Made by a Fabricista: Weekend Getaway Capsule for $50

Hi everyone! I’m Chelsea, of @thatssewchelsea and I’m excited to share my first Fabric Mart Fabricista makes with you!

The inspiration for my post is a sunny resort weekend getaway. A casual, relaxed capsule of resort wear inspired pieces. I’m talking my ideal warm weather weekend getaway – hot and sunny weather, no schedule/agenda, a book by the pool, a cold beverage, and some good food. My capsule has pieces that can be styled several different ways for a weekend of relaxing.

The best part? My capsule costs only $50 total, for 9.5 yards of fabric and 3 days’ worth of mix and match outfits. For my fabrics, I shopped the $2/$3/$4 per yard sale at Fabric Mart to get the most bang for my buck. I was determined to stick to my budget, so I waited for the right sale to pop up and got to work on picking my fabrics.

I also knew that since I wanted to make pieces for a hot weather/summer getaway, I wanted light and breezy fabrics, which helped narrow down which categories to watch for and shop for. All my fabrics were jersey knit, except for the white fabric which is a Liverpool double knit and the sports bra/swim top which is a shiny activewear knit.

I like to mix & match basic colors/staple pieces in with fun pops of color and/or print, so I made sure I had a good mix of both when choosing my fabrics.

First, I made a pair of high waisted white paper bag waist shorts, hacked from the paper bag waist pants from Ellie & Mac. In hindsight, I should have made a couple more adjustments to the backside for a more flattering fit! The top doubles as a sports bra or a bikini top, made from Greenstyle Creations Power Spots Bra (search for the “even strappier back” hack on their blog!) and I also made a separate matching bikini bottom to go with it.

I made a quick, easy layering cardigan out of Sinclair Patterns Harper Cardigan (a free pattern!), to throw over top of my swimsuit when needed. I made the classic length in this abstract striped jersey.

After spending the day by the pool relaxing, I figure I’ll need a quick change for dinner. I made a bold printed Blomma Tank by Paradise Patterns to tuck into the shorts and made another easy Harper Cardigan, but this time in the cropped length. The tank is perfect for layering multiple ways, and I really like the high neck fit of this pattern.

Next, I used a more structured jersey to make another pair of casual navy-blue shorts with an elastic waistband and of course, more deep pockets! I used McCall #8099, view A. Out of the remaining fabric of my white Liverpool, I made a quick and easy crop top out of Mimi G’s Simplicity #8558 to pair with it for a day of sightseeing, or if I’m lucky, wine tasting!

Lastly, I made a fun open back Domino Romper from Studio Calicot. The pattern calls for using a woven, but I couldn’t help myself with this tie dye jersey! This particular jersey is very lightweight and while it feels great on, I will need to take the sides/back in a little bit to prevent the little bit of gapping from the material being so light and drapey. I think you can make this romper with a knit, but I would suggest you use a more stable or structured knit than jersey, like a ponte or scuba.

I ended up with 1 swimsuit, 2 tank tops, 2 cardigans, 2 pairs of shorts and 1 romper… and all for $50!

Another benefit of having interchangeable pieces in your capsule is that you don’t need to pack as much (and I am a serious serial overpacker!) and still have options for your trip. All eight makes, plus flip flops and a small bag of toiletries, can fit in a backpack for a quick, easy and no-extra-baggage-fees-needed getaway.

Thanks for checking out my first post! See you next time!

CHELSEA | @thatssewchelsea

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories:
JERSEY KNITS, DOUBLE KNITS, & ACTIVEWEAR KNITS

Made By A Fabricista: A Wooly Wearable Blanket.

Twirling in a me-made outfit! I live in a small town where the nearest fabric shop is a road trip away, so I almost exclusively shop for fabric online. Having access to an online shop like Fabric Mart with a solid search engine is incredibly helpful. But by far my favorite aspect of Fabric Mart is what I call the “Drape Picture” included in each listing! This picture gives me all the information I need and I find it more helpful than the exact weight per yard/square meter. Seeing how the fabric falls close or away from the body gives me a clear idea of how it will behave and inspires me to make it into something that will highlight the fabric’s nature. When I saw the drape of this “Baked Plum” wool suiting , I immediately wanted to immortalize those beautiful folds into a skirt! I opted for a simple self-drafted pleated skirt with a deep hem. I wear my dresses year-round and rely on wool skirts that I layer under or over my dresses for warmth. I cut two panels for the front ...

Made By A Fabricista: Which comes first – the fabric or the pattern?

Ah, the age old question garment sewers are often asked – do you choose the pattern first and then look for fabric, or do you buy fabric and then later decide what it will be when it grows up? If you are a sewist with a large fabric stash (like myself), then perhaps you are on Team Fabric. I would say I definitely lean that way, but there are also times when I land somewhere in the middle – I see a fabric and I think, I’ve just seen a pattern and these two would be perfect together! And that’s how gorgeous dusty rose stretch velvet and a recently released cardigan pattern came together to create the newest addition to my wardrobe. And had me improvising a few things along the way. First. I have to admit - I have a stretch velvet problem. I see it pop up on the website and I almost always grab it, especially if I see a sale. It’s not the easiest fabric to sew (it’s slippery as heck!), but I love it so much and I especially love using it in non-traditional ways. In my last blog post, I...

Made By A Fabricista: Back In The Saddle

If you don’t know in October my beloved Bernina sewing machine blew a fuse and started smoking while I was using it. She went to the shop for repairs, and then I moved. So it’s been a bit since I’ve sewed last and I’ve had trouble getting back into it. I knew I needed a simpler project to get me going again. Julie sewed up a Jarrah sweater recently ( restock coming soon! ) and gushed about how simple and rewarding a project it was. Then we got in this beautiful wool/cashmere sweater knit from England. I was seeing lighthouse keeper, sheep herder in the highlands. I knew it had to be my Jarrah sweater. I did lengthen the bodice by 3 inches. I actually sewed up a mock up with the curved hemline, but decided that wasn’t for me and went with the straight hem. Of course I took zero photos of said mock up. Oops. Otherwise I sewed it up in a size 6 as is. Using the serger this really does sew up quickly. The dropped shoulder creates clean, simple lines that make it easy to sew u...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog