Made by a Fabricista: Spring Sewing!

I am getting tired of winter. It's lingering. It's cold. I need spring. I need new clothes. Ok, done whining!

I needed some basic colored tops in some not so basic shapes. These two fit the bill.

The ivory is a Linen/Cotton/Rayon blend. Pictures don't do the fabric justice. It has a lovely shine and drape. If you've never checked out Fabric Mart's linen section, you need to! The fabric is so pretty, is high quality, and never disappoints me.

For this top, I choose a simple design with some on trend details such as a ruffle--I may be too old for a ruffle, I am still wondering if I should remove it, and sleeve details.

I modified the sleeve a bit and left them as slits that close at the bottom of the sleeve.

The pattern is Simplicity 8694. Super cute with fun options.

I made a modified version of A. I needed some short-sleeved patterns that are not tees. This works.

For my dark top, I choose chambray. Whenever FM has chambray, I try to snatch some up. This one is so lovely and such a wonderful quality!

For this top, I choose a French pattern company called Oraguese. This is the Helsinki Blouse. I've noticed that FM is choosing to carry more Indy and foreign pattern companies.

This is a very on-trend pattern. I love everything about it! This pattern calls for a shirting, and the chambray fit the bill perfectly. If you can't tell, I really love how this turned out!

I am gearing up for spring by getting my sandals out for the photo.

This pattern looks interesting from all angles.

The knot makes this so cool.

And a picture of the back.

I hope you are gearing up for spring as much as I am.

Thanks for reading!

Sue from Ilove2sew!

Made By A Fabricista: Just Wear It Out!

Originally I wasn’t happy with my make this time around. I put it on fresh off the sewing machine and didn’t love how it fit. My elastic was slightly too narrow for what the pattern called for. I did end up putting a stitch to close up the v-neck on the top. I thought my sewing on the waistband looked sloppy and I looked kind of frumpy in the outfit. I was going to put the project down to fix later but decided to wear it out for some feedback from our web manager and one of the describers. I ended up pleasantly surprised! The fabric is super comfortable and I felt really good wearing it. All the things I didn’t like kind of melted away wearing it out. The flaws were so small that only I noticed them. I think it’s important to remember that while striving for perfect seams and flawless construction is good, a handmade garment doesn’t have to be perfect to be wearable. This isn’t the first time I’ve softened on a garment after wearing, and it certainly won’t be the last! The 100% c...

Made By A Fabricista: The Sheer Volume Of It All!

This garment was inspired by a dress I saw in an ad, and when I went to purchase it (which I rarely do)…I realized that the dress didn’t come in my size. Ticked off and with $300 back in my pocket, I decided to draft it myself. The description listed the fabrication as a silk cotton voile, so I used that as a starting point to recreate the simple yet elegant silhouette. My drafting experience is limited; I’ve only ever made garments that are pleated rectangles that fit into an elasticated waist. No darts, no complicated calculations, and definitely no sleeves. But I’d have that dress if it’s the last thing I do! I made a drawing, created a Pinterest board to document my inspiration, and narrowed down the features I really wanted to have: billowy bubble-hemmed bishop sleeves (say it three times fast!), a fitted and lined bodice, and a gathered tiered skirt. Finally, it was time to shop for fabric. I knew I wanted a silk blend of some kind, without breaking the bank. For weeks, I ke...

Made By A Fabricista: In Love with Linen

Linen is the best fabric to sew and wear. I selected a beautiful 100% linen from Fabric Mart that is a steel blue and cream floral linen to sew up a By Hand London Hannah Wrap Dress pattern. The flowers look like Dahlias. I originally sewed a Toile from a black and white cotton bedsheet, wore the dress a lot but never made it again. I gave the Toile away to a friend who always commented on how much she loved the dress. When I saw this fabric, I knew I wanted to make the Hannah again. Linen is so easy to sew the entire experience reminded me why linen remains one of my favorite fabrics to sew. I look for a light to medium weight European linen for a dress. I like a rayon or cotton blend with linen because it seems to have more drape and be more soft. Linen gets softer with washing and wearing it. This particular linen feels crisp and after ironing and washing, softens up. I like how Fabric Mart describes the fabrics as top, dress, blouse, shirt weight under “Use” and will describe...

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