Made by a Fabricista: Dramatic Double Knit Swing Dress

Happy New Year, Fabricistas!

It's Meg from Cookin' and Craftin', back here with another double knit project. Can't stop, won't stop...

With so many stunning double knits regularly popping up in the Fabric Mart listings, how could I resist?! This designer black and white jacquard double knit fabric, in particular, is so unique because of the design and the fabric content.

A cotton, rayon and lyrca blend? Yes, please. The fabric is super soft to the touch from the cotton, perfectly drapey from the rayon, and has fabulous stretch and recovery from the lycra. A unicorn blend, folks.

Plus, the design is really striking. The double knit fabric has a large scale black and white design woven into it with overlapping, patchwork-looking designs, ranging from geometric to floral.

I vacillated between different pattern options for my project with this jacquard double knit. Initially, when I saw "double knit," I thought it would be perfect for a Fulton Sweater Blazer. But then, once I got my hands on it and had a better feel for the fabric's hand, I changed my mind. I knew just the pattern to make this fabric shine...

I wanted to do justice to both the huge print and the fabulous drape, so I opted for a swingy t-shirt dress instead. I chose the Madeit Patterns Groove Dress, figuring it would serve as the perfect blank canvas for this dramatic print. I'd made summery versions of this dress in the past (here and here), and loved the movement and simplicity of the pattern. I like that you don't have to break up the print with lots of seam lines, and can show off the print to the full extent.

This Groove Dress is a size 18 with the straight (as opposed to high-low) hem, high, round neckline, and long sleeves. Since my previous versions were for summer, I hadn't printed out the long sleeve pattern yet and my printer was out of ink, so I laid my Cashmerette Pembroke long sleeve pattern over the Groove Dress short sleeve pattern and sorta merged them. Worked out great!

I just love my dress! The combination of a simple pattern and a dramatic fabric was just how I envisioned it! So twirly and cozy and fun.

Thanks to Fabric Mart for yet another killer fabric...

Made By A Fabricista: Three Methods to Explore Colorblocking

Hey sewing friends! As I pondered what sort of plan to tackle for my next wintry project, a new and glorious array of rainbow Polartec fabrics filled the Fabric Mart site. I’ve enjoyed sewing with this brand’s fabrics for many years now, and I’m all too happy to add some more to my wardrobe. I picked two of my favorite types, the Power Air Grid Double Knit and the Power Grid Fleece. Choosing a few colors in matching weights to combine them into something totally me sounded perfect. Look at this stunning heap! When I’m sewing two different fabrics together, I prefer to use the same weight and type so that they behave similarly and hang well together. Any extra piecing like this also creates topstitching opportunities galore! (You already know I’m all about that available thread matching.) In this case, I opted for three colors in each of the two fabric varieties I mentioned above for the best combining results. I figured I’d dive in with a brief overview of how y...

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Made By A Fabricista: Coat Sewing Chronicles

Sewing a coat is not for the faint of heart, or for the sewist looking for a light project. It is possibly the slowest form of apparel sewing that exists. If you’ve made a coat, chances are, you know what I mean. No matter what you do, you can’t rush through it, you can’t skip steps or cut corners, you just have to roll with the punches. One minute you’re flying through assembly thinking “I’ll be finished soon,” and the next you’re running away from your sewing room because you need space. Are you guaranteed to end up with a bespoke wonder in your coat closet, most definitely! But heed my warning, if you are looking for a quick win, it is not a coat! My coat sewing chronicles began around Christmas when I fell in love with a black-and-white basketweave wool-coating fabric on the Fabric Mart website. I quickly placed an order for 3.75 yards to finally make the Seamwork Bay coat I’ve been dreaming of making for a while. In addition to my Fabric Mart wool, I also ordered Kasha Satin...

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