Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: A Mini Summer Capsule Collection

Image
By

Hello Everyone! Summer is upon us and I am excited about sewing with bold colors and printed fabrics. Every summer, I try to make a mini collection to mix and match with items in my closet.

The Fabric.

I selected 2 different color ways of a cotton poplin fabric in the blue and pink. I especially love that it is a stripe and floral mixed prints fabric. It’s lightweight, breathable and absolutely perfect for a hot summer day.

The Pattern.

I made 3 different pieces in this mini collection: a pair of casual shorts, a blouse and a maxi dress. For the shorts, I used McCalls 8221 view B with the ruffles on view A. I made Nina Lee Patterns “Bakerloo” for my blouse and it turned out great. The midi/maxi dress was made with the newest Helen’s closet pattern: Reynolds. I didn’t make any fit alterations or style changes for any of the pieces I made, the “Reynolds” dress did come with D come size which I took advantage off to make my dress. Overall, all of the patterns I used were easy to make with the given instructions.



The Sewing Process.

The process was a bit long as you can imagine making 3 pieces from 2 different fabrics. I decided to mix and match the different color ways of the fabric into each of the pieces I made to create color-blocked and mixed prints pieces. The shorts and maxi dress were relatively quick makes, the blouse had a lot of sewing details especially while making the collar but the result was definitely worth the sewing time.



The Styling.

I made 3 items and showed about 4 ways of styling the pieces. The blouse can be styled with pair of high waisted pants for work but also dressed down with a pair of denim shorts for brunch or a cookout. The casual ruffle shorts can be paired with t-shirts for running errands or dressed up with a cami for date night/girls night out. The maxi dress is versatile as well, it can be styled as is with a pair of strappy sandals or with a denim jacket/white blazer. These 3 pieces will work so well with items I already have in my closet.



I look forward to wearing my summer collection pieces all season long, have a good weekend and see you on my next post!

RALIAT  | @raliat.oyinlola

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following category POPLIN & COTTON SHIRTING.

Comments

  1. Florida farmwifeJuly 16, 2021 at 9:03 PM

    Wow, those pieces are wonderful. I love seeing how you made them work with others in your closet.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JDJuly 17, 2021 at 12:01 AM

    I really like the Reynolds dress. I can see where your pieces will greatly expand your wardrobe.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJuly 18, 2021 at 10:24 PM

    Your garments are lovely.
    How long did it take to make them with your busy schedule

    ReplyDelete
  4. Peg SullivanJuly 25, 2021 at 11:48 AM

    Smashing. And the fit is great. You look very cool,

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Recent Posts You Might Like

Sewing With Intention: New Look 6106 and a More Coordinated Wardrobe

By
Sometimes a sewing project begins with a beautiful piece of fabric or a pattern you just have to make. This one began with my closet. Recently, I did a major closet purge. I took a good look at what I actually wear, what I kept reaching for, and—maybe more importantly—what was missing. Once the pieces I no longer loved or wore were gone, something became very clear: I want to be more intentional about what I sew next. Instead of sewing individual pieces that I love but don't necessarily wear together, I want to build a wardrobe where my handmade garments coordinate with the clothes I already own—and with the pieces I'm planning to sew next. For this month's Fabricista project, this beautiful lightweight shirting from Fabric Mart turned out to be a wonderful place to start. The Fabric That Started It All Fabric Mart provided this beautiful oatmeal and black heathered shirting , along with the matching thread for my project. One of the things I love most about this fabric is ...
9 comments
Continue Reading »

Sometimes The Fabric Chooses The Pattern

By
Have you ever fallen in love with a fabric and immediately envisioned exactly what you wanted to make, only to realize halfway through the planning process that the fabric had other ideas? That’s exactly what happened with this project. I used Fabric Mart’s Black/Dark Cobalt/Smoky White Poly Foliage Print Chiffon , and while I initially had plans for a detailed dress, the fabric ultimately led me in a completely different direction—and I’m so glad it did. When I first saw this gorgeous chiffon print, I was immediately drawn to the rich color palette and beautiful movement. The dark background paired with the cobalt and smoky white foliage creates a striking look that feels both dramatic and versatile. My original plan was to make a dress with princess seams, buttons, and more structured design elements. However, after spending time with the fabric, I realized that all of those seam lines and construction details would compete with what makes this chiffon so beautiful: its drape, moveme...
6 comments
Continue Reading »

The Perfect Plan for this Linen Blend! Until I Changed My Mind.

By
Hello Sewing Friends!  It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with another Fabricista make.  When I saw this linen blend designer fabric on the Fabric Mart Fabrics website, I was intrigued.  After all, I, like many of you, love to find designer fabrics at an affordable price. It is a linen/nylon/rayon/Lycra blend, and I wondered what the designer had created with the fabric as I wasn’t familiar with that combination of fibers.  Surprisingly, I discovered a sleeveless, lined, mid-length vest in the same color with an almost identical fabric composition. Perfect! I’ve been wanting to sew a longer vest with matching pants, and that discovery confirmed this fabric would work beautifully for the look I had in mind.  The vest I’m wearing, from the June 2026 Burda Style magazine, it is not what I was originally going to make.  You see when I found the designer’s vest, I remembered seeing a Butterick pattern that was almost identical.  I ordered the pattern excited to...
4 comments
Continue Reading »

Return to work wardrobe in ITY – which is your favorite?

By
In June of this year, after spending nearly 11 years at my place of employment and after restructuring and cost cutting, I took a separation package. I was so fortunate to be able to take a few months off, and also to very quickly find a position with a new company. I start my new job on September 14th and I’m super excited!  This new position is also different for me in that it is local to my area (whereas before I worked remotely and traveled to the office every few weeks) – so I’ll be going into the office three times a week. So of course I needed to sew up some new outfits! I’m a huge fan of ITY knit fabric ; ITY stands for interlock twist yarn, which describes the way the yarn is knitted together. I love it for tops, dresses, skirts, and even pants: it’s comfortable, easy care, low wrinkle, and comes in so many beautiful prints. I sewed up three new outfits over the last two weeks and I’m excited to share them with you today! Oh, and also – I need help choosing what to wear fi...
18 comments
Continue Reading »