Made By A Fabricista: Tropical Vibes

Happy first Friday of a brand New Year! I hope you and your loved ones are healthy going into 2022.

Whew, 2021 was a roller coaster year but it allowed us to truly appreciate every single moment. I am excited to return as a blogger with Fabric Mart and will definitely be sharing more beginner sewing tips and tricks. When I was packing for my trip to Jamaica in November last year, I noticed I had nothing to bring that had a tropical print. I knew for my next make, I would select fabric that reflected my love for warm, tropical weather and Jamaica my island home. When I searched and came across these rayon challis prints, I knew right away it would be palazzo pants or a faux jumpsuit to rock on my next getaway - Spring break.

I absolutely love the lola tank and dress pattern I made here and yes I decided to make a few more over the holiday break using some ponte knit I had in my stash from Fabric Mart. Our temperature here in South Florida has been in the mid to high 70s for most of December so these definitely came in handy. I love the fact I can layer the tank under a cardigan or jacket when needed. To make both pants, I used my favorite jumpsuit pattern M8009 (pants) and added a waistband. I realized after making the first version, I needed to make a few adjustments.

I originally cut the size 14 and lengthened by 4 inches. I ended up having to remove an inch from the waist, and added 2 front pleats for a better fit. The adjustments I made for the jumpsuit would not work for the palazzo pants so you might consider taking off an inch from the rise of the pants. I would suggest for a beginner to make a muslin with the waistband attached to check the crotch fit. I decided to sew down the elastic and try a new technique which I love. I definitely plan to do a quick reel tutorial on Instagram so turn on your notification so you do NOT miss it when I post.

My second version fits much better as I decided to size down to a 10 because I was using a crinkle challis that tends to stretch. I also lengthened by only 2 inches instead of 4 as I wanted to make it shorter so that I could rock it with flats or sandals. I had a hard time deciding what to make with this fabric but opted to make another palazzo pants instead.

I definitely plan to make more basic everyday pieces in 2022 that work for my lifestyle. The days of making pieces that I do not maximize are over. The older I get the more comfortable clothes I want to wear based on my lifestyle. Do you make more basic or everyday essential pieces?

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to stop by and subscribe to my blog. I am excited to get back into blogging and plan to do so regularly in 2022. I am truly looking forward to documenting my creative journey and sharing it with you.

One Love and hope 2022 brings you good health, peace and happiness!

MARICA | @heymaricamitchell

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following category CHALLIS.

Made By A Fabricista: Why Sew A Muslin

Here it is, my September blog post featuring Newlook N6692 and this pretty rayon challis from Fabric Mart! This pattern style is so in right now. The square neckline, cute puff sleeves and the tiered skirt are all exactly what I was looking for in a summer dress. As always I started with making a muslin first! Let’s get into why it’s important to start with a muslin. A muslin is basically a practice garment. It prevents you from cutting into your good fabric prematurely. I usually use a muslin fabric (natural cotton) but you should also consider using a fabric that is the same weight as your fashion fabric. This will give you a truer gauge of how the garment is going to lay in the final fabric. Anytime I try out a new pattern company I make a muslin. This was my first time using a Newlook pattern so I need to know what the ease would be like for this pattern. Also I need to see how the bust would fit me and where I would need to make adjustments. Plus there were some new techniques

Made By A Fabricista: The Love of Sewing - Basic Pieces for a Beginner

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Made By A Fabricista: End of Summer

Summer is nearing to an end but here where I am in Texas the heat isn’t letting up any time soon! I still have plenty of time to get a few more summer looks out of the way. In this blog I will be sharing two separate projects. The first project is this denim set; I had the inspiration saved on my list of makes to make. For this project I got this gorgeous denim and matching thread to start my project. Yes, Fabric Mart will match the thread to your fabric perfectly and with my favorite thread brand Gutermann. The denim had a very great weight and wasn’t too stiff. It was very starchy when it arrived, so I did a prewash before working with it. I’m so glad I did because it had a lot of dye saturated in which would not have been great for the skin and other clothes. For the first part of the set, I drafted a corset with the scallop edge cups, such a cute detail! To start I used my bodice sloper to make the corset, I was not worried about the design details and focused more on

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