Past Fabricista Guest Post: Classic Basic Pieces made with Ponte Knit

Happy Friday All! I am ecstatic to be guest blogging today and sharing a few basic pieces that I made. I truly enjoy the creative process of sewing but writing a detail blog post has been quite challenging the past few months. Hopefully after this one, I will find more time to document my creations as it helps going back and reading how I created the look.

I have been wanting to create a few basic pieces but kept procrastinating as it is often times cheaper to buy than make. This summer, I have been truly disappointed with the quality of the tank tops in the department stores and I skipped buying them. I have been eyeing the ponte knit section for a while on Fabric Mart to buy more colors to add to my stash.

When I saw the beautiful range of colors that were available a month ago with various shades of nude, I knew a few yards wouldn’t hurt my pocket. I absolutely love the quality of ponte knit that is sold at Fabric mart, especially the rayon/nylon/lycra blend. I decided to try the lola racer tank as I had a similar store bought version in my closet which I loved. I knew it was a must have as the pattern size range would be perfect for my daughter as well.

I made a wearable muslin of the tank by cutting the straight size 12 in the nude and knew I needed to make adjustments under the arm. I opted to keep the 12 in the front and under the bust grade down to the 8 for my second version.

I absolutely loved the way it fit and decided after my 2nd version to make the same adjustments for the dress.

The lola racer tank and dress is a well designed pattern and requires little to no adjustments and grading. The instructions are easy to follow and the beauty about this pattern, 90% can be sewn with the serger.

To have a clean finish below are a few tips when making this tank.

1. Use a quilting ruler to cut the arm and neckband strips. The arm and neckband is 1 and ¼ inches and is quite difficult to cut straight. For a clean and perfect neckband, the quilting ruler and rotary cutter will help you achieve that.

2. Press the neck and arm band before attaching. It makes it so much easier when pressed to serge under the machine. For a novice, I definitely recommend basting it down before serging.

3. Adjust your serger to ensure the stitches are perfect. Go slow under the serger and use tons of pins if need be. I absolutely love using the Husqvarna amber air S400 to stitch my knits as it is easy to thread and the stitches are perfect. Feel free to check out the video that I shared with more tips on instagram here.

4. Ensure that you mark your center points on the band and bodice and stretch and go.

5. Jazz up the top by using a zig zag stitch and adjust the length and width based on your desired taste.

I absolutely love all the tanks made and opted to make matching biker shorts using McCalls M6360. The colors are perfect for fall and I definitely plan to make another set before the year is out.

To kick off Fall, I wanted to make a few basic sweats. Have you ever come across a simple look and said yes I can make it? Yes, that is exactly what I did with this crop sweatshirt. This sweatshirt set popped up in my instagram search page twice and I decided it was another cute basic that I needed. I hacked Simplicity 9337 by removing 4.5 inches from the length, eliminating the band and adding elastic instead. This sweatshirt can be dressed up and down with jeans and is perfect for our chilly days in Florida.

I am definitely adding more basic pieces and will be creating a few color block looks with all the ponte knit scraps. I know these tanks will last a little longer as the quality is superb and much better than the store bought.

The beauty of making your own garment is that it fits your body type even though it's just basic. Thanks for reading and definitely check out my instagram page to see what I have been working on and the video tips I shared with sewing ponte knit. Don’t forget to stop by my blog and subscribe as well. Have the most amazing weekend and happy sewing!

One Love,

MARICA | @heymaricamitchell

https://www.maricamitchell.com/

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following category, KNITS & PONTE KNITS.

Made By A Fabricista: Why I Love Sewing Woven Fabrics Over Knits

Sewing is a creative hobby that allows me to express my unique style while adding a personal touch to my wardrobe. When it comes to choosing between wovens and knits I will mostly always choose woven. There are a lot of reasons I choose wovens as my go-to choice. The project I chose for this Fabric Mart make is from Friday Pattern Company’s Patina Blouse . I used a gorgeous lightweight rayon . It’s delicate hand is the perfect blouse weight and it drapes beautifully with this pattern. In this blog post, l'll explore the advantages of sewing woven blouses over knit shirts, highlighting the creativity, versatility, and satisfaction that come with this choice. The Joy of Creativity Sewing a woven blouse offers a chance for my creativity to flourish. Woven fabrics come in a wide array of colors, patterns, and textures, allowing me to unleash my artistic potential. With knits, the stretch and drape of the fabric often limit my design options. In contrast, woven fabrics give me the fr

Fabricista Guest Post: Perfectly Imperfect

Hey Sewing Friends!! I’m super excited to be a guest Fabricista. I’ve been a fan of Fabric Mart since I began sewing again in 2020. Let me begin with an introduction. I’m Eras, and my Instagram account is sewing_andmore. During the day, I work as a Nurse Practitioner, and I first learned to sew in my local 4-H club when I was in middle school. At that time, I had an amazing sewing instructor, Mrs. McKinney, who was extremely patient and was by my side for every step. However, in 2020, the stress of being a Nurse Practitioner during the pandemic made me turn to sewing for my mental health. I started out sewing and creating masks, and I immediately saw a change in my mood. I’m so glad I dusted off my old sewing machine, and I haven’t stopped! After seeing the rush of adrenaline and satisfaction sewing provided, I started making clothes. When I no longer needed fat-quarters, I started looking for online fabric stores. It was during this time that I discovered Fabric Mart and their great

Made By A Fabricista: Skipping Winter - Tailored Outfits in Twill & Shirting for Spring

Hi Fabric Mart fans! I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving! This month, while perusing the Fabric Mart collection, I was drawn to cotton twill fabrics. My son, who's growing like a weed, is always in need of new pants! I could easily have made him multiple pairs of pants, however I was also drawn to a bright blue stretch twill for me. I just can't resist a bold color on a jacket, and this blue was calling my name! I hope you love these outfits as much as I do! Since I planned to make pants for my son, I knew I'd need to make a button-down shirt as well. Fabric Mart had a range of fabulous cotton shirtings and it was hard to land on just one, but I eventually picked this royal blue gingham which pairs perfectly with the tan twill pants. When it comes to woven patterns for boys, I can never go past Oliver+S. I've made their dress shirts so many times now - the finishes are always lovely, and always so worth the time and effort. I used the Buttoned-Up Button-Down Shi

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog