Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Down to Business

 

Hello everyone!  The last time I posted about some things I sewed for my daughter, Serena, she was in Chicago in 2017, and I had made her a black and white mini-wardrobe here.  Fast forward 3 years, and she is climbing the corporate ladder and just got promoted to a position where she would need to present frequently to a board of directors.  So, the challenge was making something appropriate to wear to the board meetings, also something that would pack in a suitcase well, and something that would be not so dressy so she would still be able to wear it to work on a non-board meeting day.  Her workplace is generally ultra casual, which is the trend in most businesses, as I hear.  I wish it were more dressy, as I love making suit jackets!

So, to me, the fabrics that came to mind were ponte and double knits- non-wrinkle, comfortable, washable, and professional looking.  At the time (this was back in June), Fabric Mart had this fantastic black and white pinstripe knit available.  It is so nice- the weight feels like a luxury suiting.  Although they are sold out, they often have a great selection here.  

Here are my original fabric selections:


 

I decided that she should have a jacket, a couple of tops, and a couple of bottom options that she could pack when she went on business trips.   For the jacket, I chose a pattern from the August issue of Burda 2016 magazine, style #134.  This is a pattern that was designed for heavyweight knits such as ponte or sweatshirting.  It has a nice long lapel, patch pockets and a lining.  

For the pants, I chose Burda Plus Spring 2014 Style 428.  They have an elastic back waistband, pockets and are narrow legged.


For the pants, I made one matching the jacket in the full length of the pattern.


And then I made another out of a printed double knit, just 6 inches shorter for more of a capri look.  I think that she's worn the capri length more often, so I'm glad that I did. 


The peach top is from the January 2015 issue of Burda magazine, #128.   I just left off the overlay, and made the sleeves shorter.  The peach double knit has a honeycomb texture to it.


Then I made her one more top from a bright blue double knit with a liverpool bullet texture.  This one has a draped neckline and ruching at the side.  I used Burda 6785 for it.


Serena is living in the Santa Rosa, California area right now, and lives in a beautiful redwood tree grove. 


Her area has been spared from the forest fires, but they have been within a few miles of them, which has worried me immensely.  She has just accepted a new job in the Denver area, and will be moving there soon.  She will miss the beautiful redwood trees!

Her business wardrobe will work in her new position as well, so I hope that she will get several years worth of use from it.  So, the fabric for a custom fitted jacket, pants, capris and two tops totalled just a little over $50 when the double knit category was on sale.  You cannot beat that!

For those of you that follow my blog in addition to this one, you may know that I have gone through a personal tragedy- my husband died unexpectedly in August.  I had made all of these items before this, but I do hope to continue sewing and blogging, as it is quite therapeutic for me to do something creative that I love to do.

Kind regards,

Ann 

SewBaby News

Comments

  1. My condolences for your loss. Sewing is a wonderful way to settle the soul. Those pieces look fantastic! I hope your daughter recognizes how lucky she is. The fabric choices are so sensible and fit her beautifully. God bless you both.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely outfits and so put together for the office. Sincere condolences on the loss of your husband.

    ReplyDelete
  3. So sorry to hear of your personal loss Ann. I have been there also.

    I really enjoyed your sharing of the lovely professional work wardrobe For your daughter. An amazing results at a budget price!

    Keep sewing and sharing. You do it so well!

    Your sewing sister Karen

    ReplyDelete
  4. So sorry for the loss of your husband! Praying for peace & comfort for you.

    I have always enjoyed your posts as your garment selections are always very wearable and nicely made. How lucky your daughter is to have her own personal stylist/ tailor!

    Best wishes and I hope you are able to continue posting your sewing journey.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

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...