Made by a Fabricista: Mad for Olive

Happy Fall Everyone!

Where I live, we typically have a beautiful fall, except for this year. It's pretty much been non-existent but that hasn't stopped me from making some fall tops in trendy colors.

For this months post, I knew I wanted to use Olive green and I knew I wanted a cosy knit. I found this lovely fabric in the ITY knit section. Isn't that color so pretty?

Here's the link to the fabric: Olive ITY knit

Yes, I am back to indoor photos. It was just above 30 degrees today and the wind was howling.

I make a lot of flat pattern measurements before I start. With this pattern, I knew it would be snug across the back shoulder area, so I widened that area for a total of an inch. This is a typical adjustment for me when I use StyleArc patterns.

I spend a lot of time on my necklines and hemlines. I used this notion from FM's site: SewkeysE-White-Fusible-Knit-Stay-Tape-Interfacing. It's sold in various widths and for necklines I use 1/2" tape. I also used 1/2" on the hemlines. Simply fuse the tape, stitch the neckband on, turn, and topstitch.

This knit is so soft and it behaved so well when I was sewing it together.

The pattern I used is the Oakley Knit Tunic from Style Arc. I thought it would be perfect for this fabric. I think it was a very wise choice!

Oakley Knit Tunic By Style Arc - Tunic top featuring a panelled swing back and a 7/8th length sleeve with optional tie.

This went together fast and I love the style of it. It's perfect for an ITY knit, and those sleeves! Aren't they clever? They are simply a button hole with a tie that goes through it and is tied. So simple yet so fun.

This top deserved a fun and colorful scarf, so I used a fun knit stripe to make one.

Here's a link to the fabric: crochet knit

This project literally took less than ten minutes. Cut a piece of fabric the width of the fabric and about 1/2 yard wide (at least).

Sew the short sides of the piece together with right sides together. Next, sew the long edges together leaving about a 2" opening.

Flip the entire thing right side out and stitch the opening closed. That's it.

I love my new top and scarf!

Thanks for reading!

Sue from Ilove2sew!

Made by a Fabricista: A Work Wardrobe with a $50 Fabric Budget

Can you save money by sewing your own clothes? Well, that all depends on a lot of factors! I decided to challenge myself to make a new Spring work wardrobe with a $50 budget for fabric. I know, I know- that doesn't include your patterns, notions and miscellaneous things like interfacing and lining. For me, those are already sunk costs, because I already have them. By ordering during one of Fabric Mart's $2/$3/$4 sales, I was able to make 8 items- 2 pants, 1 skirt, 1 dress, and 3 tops. Here's my exact order:

This took me about 6 weeks once I started. I usually sew after dinner for about an hour or two every day. It's my relaxation time. I dove right in the deep end with the jacket first.
I absolutely love this fabric! It is so bright and cheery. I made the jacket with Vogue 2957, an out of print Anne Klein designer pattern.

The fabric is a Milly Cady suiting which I found challenging to work with. It feels delightful, but it is tough as nails. I started…

Fabricista Guest Post: "Julie's Picks" Goes to the Opera

Hello, fellow fabric enthusiasts and sewers alike ! My name is Mary Martha and I am thrilled to be presenting a guest post for Fabric Mart's Fabricista blog. As a bit of background, I fell madly in love with opera in 2015 when I attended my first performance in a movie theater as part of the Metropolitan Opera's "Live in HD" simulcasts, which projects live staged operas in New York City into cinemas worldwide via satellite. (They're fantastic !) Since the start, I have dressed the part of the characters when attending these performances, beginning with outfits fashioned from scarves and skirts in my mother's closet to more ornate costumes. It was during this time that I taught myself to sew using a sewing machine and I haven't looked back ─ my life was changed forever !
In December 2018, I subscribed to Julie's Picks swatch club as an educational experience: I wanted to expand my knowledge of different fabrics besides the typical polyester satins I h…

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