Made By A Fabricista: Duchess Jacket

I was absolutely thrilled to be chosen to be a Fabricista for 2025! I have been a customer of Fabric Mart for a while now, and I love the variety of the fabric I find whenever I shop.

When I got the assignment for my first blog post, I searched around the site for a fabric to jump out and inspire me. In my mind, I needed to start off big and make something that I’ve had on my list of things to make, but for whatever reason, I have been putting off. I knew I wanted to make a classy and chic winter jacket, and one that would wear well on the days I have to dress professionally for work. I wear a lot of suits, dresses and skirts to the office, so I figured a dressy winter trench coat would be ideal. I decided on Ellie & Mac’s Duchess Jacket, which has a beautiful hi-lo hem, fitted bodice, statement puff sleeves, and faux double-breasted closure.

Once I decided on the pattern I wanted to use, I set out searching for the perfect winter coat fabric. I found this gorgeous Micro Houndstooth Tweed Flannel Suiting, which has a traditional black and tan color from afar. However, when you get up close, there are fabulous flecks of bright colors intertwined in the houndstooth pattern. I thought it would be fun to draw out the awesome colors, so decided to line the jacket with a solid fabric. I know the pattern calls for a slinky satin lining, but I am not a fan of the chilly feeling a slinky fabric brings as a jacket lining. Instead, I opted to use a 100% Cotton Sateen Shirting in a bright cardinal red for a fun pop of color.

For the faux double-breasted bodice, I was torn between a brown and black horn button, or a solid black wooden button. Since I was going for a dressier jacket, I decided on the black buttons because the horn buttons felt too casual for the look I was hoping to achieve.

The tutorial for the Duchess Jacket is very detailed with instructions for taking proper measurements, grading the pattern if necessary, lengthening or shortening for your personal sizing needs, and photos of the construction for each step. The pattern was well written, and sewists of all skill levels would be able to sew their own jacket following the tutorial step-by-step.

The jacket has a fitted bodice, with bust darts and waist darts in the back. I went by my measured size pursuant to the sizing guidelines, and I was pleasantly surprised with a perfectly fitting bodice without any size adjustments.

The construction of the Duchess was very straight forward, and ended up being a lot easier than I anticipated. For the waist tie, I used my most favorite sewing tool: a hemostat. If you don’t have one in your sewing toolkit, I cannot recommend one enough! The one I use is a 12” hemostat, which is perfect for turning long belts, spaghetti straps, or swimsuit ties with ease.

I absolutely adore how this jacket turned out! I love the little pop of red that peeks at the hemline of the gorgeous hi-lo skirt. Although it has a fitted bodice, I am able to wear a long sleeve blouse or thin sweater underneath, which is perfect for the climate where I live.

If you’re looking to make a winter jacket, I highly recommend the Duchess Jacket. There are so many gorgeous winter fabrics on the website, I may need to make another!

Happy Sewing!

KIM | @JosephineRoseSews

Made By A Fabricista: From Paris with Love!

Bonjour! I am still in bliss from my recent trip to Paris!! It was much more than I expected and I absolutely fell in love with the city. I can honestly see myself living there one day. I knew before leaving I wanted to make something to fit into the Parisian landscape because I knew it would be a special opportunity. I was inspired by one of my favorite fashion creators Juliette Foxx. Her checked gingham corset and wide leg pants were on my list to remake. For fabric I used this red and white pin stripe denim twill and deep red sateen for the pants. The pattern I used for the corset was McCall’s #M8182 with a few modifications. The fit was a little large so I took it in along the sides and shoulder seam. I then lowered the neckline since the shoulders were taken in. I used the sateen as my lining which gave a great contrast. My pants are my unreleased pattern which happens to be exact from the inspiration. I drafted these last year and have been wo...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing Summery ITY

Hi sewing friends! I’m dropping in to share a few makes sewn with ITY fabrics and inspire you to try out this slinky, cool-to-the-touch fabric for hot weather if you haven’t yet, or to recommend some patterns that work fabulously if you already love it. This is by far my favorite knit to wear in summer. Since it moves easily there’s lots of airflow, and it just skims the body. More often than not, it has a four-way stretch that doesn’t grow when worn, so it works great for loads of styles. ITY stands for Interlock Twist Yarn and the knit gives it some wonderful drape and stretch. There are lots of different weights and even some differing textures. Because it’s so fluid, the fabric really resists most wrinkling. I’ve sewn three different weights and prints here to show off just what ITY can do! This white floral is a lighter weight and features a slightly crepe-textured finish, and I think that combined with the large and spread-out floral makes it quite elegant and eye-cat...

Made By A Fabricista: Basics vs Fun Clothes

Every summer I make flowy, pretty dresses because they are so fun for me to make, wear, and they keep me cool as temperatures rise. But when the days get shorter and autumn rolls around, I’m not always confident on how best to transition my summery dresses into garments that will allow for the seasonal changes. In an effort to be more intentional about maximizing the use of my clothing, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to make for August. It’s been a hot summer in New Jersey. From what I can see, it’s been a hot summer across the US. Looking for clothing that will keep me cool, perhaps hide some sweat stains, and allow me to transition between seasons, I decided to make separates that would pair well with each other and allow me to mix and match with the rest of my wardrobe. For the top, I wanted a basic tank top, something I could layer later on. For the bottoms, I wanted flowy, summery pants that can last into brisker weather or become phenomenally cozy in front of my wint...

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