Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Congratulations, Audrey! Audrey won (3) patterns of her choice from our online store.  Great use of material! What a challenge!  Using a print, panel, and chiffon! But our designers did an awesome job! Unfortunately we have to send home one of our designers. We are sad to see Shams go this week as her design had the lowest score. She did a great job in our challenge! Don't forget to stop in on Saturday to see what the next challenge will be!

For this week's challenge we sent the designers another surprise. Each designer receive 2 panels of a striped poly chiffon.  Additional materials could be used to line the garment or to add detailing.  However the panels must make up a majority of the piece.  The winner will receive (3) patterns of THEIR choice from our online store . This is the panel the contestants received. They received two panels to create their garment.  Buy a panel now! VERY limited quantities available. Panels available have a slight flaw, but able to work around. We really wanted you to have the opportunity to be inspired by our contestants and create your own garment! Shams from  Communing with Fabric I used the poly chiffon panels from Fabric Mart to make the top from Vogue 1333 , a Sandra Betzina pattern. As I was sewing the top, I realized that that the sleeves were very unflattering on my busty figure with my large upper arms, so I had to make som...

Fabric of OUR Choice Surprise! A box of beautiful fabric just showed up at your door and you need to make something to wear this weekend! For this challenge, we are going to send each designer material for the next challenge. But they do not know what they will be getting! Unlike the Bundle Challenge, the designers will be working with the same fabric. 5 Seamstresses will compete in this challenge. You will have one week to complete this challenge. Challenge : Using the fabric we have selected for you, challenge yourself by making a unique garment and working with a material you may not have used before to create one well-made garment. You can use a pattern of you choice to construct your garment.  You will be judged on creativity, functionality, craftsmanship, and fit.  The winner will receive (3) Patterns on YOUR Choice from fabricmartfabrics.com . 

Congratulations, Diane!  Diane's look was classy, fashionable, and looked great on her!  She won a silk mystery bundle from our retail store in Sinking Spring, PA.  Unfortunately we have to send someone home this week. Meghan 's look received the lowest score in this challenge.  She will be greatly missed  in our competition! We loved her beautiful work in our past challenges!  Check back here on Saturday to see what the sixth challenge will be!

If you have ever attempted a vintage pattern, you know how difficult this challenge is! Vintage patterns often have pleats, darts, collars, and gathering. But let's not forget the curve ball of sizing and fitting! For this challenge they were able to choose their own pattern and materials. Vintage patterns can be found online or at yard sales/estate sales and thrift shops. The pattern must be at least 20 years old to be considered vintage. We gave our seamstresses 2 weeks to complete this challenge encouraging them to take their time to really focus on perfecting the fit and details of their garment. Vote for your favorite design at the bottom of this post! Shannon from  Shanni Loves I was really excited to get to sew up one of my vintage patterns from my stash.  I chose McCall's 2282 from 1970 because it had the same feel of a navy blue shirt dress I had seen on Pinterest that I had pinned to my Inspiration board (and let me tell ya...

Timeless Classics Vintage dresses are made up of clean lines, darts, pleats, buttons, and feminine shapes. But most importantly, they are about a great fit! 6 Seamstresses will compete in this challenge. You will have 2 weeks to complete this challenge. Challenge : Sewing a garment from a vintage pattern is challenging. The pintucks, pleats, and precise fit can be difficult to master. Choose a vintage pattern and modernize the piece. You can modernixe your piece with styling, embellishment, or fabric.  You will be judge on difficulty, craftsmanship, how fashion forward your look is, and FIT! Take your time, you will have two weeks to make it perfect! The winner will receive a Silk Bundle (6 yards). 

Congratulations, Shannon! Shannon won a notion assortment from the Fabric Mart retail store! Everyone did a wonderful job and this was a difficult challenge to judge!  (Make sure you check out our Fashion Challenge page up top if you have questions about how we score the contestants.)  Unfortunately, Nicole's look received the lowest score this week and we have to "send her home." We loved having Nicole join us! She made gorgeous garments! Please check in on Saturday to see what our next challenge is! 

This week's challenge was all about the classic little black dress.  For this challenge we asked them to create a story for us. Their dress should be able to tell us a story.  Where they are going? Who they are going with? What will they be doing? Make sure to vote for your favorite design below!  Audrey from  Sew Tawdrey Channeling my name sake Audrey Hepburn, (my mother was a huge fan)  I will be wearing my version of a LBD Audrey made famous in the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). I will be wearing it when my husband and I attend the opening night festivities for the exhibit “ Hollywood Costume”  at the VA Museum of Fine Arts on Nov 9 th . How appropriate it is to wear an iconic dress to an exhibit that explores the central role costume design plays in cinematic storytelling. My dress is sleeveless with a cowl neckline, and a gathered pegged skirt trimmed with feathers. The fabric is black wool challis, lined in Be...