Made by a Fabricista: Inspired by Ready to Wear

Do you see cute clothes in stores or online and think to yourself "I can make that!"? It happens to me often! I was a pretty big clothing shopper before I began sewing. And though I still buy clothes when I find a great deal, I usually end trying to recreate the outfit instead of buying. That is what happened with this jumpsuit. This black and white jumpsuit leaped out to me when I was scrolling through the gram. If you know me I love black and white, stripes and jumpsuits, so it's no surprise this was love at first sight.

When I saw this Be Stripe Back Jumpsuit by Kiomios I immediately thought of McCalls 8047 as the overall shape is similar. I sewed the bottoms straight from the pattern. Yes, I could've added slant pockets like the inspiration photo, but I didn't want to add any bulk. I did however alter the bodice to achieve the looser fit of the RTW outfit. I made the following changes:

added 1" at the center fold
added 2" to the hem
added 1.5" to the side seam using a curve ruler to grade the curve to the underarm seam.

This pattern piece served as the new front and back bodice. I also created cuffs to the sleeves by cutting 4" strips the length of the circumference of the armhole (18"). I sewed the short ended together then folded the strips lengthwise and sewed to the sleeve hem.

A critical part of this making a copycat version was finding a similar striped fabric. I needed a vertical stripe knit with two way stretch as the fabric is used both against and with the grain to achieve the horizontal bodice and vertical pants. Additionally the stripe pattern needed to be uneven, with the black stripe being wider. This double brushed jersey had everything and was on sale for just $3/yd! Sadly it's already sold out, but try this red and white stripe or cream and mustard brushed jersey.

The brushed jersey works perfectly for this jumpsuit as it's super soft. It's feels like I'm wearing pajamas!

All in all I think my version looks similar to the RTW garment that served as my inspiration.

Tiffany

Tipstitched.com

Made By A Fabricista: Falling for Knits

We are now well into Fall, even though the temps are still relatively warm here in Texas. I love the fall season and dressing for Fall. When it comes to the conversation of knits vs. wovens I typically sew mostly wovens. So for this post I decided to sew completely knits! With the holiday season right around the corner I saw these three dress styles as perfect for Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving gatherings. The first look is a tried and true pattern Simplicity S9372. Using this gorgeous burgundy ponte knit , I like how this pattern fits throughout. I chose this color to add to my typically neutral palette in my closet. I also wanted something I could wear to my sorority meetings and found this color perfect. It's an easy sew with back fisheye darts and invisible zipper to add to the tapered style. The neckline and armholes are finished with bias binding giving it a clean finish on the inside. I used a universal needle to sew a...

Made By A Fabricista: Closing 2025 with a Lined Jacket

Hello again, sewing friends! It seems we have arrived yet again in the grandest season for layering, all this oncoming cold weather. I like ending the year with something warm and very useful. Seems based on my past Fabricista posts, I love to sew year-end outerwear, and this round is no different! I challenged myself with a new lined coat (wait, jacket? Coat? I feel like the presence of wool changes things?). Anyhoo, since the lovely Chalk & Notch Den Jacket has been in my queue, I proceeded ahead. I like the large pockets, the option to line or not, and the extra bodice and sleeve seams for topstitching. Sewing this coat is not at all difficult, but the many pieces and loads of topstitching will take a bit of time. My version took me a few multiple-hour sessions to complete. I sewed a size 2, which matches my measurements, and I made no alterations. Hint: for a quick size test, just employ the lining pieces. Gorgeous, muted blue as a soft wool flannel ? This is ...

Made By A Fabricista: Chalk and Notch Wren Dress: My Buffet dress for the Christmas season!

I recently sewed the Chalk and Notch Wren dress using a beautifully soft black voile from Fabric Mart, and it turned into such a satisfying, enjoyable project. The pattern itself is very easy to understand and straightforward with clear instructions, intuitive construction, and a relaxed fit that makes the sewing process easy. A buffet dress in the sewing community is a dress that is loose fitting, so you can eat at the buffet without your dress being uncomfortable afterwards, lol! Because the voile I chose is extremely thin and transparent, I opted to line the bodice and first tier. Adding a lining not only provided modesty but also gave the delicate fabric a bit more stability, especially around the neckline and button placket. A helpful tip when sewing a lining into a lightweight bodice is to treat the lining and the main fabric as one. I sewed the bodice as you would for a lined bodice, and the first tier I sewed the pieces together with a basting stitch to make the process...

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