Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Hello again, Fabricistas!! It's been a while since I blogged last, but I've been lurking about and occasionally sewing.  While doing my daily (yes, daily, I am not shy to admit it!) rundown of Fabric Mart's new arrivals, I fell in love with this cotton pique lighthouse print fabric instantly.  I did some research for inspiration and quickly figured out this material was for a Lilly Pulizter shift dress in 2014-- I love the Designer Fabric section ... I've picked up some sweet designer surprises before in that category.  It was not labeled with the designer's name, but I plugged into my search engine a few descriptive words about the print and up came a list of fashion bloggers wearing the original dress and then again on the designer's website.   I made a version of the Lilly Pulitzer Delia Shift dress to fit my figure with a reprinted vintage 1960's pattern, Simplicity 1609 .  I used View C and cut a 16 bodice and made the skirt much more o...

This is just a friendly reminder about the two contests we're sponsoring right now. We have two changes to the contest -- extended end date and additional prize until Contest #2. See below for details.  Both contest deadlines have been extended to May 14 with winners being selected on May 16. Some needed a little bit more time to finish their wrap dresses, so that's why we're extending the deadline.  Here's a copy of the contest info.  We're having two contests! Contest #1:  Purchase one of the fit-along kits between April 11 and April 30th, and be entered into a drawing for sewing prizes! Winner will be picked at random. Contest ends April 30th, 2016. One entry per person. If you order more than one kit, you will NOT have that number of entries. You will have one entry only. Two  winners will be selected on May 2nd. Winner will receive one of two prize packs. Prizes Available: 1) A  Julie's Picks Swatch Club Membership  ($50 value) ...

Remember last year when I made the light mint green top/brown linen pants combo?   Remember how I matched the cover art for the Butterick 6183?   Well, I did it again.  I guess I really must aspire to be the cover art for Lisette, as this is the second (accidental) time I have made a garment that pretty much exactly looks like the cover of a Lisette for Butterick pattern.  LOL. Clearly there is a difference or two from the original and my version, but they do look darn close.  All in all this was a satisfying make, and since making it over a month ago, I have worn it three times, so it is a satisfying wear, as well. When faced with my make for the month of April, I knew two things, I wanted to make it in a bright solid color and I wanted a project that I could get done before leaving for Spain in late March so I could wear it on my trip.  The colors I had chosen for my travel wardrobe were teal/aqua blue, black, and grey ( you can see many of m...

I was very interested in this pattern when it was released but didn't buy it because I have a ton of wrap dress patterns (yeah, yeah, that's not a good reason!). It still amazes me, as someone not versed in pattern drafting, how patterns can be so similar yet so different. This is a true wrap dress --which I love-- and has release pleats at the waist instead of darts. This definitely intrigued me. I also liked the fact that overall it's quite simple, yet it has enough detail to make it stand out. I chose this kit because of the fabric! The dress itself is a great transition piece and I think the fabric lends to that too. The weight, color/print and the fact that it's a knit really allows it to be worn year-round. Can I just say that I really love this dress?! If you follow me, you know how much I praise the wrap/surplice silhouette. It's my favorite. I also love the tulip-y wrap and slight hi-low hem.  While I was constructing the dress, I...

I've always been attracted to the linen separates in neutral shades that Eileen Fisher sells. They seem timeless, elegant, but with an edge. They are also beyond my budget at well over $100 a piece. So, when Fabric Mart came out with their new line of designer quality linen I knew exactly what I wanted to make- neutral separates that I could mix and match with my current wardrobe. I'm really more of a print person- it's rare that I choose a solid color fabric because there are just so many beautiful prints to choose from! But, I've realized for a while that I need some more solids, especially neutral solids in my wardrobe. For these pieces, I chose the brown-olive shade for the pants, natural for the top, and black for the jacket- all from the Designer Linen line. The brown-olive is really a fantastic color- just perfectly in between brown and olive, so it will go with just about everything.  The natural is what I would describe as cool toned- which is ...