Fabric Mart Fabricistas

As I was packing away my winter wardrobe to make room for my warm weather attire, I reflected on what I had sewn over the past year.  I realized I had many colorful garments with unique details but was lacking solid color pieces that could be worn with multiple things. That’s why I choose three coordinating solid colors to use for my spring Fabricista make.  Let me tell you, it was hard to pass by those beautiful prints that fill the pages of Fabric Mart’s site. I decided to sew three pieces – a knit top, a pair of pants, and a layering piece.  That way I could mix and match with other items I already own, getting a lot more wear out of them. I started with the gray knit. It’s a rayon blend, somewhat lightweight, with a nice drape. I had ordered it for my previous make  ( see my “Comfort Dressing with Style" blog post ) but ended up not using it for that project. I had one yard which was all I needed to sew myself a basic tee. I used the Cashmerette Concord T-shirt ...

For my very first post as a Fabricista, I wanted to really show my style.  I love to make matching sets that you can wear together or mix-and-match with other pieces.  It’s just something about a matching set!  I received 4 yards of teal houndstooth ponte knit.  I love houndstooth and I absolutely loved the color!  It has a nice pop!  It’s a smaller print so that made it easier matching up my pieces.  I used two patterns.  For my first, I chose a newer pattern by MimiG, S9182 view C.  It’s a pencil skirt with a waistband, front slit and front pockets.  Ponte knit is one of the suggested fabrics for this pattern.  So, this was perfect! The skirt was pretty easy.  The pattern says to use a “lap” zipper.  I had never heard of that.  So, I went to Joann Fabrics looking for one and of course, didn’t find it. I think I even Google searched. Lol.  MimiG has a tutorial for  both views on her YouTube channel.  I...

Hi Fabric Mart friends! I’m excited to bring you my girls’ new spring outfits that I created with just $50 worth of fabrics from Fabric Mart! This month, I was drawn to two gorgeous florals - a floral border print cotton poplin, and a floral swim fabric. Once I settled on these two fabrics, I hunted for some coordinates and found some pink waffle weave sweater knit, and a solid pink and solid olive swim knit. It can be a little nerve racking while waiting for fabric to arrive, that your fabric actually does coordinate, so I’m thankful that Fabric Mart’s photos are always so accurate, and the colors all worked perfectly together!  I decided to work on the most time-consuming thing first, the dresses for my girls! I used the Peony Patterns Lantana Dress with a sharp collar and vintage length skirt. I spent a bit of time playing with the templates on the fabric, trying to find the best placement for the floral on the dress. I decided to cut the fabric on the cross-grain to achieve thi...

Athena is the next Olympian in the series is Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare. Because of time I wasn't able to get the armor for this done. But I'm also not upset about it. I think this dress belongs to a fairy princess. I think the next photo shoot I do with this dress will include fairy wings borrowed from a friend.  My cousin also said the pictures looked like the wisdom side of Athena. Which I am 100% here for. It's always hard when you're trying to combine attributes into one cohesive look, and to get her Wisdom aspect without even really trying is honestly, amazing.  This dress has a corset understructure, which gives it the support that it needs for the neckline. It also sucks me in about 5 inches, so... not going to complain. Was that intentional? no. But when you work with historical corset patterns, its happens some times. I feel like I cheeped out on the patterning with having the skirt be a circle skirt. Brain Weasels are rude. This skirt has ALL t...

Hello Everyone, Today’s post all about my new trench coat with a matching pencil skirt. The Fabric. I selected a neutral colored medium weight jacquard suiting fabric. The fabric has a textured animal print and no stretch. It presses really well and it is heavy enough that it does not require any lining. The Pattern. I used the Anna coat pattern from Sew Over It’s Work to Weekend Capsule Collection Ebook. The coat pattern is classic mac/trench coat pattern with details like large lapels, epaulettes, side pockets, back vent and a tie belt. For the skirt, I used McCalls 8004 pattern which is pencil skirt with front dart details. The Sewing Process. The trench coat is a simple yet detailed pattern to sew. It has a lot of details like the side pockets, belt loops, epaulettes and lapels that helps to improve one’s sewing skills. It is a long sewing process especially if you are finishing the seams with a double fold bias binding like I did. I got about 25 yards of black double fold bias ta...

  When I saw the Vogue V1842 pattern by Badgley Mischka, I knew I was going to sew it for a special event.  The style is elegant, versatile as it can be worn with a jacket or shawl during cooler seasons and accommodating of changing body shapes with its empire waist.  I needed a formal dress to wear to a Mozart concert in Europe in a couple of months; that dress must be easy to pack on a cruise.    Fabric Mart’s sequined mesh fabric (# SKU:  MOA9294) met my criteria and its color was so unique – a combination of violet, cadmium blue, and deep carmine.  Because sequined fabric is not one of the suggested fabrics in the back of the pattern, I decided to try out the pattern first on one that is, a jacquard.  I happen to have on hand FM’s black and white 100% cotton leaf print with oval jacquard design (SKU#BLA4147).  I first made a muslin and found size 14 bodice and size 16 skirt fit me properly.  I raised the neckline by 5/8 inch, however...