Made by a Fabricista: Preparing for the Holidays

Hard to believe the holidays are fast approaching and in six weeks we will welcome a new year! I am determined to celebrate in a big way!!! I picked Vogue V1722 by Designer Nicola Finetti for its statement bodice and statement sleeves. Yes, indeed, I am loving its close-fitting bodice, plunging neckline, balloon sleeves, and flared skirt.

I dared to make this special dress in Fabric Mart’s embroidered silk dupioni, a fabric I had not sewn before. I did not prewash the silk dupioni as dry cleaning will be my method of care for the finished garment. I underlined the bodice with prewashed black cotton batiste from my stash instead of the suggested interfacing. Though not called for by the pattern, I also underlined the skirt the same way to minimize wrinkling when I wear it. I prewashed black silk charmeuse (from Fabric Mart) to use as lining. Then I lined the balloon sleeves with champagne colored organza from my stash to give it more body. For the hem band, I used French fuse as interfacing for the charmeuse. Size 60 needle was perfect for these fabrics. Believe me, with all its details, this dress is not something you can make in a hurry!

Because of its distinctive style, I highly recommend making a muslin first. The bodice has a princess seam and is lined. The deep plunge is all the way to the waistline, but I did not want that much exposure. To decrease it, I stitched the front bodice 2 inches up from the waistline and stitched the strap 6 inches up from the waistline. The bodice hangs by 1 ½ inch on each shoulder and attaches easily to the flared skirt and closes in the back with an invisible zipper. I cut in half the width of the hem band so that the skirt, which is longer in the longer in the back than the front, would not touch the floor.

The sleeves are super dramatic. The upper sleeve is lined and attached to the gathered lower sleeve, which I lined with organza to make the bubble look standout. Each lower sleeve has 11 tucks stitched in different directions and 3 pleats on the inseam. Because the sleeves were too long, I added two 5/8’ tucks on the inseam of each sleeve and increased the size of the middle tucks by 5/8’ each. A sleeve band controlled the look.

Additional details: I doubled the size of the bow (black charmeuse lined with organza) attached to the front strap to make it more proportional to the dress. Hand stitching in the armhole binding, arm band, and hem band gave the inside of the dress a professional finish.

Wow, I feel so fancy! The design of the dress and beautiful fabrics gave me a striking dress. I am dreaming of an unforgettable celebration already.

Til next blog,

MARY ANN | @anasewperfect

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories SILK & DUPIONI.

Made By A Fabricista: A Mother’s Day Gift - Making my Daughter’s Prom Dress

Happy Friday All! As a mother and sewist, I am always planning months in advance for any special occasion dress. Due to the pandemic, my daughter missed all the activities at the end of her elementary journey and I was truly heart broken. She did not have any promotional ceremony, field trips or activities for the last few months of elementary school. I made a vow to myself that in Middle School, no matter what life throws us, I would make the perfect Junior Prom dinner dance dress even if she had to twirl in it at home. When I came across this beautiful blue lycra sequins fabric, I was thrilled. My daughter Arielle and I spoke a few months ago about the perfect Grade 8 Junior Prom dinner dance dress. She found an inspirational photo on Pinterest back in December which was a one shoulder maxi dress that sparkles and she was excited about me making her special dress. At the time she wasn’t quite sure of the shade of blue she wanted but after our trip to Jamaica during Spring break, she

Made By A Fabricista: Rayon Challis Separates for Me!

This month I decided to take a minute to sew something for myself! Knowing that I was about to move house (I'm excited to be getting a nice big sewing room!), I opted to use some tried-and-true patterns that I knew would be quick and easy to sew: Jalie Michelle and Jalie Geneviève . I've really loved seeing garments made in crinkle challis lately, so I selected a solid mustard yellow crinkle challis with a plan for either pants or a skirt ( Geneviève is a skirt, but there's also a culotte option available for it), and two sateen challis prints for a top (Michelle can be made either as a top or a dress). I considered making a reversible top with both fabric prints, but upon playing with them in real life, opted for two separate tops with a facing. Given that challis tends to be a bit shifty, it's best to starch it before you begin cutting out your project. It's also best to cut it out on a large surface with a rotary cutter so the fabric doesn't get distorted.

Made by a Fabricista: YouTube Edition | Marty - Let's Make a Spring Dress

Light Cornflower Blue/Fern Green/Imperial Red/Multi 100% Rayon Floral Print Challis 54W I don't have much to say about my project this time. Other than I can't be happier with how it turned out. I think it'll make a cute romantic dress for summer but also blend into the high-fantasy wardrobe that I want to create. It'll be fun to play with and explore. Hopefully, next time my life will be a little more put together and I'll be a little less stressed. But for now, I hope you all enjoy this project as much as I do. With all the chaos included. MARTY | @scrappypatterns Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly! You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following category, CHALLIS .

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

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