the Seamwork Easton Jacket pattern. I decided to stick with a solid-colored fabric for the jacket's exterior and ordered 4 yards of Dark Umber Brown Lycra Stretch Canvas Suiting from the Fabric Mart website. I wanted a contrasting color for the

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