Made By A Fabricista: Date Night looks for Valentine's Day

Happy New Year!

I am excited to be back blogging in 2023 with Fabric Mart. Over the past few weeks, I spent quite some time reflecting on what truly brings me joy and a personalized form of self-care. Sewing was on the top of the list and I truly enjoy making my own clothing. During the winter break, I wanted to create some basic looks that I can jazz up for a wedding or rock on date night. When I read Johanna’s blogpost and came across the Vogue 1835 pattern that she made last month, I saw endless possibilities with the pattern. I knew it was perfect to hack to make a mini, midi or maxi dress and a staple pattern to have.

My original plan with the lycra foil printed knit (here) fabric was to make a formal infinity wrap dress that I saw on instagram. I will be attending a formal event later this month and felt it was perfect. Knowing that I would only wear the infinity wrap dress once or twice per year, I decided to make separates that I can dress up or down and maximize the wear.

I used the Vogue top pattern and did not make any adjustments to the large. Unfortunately, the self drafted skirt did not turn out as expected. While sewing the skirt a few pins on my sewing table damaged the fabric in several places. Additionally, I noticed a line in the dead center and was not sure if that happened during pre-treatment. I definitely plan to save it and make a cute top for my daughter.

For the rayon french terry red fabric, my original plan was to make a jogger set. When the fabric arrived, I realized that it was light weight as I did not look at the fabric description on the site. The rayon lightweight blend is perfect for a maxi dress so I decided to hack the pattern and make it instead. I basically aligned the waistline with the Simplicity S8595 maxi dress pattern that I made before here. There was no grading necessary and the waist lined up so perfectly.

The silhouette of the dress is perfect for a formal event, date night and I definitely plan to make it again using ponte knit from my stash.

I am absolutely satisfied with these pieces and even made another version of the bodice to create a jogger set using black ponte knit from Fabric Mart. I shortened the length of the sleeve by 3 inches and added a 2 inch band. Additionally I shortened the bodice by 6 inches and added a 3 inch band.

I really enjoyed sewing all these pieces including two button down dresses during the winter break and definitely plan to sew down my ponte knit stash this month. For 2023, I have decided to set aside sewing time weekly for self care and my scheduled sew day will be Thursday nights unless I have an urgent obligation. Do you set a schedule day for self care that you commit to at least once a week?

Thanks for stopping! Don't forget to stop by my Instagram page to check out my latest make.

One Love,

MARICA | @heymaricamitchell

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

Made By A Fabricista: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...

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: Stripes For Spring

Hi everyone! It’s finally warming up here in southeastern Pennsylvania and I wanted to make a light, flowy dress for springtime. I snagged a vintage Laura Ashley pattern from Joanns on one of my last trips there. I somehow didn’t have anything in my pattern stash with a sweetheart neckline, so I thought it would be a good addition. The pattern calls for a giant gathered skirt, so I knew I would need something lightweight and drapey for it. Something like a pink striped cotton fine seersucker. The fabric is light and has a really nice drape, almost like a challis . I knew it would gather beautifully. I got to work cutting everything out, with help from my assistant. When I say the skirt is massive I mean it. I ran into an issue right away where my fabric isn't wide enough to cut the back panel without opening the fabric out. And my three yards of fabric wasn’t enough to cut two back panels. I ran into this issue last year when making my pinafore dress . In ...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog