Made By A Fabricista: Perfectly Periwinkle

Have you ever seen a fabric that you just can't live without but then have trouble deciding what to make with it? That is exactly what happened to me with this gorgeous periwinkle and white rayon challis.

Is half of my fabric stash and handmade wardrobe blue and white? Yes! I know I'm slightly obsessed with blue and white floral prints, but when I see another gorgeous blue and white floral print fabric I just can't stop myself from inviting it to come live with me.

The minute I saw this perfect periwinkle and white rayon challis, I jumped at the opportunity to get my hands on it for my next Fabricista blog. When my fabric arrived, I loved it, but really struggled with what to make. I probably went through about 15 different iterations of what to make with the 2 3/4 yard cut, but nothing felt right.

Finally, I decided to make a Nina Lee Kew Dress. This pattern is one that I've had on my list to make for years, and it's been patiently waiting in my pattern stash for the right moment to be used. Since making a muslin for this pattern wasn't optional, I pulled out some rayon challis scraps from a previous project and whipped up a test bodice.

In the middle of sewing this test bodice I had my first major sewing injury. I will spare you all of the details and gnarly photos, but perhaps my finger's momentary brush with death caused me to reflect on what I was making. I didn't love the Kew test bodice. It just didn’t look great on my postpartum body. Also, I wasn't filled with joy while making it (probably due to my injury), but I just wasn't excited to cut into my perfect periwinkle challis. So I didn't.

After browsing my physical and digital pattern stash, I remembered the Colette Hawthorn pattern I purchased years ago.

This classic 1950s-inspired shirt dress has 3 versions, a sleeveless dress, a peplum top, and a dress with 3/4 sleeves. I've only ever made the peplum top version but have always loved the dress versions. Plus, I already had the pattern printed so all I had to do was cut out my size! As a mom to a busy 6-month-old, not having to take the time to print and assemble a pattern was a treat!

For the bodice, I primarily used a size 8 but graded the waist out to a size 10 to fit more comfortably. I cut out the skirt in a size 10 as well. When I tried on the bodice, it ended up being a bit loose fitting so I took in the side seams by an additional 1/4 inch on each side. This helped to make the dress fit better. If I make another dress from this pattern again, I will probably spend more time trying to get an even better fit.

The next challenge I faced was finding enough matching buttons for the dress. The pattern calls for 13 buttons, which is quite a lot of buttons. I searched my vintage and regular button stashes but just couldn’t find 13 matching buttons. After thinking through my options, and finding a covered button making kit in my stash, I decided to make covered buttons. With a small scrap of fabric and the covered button kit, I made all 13 buttons in less than 30 minutes. I just love the look of covered buttons, and I'm always amazed at how easy they are to make.

Overall, I'm happy with how my Hawthorn dress turned out. It is light, flowy, and will be great to wear in the summer heat. And my favorite part is that it is perfectly periwinkle!

SHAINA | @shaina_sews

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

Made By A Fabricista: Closing 2025 with a Lined Jacket

Hello again, sewing friends! It seems we have arrived yet again in the grandest season for layering, all this oncoming cold weather. I like ending the year with something warm and very useful. Seems based on my past Fabricista posts, I love to sew year-end outerwear, and this round is no different! I challenged myself with a new lined coat (wait, jacket? Coat? I feel like the presence of wool changes things?). Anyhoo, since the lovely Chalk & Notch Den Jacket has been in my queue, I proceeded ahead. I like the large pockets, the option to line or not, and the extra bodice and sleeve seams for topstitching. Sewing this coat is not at all difficult, but the many pieces and loads of topstitching will take a bit of time. My version took me a few multiple-hour sessions to complete. I sewed a size 2, which matches my measurements, and I made no alterations. Hint: for a quick size test, just employ the lining pieces. Gorgeous, muted blue as a soft wool flannel ? This is ...

Made By A Fabricista: Sheer Elegance and Everyday Comfort with my Two New Tops

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with my last Fabricista make for 2025. While many sew a special holiday outfit at year’s end, I went in another direction sewing two tops that couldn’t be more different. One is sheer and elegant while the other is easy comfort for everyday wear. These tops reflect how I dress at this stage of life. As an over-50 sewist, these two tops reflect how I dress at this point in my life. Sometimes I want something a bit special, other times more basic. Either way, sewing them in beautiful fabrics, custom fit to my body, makes all the difference in how I feel when I wear them. Even though I’m quite pleased with my two tops, my original plan was to sew a jacket with the tropical print stretch twill and pair it with a top sewn from the soutache mesh knit . Sadly, I wasn’t quick enough to get enough of the stretch twill to make a jacket, so a top it was! You do know you have to act fast when you see something you love on Fabric ...

Made By A Fabricista: Chalk and Notch Wren Dress: My Buffet dress for the Christmas season!

I recently sewed the Chalk and Notch Wren dress using a beautifully soft black voile from Fabric Mart, and it turned into such a satisfying, enjoyable project. The pattern itself is very easy to understand and straightforward with clear instructions, intuitive construction, and a relaxed fit that makes the sewing process easy. A buffet dress in the sewing community is a dress that is loose fitting, so you can eat at the buffet without your dress being uncomfortable afterwards, lol! Because the voile I chose is extremely thin and transparent, I opted to line the bodice and first tier. Adding a lining not only provided modesty but also gave the delicate fabric a bit more stability, especially around the neckline and button placket. A helpful tip when sewing a lining into a lightweight bodice is to treat the lining and the main fabric as one. I sewed the bodice as you would for a lined bodice, and the first tier I sewed the pieces together with a basting stitch to make the process...

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