Fabric Mart Fabricistas

I've been thinking a lot recently about what it means to have a handmade wardrobe. For the past five years, it has been a point of pride for me to say that 90% of my wardrobe is handmade. But as I get busier, I am starting to find that time is not in my favor like it has been in the past. Which is fine, sewing is my life long hobby and I will get back to it. But there have been recent events in my life that have just made a lot of things less enjoyable. It's less of a priority. This has left me wondering, if my primary outlet for creativity is no longer sewing, than what can I do to still be creative? Can it be in the way I get dressed, a completely different art style? Can it just be in creating a life I enjoy? Doing a simple wrap skirt from a free mood pattern, every other month seems to be all that I am capable of right now. Even though I have a dedicated sewing space and can make dedicated sewing time, I just don't feel motivated to sew right now. A few weeks ago my fri

This summer my wonderful partner Tim and I had the opportunity to go out to Yellowstone National Park. Tim’s dad is working there this summer as a park ranger, so we trekked out from Pennsylvania to visit! With 40° temperature swings and sudden rain showers on clear days, the weather in Yellowstone can be kind of insane. While I knew I wanted to make something to bring and wear, my cute little dresses weren’t going to make the cut. So what could I make? Then I remembered a virtual sewing class I took with Fabric Mart nearly two years ago on Elbe Textiles’ bucket hat pattern. Fabric Mart had also gotten in a few different water repellent fabrics. Perfect. I decided to make three different hats: one for myself, one for my partner, and one for his mom. After consulting with my coworkers on colors I picked three different 100% nylon water repellent shirtings ( CAC5934 and CDD5952 still in stock) and a polyester/polyurethane PUL fabric ( DUC5909 ). I paired the dark gray shirting with a L

Dee & Dory are back on the Fabric Mart blog, and they've got some fresh Fabricista Makes to share with you! Dive into their latest video to catch all the details on their fabric picks and how their projects turned out. It's a cozy chat filled with sewing tips and inspiration – just what you need to spark your creativity! Click play and join the fun! Dee: Summer calls for a bright white Jacket and a colorful top!  I used a waffle weave double knit for my fabric for this summer wardrobe essential!  The fabric from Fabric Mart was wonderful as always. This medium weight fabric laundered easily and was a breeze to sew on. The pattern I used was Simplicity 1073 view D, with three-quarter  length sleeves and a one button closure on the front. The pattern itself was an easy sew, with two small pleats on the front bodice  at the shoulders and a box plate in the back. For the colorful summer top, I  used a polyester with lyrca. This fabric also laundered up wonderfully and was easy

Happy Friday All! It's amazing how fast this summer is flying by. Even with my decision to work this summer, I've been determined to carve out some time for a few sewing projects before the new school year begins. Lately, I've been pondering over my style and contemplating the wardrobe pieces I'd like to create for the upcoming school year and know comfort would be a priority. I am drawn towards loose, flowy clothing that's versatile and easy to style. When I stumbled upon this stunning rayon challis fabric print with two different colorways, I immediately envisioned two specific looks, a pants or skirt set.  I wanted a loose-fitting relaxed set that I could rock to work. Even though I didn't end up creating those exact looks, I was certain that I wanted to make a coordinated set.  Initially, I wanted to use Simplicity 9756, but upon examining the finished garment for the size 18 pants, it became evident that extensive modifications would be needed to achieve th

  Hi everyone! I’m back again joining you today with another blog. As of lately, I have been participating in various physical activities to improve my health such as: running, Pilates, strength training, etc. I love wearing spunky/cute workout wear, because we still want to be fashionable at the gym right?! It dawned on me that I have never made any activewear, so I decided to give it a try.  This year it feels like tennis outfits/skirt & pickleball outfits have been all the rage. I have recently seen them in all of the major stores. Not only are they adorable to wear, but they are multifunctional (at least in my eyes). You can of course play tennis/pickle ball in them, workout in them, or just have an everyday wear in them.  For this outfit, I did not use a commercial pattern. For the skirt pattern, I had an old pleated skirt that I got the measurements from & created the pattern from that. When freelancing a pattern, it’s always important that you add seam allowance &

Hello friends,  This is Byrd, your curvy sewist and I am back with my latest Fabricista make.  This is the newly released Cashmerette Loring Dress, a size-inclusive beginner-confident flowy summer dress.  The dress features a V-neck, pockets and tie that cinches in the waist.  The Loring pairs so nicely with Fabric Mart’s cornflower, magenta and pink floral cotton lawn.  Fabric Mart’s cotton lawn is a dream for summer projects!  Its lightweight breathable nature and smooth silky drape is perfect for warm weather garments like the Loring Dress. The vibrant cornflower, magenta, and pink flowered fabric is a joy to sew and wear.  Fun fact:  Named after the flower, the color cornflower is a medium blue mixed with a little green.  Cotton lawn is easy to cut and sew and pre-washing is always a good idea to avoid any surprise shrinkage after your garment is finished. I also recommend using a serger/overlocker for a clean interior finish. Cashmerette describes the Loring Dress as an explosion