Made by a Fabricista: Ready, "Set", Go!

Happy Saturday Loves!

I am officially on summer break and I am so excited that I will have all the time in the world to sew. I am ready to embark on my summer challenges and tackle and learn new skills. One of my main goal before the end of this summer is to make a lined jacket and prep for a fall coat. I have been dreading it for years and plan to overcome my fear.

Now let's get to the chase! I am so in love with this set! When I saw a linen rayon blend for May Julie's pick, I ordered it and when it arrived, I knew I wanted to get a different color linen rayon blend for my June's Fabric Mart post. I love the feel the texture and the fact it doesn't wrinkle as much as 100% linen. Go grab a few yards here before it is sold out!

When the fabric arrived, I quickly went to work with a muslin for the top as I wanted to make a matching set .This top is made using Simplicity 8927, Mimi G's summer pattern. My goal was to make the set but after my struggles with the top I decided to create a crop pants instead.

I did make a wearable muslin in denim and had so many challenges and decided to try the dreaded buttonholes again. Little did I know I have been using the wrong foot (a Brother's foot) with my Husqvarna Vikings Jade 20 sewing machine and had to reorder a new one.

With this version, I added an extra 1/2 inch to the side seams for a looser fit and extended it by 2 inches for a less crop look. To extend, I slash the pattern about an inch from the last button (above the front tie) then added 2 inches so that it will be perfect for the set. I also modified the back pattern piece (lengthening by 2 inches) matching notches from front and back piece. The new buttonholes are exactly 2 inches apart.

I used a solid blush pink to line the front of the pattern pieces as I did not have enough.
I do love the contrast tie.

When I attempted with the correct buttonhole foot at home, I still encountered challenges again but refused to give up. I wanted to push through and when I visited the dealer for help the 2nd time around, it was a minor mistake I was making and I was able to get the buttonholes done.

These pants are my 3rd version (see version 1 and 2 here) using Simplicity 8558 Mimi G's crop pants pattern which is perfect for my body type. This "easy to sew" elastic waist crop pants style was made an early morning before going to work. I prepped and pin the night before and it literally took an hour and a half to sew. I did modify the waistband pattern by adding an extra 3/4 inch to both the top and bottom of the waistband and using 2 different sizes of elastic as I wanted a wider band (Previous post here with steps on creating a snug waistband). I also ensured that the elastic casing was a bit more snug for the bottom row and stitched both rows down.

I did not plan to stitch down the elastic at first but wanted to try this technique again. I am absolutely happy I did as I love the fit and how it lays flat on my waist! I do plan to share a step by step insta-story on how to modify different waistband and save it on my Instagram highlights.

I truly love separates as I get to maximize my looks. (Check out a previous set made using 100% linen here).

I am gearing up and creating a vacation capsule one set at a time and plan to wear the pants or skirt this Fall to work.

What are your summer sewing plans? Thank you so much for reading and be sure to check out my Instagram page as I do plan to share beginner tips and techniques throughout the summer. Don't forget to stop by my blog to check out my last set a "faux jumpsuit" I made.

One Love,
Marica! Overdriveafter30

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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