Made By A Fabricista: Spotted Winter Coordinates

Hello Gems! One of my go to fabrics for the winter is stretch knit. I love wearing fitted knit dresses with high necks that hug the curves and make you feel so snuggled and wrapped up when it's cold. This year, for some reason, quilted fashions have also caught my eye and I have been dying to create more quilted and puff pieces for my Winter wardrobe. I'm not sure if it's the snow that dumped on us this year or just trending fashions that I have been subjected to, but I have definitely been inspired. 

So for this month's Fabricista Feature I have chosen two great coordinating fabrics from Fabric Mart's spotted fabric collection that have inspired my Winter wardrobe pieces, and I am excited to share them with you. I spotted a very cool cotton poplin fabric with a large scale graphic circular print on it. It's a very Retro fabric that reminds me of the snow balls in Winter. I also couldn’t resist a black and white Dalmation print stretch knit fabric. An animal print is always a good choice. And the two coordinated so well together. 

Normally, I like to create a crew neck knit dress or turtleneck to stay warm but I have been very inspired by lower necklines this season. So I created a form fitting floor length knit dress with a slight flare on the skirt, deep v neck and bell sleeves.  A silhouette that is very reminiscent of my beloved 70’s fashion. 

To create this dress I used Simplicity 8513 as my base for the top and drafted it into a dress. This was the perfect fabric for this project. The bodice is lined at the bodice which stops right above the waist however,  this fabric is pretty opaque with no issues of translucency. I did leave the hems on the sleeves and skirt raw as I do with a lot of my knit projects. I just love the clean cut of the knit over a hem, it gives a modern appeal to it.  

I had a lot of fun creating this quilted skirt and puff vest from the Cotton Poplin print fabric.  I ran across this Puff Vest pattern  by APK Fashion Patterns on Etsy. There was limited instruction on the assembly of the Puff vest but I sorted it out and created a very warm and very fun piece. I stuffed it with Poly Fil and added ties on the sides and a Tie wrap at the front for closure.  

For the skirt I actually drafted my own pattern pieces. I wanted a simple midi skirt. I created a large waist band at the waist to give it a little more character and more of a snatched corset vibe at the top. I used batting instead of Poly Fil for the skirt. I wanted it to be quilted rather than puffed. This skirt is completely lined with a back zipper and elastic at the back waist so the waistband is more fitted. 

First I quilted the poplin with batting and then I stitched the skirt pieces together, I created the waist band in the same manner separately. I attached the waistband and then the zipper to the quilted skirt. I then stitched the lining in and hemmed the lining and quilted fabric together.  I wasn’t sure how this piece would turn out but this skirt has to be my favorite piece right now! Who knew that a quilted skirt would be so comfortable and Yes, warm!

If you follow me on social media you know I love interchangeable pieces.  So, I'm loving that I can wear this vest with the dress and the skirt! I styled the vest and skirt with a black turtleneck, black tights and calf high chunky boots. I added a pair of black sunnies and my black bag. I adore the looks I get with the pieces and look forward to wearing these pieces again before the weather warms up.

 Until Next Time!

 MARCIA  | @keechiibstyle 

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Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: JERSEY KNIT & COTTON POPLIN.