Made By A Fabricista: Comfy and Dressy

Fall is finally in the air, and I couldn't be happier! The only issue that I'm currently having is that most of my fall clothes don't fit. I can thank my growing baby boy, due at the end of November for that!

For this fabricista blog, I set out to make a couple of items for fall that will carry me through my final months of pregnancy and beyond. One make to help me stay comfy, and the other, to have something a little more dressy that's warm.

In my last blog, I mentioned that my goal for this season of life is to make clothing that will be wearable during pregnancy and after. So with that in mind, I set out to make a couple of items for fall to love now and later.

For my comfy make, I used a super soft Gunmetal Lycra Heathered Sweatshirt Fleece Knit. The fabric is soft on both the right and wrong sides making it feel super lush and perfect for crisp fall days and nights. I've been wanting to make The Nora pattern from DIBY for years, and with the side slit option, I hoped I could pull it off with my bump.

The finished garment is very roomy, but in order to guarantee that the top fit comfortably over my bump and bust, I decided to make a size 6. I made this decision based on my current bust measurement and by looking at the finished measurement chart. I also decided to make the split hem option so as to give myself extra hip and waist space.

As for the other pattern options, I decided to go with the standard crew neckline with a band because even though I love the look of the funnel collar option, I don't like the feeling of having something around my neck. This probably comes from being forced to wear too many turtlenecks as a child growing up in the 90s. I blame 90s fashion, not my parents for this weird issue with turtlenecks, by the way!

I am really happy with how my Nora top turned out. It fits really well over the bump and is long enough so I don't feel like my belly is sticking out. It is also super soft and comfortable, thanks to the fabric!

For the photos, I paired it with my favorite pair of maternity jeans, but I know I'll also be wearing it around the house with some maternity leggings on extra chilly fall days before and after the baby arrives! I'd love to make another Nora again soon and try out some of the other fun options that the pattern has to offer, like the scoop neckline, optional elbow patches, and maybe eventually, the banded bottom because who really loves hemming?

For my more dressy make, I used the Named Clothing Kielo Wrap Dress & Jumpsuit pattern. Over the years, I've seen many sewists on Instagram promoting this pattern for maternity sewing because of how roomy it is in the midsection and how comfortable it is for a changing body. I figured now would be a great time to make a Kielo Wrap Dress!

For my Kielo Wrap Dress, I picked out 3 yards of Black and Gray Floral Damask Jacquard double knit fabric and matching thread. The pattern also recommended using Fusible Knit Stay Tape to help stabilize the seams, so I picked up some Stay Tape too.

I selected the pattern size based on my current bust measurement which put me into the US 8 size. In hindsight, I probably could have sized down to a US 6, and the finished dress would have fit even better in the bust area. I enjoyed making this pattern because it was easy to sew and came together quickly. It also didn't require any pattern adjustments because it is made with knit fabric and is a very forgiving shape.

I definitely had fun taking photos of this dress. I had to take at least one photo showing off the unique pointed side shape at the start of the skirt. I also had fun wrapping the side ties in different ways to figure out my preferred way to wear the dress. In some photos, I wrapped the side ties to the back making the skirt drape in the back around the hips. In other photos, I wrapped the side ties to the front making the skirt drape in the front around my bump. It's amazing how different the dress looks when it is wrapped differently!

These comfy and warm fall makes couldn't have come at a better time, as it's been 45 degrees and raining for the past couple of days here. I'm already getting tons of use out of my DIBY Nora, and I know I'll be wearing my Kielo Wrap Dress soon too! I'm so grateful to have two warm handmade items that fit, as we head into fall and winter!

SHAINA | @shaina_sews

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories KNITS & DOUBLE KNITS.

Made By A Fabricista: Liberty Snow Day

Hi everyone! While we’ve been blanketed with snow out here in Southeastern PA, I decided to conquer my fear of button holes and make NewLook pattern N6749. I was able to snag a few yards of the Jess + Jean print Liberty of London Tana Lawn for it. It’s always exciting when Fabric Mart is able to get Liberty fabrics in! I always make sure to grab some. Cutting into a beautiful piece of tana lawn is scary every time. The fabric is such good quality, I’m afraid to mess it up! I had to be extra careful as this is also the first directional pattern I’ve worked with. But one of my assistants made sure all of my pieces were laid correctly. Something I wanted to try out with this dress was finishing the inside seams using the overlock stitch on my domestic machine. Normally I would french seam, but it was nice to not have to worry about cutting seam allowance in half, sewing, trimming, flipping, and sewing again. Next time I would cut the seam allowance back before overlocking, but I thin...

Made By A Fabricista: Embracing Winter in Wool Boucle

As winter drags on, the cold weather is such a bummer to me and feeling uncomfortable and cold so often is rough. Meanwhile, I listened to a podcast all about how people in very northern countries deal better with the onset of dark, freezing winter with a radically different mindset of embracing the inevitable season by reframing the chill as refreshing and the opportunity to spend most time indoors as cozy. I can do that! I found a gorgeous, quintessential wool boucle suiting in black and white to make myself a luxurious outer layer while I’m outside attempting to embrace the sting of dry winter air… It’s kind of working. So classic, so chic! Wearing boucle is always an uptown move and I certainly do feel sophisticated in it. This black and white houndstooth combination feels especially Old Hollywood, and what a treat to make something with this! I sewed the Daphne Jacket from Vivian Shao Chen. There are no closures, and the shape is boxy and very easy to wear over multipl...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing + Running

It’s not every day that I get to mix two of my favorite hobbies. Especially when one hobby is sewing and the other is running. You can’t sew and run at the same time, but, you can go running in something that you sewed! With this realization, I embarked on my first hobby-merging adventure. We’ve had some frigid temperatures in Pennsylvania this winter. Since I’m an outside, stroller-pushing runner, I bundle up my son and myself before I hit the road. The temperature feels 20 degrees warmer for outside runners than the outside air. For the children being pushed in the stroller though, it feels about 20 degrees colder. With these differences in temperature for each of us, layering is the only thing that ensures that we both stay perfectly warm. My running wardrobe has been lacking a warm top layer. My son’s wardrobe would also benefit from having another warm layer, so I knew pullovers were what I should make. Inspired by a name-brand ¼ button-down fleece pullover I saw,...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog