Made By A Fabricista: Summer Boho Vibes

The weather is getting hot and I've definitely been in full summer wardrobe mode since the first day of June. There are so many fun styles and trends to get into this season and let's not forget all the fabulous summer fabrics to choose from. Of course we are talking about our light to medium weight breathable cottons, linens voiles and batiste fabrics because those are my go-to fabrics for the summer.

For this month's Fabricista feature I had to share one of my favorite styles for the season and that’s the bubble and puff trend. My summer Knowme Pattern ME2093 was recently released and I think that it is right on trend with the season. Long live the puff sleeve! But better yet, let's make it extra bubbly because, Why not?

For this top I went with Fabric Marts cotton oxford shirting fabric! This is your classic shirting fabric. In fact this is a Ralph Lauren fabric. It’s a great quality cotton fabric. It's sturdy yet breathable. It creates a nice voluminous puff sleeve and bubble garment and was perfect for the top I had in mind. I did a one shoulder hack of View A of my summer KnowMe Pattern.

In order to create this you will need to cut the front piece on the fold and using a ruler cut the top of one side of the front and back neck line respectively in a diagonal. Do the same with your lining and only cut one sleeve from the main fabric and the lining. If you want to make this cropped as I did, you can cut the front and back pieces of the main and lining about one 1” below the waist line.

I assembled the shirt following the manufacturing instructions and added the elastic at the waist. You can check out how I modified the waist with my KnowMe Sew A long for View A.

For the skirt I chose Fabric Mart’s cotton voile fabric in saddle brown! I love the airiness of this fabric. It's lightweight and transparent so I did create a lining for it made from the same fabric. I love this type of fabric for summer. It gives me boho beach vibes and it's so easy to create and so effortless to wear. I used Simplicity pattern S9958 View B to create this pattern. I didn’t make many modifications to the pattern other than adding an 17” tier to the hem and doubling up on the skirt to create a more voluminous look making it less transparent also.

I feel like this skirt is a classic Summer piece that is easy to create and style. I enjoyed working with this fabric and obviously adore the look and vibes its giving this summer! It does give a more boho vibe. So if Boho is your thing for the summer like me than this is definitely a look you can get into!

Until Next Time!❤️

MARCIA | @keechiibstyle

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

Made By A Fabricista: Just Wear It Out!

Originally I wasn’t happy with my make this time around. I put it on fresh off the sewing machine and didn’t love how it fit. My elastic was slightly too narrow for what the pattern called for. I did end up putting a stitch to close up the v-neck on the top. I thought my sewing on the waistband looked sloppy and I looked kind of frumpy in the outfit. I was going to put the project down to fix later but decided to wear it out for some feedback from our web manager and one of the describers. I ended up pleasantly surprised! The fabric is super comfortable and I felt really good wearing it. All the things I didn’t like kind of melted away wearing it out. The flaws were so small that only I noticed them. I think it’s important to remember that while striving for perfect seams and flawless construction is good, a handmade garment doesn’t have to be perfect to be wearable. This isn’t the first time I’ve softened on a garment after wearing, and it certainly won’t be the last! The 100% c...

Made By A Fabricista: The Sheer Volume Of It All!

This garment was inspired by a dress I saw in an ad, and when I went to purchase it (which I rarely do)…I realized that the dress didn’t come in my size. Ticked off and with $300 back in my pocket, I decided to draft it myself. The description listed the fabrication as a silk cotton voile, so I used that as a starting point to recreate the simple yet elegant silhouette. My drafting experience is limited; I’ve only ever made garments that are pleated rectangles that fit into an elasticated waist. No darts, no complicated calculations, and definitely no sleeves. But I’d have that dress if it’s the last thing I do! I made a drawing, created a Pinterest board to document my inspiration, and narrowed down the features I really wanted to have: billowy bubble-hemmed bishop sleeves (say it three times fast!), a fitted and lined bodice, and a gathered tiered skirt. Finally, it was time to shop for fabric. I knew I wanted a silk blend of some kind, without breaking the bank. For weeks, I ke...

Made By A Fabricista: In Love with Linen

Linen is the best fabric to sew and wear. I selected a beautiful 100% linen from Fabric Mart that is a steel blue and cream floral linen to sew up a By Hand London Hannah Wrap Dress pattern. The flowers look like Dahlias. I originally sewed a Toile from a black and white cotton bedsheet, wore the dress a lot but never made it again. I gave the Toile away to a friend who always commented on how much she loved the dress. When I saw this fabric, I knew I wanted to make the Hannah again. Linen is so easy to sew the entire experience reminded me why linen remains one of my favorite fabrics to sew. I look for a light to medium weight European linen for a dress. I like a rayon or cotton blend with linen because it seems to have more drape and be more soft. Linen gets softer with washing and wearing it. This particular linen feels crisp and after ironing and washing, softens up. I like how Fabric Mart describes the fabrics as top, dress, blouse, shirt weight under “Use” and will describe...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog