Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Two pieces and three days in Vegas

This time around, I realized that half of all of my Fabricista post included linen makes–which did not stop me from selecting another linen! I had never sewed with linen before this partnership, and am really glad that Fabric Mart has such a variety of colors, weights, and sometimes prints to choose from. For this make, I went back to the same yarn-dyed chambray that I used as one side of my last post–the quilted reversible coat–but this time chose a different color. Unlike my last pick, where the yarns were purple and white, this one was the mandarin orange and purple. And let me tell you, this combination is stunning in real life!

You can really see the different colors in the yarns after I washed and before I sewed it all up. The color is predominantly orange, but the hint of purple gives the linen such great depth and it looks different from every angle and in every different light.

I happened to have a three-day weekend trip to Las Vegas planned not long after I received this fabric and I decided to put it to work for my trip. I wanted to make a two piece matching set that I could use all three days by pairing it with other items in my wardrobe, and the results did not disappoint.

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this May in the U.S., I selected patterns from two designers who are of Asian descent. The bottoms are the Soline Culottes (max waist 54”, 64” hip) from Stay Stitch Patterns and one of their duo of designers, Candice, is a woman of Asian descent. The top is the bodice of the Lena Horne dress (max chest 51”, waist 46”) from Tabitha Sewer, a designer of Black and Filipino descent. While I like to support Asian businesses year-round (and small businesses on the whole), I wanted to highlight these two to my Fabric Mart friends in honor of APAHM. Also, because it’s Vegas and just for fun, I decided to wear my Philippine sun crown all day because where else could I wear this type of headgear and it not be unusual?!

I sewed a size 16 in the Soline Culottes, but plan to size down for the next time. I also removed the paper bag waist by reducing the height of the waistband to two inches and skipped the drawstring tie. I will likely do this for future modifications as I did not want to add anymore height for the already high-waisted bottoms. I made the size 16 in the Lena Horne as well and was able to figure out how to hem the bodice into a top instead of attaching a gathered skirt. I would love to make this again as a top, since gathered skirts are not my style, but I would lengthen it a smidge for more coverage. Somewhere along the line, I did something so my side seams didn’t line up at the zipper, but I am not too fussed about that imperfection. Vegas was hot so this was perfect. Both were simple makes that I could replicate over and over again.

The linen itself was so lovely to work with. It sewed and pressed like a dream. As is my practice now, I did serge the edges after prewashing to prevent fraying while I was sewing, and it worked great. I do think that the chambray is probably best for dresses or tops, because it is lighter weight, but these flowy culottes are holding up just fine. The color is just so lovely. I fell in love this this fabric first when I saw it on the website, but then it’s extraordinary hue encouraged me to look into what would be complementary to it, and sure enough, purple was encouraged!

I wanted to pack very light for my short trip so I just brought this two piece set, and another pair of shorts, and did some mixing and matching! My friends and I also decided to get matching shirts while in Las Vegas and I daresay the blues and purples on the shirt go great with the orange. I loved being able to make these two pieces and mixing it with other pieces to create unique looks. I am definitely going to travel with two piece sets more in the future!



Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics in the following category EXCLUSIVE CHAMBRAY LINEN.

💡 Did you know? 💡

A good portion of Fabric Mart's linens are reorderable!

This means that even if the color you're looking for is currently unavailable, it should come back in stock soon!

Comments

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Celebrating warm weather with Spring sewing!

Hi sewing friends! I don’t know about you but boy, was winter cold and dreary this year! The weather here in the Philadelphia area has been slowly improving, but Spring sure did take her sweet old time to arrive. So by April, I was definitely in the headspace of needing to sew up things that were either bright and cheery or meant for the warmer weather I am very much craving right now. I recently purchased a few SewBexx Patterns so I took them on a test run to create some Spring makes. First on my list was to make a top using this absolutely gorgeous ITY fabric I picked up last year. I had two yards which was enough for a long sleeve shirt. I chose the Olivia top, which is oversized with a drop shoulder, has multiple lengths and a split hem. I think the pattern is intended for heavier fabrics but I was envisioning how lovely this top would look with the drape of ITY knit fabric, and it did not disappoint. It came together for me quickly and was a straight forward sew…and I love the br...

Made By A Fabricista | Chasing Time: My White Rabbit-Inspired Look for Atlanta Frocktails

For this year’s Atlanta Frocktails, I found myself captivated by a character who’s been quietly tugging at my imagination for years—the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. There’s something so relatable about his frantic energy, always checking the time, always running late. While he’s worried about being on time, I’m usually calculating how late I can be and still technically arrive on time. Spoiler: I’m often wrong. It’s a cycle of procrastination and anxiety that I know all too well. So when I imagined my look for Frocktails, I thought—why not honor the White Rabbit? After all, time has been chasing me too. But this look isn’t just about Wonderland whimsy. It’s also deeply inspired by this year’s Met Gala theme, Tailored for You, which includes a focus on Black Dandyism—a celebration of Black elegance, intellect, and expressive style. I’ve been obsessed with this theme since it was announced. As a Black creative, I find it powerful and moving to see style used as a way to reclaim...

Made By A Fabricista: Getting into the Spirit of Summer

I'm not gonna lie y'all, I had a completely different project I wanted to do, but that's gonna take more time, and I wanted something cute, comfy and fun to wear for my birthday on the 19th. When I saw this goldenrod & off white linen jacquard , I thought it looked a bit like the design on a Koroks body, especially Makar from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker! I started with the bodice from the free Elderberry dress pattern from Mood, but deviated for the skirt, it felt a little plain of a design, and I had scraps of a Korok fabric that I knew would be a nice accent with some cut out pockets. I've made these pockets once before, deciding the cut out was based on aligning with the seam on the bodice for how far in, and as for how low depended on where I wanted the pouch of the pocket to start. From there I cut the visible part of the pocket, making sure to match the curve of the waist and following the line of the side seams of the skirt, as well as cutting a facing to...