Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Cozy & Chic for the Holidays

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love all things sparkly, glitzy, shiny and colorful – the lights, the fabrics, the décor, the gift wrap! These things together all make sewing around the holidays my favorite.

We don’t have any Christmas plans this year, which is a blessing and a curse. We’re excited to spend some time home together, but we also love to travel so we might get a little stir crazy in the house without anything on the books. 

Knowing that we would be lounging at home for most of the holidays, I decided to use my December post to make two looks – one that I can take day to night and one for going out.

While scrolling socials one day, I came across this ad for a boutique clothing store with a pair of sequin joggers and a velvet blazer. I loved the casual but glam feel of it, so I decided to recreate my own pair using the Hudson Joggers from True Bias. I found this great velvet backed, sequin knit fabric from Fabric Mart and got to work!

 


I wanted my layer to be a true matching set so instead of a full velvet jacket, I used the rest of my sequin knit to make a Harper Cardigan from Sinclair Patterns. This one I know I can layer and style a ton of different ways!

While I love this set for lounging with a cup of coffee in front of the fireplace in my favorite leopard slippers, I also love that I can dress it up as well. With a quick shoe change I can easily take this out for happy hour or a late-night dinner with my partner – and not have to spend much time getting ready, which I know he will also appreciate! 

I used a black velvet knit also from Fabric Mart that I had in my fabric cabinet for contrasting cuffs and bands on both my cardigan and joggers. The velvet really gives it a luxe feel and pairs perfectly with the sequin knit since it is also velvet backed. The velvet backing is a low pile and very subtle, and the sequins on top are also scattered in a weaved pattern so it looks jam packed with sparkle from afar, but closer up you can see the great detail in the fabric! 

My second make is also a swirly, colorful and sparkly sequin knit. This color of this fabric in person is so rich and vibrant, the photos don’t do it justice! I saw this and knew it wanted to be an overcoat with some drama, so I dug in my stash and found a Mimi G by Simplicity pattern that was perfect. 

This jacket has cropped sleeve with elastic to give it a ruched look, as well as elastic in the waist across the back for a little shape. There are two closures on the garment as well that you could snap to make it a dress. I much prefer the look of it as an open jacket though, since I find this fabric a little too heavy to drape quite right for a dress.

I had a ton of fun photographing this jacket! I am off to see Hamilton live on Broadway in NYC this weekend and I am absolutely packing this showstopper piece! It feels like the perfect jacket to wear while strolling around Rockefeller Center with all of the holiday glitz around the city. Although, a warmer pair of shoes is a must so I don’t freeze my toes off! Plus – I commend all the brave New York folks who wear open toed shoes or sandals in NYC. I’m a city girl through and through, but these toes will not be graced with all that comes with NYC streets! 

I know working with sequins can be intimidating (and not to mention SO messy!), but if you have some patience and take it slow, you’ll end up with some amazing pieces! Typically when working with a sequin fabric (think full sequin fabric, no gaps!) or a thicker, larger sequins, you’re going to want to take the time to pick the sequins out of the seam allowance. I know I know, it is so time consuming! I promise it will make your life so much easier when you get to the sewing part. Also keep your vacuum nearby and make sure you clean up before you get up and walk around the house – it might seem like you stepped over the sequin pile, but I promise you’ll be finding them around the house for weeks afterwards! I also recommend not using your fabric scissors, as they will dull quickly!  

For these two fabrics that aren’t as sequin dense, I actually did not pick out the sequins in the seam allowance and I sewed them up as is. My machine was able to handle it and I checked it often to make sure there was no sequins falling off into the machine where it shouldn’t be. I would check the ability of your machine and your comfort level working with these fabrics before proceeding to make sure nothing goes awry with your machine!

Thanks for coming along for my glam holiday sew, hope you are feeling inspired and excited for your new sew. Happy sewing & Happy Holidays (or Happy December!) to you and yours!


CHELSEA @thatssewchelsea

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: KNITS, SEQUINS & SPARKLES.
You can also shop our selection of True Bias patterns HERE.

Comments

  1. Very Cute! You did an Awesome job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! Both of your makes are city and play worthy. You will add to the sparkle on the NYC streets. I hope you have put your own designer labels in them. They deserve that recognition they are so Big City dramatic. Enjoy your adventure and the best of holidays to you and a Happy New Year too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Awesome! What is life without a little sparkle? You look great and so is your work.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow and Wow! Stunners all. Enjoy the holidays!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Stunning! Great makes. I love the 2pc Set!

    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: 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 | Chasing Time: My White Rabbit-Inspired Look for Atlanta Frocktails

For this year’s Atlanta Frocktails, I found myself captivated by a character who’s been quietly tugging at my imagination for years—the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. There’s something so relatable about his frantic energy, always checking the time, always running late. While he’s worried about being on time, I’m usually calculating how late I can be and still technically arrive on time. Spoiler: I’m often wrong. It’s a cycle of procrastination and anxiety that I know all too well. So when I imagined my look for Frocktails, I thought—why not honor the White Rabbit? After all, time has been chasing me too. But this look isn’t just about Wonderland whimsy. It’s also deeply inspired by this year’s Met Gala theme, Tailored for You, which includes a focus on Black Dandyism—a celebration of Black elegance, intellect, and expressive style. I’ve been obsessed with this theme since it was announced. As a Black creative, I find it powerful and moving to see style used as a way to reclaim...

Made By A Fabricista: Getting into the Spirit of Summer

I'm not gonna lie y'all, I had a completely different project I wanted to do, but that's gonna take more time, and I wanted something cute, comfy and fun to wear for my birthday on the 19th. When I saw this goldenrod & off white linen jacquard , I thought it looked a bit like the design on a Koroks body, especially Makar from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker! I started with the bodice from the free Elderberry dress pattern from Mood, but deviated for the skirt, it felt a little plain of a design, and I had scraps of a Korok fabric that I knew would be a nice accent with some cut out pockets. I've made these pockets once before, deciding the cut out was based on aligning with the seam on the bodice for how far in, and as for how low depended on where I wanted the pouch of the pocket to start. From there I cut the visible part of the pocket, making sure to match the curve of the waist and following the line of the side seams of the skirt, as well as cutting a facing to...