Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Howdy! Jess here again.  Today I'm sharing a versatile make for myself, and a sweet little set for my daughter, who we're still waiting to meet.  Let's start with my look! This is Deer & Doe's Aubepine , or as I discovered via Google Translator translates to Hawthorn.  Also very important:  IT HAS POCKETS! I'm usually a 40-42 in Deer & Doe, but with 40+ extra pounds of baby, etc. opted for a 44, plus added a 1/2" full bust adjustment on each side (so, 1" total extra bust room) and am quite happy with the fit!  I also found the empire waist to cut me a little short, and the dart was also a bit too high, so I lengthened the bodice 1" above the dart and it hits in a great spot now. The thing that really drew me to this pattern was the easy, breezy style.  I'd actually had it prepped and ready to make during my last pregnancy but had never gotten around to it.  Glad I did this time!  Besides the FBA, I made no other alte...

Recently, a friend's mother passed away and after a few months of grieving, that friend kindly invited me over to dig through her mother's fabric and patterns. I spent nearly four hours going through all of the old sewing treasures. There were so many great things in her sewing room. I walked away with a gallon size bag full of vintage buttons, a couple of sewing books, and this one wrap dress pattern! This is a vintage pattern of Very Easy Vogue 9276 . Last month I placed an order at Fabric Mart for three yards of this cobalt blue linen fabric. At the time I wasn't sure what pattern I was going to use with this fabric, but I knew I wanted to sew a dress. Three yards is my go to amount to purchase when I am sewing a dress. (This linen fabric is no longer available, but look around at all of the other linens at fabric mart , there's a great selection.) When I found this pattern, I knew the fabric, pattern combo would be perfect! Linen is so timeless and so are...

It's the first week of spring! Though it is quite chilly in the southeast ( hence my indoor photos ) and the northeast has snow. Still, I'm excited because I can't wait to say goodbye to winter. I dislike cold weather ( by the way anything under 59 degrees is cold - lol ). I'm starting to sew for warmer temps in the hopes that 60s and 70s are in my weather forecast.  But since that doesn't seem imminent I'm starting my spring sewing with this jumpsuit. Jumpsuits can be a great transitional pieces, paired with a cardigan or blazer they can carry you from a chilly morning to a warm afternoon. What comes first the fabric or the pattern? For me it can be either, but this time I was moved by the fabric. As soon as I saw this Green Aztec Print ITY I knew it had to be a jumpsuit or a maxi dress. Obviously, I opted for a jumpsuit, Butterick 6630 to be exact. Mostly because I've had this pattern for a while and I haven't used it. I also love that it...

Oh how I look forward to SPRING in Miami as I truly enjoy the amazing weather and the entertainment events during the month of March.  My favorite of them all is the "Jazz in the Gardens" music fest that occurs annually to kick off Spring (happening today and tomorrow) that celebrates the diversity of arts and culture. I look forward to a weekend of relaxation and music without the kids each year and the musical artists (both old and new school) that graces the stage.  I was so excited to select berry fuchsia linen fabric ( here ) as my March blog post to wear to the event. Styled with a TANK top and flats. When I came across a few linen looks on PINTEREST, I knew I wanted to create another palazzo pants for my March post just in time for Spring break vacation and the Jazz event.  After grabbing some great deal from the PRE-CUT  section back in January of this yummy marmalade linen and how amazing the palazzo pants turned out, I knew that I would use linen t...

Have you tried any of the fabrics in the Pre-Cut and Kit buyout sections?  I have been enjoying these for quite some time now, and have been amazed at the quality of the fabrics and the prices!  I wanted to make a black and white mini-capsule using some of the white and black pre-cut and kit fabrics that I've purchased, and was looking for some styles that were modern and easy to sew, when I came across Closet Case patterns .  I'd heard of them before, mainly of their Ginger Jeans pattern, but since I'm not a jeans person, I hadn't looked any further. But, they also have some very cute tops and dresses, so I decided to give them a whirl! My first Closet Case pattern was the Ebony - this is a swingy knit top and dress pattern. The fabric is a solid black rayon lycra jersey that came in a kit, and is very drapey. I liked it so much that I made a second out of a black and white printed rayon jersey.  Really a super simple raglan sleeved design, that shou...