Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: A Little French Terry Dress.


Working at Fabric Mart is rewarding in many aspects. Inspiration fills you when you are around so many fabrics. The colors, patterns and other characteristics of the fabrics take me to a world of imagination. 

One of many the afternoons sitting at my desk in front of bolts of fabrics waiting for me to take them one by one and determine their information to describe them for the website, I suddenly pictured a dress made out of  the two fabrics that Brett had put together on the table. Sometimes I feel like he is doing it on purpose! I stopped describing and just had to run to my boss and ask her "Julie, may I sew a dress with two of the new children fabrics that came today?" She did not hesitate, "Sure! Whatever you need to do!"
Immediately I grabbed my best friends: scissors, a ruler and a piece of paper. I drew a sketch and took the bolts to cut the pieces I needed. Very sleek as if I were doing something wrong I drew the patterns on the fabric and cut them using a pen and pins. If I would have had a sewing machine there I bet I would have sewn it!

I went home that Friday with my pieces and put them together. The sewing machine did not want to work, the thread on the opposite side was getting messy and loopy. I followed Julie's advice: to follow instructions of the sewing machine manual but that didn't work either.

And then I was reminded of my mother when I was five years old and she was sewing all night long one night, I woke up and saw her sewing with paper underneath the fabric, I thought it was one of her many inventions.

 So that day I tried with paper and it worked.
 For the flower I cut circles folded them in half and found the radius. While holding the center with one hand I gathered from one edge to the other. I hand sewed each and made many more of those until I had enough for the fluffy flower. I love how French Terry and Jerseys curl up so I took some of those curls and used them as decor for my flower.
The dress is made out of an Apricot French Terry and a Floral Cotton Poplin.  SOLD OUT
Taken from the New Children's Collection of Fabrics introduced two weeks ago in the new arrivals of our website

French Terry is a Cotton Knit that allows skin to breath and is very confortable and especially soft to wear against the skin. For that reason the dress is lined in all French Terry and the Ballon Skirt is made out Poplin that being crispy holds its shape and body. This crispness was also suitable for the floral decoration. 


I finished this cute dress at 11:30 pm. in between helping my daughter, doing dinner, feeding the dogs and cat and weeding. But I enjoyed sewing that day. I hope you all like it and enjoy the New Children's Collection.
Send me your ideas and projects to fabricmartblog@gmail.com, we would love to show them off on the blog! ~Gabby

Comments

  1. Hi - I'm curious - did sewing with paper underneath help keep the machine from eating the fabric? The last time I sewed with a knit - the machine kept pulling the fabric into the bobbin hole (sorry, don't know what else to call it) and it was tricky to say the least. Would sewing with newspaper prevent that?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. Gabby used the paper because her bobbin thread was knotting when the fabric was not being guided very well by the feed dogs. Using the paper prevents the fabric from getting stuck and allows the feed dogs to move it easily.

      Delete
  2. good post, so cute dress, thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: A Wool Pinafore for Winter

Hello exciting wintry weather! Brrr, though. For my December post, I wanted to sew something more unusual for me, something outside my wide leg pants and big boxy sweaters, and this pinafore combination is exactly that. I really like the layering aspect and how easily one could switch up the look based on the top worn underneath, and how this pinafore pattern could easily work for all seasons based on fabric choice and possibly adding leggings. The new Love Notions Pianoforte Jumper in this incredibly charming polka dot wool blend suiting is just right. I wanted wool for warmth, and the sweet print just sent me. Of course a pinafore looks SO darling in dots. The Pianoforte is a slightly-cocoon shaped dress with princess seams and some large and handy front inset pockets. There is a zip-front option, but I went with the pullover plain front. I love the vintagey, sort of old-timey vibes of this style, and categorize this one under dopamine dressing.  Because the wool is on the heavi...

Made By A Fabricista: Cozy Sewing Season

The cozy sewing season seems like it came early this year! Temperatures in Pennsylvania have been in the freezing range for weeks, so it is time to break out the flannel, sweater knits, sherpa, wool, and other warm fabrics. Fabric Mart's website is stocked with gorgeous cozy fabric perfect for sewists living in cold climates. While searching for fabric for my first cozy sew of the season, a Cranberry Plaid 100% Cotton Flannel fabric caught my eye. I loved the colors and the plaid pattern. I ordered 3.5 yards to make a button-up flannel shirt for myself, and a little extra fabric to make a button-up shirt for my son. I also ordered two packs of 10 Soft Pearl Plastic Shirt Buttons and "My Mama Made It" sewing labels from Kylie and the Machine. I envisioned one of these labels being added to the side seam of my son's shirt for a bespoke detail. Once my order arrived, I washed my fabric and reached for my Grainline Studio Archer Button-Up paper pattern. I used this pat...

Made By A Fabricista: Feeling Festive in Red

Happy Holidays! I’m so excited to bring you this all red holiday look that would be a hit at any holiday gathering this season. Whether you’re headed to your company holiday party or just going to sit in your living room, you’ll fabulous doing so. For this month’s post I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I have been a Sew It Academy student since Mimi G opened it back in 2016.  Sew It Academy is her online sewing academy that shows you what to do once you open your sewing machine and different lessons come out every month showing you different techniques and how to sew different things. Sew It Academy now offers PDF patterns and sewalongs that come with them. I made the Boxy Pullover Top and the Bubble & Wide Hem Skirt which are both Sew It Academy patterns. The Boxy Pullover Top is the first garment class offered in Sew It Academy, so it’s super easy to make.  I’ve seen several YouTube videos for the same top and they are all pretty much contructed the same way.  I...