Made by a Fabricista: Three New Outfits

Hey there Fabricistas! I have been sewing up a storm the past week and it has felt so good. I have been in a little bit of a funk recently and it has felt so good to sit behind a sewing machine and sew away all of my worries! Sewing can be very therapeutic and it helps me clear my mind!

I ordered some fabric from Fabric Mart last month and I usually end up ordering fabrics that go really well with each other. This time, though, I ordered fabric that didn't really match well with each other, which ended up being a great thing! Now I have three brand new outfits! I should warn you, this post has a ton of photos, but who doesn't like to look at a bunch of pictures!

I sewed one pattern that was familiar to me, I've sewn it before. And then I tried two new patterns...and I love how all three things turned out! First let me share my repeat pattern...the Megan Nielsen Tania Culottes.

This sew started with the fabric. I've been looking on the Fabric Mart website for some tencel fabric, and last month I was shocked to see there were actually three tencels in the shop! I grabbed this gray / brown / taupe looking tencel and then got it home and had no idea what to make with it! My teenage daughter said I can't sew this into chinos, because I would look too much like a teacher (ha! I am a teacher). So then I leafed through the patterns I own and landed on the Tania culottes! This pattern was perfect for the tencel...the drape is amazing!

I am smitten with my new Tania Culottes! I've noticed the tencel sells pretty quickly. This one is out of stock, but right now Fabric Mart has two more tencels in stock!

Okay, outfit change number one...this one is the Willamette Top by Hey June patterns. I debated whether I needed a new button down shirt pattern, but I am so very glad that I did end up buying this one!

The Willamette Top is a very casual button down shirt. Well, and actually it's not a button down shirt. It's designed to be a pop over. But I saw that Tori on The Doing Things Blog turned her Willamette into a button down and I loved the look!

I used a voile fabric (no longer in stock, but poke around, there are plenty of other voiles in the shop). I forgot how easy it is to sew with voile. It's a great lightweight fabric that has a bit of drape to it, but is easy to sew with like shirting!

Last outfit change...the Evans Blazer, the newest pattern by Hey June Handmade. I bought this pattern on it's pattern release day. I never do this, probably because I pride myself on not being an impulse shopper, but I absolutely love the look of this pattern.

I sewed the Evans Blazer out of this bright red Ponte knit. I bought the knit thinking I would make a Charleston Dress, but then the Evans Blazer came out and I started cutting my fabric right away! I absolutely love this pattern and cannot wait to sew it again!

Oh, and this Ponte knit is still in stock! It's a great one...it's a rayon, nylon, lycra blend which is my favorite type of Ponte. I love to find a good quality Ponte knit and I think I might have to order some more to make that Charleston Dress!

Have you started any fall sewing yet? Thank you Fabric Mart for the amazing fabric!

Teresa @dandeliondrift

Made By A Fabricista: A Wooly Wearable Blanket.

Twirling in a me-made outfit! I live in a small town where the nearest fabric shop is a road trip away, so I almost exclusively shop for fabric online. Having access to an online shop like Fabric Mart with a solid search engine is incredibly helpful. But by far my favorite aspect of Fabric Mart is what I call the “Drape Picture” included in each listing! This picture gives me all the information I need and I find it more helpful than the exact weight per yard/square meter. Seeing how the fabric falls close or away from the body gives me a clear idea of how it will behave and inspires me to make it into something that will highlight the fabric’s nature. When I saw the drape of this “Baked Plum” wool suiting , I immediately wanted to immortalize those beautiful folds into a skirt! I opted for a simple self-drafted pleated skirt with a deep hem. I wear my dresses year-round and rely on wool skirts that I layer under or over my dresses for warmth. I cut two panels for the front ...

Made By A Fabricista: Which comes first – the fabric or the pattern?

Ah, the age old question garment sewers are often asked – do you choose the pattern first and then look for fabric, or do you buy fabric and then later decide what it will be when it grows up? If you are a sewist with a large fabric stash (like myself), then perhaps you are on Team Fabric. I would say I definitely lean that way, but there are also times when I land somewhere in the middle – I see a fabric and I think, I’ve just seen a pattern and these two would be perfect together! And that’s how gorgeous dusty rose stretch velvet and a recently released cardigan pattern came together to create the newest addition to my wardrobe. And had me improvising a few things along the way. First. I have to admit - I have a stretch velvet problem. I see it pop up on the website and I almost always grab it, especially if I see a sale. It’s not the easiest fabric to sew (it’s slippery as heck!), but I love it so much and I especially love using it in non-traditional ways. In my last blog post, I...

Made By A Fabricista: Back In The Saddle

If you don’t know in October my beloved Bernina sewing machine blew a fuse and started smoking while I was using it. She went to the shop for repairs, and then I moved. So it’s been a bit since I’ve sewed last and I’ve had trouble getting back into it. I knew I needed a simpler project to get me going again. Julie sewed up a Jarrah sweater recently ( restock coming soon! ) and gushed about how simple and rewarding a project it was. Then we got in this beautiful wool/cashmere sweater knit from England. I was seeing lighthouse keeper, sheep herder in the highlands. I knew it had to be my Jarrah sweater. I did lengthen the bodice by 3 inches. I actually sewed up a mock up with the curved hemline, but decided that wasn’t for me and went with the straight hem. Of course I took zero photos of said mock up. Oops. Otherwise I sewed it up in a size 6 as is. Using the serger this really does sew up quickly. The dropped shoulder creates clean, simple lines that make it easy to sew u...

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