Made by a Fabricista: Last Shorts of Summer

There are so many things that I love about summer; shorts, sandals, warm sunshine, cold ice cream, and fireflies, just to name a few. It pains me to admit that summer is drawing to an end. To celebrate my love for summer, I decided to sew one last pair of shorts and a coordinating button-up.

Fabric Mart recently started carrying Megan Nielsen Patterns, so I jumped at the opportunity to make my last shorts of summer. I've been eyeing the classic Flint Pants & Shorts pattern for years now, so I knew this was the perfect time to snatch up the pattern and start sewing. I picked a Cream and Navy horizontal stripe viscose Suiting fabric to make my Flint Shorts.

The pattern recommended woven fabrics ranging in different weights depending on the look that you are going for. I wanted a nice structured pair of shorts, so I thought that this mid-weight woven suiting fabric would do the trick.

While the Cream and Navy horizontal stripe suiting proved to be a bit of a challenge to work with due to its thickness, I was happy with the end result after a few modifications to the original pattern. I added a row of topstitching across the top of the waistband for added stability. I also added a row of topstitching on the front of the pockets for added stability and crispness.

Did you happen to notice any other pattern modifications, from my photos? Would you have guessed that the buttons on the front of the shorts are fake? Due to the thickness of the fabric, normal buttonholes just wouldn't work as waistband closures for these shorts so I decided on a sneaky closure instead. I added three plastic snaps to the inside of the waistband and then sewed those two cream buttons on the outside of the waistband as decoy buttons to trick the eye into believing that the buttons are real!

Even though I made so many modifications to my Flint Shorts, I am happy with my new shorts, fake buttons, and all!

Once I wrapped up my Flint shorts, I grabbed some Dark Navy Rayon Voile fabric from Fabric Mart to make a Seamwork Aster shirt. I made the Seamwork Aster shirt once before in a very structured woven fabric, so I knew that this time, I wanted to make it in a flowy, comfortable Rayon. Aster is such a great choice for beginners because it is a collar-free button-up blouse. I made version 1 of the pattern which has short, cuffed sleeves because I knew version 1 would pair well with the Flint Shorts.

The only modification that I made to my Aster shirt is that I used slightly wider bias tape on the inside of the neckline because I wanted to use a pretty pink and blue bias tape from my stash! I'm very happy with how this Aster shirt turned out because it is the perfect addition to my handmade wardrobe.

I know that my Aster Blouse and Flint Shorts will be the perfect pair to carry me through the final days of summer into the cooler fall weather to come! Thanks for reading, now go soak up the rest of that summer sun!

SHAINA | @shaina_sews

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: SUITING & VOILE.
You can also shop our entire collection of Megan Nielsen patterns HERE.

Made By A Fabricista: College Inspired Cardigan

Happy Monday All! It has been a while since I wrote a blogpost and it feels great to be back! Today I am excited to share my daughter who hasn’t graced the blog for quite sometime. Now that my children are older, I have to always get their permission to take photos and share. It took a lot of convincing to get my daughter to rock this FAMU (Florida A & M University) inspired cardigan. I originally planned to make the Blackwood cardigan using the orange and green ponte knit for myself to represent my alma mater FAMU but then realized I cut the wrong size. I was a bit disappointed at first that I cut a medium instead of a large but knew my daughter would rock it. Additionally, even if I wanted to squeeze in the cardigan, it just could not even pass my elbow when I tried it on. It was definitely a learning experience because I now know that you cannot add a non stretch ribbon around a fitted knit garment sleeve. It must be added to a loose sleeve as the ribbon stops the fabric from s

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Made By A Fabricista: Velvet for the Holidays

Are you getting ready for the holidays? I am. From past years, it gets so busy in my household around this time of year, so it is never too early to start my holiday sewing. This year I decided to sew velvet, a fabric I had not sewn for many years but I think it is luxurious. As luck would have it, FM’s poly rich black velvet flashed on my computer screen and I bought lots. I thought it would be pretty for a one-shoulder gown, which I had never worn before but admired on others. The following week FM’s multi-colored one showed up. It was a poly embossed Bohemian print velvet with jade, yellowish, and crimson colors; it screamed fall and family get-togethers. I just had to have it! When the fabrics arrived, the deep colors did not disappoint. I chose Butterick B6557 for both dresses, View B for the knee-length printed dress and View C for the maxi dress. It was perfect for velvets; the front was one whole piece and so was the back. I cut the fabrics with the nap going down

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