Fabric Mart Fabricistas

I usually end my posts with a thankful message. Today, I’ll start with it: this time, my gratitude goes to my husband. Short of sewing and modeling this outfit for me, he did everything else. Most importantly, he made sure I got started! Let me explain. My creative juices have dried out in the last few weeks. They say it takes a village to raise a child. I’ll say that once a child is around, it takes a village to do anything. Between work, viruses, and a little one that needs your eyes, ears, and hands at their disposal 24/7, there is not much brain space or energy left.  For weeks, I had scrolled through the Fabric Mart website and blog almost daily. The New Arrivals section indeed reveals new materials EVERY DAY! I was looking for a spark, trying to find the fabric, and then being inspired to do a project. But days went by, and nothing popped up. In comes the husband:  HIM: Can you sew something for work? ME: No… I have everything I need…  HIM: Ok. What about making an...

  We are continuing to recognize all of the wonderful employees that make Fabric Mart so amazing... If you've shopped inside our retail store you've probably have met the person in today's employee spotlight! Everyone say hello to Isabelle!  Who are you? Tell us a little bit about yourself. My name is Isabelle. I’m 21 years old. I work in the store at the Fabric Mart. How long have you worked at Fabric Mart? I’ve been working at the Fabric Mart for about 2 and a half years. What are your main responsibilities? What do you do? My main responsibilities involve working with customers in the retail store. I answer customer questions, help them find things, and check them out when they’re ready to buy something. I also work to keep the store tidy, and I help fulfill online orders when I can.  What’s your favorite thing about working at Fabric Mart? I enjoy being able to help customers find the right materials for projects that they have planned. I think it’s cool getting to se...

Hello, sewing friends! I’m looking forward to sundress weather, full of floaty fabrics and pretty pastels. I was highly inspired by all the splendid springtime prints on the site, and I had loads of fun scrolling through the lengthy challis listings to find a few outstanding floral prints to combine into one bold and (hopefully) cohesive dress. Stuff like this gets me a little giddy, creating all the options and groundwork for something magnificent. I really think the fun of plotting and planning is the main reason I sew for myself; all the possibilities are wonderful to consider.  I chose to create a Chalk & Notch Marcel Dress in the midi length (there are also a mini dress and tank length included in the pattern). Marcel is a marvelous pattern for color blocking due to all those gathered tiers. Having sewn a few Marcels over the years, I will happily attest that this dress feels wonderful to wear with all that voluminous fabric swishing about.  This is a loose and bill...

Just in case you are not aware, the iconic Diane Fustenberg wrap dress has turned 50 this year.  In celebration, Vogue has re-released the DVF Wrap Dress pattern, which now comes in extended sizes.  This dress is so classic and fits many different body types.  I got a hold of this pattern and decided this would be my birthday dress this year. This pattern is categorized as a Very Easy Vogue pattern, and I would have to agree with that. Wrap dresses are usually relatively simple to put together since there aren’t that many pattern pieces to sew together. I made View A in a size 22 and the only modification I made was to shorten the hem by 6 inches.  I will say that since I used a Ponte Knit , I could have gone down to a size 20.  I didn’t read the fabric suggestions before picking my fabric.  I’ve always remembered seeing the DVF Wrap dress in knits. After reviewing the fabric suggestions, they do say that you can use soft fabrics, like a Challis or a Chambr...

Hello fellow sewists! My name is Bianca Kim and I’m so thrilled to share these makes with you as this is my first time getting to be a Fabricista! I know I’m not the only one who’s addicted to buying fabric from Fabric Mart. I’ve been machine sewing for the past 17 years and continue to fall more in love with it as I get older.  For this project, I knew that I wanted to make some separates that could easily mix in with both my wardrobe for work and for life. I also knew that I wanted to connect with my Korean heritage by making some modern hanbok garments. And voila! Sara at SewTherapy.net has created the perfect patterns for these types of items and more!  Lately, I’ve noticed that I’m missing a light and easy sweater in my wardrobe that can go with everything. So, I was really happy to find this “Gray Heathered Rayon/Lycra Jersey Knit”. My idea to make the hanbok jacket out of this soft and airy fabric turned out to be just what I was needing! I modified the pattern and exte...

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon with Sharon Sews with my latest Fabricista make – a denim coat  for spring.  Denim is a wardrobe staple for many of us, and even more so this year with denim on denim looks coming back in style.  The denim I used is a medium weight cotton/lycra blend with about a 20% stretch selvage to selvage.  Fabric Mart always does an amazing job photographing and describing their fabrics, yet I still gasped in delight when I opened the package containing my denim.  It was even better than I had anticipated. This fabric would have worked well for a traditional denim jacket – one with button front closure, chest pockets with flaps, and a collar.   However, I have wanted to sew this open front coat with kimono inspired sleeves and big patch pockets since February 2021.  I saw it in that month’s  BurdaStyle Magazine, bookmarked the page, and promptly forgot about the coat.  It’s coat #105 if you’re interested in sewing ...