Fabric Mart Fabricistas

At the start of the new year I like to reflect on how I will go about my makes for the year.  I noticed this year a lot of people created a Make Nine chart of the 9 main looks they want to make for the year.  For me I had taken a hiatus from sewing towards the end of last year and was fighting to get my sewjo at the beginning of the year.  Making this blog forced me to sit down in front of my machine and these pieces are the first full sewing projects to kick off my year. Starting off I did not know exactly what it was I wanted to sew but I knew I loved working with denim so I got denim and sateen with the initial intent to make a full look with the pieces together.  Once I received the fabric I realized the hand was a little bit different than what I expected and changed my plans. The denim set I am absolutely in love with and was inspired by a look I saw online and decided to recreate.  My favorite details are the zip removable pockets on the pants.  For this look I used McCall’s M81

With resolutions to spend more time in the gym this year, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to sew up some new tracksuits for my girls! Fabric Mart had a gorgeous collection of Donni branded organic cotton sweatshirt fleece available, so I decided to get the lapis lazuli blue, and lilac colorways.  While a bit more time consuming to make than a standard sweatshirt and pants, I decided to use the Jalie Danaëlle hoodie and Zoom joggers patterns for this project. These two patterns have lots of pieces, making them perfect for color blocking - though they also work equally well in a single color. Danaëlle comes in two different lengths, and while I had planned on making the short length for both my girls, I accidentally cut the longer length bodice with regular hem band instead.  As I was installing the zipper, I thought my girls might complain about the rigid edge of the zipper tape, so I bound the edges with bias tape. I then continued using the tape to hide the seam along the back

I've always loved long flowy dresses that skim the floor, no matter what the season is. However, particularly around the Springtime! It's been a while since I've created one but since Spring is right around the corner I'm getting the itch to add them to my wardrobe.  For this months Fabricista feature, I sharing a selection from Fabric Mart's gorgeous viscose rayon collection.  I fell in love with this beautiful viscose rayon fabric which, if you know viscose, you know it  is the perfect fabric for a flowy floor length piece. It's lightweight, yet still opaque, fluid and soft to the touch.  Also, I think viscose is just heavy enough that it's not annoyingly slippery and hard to handle as satin and silks.  Needless to say I was taken by this bold vibrant print! If you know some of my previous pieces I've made, bold and vibrant is my jam! I chose to create a rendition of my Early Spring KnowMe Pattern ME 2020. It's a wrap woven wrap dress with cargo po

Hi again! I am happy to be back as a Fabricista this year! And to beat on my own drum, I am proud to maintain this commitment despite life getting in the way of every single post. I feel that lately, all my blog posts have circled around the same topic: finding the time and motivation to keep sewing. But you know what? I push forward, and at the end of the day, I am always glad I did. So here I am, ready to put the [sewing machine] pedal to the metal.  I made two jumpsuits last year (one for a summer party and one for Christmas), and I got so fond of wearing them that I decided to sew a third one this time. The twill-look double knit fabric I got on sale was perfect for this Brunei Jumpsuit by Luluferris, which requires a nice drape and elastic material. It would also look great with a thinner viscose/spandex, but I thought I would give it a try with double-knit.  The jumpsuit's top is fully lined, so I opted for a black spandex for the lining instead of using the same fabric. It w

A family that cuts fabric together, stays together. Today we are going to introduce you to THREE of our amazing employees. We have the Heathers, Heather B & Heather J. As well as Josh! This trio is a mother, husband, & wife team. And they sure bring a lot of happiness & laughs around here. So without further ado, let's get into their Q&A's! Let's start with Heather B! 1.) Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself.   I'm Heather B. Mom to 5 amazing humans, (and mom in law to 2), one crazy giant dog, a very floofy kitty,  chickens and ducks. Oma to one very silly and special 5 year old little girl ❤️. Cancer survivor. That changed my viewpoint on a lot of things, what's important in life and what is not.  2.) How long have you worked at Fabric Mart? A bit over a year but it seems a hecka longer! (In a good way) 3.) What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? Just cutting orders for the most part. Bust the other Heather's chops...all

Pink raspberry frosting on a cake is delicious, but this pink raspberry frosting isn't dessert. I'm talking about sewing frosting! Have you heard of "sewing cake vs. sewing frosting?" If you're new to this concept, cake sews are your clothing and wardrobe staples. While frosting sews are less practical, super fun projects to make and wear. When I saw this gorgeous raspberry pink swiss dot chiffon on Fabric Mart's website I knew I had to sew some frosting! I spent a good amount of time in 2023 sewing cake for my newly postpartum body. Since nothing fit the same way, and I had very few nursing-friendly clothes, I made a lot of basics. To start 2024, I figured why not sew some frosting and make a fun date night dress? Armed with 4 yards of raspberry pink Swiss dot chiffon and 3 yards of magenta polyester lining, I set out to make a special dress. I knew I wanted to make a dress with sheer bishop sleeves to show off the chiffon, but it wasn't until I saw the

Hi Guys! I’m trying something a little different today.  We are going to make a leather bag.  I was looking around the Fabric Mart website for fabric for my next project and I came across Sue’s Pick.  The fabric choice for that day was this gorgeous black leather fabric. The best part was that the leather was only $20 a piece.  When I received it at home, I couldn’t believe how soft the leather was. I was in love. First, we are going to make the pattern and then we’ll sew it up.  You are going to need a ruler, pencil, and scissors to draft the pattern. Purse Pattern Main Pattern Piece – Cut 2 1. Make a 14 x 16 rectangle.   2. At the bottom of this pattern piece, you will cut a 2 x 2 square on each side. 3. At the top of this pattern piece, measure in 1” on each side and then measure from that point down to the corner of the cut-out square at the bottom. Cut that piece off. Pocket Piece – Cut 1 4. Make a 7 x 10 square. 5. Go in ½” at the top and go down 3” on each side. Cut th