Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: ITY Dress

Hi sewing friends - Andrea here from Happy.Things.Here over on Insta with this week’s post – I’m sharing about a favorite fabric and pattern today! 

So… the last two months have almost gotten the best of me. We made a somewhat unplanned decision to move homes and life has been just insanely busy and hard to find time to sew. But sewing  is such a joy and a stress reliever for me, so I fit in this fun and easy sew amidst the chaos and it made me sew very happy! Sneak peek – how could this print NOT make someone happy?

First, let’s talk fabric. ITY, or Interlock Twist Yarn, is one of my all-time favorite fabrics for sewing clothing. Fabric Mart did an Instagram post with a video on this fabric and I highly recommend you check it out if this fabric is new to you. Three things I love about ITY – 1) it’s easy to care for and rarely wrinkles, 2) it’s easy to wear, great for drapey pieces, and works all year long, and 3) Fabric Mart gets great deadstock prints and colors from fashion designers at amazing prices. OK, I guess that’s actually six things but I can’t help myself – I love ITY! Here’s a casual summer dress I made last year from a Fabric Mart find:

And here’s a dress I made a few years ago in another ITY using the pattern I’m sharing below. This is one of my go to work dresses – and a rare pic of me at the office!

For this month’s project, I used a printed fabric I’ve been hoarding in my stash for at least a year, maybe more. It wasn’t expensive but it is sooooo gorgeous and I was afraid to cut it into it. It’s also a very busy print with a lot going on so I needed the right design to showcase the fabric. I decided to use one of my most favorite dress patterns – the Go To Fit & Flare Dress by Pattern Emporium. Here’s the line art from the pattern: 


Why do I love this dress? It’s a flattering design, fitted at the bust but skims over the mid-section without being shapeless due to the separate skirt/bodice design and the flared skirt.  It also comes packed with options – four front and back necklines, three skirt lengths and six sleeve lengths give you endless possibilities. It also comes with a waistband piece so you can make a skirt in addition to the dress. I’ve made at least five versions so far and every time I make one, I say, I need to make another one! 

So here is today’s sew – I did the knee length skirt with ¾ length sleeve and crew neck. I did a binding instead of a band for a dressier look…and I could not be happier with how it turned out! What do you think? 

I had to be really careful with orienting this print on my body – it’s so busy and has some circular elements which I wanted to avoid landing in awkward places. I use a projector for sewing and Pattern Emporium has awesome projector files which have full pattern pieces – so I didn’t have to cut on the fold and could see exactly where the print will hit on the dress (I really wish all designers offered full pieces with their projector files!). I am happy with how the busier print came to life into this gorgeous dress. Here’s me taking a break after all the packing and craziness of the last two months:

I hope you enjoyed seeing this project and hearing more about my love of ITY. Check out the site and see what’s in stock! And Happy Sewing!

Andrea  |  @happy.things.here

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

Comments

  1. Your dress is beautiful and looks very comfortable as well! Amazing how perfectly it matches your shoes, too. Good luck with the move!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you!! We survived the move - and I set up my sewing space!

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Thank you! I just love this print!

      Delete
  3. What a beautiful dress! - Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's gorgeous! I love ITY an awful lot too, and your dresses demonstrate exactly why it's so awesome. Thanks for sharing your make(s)!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! It’s such a versatile fabric base. I love it for nearly everything!

      Delete
  5. The fabric really enhances the pattern's silhouette! What a beautiful dress!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your choices are all superb. Perfectly balanced print and very flattering on you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. The simplicity of the pattern allows the gorgeous fabric to express itself. Great choice.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Pattern Emporium’s Lyrical Top Featuring Fabric Mart Fabrics

 Sewn in a lightweight  rayon challis , this top combines style, comfort, and fluidity. There’s one thing I love in a summer sew: effortless drape—and the Lyrical Top by Pattern Emporium delivered just that. This pattern is a new release, and when I spotted this dreamy rayon challis from Fabric Mart Fabrics, I knew it was the perfect pairing. Lightweight, breathable, and with just the right amount of movement, the fabric really brought the pattern to life. Today, I’m sharing all the details—from fabric choice and construction to styling and fit—plus a few thoughts on why this top might just become a repeat sew. Pattern Overview: The Lyrical Top by Pattern Emporium The Lyrical Top is a relaxed-fit design with bloused sleeves and a gently flared frill cuff. It comes with three sleeve lengths and two neckline variations. I chose the tie-neck view, but there’s also a collar option for a slightly different vibe. I’ve been looking to add more stylish tops to my wardrobe this year, a...

Made By A Fabricista: A matching set and a happy error.

 Hi sewing friends! Today I’m sharing a new outfit I made inspired by looks I’ve been seeing pop up in my Facebook and IG feeds a LOT this year. I’m talking about those monochromatic matching top and bottom outfits, sometimes in linen, sometimes in a flowy knit - the ones that advertise they go effortlessly from loungewear to office wear to going out wear. So I decided to “sew the look” using Fabric Mart fabric and a few patterns I already in my massive pattern library. First, let me share that I have very few solid color pieces in my closet. I’m so taken in by whimsy and geometric prints that this is still a gaping hole in my wardrobe -  a matching solid color set was actually a practical addition for me.  So let me walk you through how I created this look, and also tip you off to an error I made while cutting that worked out pretty well after all. Can you spot the error? Hint - it’s somewhere in the top: Here’s how I went about building my matchy match outfit. And here’...

Made By A Fabricista: Birthday Dress

May is my absolute favorite month, we get to enjoy spring weather and it is my birth month.  The birthstone for May is Emerald. I think emerald is such a gorgeous color so when I saw this beautiful ombre charmeuse I thought it would be the perfect fabric to make for my birthday dress.  To be honest it took me a while to narrow down on a design.  After a lot of back and forth I ended up going back to my first sketch that I created. I love to sketch out my ideas to figure out the patterning and materials. To create the design I used the method of draping on my dressform.  I used the lightweight muslin that Fabric Mart offers.  It is always best to use a muslin or material similar to your final fabric.  I started first by marking my style lines with some draping tape on my dress form.  I tore out pieces of muslin to fit within those lines making sure I am always marking my grainline. I also used the muslin to determine how I will create the rosettes onto...