Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Three Bengaline Basics – A Jacket, Skirt and Vest

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews excited to share my latest Fabricista makes with you.  When Fabric Mart offered an array of stretch bengaline suiting fabrics, I choose three different fabrics to sew myself a few basics to be worn as the season transitions from winter to spring.

The bengaline fabric I used is a woven rayon/nylon/lycra blend fabric with the stretch running vertically (lengthwise on the fabric) instead of horizontally (selvage to selvage).  It lends itself well to fitted and structured garments, such as jackets, pants, skirts and dresses.

Because of the vertical stretch, I folded the fabric cross grain to cut out my fabric pieces so the greatest stretch would go around my body.  

I used a stretch needle size 75/11 due to the lycra in the fabric. I also eliminated the interfacing as I discovered this fabric did not like fusible interfacing and I did not have any sew-in interfacing on hand.  

Now let’s talk about the garments I sewed.  First up is my jacket. 

Originally, I was going to use this abstract print to sew an oversized boyfriend style jacket with a black contrast lapel, but realized after I received my fabric that I had misread the fabric yardage and didn’t order quite enough.  I’m sure that has never happened to you.

Having sewn the Style Arc Delphine Woven Jacket before I knew this fabric would work beautifully for the design.  

I did a full bust adjustment and went up one size for a more relaxed fit. I also added 3/8” thick shoulder pads as I think a padded shoulder works well on my body shape.

The jacket is fully lined, and instructions are included to bag the lining which eliminates hand sewing. A huge plus in my sewing world. The pink lining fabric was from my stash, and I added a label as well as a size tag. 

Next up is my pencil skirt. As I have plenty in my existing wardrobe to wear with my jacket, I wasn’t concerned about choosing fabric for the skirt that would coordinate. 

Instead, I picked this charming white fabric with pink flamingos as I have a fondness for those cute and whimsical creatures.  

The pattern I used is the Cashmerette Elwood Skirt, one of their club patterns.  The skirt is fully lined, with an invisible back zipper, a small back walking slit and front angular pockets.  I really appreciate the design of these pockets as they stay flat when the skirt is worn.  I used a cream-colored lining (from my stash) which I think it blends better than if I had used a white lining.


Skirts used to be one of my favorite things to sew and wear, but over the past five years I’ve really gotten away from wearing them.  Between the last skirt I sewed (my Fabricista linen skirt) and this adorable flamingo print skirt, I am really enjoying wearing skirts again. 

My third basic is not something I had planned to sew. However, since I changed my mind on the jacket pattern, I had unused black bengaline fabric that had been ordered for a contrast lapel.  With the limited yardage my choices were another pencil skirt, a cropped sleeveless top, or a vest.  As you can see, the vest won.

In my mind I wanted a somewhat boxy shaped vest with no buttons, so I pulled out a Simplicity pattern from 1989 and got to work.  I did a full bust adjustment (adding a dart), eliminated the back buckle, and added a flat satin piping with tiny rhinestones along the outer edge. 

Once I finished sewing the vest (which is fully lined using lining from my stash) I wasn’t sure I’d made the right decision with the fabric and trim. However, I do like it worn over this white shirt (a ready to wear, as y’all know I could achieve an even better fit if I’d have sewn it myself!) paired with a pair of jeans. 

Now that I’ve sewn three items with the bengaline fabric, I wouldn’t hesitate to sew with it again. If you’ve never used this fabric before I encourage you to give it a try.  

Until next time, Happy Sewing!

SHARON  @thesharonsews

Comments

  1. I think the vest is perfect. It’s a fun piece that will be very versatile as a “pop” of interest for an outfit. Nicely done.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the jacket!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sharon i love all of them! You did a beautiful job. Skirt looks great on you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love them all! That trim on the vest is amazing. The jacket looks so professional inside and out. And the skirt is adorable! I love the Elmwood, it's such a classic. You did a great job with you fabric pairings!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Absolutely LOVE that flamingo skirt Sharon! The jacket and vest are also top shelf and beautifully done! BRAVA!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sharon...very nice pieces. I love the pink lining in your jacket. Great job!!

    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: Celebrating warm weather with Spring sewing!

Hi sewing friends! I don’t know about you but boy, was winter cold and dreary this year! The weather here in the Philadelphia area has been slowly improving, but Spring sure did take her sweet old time to arrive. So by April, I was definitely in the headspace of needing to sew up things that were either bright and cheery or meant for the warmer weather I am very much craving right now. I recently purchased a few SewBexx Patterns so I took them on a test run to create some Spring makes. First on my list was to make a top using this absolutely gorgeous ITY fabric I picked up last year. I had two yards which was enough for a long sleeve shirt. I chose the Olivia top, which is oversized with a drop shoulder, has multiple lengths and a split hem. I think the pattern is intended for heavier fabrics but I was envisioning how lovely this top would look with the drape of ITY knit fabric, and it did not disappoint. It came together for me quickly and was a straight forward sew…and I love the br...

Made By A Fabricista | Chasing Time: My White Rabbit-Inspired Look for Atlanta Frocktails

For this year’s Atlanta Frocktails, I found myself captivated by a character who’s been quietly tugging at my imagination for years—the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. There’s something so relatable about his frantic energy, always checking the time, always running late. While he’s worried about being on time, I’m usually calculating how late I can be and still technically arrive on time. Spoiler: I’m often wrong. It’s a cycle of procrastination and anxiety that I know all too well. So when I imagined my look for Frocktails, I thought—why not honor the White Rabbit? After all, time has been chasing me too. But this look isn’t just about Wonderland whimsy. It’s also deeply inspired by this year’s Met Gala theme, Tailored for You, which includes a focus on Black Dandyism—a celebration of Black elegance, intellect, and expressive style. I’ve been obsessed with this theme since it was announced. As a Black creative, I find it powerful and moving to see style used as a way to reclaim...

Made By A Fabricista: Getting into the Spirit of Summer

I'm not gonna lie y'all, I had a completely different project I wanted to do, but that's gonna take more time, and I wanted something cute, comfy and fun to wear for my birthday on the 19th. When I saw this goldenrod & off white linen jacquard , I thought it looked a bit like the design on a Koroks body, especially Makar from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker! I started with the bodice from the free Elderberry dress pattern from Mood, but deviated for the skirt, it felt a little plain of a design, and I had scraps of a Korok fabric that I knew would be a nice accent with some cut out pockets. I've made these pockets once before, deciding the cut out was based on aligning with the seam on the bodice for how far in, and as for how low depended on where I wanted the pouch of the pocket to start. From there I cut the visible part of the pocket, making sure to match the curve of the waist and following the line of the side seams of the skirt, as well as cutting a facing to...