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: In Love with Linen

Linen is the best fabric to sew and wear. I selected a beautiful 100% linen from Fabric Mart that is a steel blue and cream floral linen to sew up a By Hand London Hannah Wrap Dress pattern. The flowers look like Dahlias. I originally sewed a Toile from a black and white cotton bedsheet, wore the dress a lot but never made it again. I gave the Toile away to a friend who always commented on how much she loved the dress. When I saw this fabric, I knew I wanted to make the Hannah again. Linen is so easy to sew the entire experience reminded me why linen remains one of my favorite fabrics to sew. I look for a light to medium weight  European linen for a dress. I like a rayon or cotton blend with linen because it seems to have more drape and be more soft. Linen gets softer with washing and wearing it. This particular linen feels crisp and after ironing and washing, softens up. I like how Fabric Mart describes the fabrics as top, dress, blouse, shirt weight under “Use” and will describe...

Made by a Fabricista: What's Black and Gold with Chevron All Over? This DIY Pant Suit, That's What!

Hope you're having a Golden day, get it? [I crack myself up sometimes!] This DIY pant suit is golden for sure.  So tell me this, were you one of the lucky ones who were able to grab some of this fabric when Fabric Mart posted their new arrivals? I jumped on it so fast it was crazy and before you know it "poof" it was gone. So sorry I don't have any links to this fabric but all is not lost, you can use something else for these patterns. Try looking in the suiting selection for the blazer. The other awesome option is denim  and as  always check the New Arrivals. I went to my "tnt"  blazer pattern for this project because I knew the metallic bias around the edges would look fab and I was on a mission to make another pair of mimi g's jeans and trim the seams in metallic bias as well. I recommend both of these patterns to any level sewist. I did a little pattern hack on the blazer pockets to make them a little more interesting and I made a pic...

Made By A Fabricista: Blouse with a Unique Neckline? McCall’s 8658 Is It!

 Hi everyone, this is Byrd with my latest Fabricista make! If you’re looking for a polished, structured blouse that works just as well dressed up as it does dressed down, this one is definitely worth a look. I’m sewing up McCall’s 8658, View B, part of the Spring 2026 pattern collection, and I paired it with Fabric Mart’s charcoal cotton poplin by Robert Kaufman. I was initially drawn to this pattern because of its unique neckline and tailored feel, and I knew right away that a crisp poplin would give me the structure I wanted. This blouse is semi-fitted and full of thoughtful design details that really elevate it. The neckline is a standout, featuring a collar and collar band paired with a front button closure. I especially love the shape of the front hem and the way it opens slightly - it adds movement without being overdone. The back is where a lot of the shaping happens, with double-ended darts that give a beautiful, contoured fit. The sleeves are gathered at the sleeve head a...