Made By A Fabricista: Caftans and Cocktails!

I selected to sew up the Charlie Caftan by Closet Core patterns in View B, a long, gently gathered bodice with waist tie. I chose a lightweight rayon in a pink and yellow floral, 70s-style print from Fabric Mart. I think this pattern is a great opportunity to use bold and large print since there are large pattern pieces. Overall, the pattern was easy to sew except for the front panel, which I will discuss later on.

Closet Core recommends lightweight to medium wovens like rayon challis, tencel, crepe de chine, or voile—all my favorite fabrics to wear because they are soft and cool which make a caftan feel so comfortable.

The pattern pieces are very long and are cut on the fold. I made sure that my fabric was on grain so it would hang properly. I used pattern weights and a rotary cutter to cut the fabric out. I chose to make the sleeves that are longer. I may adjust the opening as the opening is more revealing than I prefer. I increased the length by 4 inches since I am tall. It is oversized and I may size down next time for a closer fit. The V neck was not difficult to sew with a facing but I would like to change the neckline to be either round or square next time.

The panel is the most challenging of this pattern but after following a sewalong by a youtuber called Sew Sew Live for this part, it was easy and very straightforward. It is constructed similarly to a welt pocket, so with precision and patience can be done without too much difficulty. I think I need to stabilize both pieces of the panel next time or make the caftan in a cotton so the panel can be more study.

Best tips I can offer:

• Mark all your dots and notches with washable marker

• Add lightweight interfacing to the stay-stitch area for support

• I did not pin anything, I just lined everything up and sewed slowly

• I recommend to hand-stitch the closure—it’s slow but consider it yoga for the soul (I could not find a way to avoid hand sewing this part, my hand sewing skills are not the neatest.)

The inset panel turned out well and I love this detail that elevates the whole dress.

From there, it’s smooth stitching: facings go in, pockets slide into place, side slits get stitched, and the magic of it all comes together when the sides are sewn shut.

This caftan is forgiving as it is meant to be oversized. I tend to not make muslins and I think you can skip one with this pattern. The tie makes it more fitted if it is on the big side. You can size down if you don’t like a lot of easy and it still will be roomy.

The long View B Charlie Caftan is now in the rotation for hot days, vacation, or just feeling fabulous with a refreshing cocktail in hand. It’s roomy, flowy, and feels glamorous without fuss. Definitely secret pajamas! The inset panel is a great sewing challenge and it is really fun to learn a new construction technique.

I cant wait to start hacking this pattern to make a few more in a loud, bold print!

Happy Sewing!

Patricia | @Hoppaheedahoe

Made By A Fabricista: Fall Sewing with a Fabric Fave

Hello sewing friends! It’s usually around this time in late summer when I start to get excited about Fall sewing, and here we are! One of my favorite types of fabric for the colder months is Double-knits - specifically Liverpool . So today I’m very excited to share my love of this amazing fabric plus two new pieces I just added to my wardrobe. So let’s talk fabric! Liverpool is a member of the Double-knit family – fabrics that are constructed using two needles which creates a double-layer of fabric. They have less stretch than classic knits but they have really nice structure and are a joy to sew. Liverpool has a textured surface – often bubble or crepe-like – and is usually medium weight. And then bullet fabric is a kind of Liverpool fabric that often has a finer and softer weave. To be honest, I really can’t tell the difference most of the time, so I just call it all Liverpool. 😊 I LOVE Liverpool knit for pants, dresses, structured skirts and jackets. Fabric Mart always ...

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: 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...

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