Made By A Fabricista: 3 Projector Projects

Dare I start this blog by asking who enjoys assembling a PDF pattern? I know I don’t love it! If you’re like me, and love using PDF pattern files, but hate assembling them, a projector for sewing is perfect for you! For this Fabricista blog, I made three garments using beautiful Fabric Mart knits and my projector in no time!

Since I installed a projector in my sewing space, I’ve been able to save precious time by adding technology to the fabric-cutting process. If you’re new to the idea of projectors being used for sewing let me catch you up to speed.

A projector casts the lines of PDF sewing pattern pieces onto a table or cutting mat. From there, you place your fabric on the table/cutting mat and cut your pattern pieces directly from the projected image. I've captured a couple of photos so you can see how this looks. This projection onto the fabric means that you can avoid printing and assembling paper patterns, saving time and printing costs. As an added bonus, since you’re using less paper, you’re also decreasing your environmental impact.

While it is possible to use A0 pattern files with a projector, projector-specific pattern files are even easier to use and they are becoming more popular. Projector-specific pattern files are very helpful because they are formatted for easier cutting. The cutting lines are often made darker to help you see during the projection. If you take a look at some of your recent PDF pattern downloads you may be surprised to see projector-specific pattern files included from companies who haven’t included them before. As projector popularity increases, I love that more pattern companies are creating projector-specific pattern files.

Now for my projector Fabricista makes, I made a skort with the Seamwork Wallis pattern. As a member of Seamwork's pattern subscription plan, I was able to access their subscriber-exclusive variation which includes a waistband to turn the dress into a skort. I fell in love with a cerulean, frost, black, sea green, and white floral swim knit fabric. What's great about using swim knit is just how functional it is inside and outside of the water! It doesn't wrinkle, it dries easily, and it packs easily, making it the ultimate performance knit fabric. Pair the skort with a simple top and take it out on the town (which is exactly what I did, these photos were taken on vacation.)

The Wallis skort pattern came together fast! I probably spent 30 minutes total from downloading the pattern to cutting the whole thing out. I'm constantly amazed at how much faster it is to make a garment while using a projector. Without pattern assembly, you get to skip right to the cutting fabric phase, which makes projects so much quicker. The assembly of the skort was also very straightforward! In just about an hour and a half (this includes the cutting,) I had a new skort!

For my second garment, I moved on to making a black nursing top to pair with my skort. I chose 1.5 yards of black rayon polyester matte jersey knit fabric for the 5 out of 4 Knot Your Average Shirt & Dress pattern. I've made this pattern before, but this time I followed the nursing modification. It simply had me cut a full underlayer to attach underneath the knotted front. This top also came together quickly thanks to the projector files and not needing to make any fit adjustments.

For my third garment, I made a 5 out of 4 Sydney Dress from an adorable navy cherry print DTY fabric. I had never sewn with DTY before and when I saw this cute cherry print I knew I just had to try it. The Sydney Dress pattern includes a bunch of different necklines, a nursing modification, and of course the projector pattern files. I chose the classic scoop neckline and half-circle skirt pattern options, with a nursing underlayer inside the bodice. Can I also say how much I love DTY now? Sewing with this fabric was amazing and wearing it is even better! It is comfortable, lightweight, and cool which is perfect to beat the August heat. DTY is also very wrinkle proof! What’s not to love about this performance knit?

Whether or not I’ve persuaded you to consider adding a projector to your sewing room, I’ve hopefully encouraged you to stock up on Fabric Mart knits. What I love about Fabric Mart is that you really can’t go wrong when you try something new. Even if you don’t end up liking a new type of fabric, I guarantee that you will have purchased it for a great price. Now, I dare you to go try some DTY, or stock up on swim knit and make something other than a swimsuit with it!

SHAINA | @shaina_sews

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: KNITS, JERSEY KNIT, ITY KNIT, SWIMWEAR.

Made By A Fabricista: A Pink Suiting Set for Spring

Spring is here! So is my first blog of the year. I had some inspiration with this one. I saw a picture on an Instagram profile and wanted to make my own. Now, my version ended up a little different, but overall, I really love it. However, I still want to recreate the inspiration pic at some point. For this look, I chose a cotton candy pink double weave suiting . It is soft, has a semi-textured hand, and has a crepe weave on the wrong side. The fabric does have some stretch to it. I absolutely love the color and feel of this fabric. This is a suiting fabric with the softness of a knit. The thing I do not like about it though is it snags. So, I had to be careful using pins and seam ripping to prevent snags. I had the Fernanda Vicki Sews pattern in mind but once I downloaded the instructions and saw how many pieces were involved, I switched to a different pattern, lol. I ended up making the Riana Blazer. It has a semi-fitted blazer with a straight silhouette. A belt and belt loops that yo...

Made By A Fabricista: Youtube Edition - Marty

This is the beginning of a long-term project to make Italian Court Garb for my partner and me. And we are 100% blaming him for this. Because he asked. This project is your standard Venetian-style pants. I originally pulled this pattern for Matthew Gnagy's Modern Marker Vol 2. But over the years, I've made changes to fit my sewing preferences. The build for this was fairly straightforward. Once you get past the volume in the legs, it goes together like any other pair of pants. The only thing that really slowed me down was not being able to find the correct buttons locally (Thanks Joanns). Overall, this was a wonderful project to work on during the deadline season for my job because of how familiar it was. I am excited to continue to work on building his doublet, cassock, and eventually my gown. Be sure to check out my channel to follow along with the full build! MARTY | @scrappypatterns (Feeling inspired? Shop Linen now.)

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing the Eleonora by Silversaga – A Romantic Dress you need in your closet

I recently had the pleasure of sewing up the Eleonora pattern by Silversaga, and I’m excited to share my thoughts because this one really surprised me—in the best possible way. If you’re not already familiar with Silversaga, their aesthetic leans into romantic minimalism—think timeless silhouettes with poetic details. The Eleonora Dress is a vintage-inspired, chemise-style from the Regency Era of the 1800’s design infused with modern elements like adjustable sizing, soft gathers, and flexible fit details. The Eleonora is a thoughtfully designed dress pattern with multiple views and customizable features. Some of its standout design elements include: • Adjustable fit via ties and elastic channels at the neckline and waist, allowing it to flatter a range of body shapes and sizes. • Sleeve options, including short or long gathered raglan sleeves, often finished with ruffles for added softness. • A full, swishy four-panel skirt—complete with in seam pockets and a deep hem—that b...

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