Made by a Fabricista: Preparing for the Holidays

Hard to believe the holidays are fast approaching and in six weeks we will welcome a new year! I am determined to celebrate in a big way!!! I picked Vogue V1722 by Designer Nicola Finetti for its statement bodice and statement sleeves. Yes, indeed, I am loving its close-fitting bodice, plunging neckline, balloon sleeves, and flared skirt.

I dared to make this special dress in Fabric Mart’s embroidered silk dupioni, a fabric I had not sewn before. I did not prewash the silk dupioni as dry cleaning will be my method of care for the finished garment. I underlined the bodice with prewashed black cotton batiste from my stash instead of the suggested interfacing. Though not called for by the pattern, I also underlined the skirt the same way to minimize wrinkling when I wear it. I prewashed black silk charmeuse (from Fabric Mart) to use as lining. Then I lined the balloon sleeves with champagne colored organza from my stash to give it more body. For the hem band, I used French fuse as interfacing for the charmeuse. Size 60 needle was perfect for these fabrics. Believe me, with all its details, this dress is not something you can make in a hurry!

Because of its distinctive style, I highly recommend making a muslin first. The bodice has a princess seam and is lined. The deep plunge is all the way to the waistline, but I did not want that much exposure. To decrease it, I stitched the front bodice 2 inches up from the waistline and stitched the strap 6 inches up from the waistline. The bodice hangs by 1 ½ inch on each shoulder and attaches easily to the flared skirt and closes in the back with an invisible zipper. I cut in half the width of the hem band so that the skirt, which is longer in the longer in the back than the front, would not touch the floor.

The sleeves are super dramatic. The upper sleeve is lined and attached to the gathered lower sleeve, which I lined with organza to make the bubble look standout. Each lower sleeve has 11 tucks stitched in different directions and 3 pleats on the inseam. Because the sleeves were too long, I added two 5/8’ tucks on the inseam of each sleeve and increased the size of the middle tucks by 5/8’ each. A sleeve band controlled the look.

Additional details: I doubled the size of the bow (black charmeuse lined with organza) attached to the front strap to make it more proportional to the dress. Hand stitching in the armhole binding, arm band, and hem band gave the inside of the dress a professional finish.

Wow, I feel so fancy! The design of the dress and beautiful fabrics gave me a striking dress. I am dreaming of an unforgettable celebration already.

Til next blog,

MARY ANN | @anasewperfect

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories SILK & DUPIONI.

Made By A Fabricista: A Pink Suiting Set for Spring

Spring is here! So is my first blog of the year. I had some inspiration with this one. I saw a picture on an Instagram profile and wanted to make my own. Now, my version ended up a little different, but overall, I really love it. However, I still want to recreate the inspiration pic at some point. For this look, I chose a cotton candy pink double weave suiting . It is soft, has a semi-textured hand, and has a crepe weave on the wrong side. The fabric does have some stretch to it. I absolutely love the color and feel of this fabric. This is a suiting fabric with the softness of a knit. The thing I do not like about it though is it snags. So, I had to be careful using pins and seam ripping to prevent snags. I had the Fernanda Vicki Sews pattern in mind but once I downloaded the instructions and saw how many pieces were involved, I switched to a different pattern, lol. I ended up making the Riana Blazer. It has a semi-fitted blazer with a straight silhouette. A belt and belt loops that yo...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing the Eleonora by Silversaga – A Romantic Dress you need in your closet

I recently had the pleasure of sewing up the Eleonora pattern by Silversaga, and I’m excited to share my thoughts because this one really surprised me—in the best possible way. If you’re not already familiar with Silversaga, their aesthetic leans into romantic minimalism—think timeless silhouettes with poetic details. The Eleonora Dress is a vintage-inspired, chemise-style from the Regency Era of the 1800’s design infused with modern elements like adjustable sizing, soft gathers, and flexible fit details. The Eleonora is a thoughtfully designed dress pattern with multiple views and customizable features. Some of its standout design elements include: • Adjustable fit via ties and elastic channels at the neckline and waist, allowing it to flatter a range of body shapes and sizes. • Sleeve options, including short or long gathered raglan sleeves, often finished with ruffles for added softness. • A full, swishy four-panel skirt—complete with in seam pockets and a deep hem—that b...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing the Chalk & Notch Hayes Dress

Hey lovely friends! With summer knocking at the door, I am absolutely ready for breezy dresses at all times. I love linen all year round, but summer is my particular favorite for this fiber. This bright happy color fills me with delight, and it’s so perfect in the sunshine. For this project, I got all my supplies in one go! I chose this stunning Sea Green linen , lightweight fusible interfacing , ½” elastic , and of course, matching thread. If you haven’t sat down to create your own little sewing kit with all the bits at hand, it’s quite a nice gift to yourself and makes getting started that much easier. I’m all about ease these days. I sewed the new Chalk & Notch Hayes Dress with the open back cutout, which is View A. The other two options are a closed-back dress and a two piece set. I was a tester for this charming pattern, and I can confirm the two piece set is also gorgeous and really fun to wear. I have looked forward to sewing this version for weeks! Please...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog