Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Matching Sets Are Always a Win for Me

Image
By

I think I might have a problem.  I’m obsessed with a good matching set. Matching Sets can be considered as a coordinated chic look. A perfectly paired top and bottom that creates a seamless, stylish look with minimal effort. I think that’s exactly what I did. 

Usually when I’m looking for fabric, I try to have something in mind of what I’m going to make with it. Well, I’m here to report that I totally forgot what pattern I was going to use for this beautiful fabric. I believe I had a dress in mind, but I couldn’t remember the pattern for the life of me.  The fabric I chose is called Indian red dandelion soft lavender flower poplin shirting.  I’ve used poplin from Fabric Mart several times and it’s always a win for me.

I went through several different patterns for the top, until I landed on the Sara Top from Fibre Mood. I’ve had this top in my stash for so many years, and I thought it would be great for this fabric. This pattern is basically 2 rectangles with a channel for the elastic at the top. It also has 2 straps you can tie at the shoulders.  You also have the option of making this top into a dress just by making the pattern pieces longer.  As you can see, I went with the shirt version, and I made an XL based on my body measurements.


I recently had the opportunity to test the Paris Palazzo Shorts and Pants pattern from Made for Mermaids. This was the first pattern I’ve ever made from them, and I love it. For the test I made the shorts version.  This time around I made the pants version. These are a wide leg pant with a high waist 2” elastic waist with a draw string. There are so many things I like about these pants, the waist band being one of them.  My second favorite part about these pants is the pockets. I’ve never made pockets like this. Let me show you how they’re sewn together and how they look once you’re done.

1. Once you’ve cut out 4 pocket pattern pieces, I would suggest adding interfacing to the area of the pocket that is marked on the side seam.

2. With right sides together, pin the pocket to a front pant piece and stitch around the marking line. Cut into each corner and trim down to 1/8 around area just stitched.

3. Press pocket to wrong side of pants and press. Top stitch around pocket opening.

4. With right sides together, align another pocket piece long raw edges and stitch using a ¼ seam allowance.

You now have a pocket! I love how clean this looks. I may or may not start doing all my pockets this way. 


I gave this set a casual, going out to lunch look. I styled this with a pair of sneakers and a bag from Amazon. Gold accessories to match the gold chain of the bag completed the look.  If you are looking for a breathable fabric for summer sewing, then I would pick up some poplin shirting fabric.  It’s not just for shirts.

 Until next time!

JOHANNA | @soveryjo









Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 4, 2025 at 8:42 PM

    What a cute set on you!!! Good idea about the pockets, too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 6, 2025 at 10:58 AM

    What a nice attractive outfit you made .Very professional.

    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: A Wooly Wearable Blanket.

By
Twirling in a me-made outfit! I live in a small town where the nearest fabric shop is a road trip away, so I almost exclusively shop for fabric online. Having access to an online shop like Fabric Mart with a solid search engine is incredibly helpful. But by far my favorite aspect of Fabric Mart is what I call the “Drape Picture” included in each listing! This picture gives me all the information I need and I find it more helpful than the exact weight per yard/square meter.  Seeing how the fabric falls close or away from the body gives me a clear idea of how it will behave and inspires me to make it into something that will highlight the fabric’s nature.  When I saw the drape of this “Baked Plum” wool suiting , I immediately wanted to immortalize those beautiful folds into a skirt! I opted for a simple self-drafted pleated skirt with a deep hem. I wear my dresses year-round and rely on wool skirts that I layer under or over my dresses for warmth. I cut two panels for the front ...
12 comments
Continue Reading »

Made By A Fabricista: Which comes first – the fabric or the pattern?

By
Ah, the age old question garment sewers are often asked – do you choose the pattern first and then look for fabric, or do you buy fabric and then later decide what it will be when it grows up? If you are a sewist with a large fabric stash (like myself), then perhaps you are on Team Fabric. I would say I definitely lean that way, but there are also times when I land somewhere in the middle – I see a fabric and I think, I’ve just seen a pattern and these two would be perfect together! And that’s how gorgeous dusty rose stretch velvet and a recently released cardigan pattern came together to create the newest addition to my wardrobe. And had me improvising a few things along the way. First. I have to admit - I have a stretch velvet problem. I see it pop up on the website and I almost always grab it, especially if I see a sale. It’s not the easiest fabric to sew (it’s slippery as heck!), but I love it so much and I especially love using it in non-traditional ways. In my last blog post, I...
4 comments
Continue Reading »

Made By A Fabricista: Back In The Saddle

By
If you don’t know in October my beloved Bernina sewing machine blew a fuse and started smoking while I was using it. She went to the shop for repairs, and then I moved. So it’s been a bit since I’ve sewed last and I’ve had trouble getting back into it. I knew I needed a simpler project to get me going again. Julie sewed up a Jarrah sweater recently ( restock coming soon! ) and gushed about how simple and rewarding a project it was. Then we got in this beautiful wool/cashmere sweater knit from England. I was seeing lighthouse keeper, sheep herder in the highlands. I knew it had to be my Jarrah sweater. I did lengthen the bodice by 3 inches. I actually sewed up a mock up with the curved hemline, but decided that wasn’t for me and went with the straight hem. Of course I took zero photos of said mock up.  Oops. Otherwise I sewed it up in a size 6 as is. Using the serger this really does sew up quickly. The dropped shoulder creates clean, simple lines that make it easy to sew u...
2 comments
Continue Reading »