Made by a Fabricista: Literary Dreams and the Fabric Hole

My close friends and family have been known to call me notorious. No, I’ve never committed any crimes, but I am known to cause a great deal of damage to one’s budget (and fabric stash.) My true offense is pulling people down the fabric equivalent of Alice in Wonderland’s rabbit hole. My poor sister is often the victim of the “fabric hole,” as we lovingly call it. I can’t help but see the perfect fabric for her next outfit, and then promptly plead with her to purchase it so I can make it for her. Fabric Mart is often the catalyst for many fabric hole adventures.

One dreary winter morning, about a year ago, I checked my email and was struck by the most spectacular exclusive chambray linen fabric new to Fabric Mart. This linen started calling my name from the fabric hole, but with my stash overflowing, I refused to give in to temptation. Many Fabric Mart linen sales came and passed and I never gave in to the exclusive chambray linen, but it was always in the back of my mind waiting for me.

When I was selected to be a Fabric Mart Fabricista I was overjoyed! After a brief thought of “what on earth am I going to make” and a quick browse of the website, I knew it was finally time for the exclusive chambray linen!

I envisioned a By Hand London Hannah Dress with billowy bishop sleeves made out of cornflower blue chambray linen. I wanted this dress to be common so that I could wear it everywhere, but also have special, luxurious elements to it. Instead of using bias tape for the wrap bodice neckline, I used a special blue velvet ribbon inside. I also decided to add a touch of blush pink lace trim around the waist and in the drawstrings for the bishop sleeves.

Wearing the cornflower blue linen, ultra-feminine bishop sleeved Hannah Dress makes me feel like Belle from The Beauty and the Beast. This dress had me longing to visit a faraway library cloaked in white paint with ornate trim and climb a magnificent rolling library ladder. Since I don’t live in a fairytale, or anywhere near a library like that, I had to settle for a visit to a nearby university library.

The university students were on winter break so the library was empty and we were able to capture pandemic safe indoor photos. Special thanks to my dear friend @annie.catherine.artist who happily agreed to capture photos of my dress and fulfill my literary vision.

If you find yourself going down the Fabric Mart fabric hole anytime soon, I highly recommend any color of the exclusive chambray linen. It’s easy to cut, sew, iron and mold into the clothing of your dreams. I’ll see you all later for my next Fabric Mart fabric hole adventure.

SHAINA | @shaina_sews

💡 Did you know? 💡

Fabric Mart's Exclusive Chambray Linens are reorderable!

This means that even if the color you're looking for is currently unavailable, it should come back in stock soon!

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...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog