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Made By A Fabricista: Did someone say FREE??? All about Free Sewing Patterns

Hi sewing friends! I am SEW excited to share this blog post with you today! This is my fifth post with Fabric Mart since I did a guest post late last year and then joined the blogging team in 2024 but I would say this is the post that 1) I worked the hardest to create, and 2) the one that has me the most excited! Today I am going to talk about FREE sewing patterns, showcase a few free patterns I’ve sewn, and then share some very exciting news at the end of this post about an upcoming! First, let’s talk about free patterns – where they come from, why they exist, and how you can find them. But first, here’s a recent free pattern I sewed. This is the Finn Crop Tee from Petite Stitchery . I used an ITY (Interlock Twist Yarn) for this one and I was able to squeeze it out a yard of a fabric. ITY is one of my favorite fabrics to dress up a t-shirt and it wears well across all seasons. And Fabric Mart gets the most AMAZING designer deadstock designs you will ever see! Petite Stitchery offers
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Made By A Fabricista: My Anthropologie Recreate the look Dress!

I went shopping at Anthropologie this Summer with my daughter and she kept saying you should make an Anthropologie Dress, but better! (Like it’s hard?!) So, I did! I chose a beautiful cotton lawn with a navy background, abstract purple roses plus green and beige stems/leaves. I chose to use the Tilly and the buttons Lyra shirt dress pattern with the extra tier and long sleeves. I made my size according to my measurements without any adjustments. I did widen the tie belt to make a larger bow. Anthropologie has a dress now on their site called the Bettina Tiered Shirt Dress by Maeve for $148. How did I do?? I really enjoy wearing and sewing Cotton Lawn. When I see it available on Fabric Mart, I grab it up quickly! This dress is light and soft but with long sleeves it is the perfect dress to wear for Fall.  I don’t normally like shirt dresses or collars, but this oversized dress pattern fits comfortably. The collar is not difficult at all. Tilly has a video to help, but I didn’t need it b

Made by a Fabricista: Youtube Edition | Dee & Dory

 Dee & Dory are back on the Fabric Mart blog, and they've got some fresh Fabricista Makes to share with you! Dive into their latest video to catch all the details on their fabric picks and how their projects turned out. It's a cozy chat filled with sewing tips and inspiration – just what you need to spark your creativity! Click play and join the fun! Dee: My Fabricista was made from a Fabric Mart fashion bundle! That being said, I am not exactly sure what the fabric is composed of or what it’s officially called. I do know that it has a four-way stretch and feels like an athletic wear knit.   I love this fabric!  The fabric was easy to work with sewed up beautifully and feels so nice while being worn. The pattern for this top is New Look 6143. This was labeled as an easy pattern and it lived up to the label.  This top made from the fashion bundle, will become a staple part of my wardrobe! Dory: When I first say this Poplin shirting 100% cotton tie dye I knew I wanted to mak

Made By A Fabricista: From Fabric to Finish Line: Creating My Running Gear

In 2021, I ran my first 5k; I was instantly hooked. I loved the instant sense of accomplishment of crossing the finish line & completing something, but all in all at the time I was absolutely no good at running. Now in 2024, I am an avid runner. I absolutely love running & I still love completing races. It had never crossed my mind to sew any running clothes until lately, but I’m sure glad I did.  On Fabric Mart they had the most amazing windbreaker like animal fabric & I knew it would be a perfect match. For the jacket I decided to block it so that it would give it a bit of extra definition. The actual fabric was really easy to sew with & to cut, however, it was a bit hard to pin & left needle marks within the fabric so I suggest using clips instead. I absolutely loved how it turned out. The pattern that I used for the jacket is a free sewing pattern from Mood Fabrics called the Cory Jacket. It is a fairly simple sew & can be made in a day.  For the shorts, I u

Made By A Fabricista: Well Suited for Fall

Fall is my favorite time of the year! The weather is cooling down and I'm always excited to transition into the cooler weather. I get to create with some of my favorite fabrics and I'm always inspired by all the cool fashion trends for the season. So for this month's fabricista feature I snagged some cool medium-weight twill fabric in a beautiful warm cinnamon color.   This fabric has a medium bottom weight feel to it, great for pants, outerwear, jackets, boiler suits and more. I used a needle suited for medium weighted woven fabrics and my serger for finishing raw edges. The color of this fabric is so warm and inviting. I think it is the perfect color for Fall. I couldn’t wait to create a fall ensemble with this fabric. I chose Simplicity Pattern S9893 because I’ve been dying to create this pattern since it launched. It is a cool cape with cargo pockets, storm flaps, hidden buttons at the shoulder, a collar with button tabs and even more button tabs at the underarm. This c

Made by a Fabricista: With Double-brushed Knit, Comfort Meets Style

Apologies: I don’t have a finished project to share this time. I was so excited to use the fabric I had ordered, and I intend to do so as soon as possible. I plan to sew another version of this romper for a low-key baptism. I want a light and comfortable outfit yet keep it a little delicate, and I believe I can achieve that with this floral double-brushed knit .  Unfortunately, other things got in the way, so I could not complete my project. We even postponed the baptism, so I may still sew and wear my outfit for that occasion in the near future. I will still share some ideas about this fabric because it is a wonderful material. I love double-brushed knit for so many reasons. First and foremost, it is one of the softest fabrics there is. When you hear the expression “buttery soft,” you can picture exactly this type of fabric! Please note: I know now that “buttery soft” is a common expression, but English is not my first language, so I am still surprised from time to time by new idioms

Made By A Fabricista: Quilted Jacket Chronicle

What do you get when mixing the best things about apparel sewing and machine quilting? A quilted jacket! It's funny that I elected to sew myself a quilted jacket for this Fabricista blog because I don't consider myself much of a quilter. I can count on my hands the number of quilted projects I've made over the last few years. While I fully appreciate the end product of quilting, I don't normally gravitate toward starting quilting projects. That's why making a quilted jacket is a new and exciting project for me! It gives me the fun of making a quilt on a much smaller scale. If you are an avid apparel sewist and are new to quilting, this is the perfect project to take for a quilting test drive! For my quilted jacket, I used the Seamwork Easton Jacket pattern. I decided to stick with a solid-colored fabric for the jacket's exterior and ordered 4 yards of Dark Umber Brown Lycra Stretch Canvas Suiting from the Fabric Mart website. I wanted a contrasting color for the