Made By A Fabricista: A Dress For Late Arriving Spring

While much of the northern hemisphere is already in flip flops and tank tops, here in Western Canada we are just beginning to have a taste of springtime weather. While I am anxiously waiting for warmer days, I decided it was time to make something outside of my wheelhouse - a spring/girly dress.

I searched through Fabric Mart Fabric’s website for a piece of fabric that would be the right weight for a warm-weather dress, and also for a print that was different from what is in my closet - which is pretty much a long rack of various shades of blue. I selected a floral rayon crinkle challis in pale yellow with flowers in various shades of pink and seafoam green foliage. As always, I washed the fabric before cutting and was happy to see that there was only minuscule shrinkage and even better, it barely needed pressing after being hung to dry. Those crinkles must attract all the wrinkles! LOL

The pattern I used is Butterick 6873 from the Spring 2022 catalogue. This is a wrap-dress with options for ruffles and sleeves. I made the version with gathered elbow length sleeves and a ruffle on the lower segment of the skirt.

Maybe I’ve made ruffles like this in the past (in junior high?) but if I did, I had forgotten that it takes a lot of time to gather all of that fabric and make sure the gathers are even. In the end, it was so worthwhile because I love the interest that comes from the ruffle on the lower part of the skirt. And crinkle challis turned out to be the perfect choice for this particular pattern! The fabric has lovely drape so the sleeves and skirt ruffle have definition from the gathers but they don’t add a lot of volume. Nor will the dress be too warm to wear on hot summer days.

This fabric was also a great choice because it isn’t slippery so the wrap pieces over the bodice don’t move much, nor does the skirt. That said, after wearing the dress out on windy days for my pictures, I’m going to add a couple of small snaps to keep things in place.

This was the first time I had worked with this type of fabric and it won’t be the last. It was much easier to work with than regular rayon - easier to press and it won’t show creases which is just what you want for warm summer days.

If you would like to hear more about this project, please visit my YouTube channel - Janine Sews.

JANINE | @janineerm

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

Made By A Fabricista: From Paris with Love!

Bonjour! I am still in bliss from my recent trip to Paris!! It was much more than I expected and I absolutely fell in love with the city. I can honestly see myself living there one day. I knew before leaving I wanted to make something to fit into the Parisian landscape because I knew it would be a special opportunity. I was inspired by one of my favorite fashion creators Juliette Foxx. Her checked gingham corset and wide leg pants were on my list to remake. For fabric I used this red and white pin stripe denim twill and deep red sateen for the pants. The pattern I used for the corset was McCall’s #M8182 with a few modifications. The fit was a little large so I took it in along the sides and shoulder seam. I then lowered the neckline since the shoulders were taken in. I used the sateen as my lining which gave a great contrast. My pants are my unreleased pattern which happens to be exact from the inspiration. I drafted these last year and have been wo...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing Summery ITY

Hi sewing friends! I’m dropping in to share a few makes sewn with ITY fabrics and inspire you to try out this slinky, cool-to-the-touch fabric for hot weather if you haven’t yet, or to recommend some patterns that work fabulously if you already love it. This is by far my favorite knit to wear in summer. Since it moves easily there’s lots of airflow, and it just skims the body. More often than not, it has a four-way stretch that doesn’t grow when worn, so it works great for loads of styles. ITY stands for Interlock Twist Yarn and the knit gives it some wonderful drape and stretch. There are lots of different weights and even some differing textures. Because it’s so fluid, the fabric really resists most wrinkling. I’ve sewn three different weights and prints here to show off just what ITY can do! This white floral is a lighter weight and features a slightly crepe-textured finish, and I think that combined with the large and spread-out floral makes it quite elegant and eye-cat...

Made By A Fabricista: Basics vs Fun Clothes

Every summer I make flowy, pretty dresses because they are so fun for me to make, wear, and they keep me cool as temperatures rise. But when the days get shorter and autumn rolls around, I’m not always confident on how best to transition my summery dresses into garments that will allow for the seasonal changes. In an effort to be more intentional about maximizing the use of my clothing, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to make for August. It’s been a hot summer in New Jersey. From what I can see, it’s been a hot summer across the US. Looking for clothing that will keep me cool, perhaps hide some sweat stains, and allow me to transition between seasons, I decided to make separates that would pair well with each other and allow me to mix and match with the rest of my wardrobe. For the top, I wanted a basic tank top, something I could layer later on. For the bottoms, I wanted flowy, summery pants that can last into brisker weather or become phenomenally cozy in front of my wint...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog