Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Greetings, all! I am in such high spirits with the best-of-all-seasons just beginning and change is finally in the air. I always rejoice when the sweatiest time of the year passes and we can all take a deep breath and gear up for cozier times.  Neighborhood Patterns is a new-to-me designer, and I came across them on Instagram in late summer and fell in love with the Plain Jane Skirt. This is such a simple A-line skirt, but with nice details like large inseam pockets and an optional drawstring, and though I’m sure I could draft this style myself, the appeal of having it all done for me was too tempting to pass up. A sew such as this is a lovely palate-cleanser and this was the first project I sewed after returning from a cross-country trip. Perfect! The gorgeous plaid flannel is exactly what I want to be wearing in the fall. The fabric is SO soft and a pleasure to snuggle up in. Because flannel does not have much body and is prone to stretching or shifting with all its mechanical give,

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon with Sharon Sews with my latest Fabricista make – a three-piece set I can wear as the weather transitions to fall here in Texas. It may look like a summer outfit but there will days filled with sunshine and high temps well into November.  At first glance it looks like a nice, lightweight jacket, top and pants. But look closer – it’s sewn from the designer Tipsy Martini cotton sateen that was originally used by the designer for a pajama set. Now I could have sewn myself a pair of pajamas using the Closet Core Carolyn Pajama pattern (available at Fabric Mart)  and replicated the designer pajamas.  But if I had gone that route the only ones who would have seen this adorable kitschy fabric would be my family.  This print is much too cute to hide out at home.  This Tipsy Martini cotton sateen fabric was lovely to sew. I used black thread, an 80/12 universal needle, and Palmer/Pletsch Perfect Fuse Medium interfacing (link here). Note that this is a rayon fu

I feel like this might have been the first project in years where I planned appropriately for the timeline that I had. With the last bit of summer heat, I wanted to make a cute little set that I could layer with as it got colder. So, here's to a button-up tank and a really floofy skirt. I have made a version of this tank before and it has become a staple in my wardrobe. So having more was an absolute necessity. The pattern is inspired by Edwardian corset covers. I used the pattern from my Medieval Cotehardie back in March as a base. It wasn't the best pattern to use because of the angle of the straps. But it worked for this project. The skirt was inspired by my new obsession for tiered skirts. While this isn't a style that I have historically loved, I have recently started a Pinterest board to help me figure out what I want to transition to wardrobe-wise and realized that almost all of the skirts had some form of ruffles or gathers. Plus, this is an excellent way to get rea

Hi sewing friends! Have you ever decided to try a pattern or color outside your comfort zone just to try something new? I often try to try to stick to what styles I know, make patterns on repeat because I know I will love it. Sometimes my makes look very similar to the colors I choose as well. This time, I am going outside my sewing comfort zone! I chose the Friday Pattern Company Davenport dress in an orange patterned Fabric Mart rayon. I have seen so many beautiful Davenport dresses on Instagram. I have made many Friday Pattern Company patterns that usually fit me really well without many pattern adjustments. I thought the ruffle sleeve on the shoulder, high neckline, long sleeves and tie waist would not be my style. I am so happy to say that I was wrong! I chose a non-floral orange print rayon with a white background which is a gorgeous fabric but not my usual choice of pattern or color. I LOVE rayon, and this one is so soft and very opaque. Rayon is one of my favorite fabr