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 Рthe lights, the fabrics, the d̩cor, 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: Milo + Citrine

Hello sewing friends! It’s Andrea - @happy.things.here on IG and today I’m on the blog to share some sew inspo on one of my favorite kinds of garments to make – cardigans! I absolutely love making them and wearing them year-round, whether it’s an extra layer for around my house in the winter, as my outermost layer in Spring and Fall, or paired with a dress on a cooler summer evening. I love love love cardigans! And there are so many great cardigan patterns out there – chances are that each of your favorite pattern companies offers multiple cardigan patterns. Button-less cardigans are great beginner patterns, and a handmade cardigan is a lovely personalized gift since it’s more forgiving for fit and you don’t have to know someone’s exact measurements to make one. And you can make them in all sorts of knit fabrics too.  Today I chose two cardigan patterns to share with you that I think bring a little something extra to the table. They are the Seamwork Milo and the Made by Rae Citrine.

Week 4: Jeansmaking- What They Made

This is it, the final round! And we certainly did not go easy on our three remaining contestants this time. This round they had to make their own pair of well fitting jeans. I think they all did an absolutely outstanding job! Take a look what these ladies accomplished & be sure to vote for your favorite! (Link at bottom of post.) And, don't forget to show us your me-made jeans on Facebook or Instagram. Details at the bottom of this post. Danesha from  Classyfied Life So first I must say that this entire challenge has been just that...a challenge! Two weeks ago there was hurricane Irma and I was blessed enough to not lose power and then I went out into the aftermath to capture some photos of my submission. Then two weeks ago I had a big trip planned so I had to do EVERYTHING  in two days . Then the BIGGEST challenge of all...THIS week! I got the challenge and I was super excited to have an extra few days and then before I could even get started I ended up in the eme

Made by a Fabricista: Revving up your style in the Dana Marie Moto Jacket

Hey friends - I am so excited to have been invited to participate as a Fabric Mart Fabricista this month!  This year is the year I challenge my sewing skills.   I have wanted a moto jacket for some time.  Not just any moto jacket but one that has a classic and timeless style. I saw the Dana Marie Moto Jacket pattern on the Fabric Mart website and knew that was the one.  The fabric I used was a beautiful porcelain white/black/silver 100% polyester plaid weave boucle suiting.    Remember when I said I wanted to challenge my sewing skills?  😉 This fabric was beautiful but fragile to work with.  It was a great mental challenge that had me problem solving before sewing to avoid any potential problems.  I first traced out the pattern onto tissue paper to determine the fit.   I used scrap cotton fabric to sew up a “practice run” of the jacket.    I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the jacket comes together.   I sewed up the muslin in one evening.  It was time to cut into the beautifu