Made by a Fabricista: Dia at the Apple Orchard

Hey lovely folks! Nice to see ya again, and I'm so excited we are finally to my favorite season of the year: FALL!

This Autumn has been a bit different with the COVID factor, but we were still able to make it to our favorite orchard for some apple picking in our fabulous Misusu Dia sweatshirts (and Jalie 2918, more on that in a bit!)

The black fabric is a super luscious modal blend sweatshirting that has unfortunately sold out (check out some other great options here). The way it looks on the backside and with it's drape it's almost more of a very brushed french terry than a sweatshirting in my mind, but it's still dang awesome. It's so soft and awesome that I worry a bit it may not wear well, but inside and out it is absolutely delightful now.

Misusu Dia (available in both Kids and Ladies versions) is a great pattern that has a ton of options: sweatshirt or tunic with a straight or hi low hem, plus straight or puff sleeve for kids and 3 different ladies sleeve lengths. I used the straight sweater with regular sleeves for Cheeks, the straight tunic with puff sleeves for Peaches and the hi-lo sweater with long sleeves for myself.

I finished the sweatshirts for the kids and myself and then thought...Daddy needs to get in on this, too. Misusu doesn't have men's patterns, so I drafted my own Dia Dad out of Jalie 2918. Bonus for him: I used the v-neck option (Mr. 5 doesn't dig crew necks).

I decided to only piece the front, instead of also altering the back to swoop around the side seam like it does in Dia proper, so it's not quite as cool, but I was tapped out after the (albeit simple) patternmaking work I'd already done. I'm really pleased with the result! Only thing I may have done differently would be to move the diamond an 1/2 - 1" higher.

And here's the result!

For the diamond innards (and neckband/wrist cuffs for Cheeks' sweatshirt) I used a wonderful mottled gray cotton lycra jersey and a great feeling ivory modal blend french terry (also both sold out, but the latter was available until last weekend). A ponte or double knit would be a great sub for either.

Along with the many silhouette options in Dia, there's also the option to make a pieced diamond, as I did for the kiddos and myself, or you can just cut a one piece simple diamond (or use it as a base for applique, as I did here!).

I'd seen a hack to make a fox from a creative sewist in Misusu's Facebook group and decided that's what my kiddos needed! The ears are just two of the small triangles sewn together and then folded over part way and sewn into the seam. They didn't end up totally symmetrical, but a kind friend reminded me that animal ears are often floppy and asymmetrical. :) I also spent a bit of time deciding on eyes...and you can see which of these won out!

Cheeks says they're skunks. OK, sure, I've got nothing better. Haha.

We had a pretty great afternoon picking apples in our new superbly comfortable shirts.

I really love how all of these turned out and am anticipating we're all going to get lots of wear out of these awesome sweatshirts!

Made By A Fabricista: Basics vs Fun Clothes

Every summer I make flowy, pretty dresses because they are so fun for me to make, wear, and they keep me cool as temperatures rise. But when the days get shorter and autumn rolls around, I’m not always confident on how best to transition my summery dresses into garments that will allow for the seasonal changes. In an effort to be more intentional about maximizing the use of my clothing, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to make for August. It’s been a hot summer in New Jersey. From what I can see, it’s been a hot summer across the US. Looking for clothing that will keep me cool, perhaps hide some sweat stains, and allow me to transition between seasons, I decided to make separates that would pair well with each other and allow me to mix and match with the rest of my wardrobe. For the top, I wanted a basic tank top, something I could layer later on. For the bottoms, I wanted flowy, summery pants that can last into brisker weather or become phenomenally cozy in front of my wint...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing Summery ITY

Hi sewing friends! I’m dropping in to share a few makes sewn with ITY fabrics and inspire you to try out this slinky, cool-to-the-touch fabric for hot weather if you haven’t yet, or to recommend some patterns that work fabulously if you already love it. This is by far my favorite knit to wear in summer. Since it moves easily there’s lots of airflow, and it just skims the body. More often than not, it has a four-way stretch that doesn’t grow when worn, so it works great for loads of styles. ITY stands for Interlock Twist Yarn and the knit gives it some wonderful drape and stretch. There are lots of different weights and even some differing textures. Because it’s so fluid, the fabric really resists most wrinkling. I’ve sewn three different weights and prints here to show off just what ITY can do! This white floral is a lighter weight and features a slightly crepe-textured finish, and I think that combined with the large and spread-out floral makes it quite elegant and eye-cat...

Made By A Fabricista: From Paris with Love!

Bonjour! I am still in bliss from my recent trip to Paris!! It was much more than I expected and I absolutely fell in love with the city. I can honestly see myself living there one day. I knew before leaving I wanted to make something to fit into the Parisian landscape because I knew it would be a special opportunity. I was inspired by one of my favorite fashion creators Juliette Foxx. Her checked gingham corset and wide leg pants were on my list to remake. For fabric I used this red and white pin stripe denim twill and deep red sateen for the pants. The pattern I used for the corset was McCall’s #M8182 with a few modifications. The fit was a little large so I took it in along the sides and shoulder seam. I then lowered the neckline since the shoulders were taken in. I used the sateen as my lining which gave a great contrast. My pants are my unreleased pattern which happens to be exact from the inspiration. I drafted these last year and have been wo...

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