Made By A Fabricista: Vibrant Red and Florals for Summer

When I think of summer I think of sunshine, outdoor activities, and cute summer dresses.

Like this one.

Do you love florals for summer as much as I do? When I saw this floral cotton sateen shirting, I immediately pictured it as a beautiful summer shirtdress.

However, as you can see, the dress I’m wearing is not a shirtdress.

We all know our fabric speaks to us, right? As soon as I opened the package and saw the beauty of this fabric, well, my original plan was tossed out the window.

This fabric wanted to be a ruffle hem dress.

I choose to sew New Look 6692. In my opinion, this dress pattern is one of those designs that can be worn by anyone. The square neckline is flattering, the puff sleeve is subdued, the gathers aren’t too full, and there are pockets!

When I looked at the cover photo of this pattern, I figured it would be a fairly quick sew. After all, it’s just a dress with a princess seam bodice, puffed sleeve, and a gathered skirt with ruffle. I was wrong.

If I had looked at the line drawing, I would have discovered the back has multiple rows of elastic.

While that part was not difficult to sew, it was time consuming. I choose to sew casings and insert ¼” elastic, per the pattern instructions. If you wish, you could certainly use elastic thread in the bobbin of your machine and shir that back section.

I did make a few alterations to the pattern. I did a 2-1/2” full bust adjustment and added 1-1/2” to the elasticized center back section as I wanted to make sure my bra would not show.

The dress does have an invisible zipper in the left side seam. I found I can get this dress on and off without the zipper, but it’s definitely easier if I use the zipper.

The dress ends mid-calf on the model on the pattern cover. Well, on me, it is a maxi dress. Which is great, because I planned on adding an additional ruffle to make this a maxi dress.

I did find I had trouble tying the back tie by myself. First it was too tight. Then it was too loose. Then it was just right! Ah, success! But I looked in the mirrors and the bow looked terrible. Oh well, I guess I’ll need help with that back tie when I wear this.

Because I didn’t need to add an additional ruffle, I had fabric leftover and sewed myself a pair of wide leg cropped pants.

The pattern is from the April 2016 issue of BurdaStyle magazine, number 106. The pants have a lined yoke, pleats, a side seam invisible zipper, and front pockets!

I like how versatile this fabric was – it was a wonderful choice for my ruffled summer dress, but also a great choice for my cropped pants.

I will be wearing both pieces quite often this summer.

Until next time, Happy Sewing!

SHARON | @thesharonsews

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

Made by a Fabricista: The Bernadette

Hello friends, My Latest Fabricista Make: Friday pattern Co Bernadette Skirt x Midnight Navy Cotton/Lycra Sateen Stretch Denim Hi everyone, this is Byrd with my latest Fabricista make! When I saw Fabric Mart’s Muted Midnight Navy Cotton/Lycra Sateen Stretch Denim , I knew it would be perfect for my next project. The color is rich and versatile—a deep navy that works as a neutral but still has presence. The stretch denim has just the right balance: structure with a bit of give, making it great for a garment that needs both shape and comfort. It’s an ideal fabric for fall transitions, but it’s sturdy enough to carry straight into winter with tights and boots. For the pattern, I chose the Bernadette Skirt by Friday Pattern Company . This is one of their newer designs, and I knew immediately I wanted to sew it up. It’s a modern skirt that blends structure and style, with darts in the back and pleats in the front for a flattering fit. One of my favorite features is the belt, and of co...

Made By A Fabricista: Falling for Knits

We are now well into Fall, even though the temps are still relatively warm here in Texas. I love the fall season and dressing for Fall. When it comes to the conversation of knits vs. wovens I typically sew mostly wovens. So for this post I decided to sew completely knits! With the holiday season right around the corner I saw these three dress styles as perfect for Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving gatherings. The first look is a tried and true pattern Simplicity S9372. Using this gorgeous burgundy ponte knit , I like how this pattern fits throughout. I chose this color to add to my typically neutral palette in my closet. I also wanted something I could wear to my sorority meetings and found this color perfect. It's an easy sew with back fisheye darts and invisible zipper to add to the tapered style. The neckline and armholes are finished with bias binding giving it a clean finish on the inside. I used a universal needle to sew a...

Made By A Fabricista: The Art of the Slow Make: My La Forme Double-Breasted Jacket

I started this project back in July — one of those mid-summer sewing plans meant to get me ahead for fall. My idea was simple: start my wardrobe a season (or two) early so that when cooler weather came, I’d already have a few handmade pieces ready to wear. That was the plan, anyway. But as sewing often reminds us, plans evolve. This jacket, made using La Forme pattern No. 0303, is a double-breasted design with peak lapels and an exaggerated hip detail that gives it such a striking silhouette. I fell in love with the structure of the pattern right away — it has that timeless, tailored feel I can never resist — but it also asked for patience. I picked it up and put it down several times over the months, letting it rest while I worked on other projects, until finally, the timing felt right to bring it to life. And now, here we are — the leaves are turning, there’s a chill in the air, and some parts of the country are even seeing snow. My summer-started jacket is finally finished, and it c...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog