Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Originally I wasn’t happy with my make this time around. I put it on fresh off the sewing machine and didn’t love how it fit. My elastic was slightly too narrow for what the pattern called for. I did end up putting a stitch to close up the v-neck on the top. I thought my sewing on the waistband looked sloppy and I looked kind of frumpy in the outfit. I was going to put the project down to fix later but decided to wear it out for some feedback from our web manager and one of the describers.  I ended up pleasantly surprised! The fabric is super comfortable and I felt really good wearing it. All the things I didn’t like kind of melted away wearing it out. The flaws were so small that only I noticed them. I think it’s important to remember that while striving for perfect seams and flawless construction is good, a handmade garment doesn’t have to be perfect to be wearable. This isn’t the first time I’ve softened on a garment after wearing, and it certainly won’t be the last! The 100% c...

Today we thought we would give you access to a little more behind the scenes of what makes Fabric Mart so special.  It's time for another Employee Spotlight! We sat down & asked one of our newest employees a few questions... Let's get to know Cole! Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself. I was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina and lived there until moving to Reading to live with my partner Gale late last year, and started at Fabric Mart not too long after.  What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? What I usually tell people is that my job is to move fabric from one piece of cardboard to another, since the machine does just that, taking the fabric that comes in on rolls and folding it onto bolts.  What’s your favorite thing about working at Fabric Mart? My favorite thing about Fabric Mart is the access to all the interesting and quality fabric that comes through, and the inspiration it gives me for different projects.  What questi...

The Zadie Jumpsuit has become one of those rare sewing projects that I return to again and again. The pattern, created by Paper Theory, is beautifully drafted and thoughtfully written, making it appropriate for confident beginners but still fun to make for experienced sewists. I have made this pattern before, so I wanted to select an fun fabric. Feeling adventurous, I wanted to use a fabric I have never sewn with before in a dramatic color. I choose to use a beautiful, bright yellow silk noil from Fabric Mart to make this jumpsuit. Silk noil is made from silk and has a slubby texture and is linen like. When silk is made, the long fibers are spun into silk thread, but the short fibers are made into silk noil. Because the fibers are short, the fabric becomes textured. Silk Noil is also known as raw silk. Unlike slippery silks, it behaves like a stable cotton fabric so it is easy to sew!  I’ve made two versions, each with a completely different  look. My first was sewn in a red ...

Hello sewing friends! I’m always excited to start planning projects for the upcoming season, and even though autumn is my favorite seasonal change, spring is a close second. Having bare arms and exposed legs feels almost overdue at this point, and I’m diving into a new pretty outfit with lots of great details to show off in sunny weather.  (Also, stay tuned, because one pretty outfit turned into an unplanned bonus outfit with some marginally-careful cutting and no master plan.)  I chose a pair of fabrics (and of course, matching threads) that I really tried hard to coordinate online and totally lucked out! The blues are darn near exact matches and I’m just giddy over this fortunate turn of events. The idea of lighter saturated blue denim like this has been on my mind, and this shade is so super springy and fresh, just exactly what I want to wear right now. Kind of 70s? Let’s say yes. This is a midweight 100% cotton denim twill with no stretch and lots of body.  Which bri...

What to wear? Do you ever find yourself standing in your closet asking yourself what to wear? Lately, I’ve been struggling due to my changing body and the changing seasons. I’m halfway through my second pregnancy, and it seems like most of my clothing just isn’t working for me. With Spring just beginning, it isn’t warm enough to wear most of the bump-friendly dresses I made during my last pregnancy. I’m no longer able to wear regular pants, and most tops are unflattering. So what do you do in this situation? If you are a seamstress, then you sew your way out of the “what to wear” hole. Since I have a couple of pairs of store-bought maternity pants, I figured my priority should be to make a couple of bump-friendly tops. After falling in love with two different rayon challis fabrics on the Fabric Mart website, I placed an order and started planning. With a lovely royal azure, white, and gray rayon watercolor floral-print challis , I would make an Ellie and Mac Patterns Shantelle Shirred ...

It’s that time of year again! It’s spring time! That means it’s flower dresses for everyone! Yes, I needed three consecutive sentences that ended in exclamation points. Lol If you didn’t know, spring is my favorite time of year because it means my birthday is coming.  Last year I chose to make a dress for my birthday and I loved it. I probably should have made something for my birthday again this year, but this fabric was calling my name.  I wish there was more of this fabric so we could be fabric twins, but it’s sold out.  The fabric I chose for my make is a dark imperial blue floral print challis . Again, it’s sold out, but I bet if you wait a little bit the challis will go on sale.  I loved this fabric the minute I saw it because blue is my favorite color and I love a good floral print.  Also, it’s screaming springtime! This fabric washes and dries really well. I pulled it right out of the dryer and folded it right up until it was time to cut into it. I didn’...