Made by a Fabricista: My first Summer dress for 2021, Axis Dress

Happy Friday, everyone! I am super excited to share about my Axis Dress by Papercut Patterns today.

This dress was love at first sight! For me, longer skirt lengths of dresses and skirts are challenging since I am petite (5’ 1”), but this dress was so pretty that I had to make it.

Now, let's talk about the fabric. I have been eyeing this Chambray Linen fabric for a while. Just seeing from a picture of it on their website, I knew that it is a high-quality fabric! I think they do a great job showcasing their fabric by putting multiple views. I think that is one of the reasons why I keep clicking “Add to cart” almost every time I go to their website, lol.

I debated between the grape and this orchid pink, but I am very happy that I chose orchid pink. Pink is one of my favorite colors, and I love that this fabric has white in it. I think it gives depth to the fabric.

There are many colors available. You can find them from here. I may have to get different colors while they are still available. This fabric is so soft, easy to work with, and feels great against my skin.

My measurements are 34”, 28”, and 36.5”, so I cut a size 3 for the bodice and graded it to a 3.5 at the waist. For the skirt, I also cut size a 3 and graded up to a 3.5 at the waist.

For the pattern adjustment, I took 1” off both front and back bodice as my usual petite adjustment and also took 1” at hip since I am short-waisted.

After I made a muslin of the dress, I noticed that there is gaping around the armhole, so I adjusted it by adding a bust dart on the front bodice and front-facing. And then I realized that the original dart and the bust dart I added were not lining up at the apex, so I moved the original darts towards the side seams. This adjustment is pretty straight forward. I drew a rectangle around the dart and cut, then I slid it to where it lined up at the apex and then taped it. This adjustment creates an empty space, so I filled it in with the paper.

Here is a tip that I learned from somewhere. I keep stripes of a pattern in handy for pattern adjustment. 1” or 1.5” of width will do. I clip them and store them with my pattern-making tools. You can also hang it on the wall if you like.

For the hem, I shortened it by 2” at first, but it was still way too long for my liking. So I shortened it another 3”.

I didn’t want to do that at first because I thought it would distort the design of the dress. But by raising the slit about an inch it did the trick for me that I think this dress still looks well balanced. I am happy with my decision.

Until next time!

Happy Sewing!

MEG | @meggisews

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following category: CHAMBRAY LINEN
You can also shop your collection of Papercut Patterns HERE.

Made By A Fabricista: A Denim Set for Spring

Happy Friday All! I am ecstatic to share my latest make that I had on my to make list for a while. My goal for the month of February was to sew a mini vacation capsule for a trip, but unfortunately I did not get a chance to. I was able to make 3 of the 6 pieces including this denim set. When this beautiful denim fabric arrived, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I have been wanting to recreate a linen look I made a few years ago using the Montoya coat pattern with a few adjustments. I created VIEW A without the peplum and lengthened it by 6 inches. Instead of sewing the tie inside the seam of the top like I did here, I wanted to make it separate so that it looks like a jumpsuit. (Read the blogpost here ). Moreover, my body has changed and I needed to cut a size larger so that I can rock it as an open vest or a top tucked in. I love the way it turned out but wish I had extended it by 8 inches instead of 6. For the pants, I went to my tried and true simplicity 8605 pants pattern and

Made By A Fabricista: Three Spring Basics – With a Twist

Hello Sewing Friends! By the time spring rolls around I am ready to pack away my winter wardrobe and wear my warm weather clothes. Since I don’t go into an office setting – and I like to be comfortable - basic essentials in my wardrobe include t-shirts, cardigans and knit dresses. The Cardigan The idea of sewing elevated basics came about when I spotted this fabulous FTY knit with a sequin floral and scrolls pattern. With sequins for daytime being a spring 2023 trend, I decided to use the fabric to sew a cardigan. This is not your typical cardigan. Not only did I choose a sequin knit, but I chose what I consider to be a unique pattern, the Cascade Dress from The Sewing Workshop (now out of print). I have sewn it a few times but never with sequin fabric. My cardigan is actually a top that is designed to button down the front but I made a few small changes to the pattern. I lengthened the front by four inches, removed the front plackets, and added a button and fabric loop at the front n

Made By A Fabricista: Workwear Ready

I'm excited for my first post in 2023! At the beginning of the year, I recently went back to working in person so now I am looking to make and wear pieces that I can wear to work. The goal is to be functional but also very fashionable since I am a fashion design professor. I saw this blue denim fabric and knew I wanted to make some pants; I just wasn’t sure what kind. I decided to make Mimi G x Simplicity S8985 View B pants. I liked the oversized flare look, I just made one slight modification to them by adding a pintuck along the front. This was easy to add since the waistline was called to be slightly gathered to fit. The fabric had a hand closer to linen and was very lightweight which was great and very satisfying to sew. I lengthened the pants by 3” and finished with a 2” hem. The top I used Simplicity S9707. It’s an oversized partial button down top. I decided to create a high low hem by combining two different views. I loved the print of the fabric but honestly as s

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