Made By A Fabricista: Youtube Edition

Made By A Fabricista: Youtube Edition - Marty

I feel like this month my ambition ran away from me... again. But when I saw this beautiful polyester taffeta it just told me it HAD to be an Italian court gown. And who can argue with fabric?

This dress was a continuation of my experimental archeology in finding the best way to make a 1540s Italian Court Gown. And I think you can just see my excitement when I opened the package. If not you can definitely hear it when on the video.

The primary difference between this dress, and the others I have made in the past was the internal structure. Instead of using cotton canvas, I used Horsehair canvas. I still don't think I can properly articulate what that changed, other than it make a bigger difference than I was expecting. Once the boning channels were placed, I knew that this dress would fit me differently from all of the others. And I am not disappointed.

Adding the fashion layer is fairly straightforward. But it's a lot of smoothing and pinning, and basting to make sure that everything is in place. Something else that I did differently on this round was to add extra fabric on the sides so that I didn't have to go through the fashion and lining in order to sew the eyelets on. And it honestly made my least favorite part of build court gowns tolerable.

After the fashion fabric, it was time to decide on the guards. Originally I got a buttery yellow color from Fabric Mart for this. But the more I looked at it, the more I hated it. And the golden yellow I tried in its place wasn't much better. So I threw it out to my friends to help me decide and I got a recommendation for teal. This isn't a color combo that I would have ever thought of, but I am very impressed with it. I can't imagine a better combo.

I didn't get much, or any content of me making the skirt. But it was fairly straightforward A-line construction. With a padded hem that allowed for volume as well as some structure. This is my favorite way to hem court gowns, and honestly, any dress that needs a little something at the hem.

Was this dress done to the level that I wanted? no. But was I able to get some interesting data to take into my next dress build? absolutely. I feel like with each dress build I level up in some way or another and I can't be happier with the overall shape and look of this dress.

Don't forget to watch the video to see my ADHD brain tackle this project in the most chaotic of ways!

MARTY | @scrappypatterns

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

Comments

Made By A Fabricista: Falling for Knits

We are now well into Fall, even though the temps are still relatively warm here in Texas. I love the fall season and dressing for Fall. When it comes to the conversation of knits vs. wovens I typically sew mostly wovens. So for this post I decided to sew completely knits! With the holiday season right around the corner I saw these three dress styles as perfect for Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving gatherings. The first look is a tried and true pattern Simplicity S9372. Using this gorgeous burgundy ponte knit , I like how this pattern fits throughout. I chose this color to add to my typically neutral palette in my closet. I also wanted something I could wear to my sorority meetings and found this color perfect. It's an easy sew with back fisheye darts and invisible zipper to add to the tapered style. The neckline and armholes are finished with bias binding giving it a clean finish on the inside. I used a universal needle to sew a...

Made By A Fabricista: The Art of the Slow Make: My La Forme Double-Breasted Jacket

I started this project back in July — one of those mid-summer sewing plans meant to get me ahead for fall. My idea was simple: start my wardrobe a season (or two) early so that when cooler weather came, I’d already have a few handmade pieces ready to wear. That was the plan, anyway. But as sewing often reminds us, plans evolve. This jacket, made using La Forme pattern No. 0303, is a double-breasted design with peak lapels and an exaggerated hip detail that gives it such a striking silhouette. I fell in love with the structure of the pattern right away — it has that timeless, tailored feel I can never resist — but it also asked for patience. I picked it up and put it down several times over the months, letting it rest while I worked on other projects, until finally, the timing felt right to bring it to life. And now, here we are — the leaves are turning, there’s a chill in the air, and some parts of the country are even seeing snow. My summer-started jacket is finally finished, and it c...

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 ...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog