Made By A Fabricista: A Mini Summer Capsule Collection

Hello Everyone! Summer is upon us and I am excited about sewing with bold colors and printed fabrics. Every summer, I try to make a mini collection to mix and match with items in my closet.

The Fabric.

I selected 2 different color ways of a cotton poplin fabric in the blue and pink. I especially love that it is a stripe and floral mixed prints fabric. It’s lightweight, breathable and absolutely perfect for a hot summer day.

The Pattern.

I made 3 different pieces in this mini collection: a pair of casual shorts, a blouse and a maxi dress. For the shorts, I used McCalls 8221 view B with the ruffles on view A. I made Nina Lee Patterns “Bakerloo” for my blouse and it turned out great. The midi/maxi dress was made with the newest Helen’s closet pattern: Reynolds. I didn’t make any fit alterations or style changes for any of the pieces I made, the “Reynolds” dress did come with D come size which I took advantage off to make my dress. Overall, all of the patterns I used were easy to make with the given instructions.

The Sewing Process.

The process was a bit long as you can imagine making 3 pieces from 2 different fabrics. I decided to mix and match the different color ways of the fabric into each of the pieces I made to create color-blocked and mixed prints pieces. The shorts and maxi dress were relatively quick makes, the blouse had a lot of sewing details especially while making the collar but the result was definitely worth the sewing time.

The Styling.

I made 3 items and showed about 4 ways of styling the pieces. The blouse can be styled with pair of high waisted pants for work but also dressed down with a pair of denim shorts for brunch or a cookout. The casual ruffle shorts can be paired with t-shirts for running errands or dressed up with a cami for date night/girls night out. The maxi dress is versatile as well, it can be styled as is with a pair of strappy sandals or with a denim jacket/white blazer. These 3 pieces will work so well with items I already have in my closet.