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Made By A Fabricista: Art In Motion



Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Tira from TIRACOOKS and I am so excited to share this project with you. When I first spotted this fabric, I was drawn in by how stunning it looked it reminded me of a living art piece. Then, when I looked closer, I noticed painted hanging plants in the print, which made it even more special. This fabric is one of my all-time favorites: chiffon. It cuts so smoothly, and the best part? Any wrinkles come out effortlessly with a steamer.

Before cutting into anything, fabric prep is essential! Chiffon must be prewashed by hand in cold water with a gentle detergent or baby shampoo. Always serge or zigzag stitch the raw edges to prevent fraying. Submerge and gently swirl the fabric to wash never wring or twist it then air dry flat. I used a 70/10 needle in my Juki DDL, which is perfect for lightweight fabrics, alongside my Juki overlock machine.



Look One: The Duster & Dress

I was lucky enough to create two completely separate outfits from this fabric. The first look is a long duster coat paired with a thigh-high slit dress. Since this chiffon is quite sheer, I needed a lining that was opaque enough for my comfort. I used black gauze, which was what I had on hand and it worked perfectly. I love how floor-length everything is lots of coverage.



Close Up Look Two: The Two-Piece Set

The second ensemble is a fun two-piece set combining a one-shoulder crop top with a simple pencil skirt. The added glamour comes from this gorgeous metallic silk fabric from Fabric Mart just look at the tinsel sheen and the flow of that cummerbund skirt! I have never sewn such beautiful fabric before. I even kept the scraps just in case for another project needs a tinsel touch.



Sizing

For sizing, I cut a straight size from the size chart without any grading between sizes and cut at a size 18.

Since these patterns are originally designed for knit fabric, I made a modification: I chose to use a nonstretch woven material and went up two sizes to accommodate for the lack of stretch. Most patterns can be adapted this way with a little planning, if you didn’t know that you should give it a try next time you see a knit pattern.




All of the fabric featured in these photos came from Fabric Mart can you tell it’s my favorite store? Chiffon will always be my fabric of choice for spring sewing, and only difficult to sew when you don’t prep your fabric. Thank you so much for reading! It’s always more enjoyable when you’re working with high-quality fabric I cannot wait to be back with more.

Be sure to follow me on social media for all things fashion-related. Thank you, Fabric Mart, for helping me fill my closet with beautiful clothes!

Until next time Happy Sewing!

Tira  |  @tiracooks

Comments

  1. Wow! All the looks are stunning. What a great use of this delightful fabric. (Mine is waiting to become a floaty summery maxi dress.)

    Thanks for the clear and helpful tips for sewing with chiffon, and modifying knit patterns. You achieved a great fit with all of your garments.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tiracooks? How about TIRA SEWS!!!! Stunning!!!!!

    ReplyDelete

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