Made By A Fabricista: Time for Summer Dresses

Hi Guys! It’s officially summertime! Even though it’s hot in South Florida most of the year, summer officially begins Memorial Day weekend for me. Now that it’s summertime, it’s time for summer dresses, right? This is why I chose to make McCall’s M8108.

McCall’s M8108 is such a beautiful pattern. I chose to make View A and I made a size 16. I would have to say that this pattern runs a little large, but it might have had something to do with the fabric I selected. This fabric does have a little stretch to it. More on that later. I would normally make a size 18 but I made a 16 and even adjusted the bodice because it was still a little too big. I am very happy with the final fit.

While scrolling on Instagram one day, I saw someone post this pattern and I thought it would be perfect for this month’s make. Once I finished the dress and tried it on, I was in love! I’m a sucker for ruffles and I think the hem of this dress has the perfect amount of gathered ruffles. My other favorite part of this dress are these puffy sleeves! They are giving me total Bridgerton vibes. I love anything with a statement sleeve. I’ve never made a dress with this type of sleeve before, and I really enjoyed how they came together.

Using single fold bias tape, I pinned it around the sleeve using the markings transferred to my fabric from the pattern.

Then I edge stitched the binding to create a casing to thread the elastic through.

I cut 1/4” elastic using the elastic guide and threaded it through the casing. Sewed the elastic together and closed the opening I thread the elastic through.

Lastly, I did the same thing to the upper sleeve hem and attached the sleeve to the dress using the pattern instructions.

When looking for fabric for this make, I purposely looked for a stretch poplin shirting fabric. I used a stretch poplin for my last Fabric Mart make. I love that it has the right amount of stretch, but it is not a stretch fabric. This fabric is called White/Honey/Yellow/Dark Umber/Cotton Lycra Leaf Print Stretch Poplin Shirting. Although this print is out of stock, Fabric Mart has a lot of other poplin shirting options you should check out.

Dare I say this is my new favorite summer dress? Yes, I say this about the majority of all my new makes. She’s my new favorite, until I make my next dress.

Until next time,

JOHANNA | @soveryjo

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

Made By A Fabricista: Revisiting a Pattern After Five Years

Have you ever used a sewing pattern and then immediately vowed never to sew it again? Well, I have. It all began in the spring of 2020 at the start of the pandemic lockdown. I tackled sewing projects that were more challenging to help me grow as a seamstress. There was one pattern in particular that almost did me in, the Seamwork Penny shirt dress. The Penny dress pattern has a classic button-up dress shirt style bodice with a gathered skirt and pockets. It is a beautiful take on a shirt dress, and my sister and I loved it. The only downside is that it was recommended for intermediate-level sewists and I was only an adventurous beginner back then. I think I had only ever made one button-up shirt before attempting this Penny Dress and it didn’t even have a collar! Despite all of this, I thought “Why not try it, what’s the worst that can happen?” Thankfully the worst didn’t happen, and the dress turned out surprisingly wearable, but I had some intense frustration at the end. I...

Made By A Fabricista: A Simple Frock for Spring

Hello friends! I’m really into sewing and wearing tent dresses at the moment. A tent dress is basically a wide A-line style gown. For this month’s project, I’ve opted to try out The Assembly Line’s Square Neck Dress. This style is a little avant-garde in its enormity and shape, and boasts the squared neckline it’s named after, plus some cute hem side slits. All that volume is fun to move around in, plus there’s loads of air circulation which is cooling. This dress’s main feature–its wide and high squared neckline–really piqued my interest recently, and I added it to my Make Nine plans for 2025. I find it so satisfying to check off those boxes as I sew! This beautiful shirtweight linen is a color I simply adore; a muted medium blue. Stormy skies, worn-in denim, and ocean waves all come to mind, and that is exactly what I want to be all wrapped up in. While I think a wild or large print would be amazingly on display in this big canvas of a dress, I also thought that a subtle ...

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...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog