Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Rediscovering Flannel

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, a little over an hour from Seattle. I was a teenager when grunge was king and everyone was wearing flannel. Everyone but me apparently, because I honestly cannot remember owning more than handful of flannel clothes in my lifetime.

That extends to sewing as well. I almost never sew with it except for pajamas or non-garment items. However, I was perusing the Fabric Mart website one afternoon and came upon this beautiful floral cotton flannel. My love for floral is deep and well documented, so immediately I had visions of a soft and cozy blouse that I could wear in our damp, chilly late winter and early spring.

Folks, I am a convert! Why oh why did I avoid wearing flannel for so long? This blouse is a dream! First of all, the fabric is gorgeously soft and not too heavy. Second, I can now wear my beloved florals and stay cozy even in the early days of spring when I want to feel light and cheery despite the cold weather.

I made the Carme Blouse by French designer Pauline Alice. I'm a little obsessed with pintucks at the moment so the bib on this blouse had me hooked right away. The pintucks are time consuming but so worth the effort. It also has a neat little placket and sleeve tabs for rolling up your cuffs. It's definitely designed with the rolled cuff in mind, but on the 40 degree day that I took photos I really appreciated the long sleeves.

If you're intrigued by French patterns this a great place to start. The instructions are available in French, English, and Spanish and the PDF pattern pieces can be printed on US Letter (many French patterns only print on A4 which can present a challenge to us American sewists). The instructions are a bit sparse, but luckily the designer offers a sew-along on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/PaulineGuillet/featured) that I found extremely helpful. I think it would be a great pattern for the adventurous intermediate sewist looking to expand their skill set.

I made a size 40 and the only made a few minor changes. I cut the sleeve slit binding on the bias because I find it eases in and lays a little neater. Also, made a facing for the hem since I had exactly zero desire to hem those curves. I finished it off with some seriously gorgeous vintage mother of pearl buttons that matched the green in the fabric perfectly.

Because I'm a little extra I decided to use the bit of flannel I had leftover with some pink stretch corduroy from my stash (also from Fabric Mart) to sew up a pair of Ash Jeans from Megan Neilson patterns. Now my pockets are as cozy cute on the inside as my top is on the outside. They are VERY pink pants but I think they go perfect with my blouse so I'm going with it. Bring on Spring!!

KRISHA  @buttercupthreads 


Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics in the following categories:
FLANNEL & COTTON

Comments

  1. Great match of fabric and pattern! Lovely garment.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is such a beautiful outfit. I love flannel shirts in all seasons because they are soft. In summer I can use them as covers against the sun and the rest of the year they provide something that can be layered as needed. I have never tried a blouse of flannel but it does make sense so why not?

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is such a great outfit! Your choices are beautiful. I had been looking at some of those beautiful floral flannels myself, and have also had my eye on a number of Pauline Alice patterns. Great pairings of fabric to patterns.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love both and especially the detailed blouse! Beautiful sewing! I am checking out the designer!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks so much for the great tips on the bias cut slit facing piece and the lazy faced hem. Both brilliant! Such a lovely outfit, it’s just perfect.

    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: Pattern Emporium’s Lyrical Top Featuring Fabric Mart Fabrics

 Sewn in a lightweight  rayon challis , this top combines style, comfort, and fluidity. There’s one thing I love in a summer sew: effortless drape—and the Lyrical Top by Pattern Emporium delivered just that. This pattern is a new release, and when I spotted this dreamy rayon challis from Fabric Mart Fabrics, I knew it was the perfect pairing. Lightweight, breathable, and with just the right amount of movement, the fabric really brought the pattern to life. Today, I’m sharing all the details—from fabric choice and construction to styling and fit—plus a few thoughts on why this top might just become a repeat sew. Pattern Overview: The Lyrical Top by Pattern Emporium The Lyrical Top is a relaxed-fit design with bloused sleeves and a gently flared frill cuff. It comes with three sleeve lengths and two neckline variations. I chose the tie-neck view, but there’s also a collar option for a slightly different vibe. I’ve been looking to add more stylish tops to my wardrobe this year, a...

Made By A Fabricista: A matching set and a happy error.

 Hi sewing friends! Today I’m sharing a new outfit I made inspired by looks I’ve been seeing pop up in my Facebook and IG feeds a LOT this year. I’m talking about those monochromatic matching top and bottom outfits, sometimes in linen, sometimes in a flowy knit - the ones that advertise they go effortlessly from loungewear to office wear to going out wear. So I decided to “sew the look” using Fabric Mart fabric and a few patterns I already in my massive pattern library. First, let me share that I have very few solid color pieces in my closet. I’m so taken in by whimsy and geometric prints that this is still a gaping hole in my wardrobe -  a matching solid color set was actually a practical addition for me.  So let me walk you through how I created this look, and also tip you off to an error I made while cutting that worked out pretty well after all. Can you spot the error? Hint - it’s somewhere in the top: Here’s how I went about building my matchy match outfit. And here’...

Made By A Fabricista: Birthday Dress

May is my absolute favorite month, we get to enjoy spring weather and it is my birth month.  The birthstone for May is Emerald. I think emerald is such a gorgeous color so when I saw this beautiful ombre charmeuse I thought it would be the perfect fabric to make for my birthday dress.  To be honest it took me a while to narrow down on a design.  After a lot of back and forth I ended up going back to my first sketch that I created. I love to sketch out my ideas to figure out the patterning and materials. To create the design I used the method of draping on my dressform.  I used the lightweight muslin that Fabric Mart offers.  It is always best to use a muslin or material similar to your final fabric.  I started first by marking my style lines with some draping tape on my dress form.  I tore out pieces of muslin to fit within those lines making sure I am always marking my grainline. I also used the muslin to determine how I will create the rosettes onto...