Made By A Fabricista: Gingham Style Summer

Gingham hasn't always been my favorite fabric print, but this purple gingham print shirting from Fabric Mart is definitely shifting my thoughts on Gingham this summer. I added a woven linen contrast, also from Fabric Mart, in the color Spring bud to contrast with the purple gingham. The whole look is given me Modern Disney princess vibes.

This gingham is a lightweight, woven, shirting fabric. It's cool, crisp, and breathable. All the features you want in a summer fabric. However, this is not your basic gingham. There is a slight metallic pinstripe that runs through this gingham pattern that is a pleasant surprise and elevates the print a bit.

I also chose to use a contrasting fabric in this project for a little fun. I love a great color combo, so I couldn't resist. Lime green and purple has always been a vibe, so this linen in Spring Bud is a suitable addition to the make.

This combo left me with so many options, and I was torn on whether to create a two-piece set or a dress. After weighing in with my IG fam, the majority suggested a two-piece. I couldn't resist a bustier look and have seen a couple of gingham bustier that inspired the look.

My go-to bustier pattern is Daria Rose Cafe Bustier. I love the fit, and I've used this pattern several times in so many different ways. Whenever using gingham or check fabrics, you want to make sure you line your fabric prints up so that the pattern matches. This may involve grabbing an extra yard of fabric to line it up. This bustier has boning and underwire for extra support and a zipper back.

I added neck straps for a little something different.

I created a pleated skirt to pair with the bustier using Vogue pattern 1893. I usually don't reach for pleated skirts, but this one, for some reason, was a must. I like the large pleats and the hi-lo silhouette of this pattern. I did alter the pleats a bit and created my own spacing that was a little impromptu. This I feel created a bit more fullness. I used the linen to line the skirt and pleated it in the same way before adding the waist band.

The best thing about this look it the many ways you can wear the bustier and mix it up. The straps can be worn around the front for a more edgy look. Creating detachable elastic hem puff sleeves also offers several options. These can be worn up over the should or off the shoulder.

The detachable sleeves were a last-minute addition that I drafted using my own arm measurements. I created them 20 inches wide for ample fullness and included a 2-inch ruffle at the hem.

This was the perfect fabric for this project and came together smoothly with a standard woven needle and mettler thread metrosene thread. I can't wait to add these pieces to my current wardrobe and style them with other makes.

Until next time,

MARCIA | @keechiibstyle

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

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