Skip to main content

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.

Comments

  1. Marcia, beautiful work! I make Ballroom dance gowns and I know sewing with stretch fabrics, the challenge is real.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Where can I find the Lola pattern? It looks perfect on you! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I saw the pattern on etsy. For 16.00 as a pdf. I am hoping she found it somewhere cheaper.

      Delete
    2. Hi Kathy, the tank pattern is on Etsy here https://www.etsy.com/listing/1008629703/the-lola-racer-tank-top-pattern

      Delete
  3. So happy to see another post from you. Your tanks look awesome. All the best to you and your family.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

 As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...

Made By A Fabricista: Celebrating warm weather with Spring sewing!

Hi sewing friends! I don’t know about you but boy, was winter cold and dreary this year! The weather here in the Philadelphia area has been slowly improving, but Spring sure did take her sweet old time to arrive. So by April, I was definitely in the headspace of needing to sew up things that were either bright and cheery or meant for the warmer weather I am very much craving right now. I recently purchased a few SewBexx Patterns so I took them on a test run to create some Spring makes. First on my list was to make a top using this absolutely gorgeous ITY fabric I picked up last year. I had two yards which was enough for a long sleeve shirt. I chose the Olivia top, which is oversized with a drop shoulder, has multiple lengths and a split hem. I think the pattern is intended for heavier fabrics but I was envisioning how lovely this top would look with the drape of ITY knit fabric, and it did not disappoint. It came together for me quickly and was a straight forward sew…and I love the br...

Made By A Fabricista: Stripes For Spring

Hi everyone!   It’s finally warming up here in southeastern Pennsylvania and I wanted to make a light, flowy dress for springtime. I snagged a vintage Laura Ashley pattern from Joanns on one of my last trips there. I somehow didn’t have anything in my pattern stash with a sweetheart neckline, so I thought it would be a good addition. The pattern calls for a giant gathered skirt, so I knew I would need something lightweight and drapey for it.  Something like a pink striped cotton fine seersucker. The fabric is light and has a really nice drape, almost like a challis . I knew it would gather beautifully. I  got to work cutting everything out, with help from my assistant. When I say the skirt is massive I mean it.  I ran into an issue right away where my fabric isn't wide enough to cut the back panel without opening the fabric out. And my three yards of fabric wasn’t enough to cut two back panels. I ran into this issue last year when making my pinafore dress . In ...