Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Teen Birthday Party Look using Ponte Knit

Image
By

 Happy Friday All!

I am so excited that my daughter has allowed me to sew for her again. When she was younger and in elementary school, she was always excited for me to make her skirts and dresses.  I haven’t sewn much for her over the past 3 years, but this year I have made 2 dresses and this cute set for our next vacation.  I plan to make a few other pieces before the summer is over.

My daughter Arielle wanted a black ponte knit leisure wear set for the longest that she could rock to her a summer party or on vacation.  She was too picky with the style of the top, so I delayed making it.  We settled on the pants but for the top, she just could not decide.  She is very particular about showing her chest, making it to crop and love a peekaboo in the back.  When we came across Simplicity 9784 pattern, we knew this was a win.  I love the style but felt it was a bit crop for my personal taste but perfect for her.

Top Review: Size Small

The pattern is an easy sew and the directions are written clearly.  I read through once and went straight to work. The only issue I noticed is if you lengthen the bodice by an inch or so at the bottom for the back pattern piece, the side seam of the top does pucker a bit. I will make another version without lengthening it to see if that was the cause of the puckering.

Also, for View A, you will need a special bra to wear it.  We ordered one from Amazon and it worked out just perfect.


Pants Review/Tip: Size X-Small

Did you know that you can use a woven pants pattern to make a knit version? I have been making Simplicity 8605 using ponte knit and love the fit. For knit pants, always look at the hip finish garment measurement and if you are looking for a more of a fitted look, you will have to size down quite a bit.  For example, if your hip measurement is 44 inches, cut the hip finished garment measurement that is about 40 inches.  The 4 inches of negative ease will give you the perfect fit. Additionally, the crotch adjustments that you may have to make for the woven may not be necessary with the knit.  I typically remove ½ of the adjustments for the crotch and the pants fit perfect.  

Finally, I made an orange palazzo pants using McCall’s 7789 for my next trip.  I am not too happy with the fit as I cut a larger size and do believe the hip measurement for this pattern is off.  I will size down about 2 sizes if I do make it again. 

I wore it to run errands and unfortunately, the camera died when we took the first shot. The heat has been so uncomfortable lately and I haven’t been in the mood to shoot outdoors.  I plan to style it and share a video on my page real soon when I rock in on vacation.

Thank you so much for reading.  I have been trying to finish up a few pieces including my birthday look for our vacation in August and I can’t wait to share.  Don’t forget to stop by my Instagram page to see what I am working out.  Have the most amazing weekend!

One Love,

MARICA  | @heymaricamitchell

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

Comments

  1. Noni sewsJuly 21, 2023 at 10:48 AM

    Thank you for the tips on using a knit fabric with a pattern for wovens. I haven't done this but will try it in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJuly 21, 2023 at 7:41 PM

    You did a fabulous job on the entire outfit.❤️ That pattern seems to be sold out everywhere, I barely found it and thank you for the information. 🥰

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJuly 21, 2023 at 9:21 PM

    Beautiful job

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJuly 22, 2023 at 6:39 AM

    Your daughter’s top is beautiful, a lovely fit. Thank you for sharing your latest projects, you always do a great job.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJuly 22, 2023 at 12:06 PM

    Wow!!! I love it all. Thank you for the continued inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJuly 28, 2023 at 7:47 AM

    Wow! What a great job you did on choice of fabrics and patterns.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Recent Posts You Might Like

Return to work wardrobe in ITY – which is your favorite?

By
In June of this year, after spending nearly 11 years at my place of employment and after restructuring and cost cutting, I took a separation package. I was so fortunate to be able to take a few months off, and also to very quickly find a position with a new company. I start my new job on September 14th and I’m super excited!  This new position is also different for me in that it is local to my area (whereas before I worked remotely and traveled to the office every few weeks) – so I’ll be going into the office three times a week. So of course I needed to sew up some new outfits! I’m a huge fan of ITY knit fabric ; ITY stands for interlock twist yarn, which describes the way the yarn is knitted together. I love it for tops, dresses, skirts, and even pants: it’s comfortable, easy care, low wrinkle, and comes in so many beautiful prints. I sewed up three new outfits over the last two weeks and I’m excited to share them with you today! Oh, and also – I need help choosing what to wear fi...
18 comments
Continue Reading »

Sometimes The Fabric Chooses The Pattern

By
Have you ever fallen in love with a fabric and immediately envisioned exactly what you wanted to make, only to realize halfway through the planning process that the fabric had other ideas? That’s exactly what happened with this project. I used Fabric Mart’s Black/Dark Cobalt/Smoky White Poly Foliage Print Chiffon , and while I initially had plans for a detailed dress, the fabric ultimately led me in a completely different direction—and I’m so glad it did. When I first saw this gorgeous chiffon print, I was immediately drawn to the rich color palette and beautiful movement. The dark background paired with the cobalt and smoky white foliage creates a striking look that feels both dramatic and versatile. My original plan was to make a dress with princess seams, buttons, and more structured design elements. However, after spending time with the fabric, I realized that all of those seam lines and construction details would compete with what makes this chiffon so beautiful: its drape, moveme...
6 comments
Continue Reading »

Hillhouse Nap Dress Dupe with Fabric Mart Fabric!

By
I have been wanting a Hill House Home Nap Dress for the longest time, but when I saw the reviews that the fabric was too sheer and the price tag—often well over $200—I decided it would be much more fun to make my own! I found this gorgeous abstract navy and white cotton voile from Fabric Mart and knew it would be perfect for the light, floaty dupe I had in mind. Cotton voile is soft, lightweight, and beautifully suited for a shirred dress like the infamous Nap dress. This abstract print gives the finished dress a more modern feel. I love a floral fabric, but I was excited to find this abstract print in my favorite color of navy.  Rather than using an entire dress pattern, I followed Just Lauren Johnson’s YouTube tutorial on how to create a Nap Dress from rectangles. Lauren walks you through how to use your own measurements to calculate the dimensions of the bodice, skirt tiers, and other pieces. I loved this approach because I could create the dress specifically for my measurement...
7 comments
Continue Reading »

Office Attire to Remember

By
Hello everyone! I’m very excited to contribute to Fabricista blog once more! I made another brand new cosplay: Reiko Kujirai from Kowloon Generic Romance! Kowloon Generic Romance is a sci-fi, romance & mystery manga series. It was later adapted to a TV anime and live action film! This series takes place in Kowloon Walled City. It’s about a woman named Reiko Kujirai who suffers from memory loss and doesn't remember her past. She works at a realty estate management company with her co-worker Hajime Kudou, a very easy going and brash man who’s also her crush! Reiko lives her life in Kowloon, while also trying to discover who she is, and the mysteries of this city (I will not spoil everything! You’re going to have to check it out for yourself!). I binged the anime in one day and really enjoyed it. The story and the characters are very intriguing. I love that the main characters are in their 30s, which is very rare in anime! After watching the anime, I knew that I had to cosplay Rei...
5 comments
Continue Reading »