Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Dreaming of Spring Anorak

I’m thrilled to be back as a Fabric Mart Fabricista for 2022! This year I’m challenging myself to sew Fabricista projects that either expand my skills or are stylistically different from what I have sewn or worn in the past. At the end of this post, I’ll tell you how this make met that goal.

Here in the North, we’re watching the snow fall and know that we have a few more weeks of the white stuff and freezing temperatures but we are planning for warmer days! For this Fabricista make, I made an anorak that will get me through late winter and early spring days. 

A couple of years ago I bought Simplicity 8843 (an unlined anorak) and that seemed like a great project for this time of year. I looked through Fabric Mart’s catalogue for the perfect fabric and stopped when I saw this 100% cotton twill in a fun and colorful floral and skulls print.  The brilliant tones in this print are nothing like traditional pale spring colors! Those greens, blues, corals and pinks will pop against snow or the dull late-winter landscape. The fabric was labelled for dresses, tops and skirts and it is also the perfect weight for a light, casual jacket. 

The pattern went together very easily. The main challenge was pattern matching and I wasn’t entirely successful on the front panel but the pockets and cord facing appear seamless! This twill fabric was easy to work with - it cut, sewed and pressed very well, and it also looked great after unpicking. (There is ALWAYS unpicking on my garments!)

Because I want to wear this jacket in cooler weather, I added a lining using 100% nylon ripstop. The pattern didn’t include a lining which meant I drafted one using one of the sewing books in my library. It was easier than I expected and certainly makes the jacket more versatile.

I’m looking forward to wearing this jacket on warm spring days and cool summer evenings. It’s going to add a great pop of color to my wardrobe and no one else will have anything like it!

So how did this meet my goals? This project was technically challenging because I drafted a lining for the first time! And the fabric print is different from pretty much everything else in my wardrobe. A good start to my personal sewing goals for 2022. 

If you're interested in seeing more about this garment, please visit my YouTube Channel, Janine Sews.

Thanks for visiting!

JANINE  | @janineerm   


Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: COTTON, TWILL, & LINING.

Comments

  1. Very nice and your sewing and fabric is Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  2. A terrific use for this fabric! So attractive.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I saw that fabric and did not get it because I have enough in my stash and could not picture what I would do. It makes a fantastic jacket.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice! My husband said that I should make a jacket, but I told him I purchased the fabric for a dress. Now that I look at your jacket, I think he's right. It does look good in a jacket. hhhmmm?

    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: ITY Dress

Hi sewing friends - Andrea here from Happy.Things.Here over on Insta with this week’s post – I’m sharing about a favorite fabric and pattern today!  So… the last two months have almost gotten the best of me. We made a somewhat unplanned decision to move homes and life has been just insanely busy and hard to find time to sew. But sewing  is such a joy and a stress reliever for me, so I fit in this fun and easy sew amidst the chaos and it made me sew very happy! Sneak peek – how could this print NOT make someone happy? First, let’s talk fabric. ITY , or Interlock Twist Yarn, is one of my all-time favorite fabrics for sewing clothing. Fabric Mart did an Instagram post with a video on this fabric and I highly recommend you check it out if this fabric is new to you. Three things I love about ITY – 1) it’s easy to care for and rarely wrinkles, 2) it’s easy to wear, great for drapey pieces, and works all year long, and 3) Fabric Mart gets great deadstock prints and colors from fashion design

Made By A Fabricista: Breezy Summer Style with Rayon Challis from Fabric Mart.

Hey there my sewing friends!  Summer is here and I am all for it.  It has been exceptionally hot here in Southwest Florida. We have had temps in the high 90’s.  I want to keep cool and comfortable and still look pulled together this summer.  That’s why I chose rayon challis for this month’s summer make.   Rayon Challis is lightweight, flowy, soft and extremely comfortable to wear. It’s an excellent choice for summer outfits.  It has a beautiful drape making it an excellent choice for maxis, tops, dresses, and shorts. The fabric is lightweight and depending upon your sewing project you may need to use a lining with this fabric. Also use a lightweight interfacing when working with rayon challis.  If you are a beginner at sewing, you may find the fabric a bit fiddly to work with, but the end result is so worth it.  Fabric Mart has beautiful challis fabric to choose from. I chose this fun tropical print on an off-white background. This summer season vests are in.  I love the ease of wearin

Made By A Fabricista: The Loring Dress

Hello friends,  This is Byrd, your curvy sewist and I am back with my latest Fabricista make.  This is the newly released Cashmerette Loring Dress, a size-inclusive beginner-confident flowy summer dress.  The dress features a V-neck, pockets and tie that cinches in the waist.  The Loring pairs so nicely with Fabric Mart’s cornflower, magenta and pink floral cotton lawn.  Fabric Mart’s cotton lawn is a dream for summer projects!  Its lightweight breathable nature and smooth silky drape is perfect for warm weather garments like the Loring Dress. The vibrant cornflower, magenta, and pink flowered fabric is a joy to sew and wear.  Fun fact:  Named after the flower, the color cornflower is a medium blue mixed with a little green.  Cotton lawn is easy to cut and sew and pre-washing is always a good idea to avoid any surprise shrinkage after your garment is finished. I also recommend using a serger/overlocker for a clean interior finish. Cashmerette describes the Loring Dress as an explosion