Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Comfort Dressing with Style

As 2021 draws to a close,  I don’t think it comes as a surprise that comfort dressing is here to stay, at least for a while. Now the definition of comfort dressing is different for all of us, and for me it means knits. However, I don’t always want to be in yoga pants and tees.

That’s why I chose to sew a knit skirt and top using Vogue 1820. This two-piece ensemble gives me the comfort of yoga pants but in a more stylish way.

The beauty of this design is that you can mix-and-match prints and/or solids, creating a one-of-a-kind look. Fabric Mart Fabrics has a multitude of knits to choose from at any given time which made it easy to choose coordinating fabrics.

I knew I wanted to use prints in a monochromatic color scheme.  To find the five fabrics needed, I started by browsing the knit section on Fabric Mart’s website.  I knew I wanted black as my base color.

As I found fabrics I thought would coordinate, I put them in my shopping cart.  That way I could look at the shopping cart and easily visualize if they would work together.  


I put more in my cart than I needed and deleted ones that didn’t look like they would work, ending up with five that had variations of black, white, gray and a hint of pink.

Because I wanted this look to be soft and flowy, all of the fabrics I chose were rayon or modal jersey knits. Three of the fabrics were panel prints, which worked beautifully as there are so many pieces to this look.  Since I used a panel print for the skirt, I did measure the skirt pattern piece before ordering the fabric to verify it would fit.

The skirt has side front pockets,  an elastic waist with a separate waistband and two rows of elastic.  The bottom ruching is created with an elastic casing also. Both use 1” wide elastic (which you can find in the Sewing Room section on Fabric Mart Fabric’s website.  


Look at how fun the hem looks when worn!  This skirt is the most comfortable knit skirt I’ve ever worn.

The asymmetrical neckline is stabilized with fusible stay tape. I used SewKeys woven stay tape, which I purchased from Fabric Mart Fabrics (look in the Sewing Room notions section).


One fabric I picked out had horizontal streaks with one flamingo pink streak. I had originally planned to use it on the front near the skirt. However, as I played around with fabric placement, I liked it on the upper back as it’s a bit of a surprise when you see the back.


Once I was done, I challenged myself to use the scraps to sew a color block tee using McCall’s 8244.


As I mentioned earlier, Fabric Mart has so many knit fabrics available that you can easily find those that work for your own color block creations.

As for me? I know this is a very unique design, but I plan on sewing another one (sleeveless next time) for the upcoming summer months.


SHARON  | @thesharonsews


Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categorie JERSEY KNITS.

Comments

  1. I love what you made. I just ordered the pattern and plan to order fabrics from Fabric Mart to make it. Thank you so much for showing this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I hope you'll share yours on social so I can see it when you're done. Fabric Mart has so many amazing knits you'll be able to find just the right ones! - Sharon

      Delete
  2. Why did you choose to use the SewKeysE for wovens instead of one for knits? I just started using SewKeysE for knits on necklines, and it is indeed a game changer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi! The neck opening is large enough to get on and off without stretching the knit, so I choose the use the woven stay tape. Either would work , the main goal is to add some stability to that neckline. I agree the SewKeysE is a great product! - Sharon

      Delete
  3. What a really cute outfit! I'm interested to see your answer to the question above.


    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow! I really love the color selection and how it turned out! Lovely! I love this kind of "alternative" styles, so I'm already looking for the pattern online ;)

    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

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

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...

Sometimes The Fabric Chooses The Pattern

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...

Hillhouse Nap Dress Dupe with Fabric Mart Fabric!

I have been wanting a Hill House Home Nap Dress for the longest time, but when I saw the reviews that the fabric was too sheer and the price tag—often well over $200—I decided it would be much more fun to make my own! I found this gorgeous abstract navy and white cotton voile from Fabric Mart and knew it would be perfect for the light, floaty dupe I had in mind. Cotton voile is soft, lightweight, and beautifully suited for a shirred dress like the infamous Nap dress. This abstract print gives the finished dress a more modern feel. I love a floral fabric, but I was excited to find this abstract print in my favorite color of navy.  Rather than using an entire dress pattern, I followed Just Lauren Johnson’s YouTube tutorial on how to create a Nap Dress from rectangles. Lauren walks you through how to use your own measurements to calculate the dimensions of the bodice, skirt tiers, and other pieces. I loved this approach because I could create the dress specifically for my measurement...

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

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 ...