Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Hi Guys! Even though I live in South Florida, I am ready for Spring! We’ve had way too many cold fronts come through and I’m ready for our very short Spring season.  We usually don’t have seasons in South Florida, It’s either summertime hot or too cold for us. For my April post, I like to make my “birthday look” since my birthday is April 10th.  Last year I made a pink dress using a Vogue pattern.  For this year’s post I decided to go with something representative of the new season and make something floral, which I love.  I decided to make Simplicity 8558.  This is a Misses’ Separates pattern by Mimi G. The pattern contains sportswear separates featuring pull-on wide-leg pants and shorts with an unlined jacket and crop top.  I made View C, which are the shorts and View D which is the jacket. I decided not to make the crop top and styled the set with a white V-neck t-shirt. For the jacket I sewed a size 20 and didn’t make any modifications to it except not ...

The weather in Southwest Florida is finally starting to warm up.  With the warm air and bright sunshine, I have been thinking about refreshing my “at home” wardrobe with some fun easy pieces this year.     I have wanted to make The Saguaro Set for some time now.   When I saw the beautiful selection of rayon challis on the Fabric Mart website, I knew now was the perfect time to get it started.   THE FABRIC I researched a lot to see which fabric would work the best for this pattern.   I chose the Deep Amaranth Pink 100% Rayon Twill Challis for my project.    It is a beautiful color that to me looks more coral. The fabric is light to medium weight and has beautiful drape.  The care instructions said gentle wash or hand wash.   I prewashed the fabric in cold water on the delicate cycle.  However, after drying it on the delicate cycle, the fabric had an almost vintage distressed look.   I was a bit co...

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...

When perusing Fabric Mart's website for my next project, I knew I wanted to make something for the Arizona Renaissance Festival, but as a cosplayer, I couldn't resist making something something from an anime, and where those two worlds collide is with the show Arte, a girl doing all she can to pursue a career as an artist in Italian Renaissance. And when I found this green apple 100% linen, I knew I had to go for it! While I wanted to give a nod to the anime, I wanted something a little different from the animes design or something “historically accurate” and settled on “historically adequate” and drafted my own bodice pattern, originally intending for it to be laced at the side seams. And since I wasn't aiming for accuracy, I also added modern pockets to the side seams! The bodice changed when a friend reminded me that lacing side seams are a little more difficult on your own, so at the finish line of sewing, I sewed the side seams shut, and grabbed a piece of scrap to mak...

This video is the one where I forget everything. Okay that's an exaggeration, but I have a lot going on, with it being deadline seasons for the real job. I needed a simple project. So, making matching tunics for my partner and me plus block printing fits... right? My partner has been mentioning having matching garb for events for... well, since before we got together. It was an expectation for a relationship that I fully support. However, you are now warned that I didn't get this done on time to get photos of both of us. Sorry. Overall, the tunics turned out great. I am continuing to learn more about block printing and how to make that successful. So enjoy this little adventure in sewing with all of my normal chaos. Love, MARTY   |  @scrappypatterns (Feeling inspired? Shop Linen  now.)

When you walk into a fabric store (or, let’s be real, scroll through an online shop), do you already have a project in mind, searching for the perfect fabric to bring your vision to life? Or do you let the fabric speak to you, inspiring a new idea on the spot? Personally, I tend to go both ways. Sometimes, I have a plan. Other times, a fabric stops me in my tracks, and I just know what it’s meant to become. That’s exactly what happened when I saw this stunning ombré fabric on Fabric Mart Fabrics. I didn’t have to think twice—I knew it had to be a dress, and I already had the perfect pattern in my stash: Viki Sews Crystal. I had saved inspiration photos featuring tie-dye and ombré fabrics, so the moment I saw this fabric, I knew it belonged in my collection. Below are some of my inspiration photos from Altuzarra. The Fabric Once I received the fabric, I fell even more in love. It has a moody elegance—subtle but striking, with a depth that perfectly reflects how I’ve been feeling lately...