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: A Tipsy Martini Transitional Three Piece Look

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon with Sharon Sews with my latest Fabricista make – a three-piece set I can wear as the weather transitions to fall here in Texas. It may look like a summer outfit but there will days filled with sunshine and high temps well into November. At first glance it looks like a nice, lightweight jacket, top and pants. But look closer – it’s sewn from the designer Tipsy Martini cotton sateen that was originally used by the designer for a pajama set. Now I could have sewn myself a pair of pajamas using the Closet Core Carolyn Pajama pattern (available at Fabric Mart) and replicated the designer pajamas. But if I had gone that route the only ones who would have seen this adorable kitschy fabric would be my family. This print is much too cute to hide out at home. This Tipsy Martini cotton sateen fabric was lovely to sew. I used black thread, an 80/12 universal needle, and Palmer/Pletsch Perfect Fuse Medium interfacing (link here). Note that this is a rayon fu

Made By A Fabricista: Hooray for Cozy Fall Sews!

Greetings, all! I am in such high spirits with the best-of-all-seasons just beginning and change is finally in the air. I always rejoice when the sweatiest time of the year passes and we can all take a deep breath and gear up for cozier times. Neighborhood Patterns is a new-to-me designer, and I came across them on Instagram in late summer and fell in love with the Plain Jane Skirt. This is such a simple A-line skirt, but with nice details like large inseam pockets and an optional drawstring, and though I’m sure I could draft this style myself, the appeal of having it all done for me was too tempting to pass up. A sew such as this is a lovely palate-cleanser and this was the first project I sewed after returning from a cross-country trip. Perfect! The gorgeous plaid flannel is exactly what I want to be wearing in the fall. The fabric is SO soft and a pleasure to snuggle up in. Because flannel does not have much body and is prone to stretching or shifting with all its mechanical give,

Made By A Fabricista: Quilted Jacket Chronicle

What do you get when mixing the best things about apparel sewing and machine quilting? A quilted jacket! It's funny that I elected to sew myself a quilted jacket for this Fabricista blog because I don't consider myself much of a quilter. I can count on my hands the number of quilted projects I've made over the last few years. While I fully appreciate the end product of quilting, I don't normally gravitate toward starting quilting projects. That's why making a quilted jacket is a new and exciting project for me! It gives me the fun of making a quilt on a much smaller scale. If you are an avid apparel sewist and are new to quilting, this is the perfect project to take for a quilting test drive! For my quilted jacket, I used the Seamwork Easton Jacket pattern. I decided to stick with a solid-colored fabric for the jacket's exterior and ordered 4 yards of Dark Umber Brown Lycra Stretch Canvas Suiting from the Fabric Mart website. I wanted a contrasting color for the

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog