Made by a Fabricista: Spring is for Shirtdress

I love shirt dresses! My pattern collection reflects this (I may or may not have eight shirt dress patterns) but somehow my closet does not. I have just two DIY shirt dresses (Mimi G's Katie dress and Simplicity 8546) and maybe two RTW versions. So it's high time that I added some to my wardrobe.

This polyester blouse weight twill by Milly has the perfect weight and drape for a relaxed shirt dress. If you prefer a more structured look, stick to a cotton shirting or light weight sateen. I loved this fabric and print so much that I grabbed both colorways. Unfortunately this fabric is sold out, but you can browse other shirtings and blouse weight fabrics here.

This fabric has a somewhat slinky feel, but isn't truly slippery. There's also a slight sheen without being shiny like a satin. It was easy to cut and sew, but I did get a few snags when pinning so make sure you use sharp pins and a fresh machine needle. I serged my pieces before assembling the pattern because as most twills it is also prone to fraying.

I chose to sew McCall's 8030 mainly because it's the newest shirt dress pattern in my collection. Also because it was a more relaxed style with dolman sleeves. In my opinion details like the sleeve cuff and collar would be lost due to the graphic nature of the print so I chose view B. I did change the hem because I love the shirttail hem of view A, but prefer the length of view B length. To make this modification I traced the curve of hemline the view A onto copy paper and then traced that curve to the hemline of view B.

I love sewing firsts and this is my first D ring belt! There's nothing difficult about it. It's basically constructed the same as any tie belt, but you need to interface and loop one end around two d-rings and stitch.

I am in love with the dress and so happy that I still have the yellow version to use for another project. Can't wait to end social distancing so I have somewhere to wear it too. Stay safe!

See you next month,

Tiffany of TipStitched

#stayhomeandsew

Made By A Fabricista: Vacation Vibes

We will be traveling to the Caribbean for Spring Break this year, so I started thinking about what I wanted to take with me that would be easy to wear, but also light and breezy. Personally, I love wearing linen because it looks so luxe while still being really comfortable. Since coordinated sets are still on trend this year, I thought it would be fun to create some pieces that I could mix and match for a relaxed vacation mini-wardrobe. (I just need to remember to pack my travel iron!) I went through all of my patterns and came up with five different patterns that I knew would would coordinate well with each other, and that would work well with linen. I wasn’t surprised when all the patterns I chose came from Pattern Emporium. Their whole aesthetic is clothing that is on trend, easy to wear and comfortable. For my first set, I used the Lightweight Yarn-Dyed Chambray Linen in Soft Oat. This fabric is so incredibly soft and airy. ...

Made By A Fabricista: I Love A Bomber Jacket

Hello friends, I’m Byrd, and today I’m excited to share my latest Fabricista project with you. There’s something timeless about a bomber jacket that makes it a staple in my wardrobe. It’s effortlessly cool, versatile, and perfect for layering through the seasons. But what makes this particular bomber jacket even more special is its thoughtfully designed pattern. Not only is it a standard pattern, but it’s also adaptive—meaning the length and closures can be customized to suit your needs, whether you’re standing, sitting, or using a wheelchair. This level of inclusivity in design is something I truly appreciate, and that’s why I’m especially excited about this make! The Fabric: Cotton Poly Poplin For the bomber jacket, I chose a Salamander White cotton-poly poplin , and it couldn’t be a more perfect match. Poplin is a fantastic choice for outerwear because it’s lightweight yet durable, with just the right amount of structure to hold the classic bomber shape. The cotton-poly b...

Made By A Fabricista: Pleated High Waisted Pants And How To Style Them

Hi sewing friends! Today I’m excited to share some awesome trousers that I discovered last year when I was a tester on this pattern. These pants are seriously amazing and magical because they are pretty beginner friendly but you get a real ready to wear and higher end look due to a few clever features. I also think they are flattering on a variety of body shapes and sizes so all in all, this pattern is a winner for me. I’m also going to share three top patterns of different styles that work well with this trouser style. Have I peaked your interest? Let’s go! These magical trousers are the Padget Pants from Petite Stitchery & Co (PSCo). This pattern is size inclusive and goes up to a 5X or 62 inch hip. It also includes a great projector file with mirrored full pattern pieces (yay for good projector files!). Here are a few action shots of these awesome pants: The instructions specify a knit fabric, but many of the testers on the team made them in stretch or even non-stretch w...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog