Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Do you ever sew projects that are seasonally inappropriate?  That's where I'm living today.  There's literal snow on the ground, the winter winds are making our mild days icy and I reach for...linen?! Seems crazy, but when I saw this linen/cotton print , I had visions of a happy trench coat snow be danged. I'm quite a fan of making jackets in general (like my favorite silk jacket here ), and trench coats have a special place in my heart.  As I was planning this one, I went through my closet and realized this would be trench coat #5--all different styles, all widely different fabrics from a sheer embroidered organza to a linen appliqued trench coat to one made from crazy patchwork upcycled denim .  But trench coat I can't quit you with all your lovely buttons and luxurious lining. So trench #5 it would be for this project! So much interfacing When this delicious linen arrived, I noticed it was a little lighter weight than other linen/cotton blends I've worked w...

  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! This wrap wool coat is my last make of 2020 and wow what a year it has been. Can you believe 2020 is almost to an end? It seems to have flown by and crept by simultaneously. This make was right on time because the high in Atlanta on Christmas day was an almost freezing 34 degrees. The Micheal Kors  baby blue wool coating caught my eye because it's such a beautiful color, it reminds makes me think of a snowy, icy winter. The kind we don't usually have in the south. It is a good heavy that will definitely keep you warm. The hand is smooth, soft and just amazing to wear. I debated quite a bit about what to make with this wool...a peacoat? a cape? I guess this wrap coat is somewhere in the middle. Butterick 6720 is a wrap front coat with no closures, patch pockets and a self tie wrap. The pattern it self comes together easily, though I might opt for a lighter wool next time.  I love the fact that I can just throw this coat on and wra...

  I've been in the mood for something different lately, and one thing that I do not have a lot of in my wardrobe has been animal prints.  They always felt a little too edgy for my personality.  But lately, I've been seeing them everywhere, and my eye has adjusted to see them as really quite lovely!  I decided to try to use them in a few different styles- artsy, dressy, and sporty, and see how they worked.   For the dressy look, I used this snow leopard jersey knit and a pattern that I downloaded from the Russian Burda site- Burda Plus 1/2019, 404 .     This is a pattern for knits, and has a really nice shape to it.  Ordering from the Russian Burda site was really easy- the patterns are very reasonably priced.  Currently they are 99 rubles which is about $1.32.  Of course, the instructions are in Russian, so you have to be able to either understand Russian or be able to wing it on your own.  I am in the second camp!  The s...

Happy Saturday Everyone! It seems like forever since I wrote a blog post. The past 2 months have been quite a challenge as I lost my sewjo, creativity, and drive to create. I had so many plans to finish off 2020 strong but my energy level has been at the lowest. In all honesty, I needed this time to reflect and regroup to focus on what matters. Going to work daily in a physical building leaving my children at home to do virtual learning all alone left me feeling guilty.  I made a decision in late October to put a pause on sewing for a few weeks giving my attention to them every chance I get. I have had moments where I broke down hearing other parents cry out for help, but in all honesty, 2020 has drained me the last few months emotionally in so many ways. I knew I had to get out of this slump, not take things too personally, and create a few pieces to lift my spirit before the end of the year. I have been wanting to make the Dionne duster by SewAltered style pattern with a designer...

  For this month's FM post, I decided it was only appropriate to show some simple gifts.  I love making gifts for family and friends and this year, is no exception.   I needed some quick, cute, and useful projects.  Along came the idea of cute little cosmetic/travel bags.   I love bright and cheery fabrics and since I knew these would be gifts, I wanted some variety of prints.   Both prints are fun and cheerful, but also perfect for the recipients I have in mind for these sets.   I really love sewing 100% cotton and these bags came together easily and quickly, yet still look great.  I had some fun putting together a contrasting fabric for the lining for each of these.   How cute is this blue dainty floral print with this colorful border print?  I cut the border print on the cross grain to take full advantage of the fun print on this fabric. With simple projects like these, really the sky is the limit for what you...

My sewjo has definitely been lacking due to trying to shelter in place. Back in March when we started working/schooling from home my sewjo had a little spike as initially felt like I had a bit of extra time in my day. Sadly, it didn't take too long to lose that extra hour I'd gained due to not commuting. Add to that the fact there's no where to go so when would I wear these makes. Lastly I, like many, have gained weight the last few months (that's not totally Covids fault) and sometimes I hate sewing for a size I'm not so happy with.  Picking up skating helped a bit because I could sew and wear new makes to social distance skate events, but what really kicked me back into high gear was the arrival of fall. Usually summer is my favorite season to sew for, but during this time of staying home cozy loungewear and comfy separates are really speaking to me. So when I was looking for fabrics this month I selected three double knits to make some easy to wear fall looks.  T...