Fabric Mart Fabricistas

People often speak of the “Winter Blues”, but today I bring you the “ Summer Blues ”, and it is all good news. Most people don’t think of blue as a summer color but personally for me any color is Summer ready depending on the style and fabric. The moment I seen this Polyester Lycra Diagonal Plaid Stripe Print DTY Knit (SYB8432) I knew I wanted to make something fun for the hot weather to come. I love the Navy/Black/Powder White mix of colors and prints all in one designed fabric. This DTY Knit is made up of 96% Polyester and 4% Lycra with a 4 Way Stretch. It has just the right amount of stretch but yet not too much to make it difficult to work with. If you used a pattern not calling for stretch fabric you definitely want to make adjustments when choosing your size.   With the different patterns in this fabric and made cutting it a breeze because I actually misjudged the amount of fabric, I needed but was able to cut the bodice in one direction and the skirt in another. That’s wha...

YouTuber's Dee & Dory are back on the Fabric Mart blog today with their most recent Fabricista Makes. Make sure to click play on the video below to hear all about their fabric choices & how their projects turned out! Dee: For my spring dress I chose a 100% Cotton Poplin Shirting , with a soft smooth finish, being tightly woven.  I loved the fabric and did not use my original dress pattern as the poplin did not drape or flow as I had hoped. For me the fabric is just a bit crisp for the pattern I had originally chosen and, I feel, even for the pattern I made. The color palette is a beautiful green background with black dots and black and white flora branches.The fabric being a 100% cotton handled with ease and sewing on it was a breeze.      I used Simplicity 9138. This dress has 3 views, with the various views being a change with the sleeve view.  I choose the three quarter sleeve view with elastic insert,  the neckline is finished with a bias bindin...

Happy Spring!  We have finally made it into my favorite season which happens to also be my birthday season.  I feel like the New Year really starts in the spring season as everything comes back alive, and we all feel refreshed. So, for this post I created two separate looks to encompass my spring vibes. This first look I dared myself to create a look using two different prints.  I don’t work with prints often, but I had been really inspired lately by fellow Fabricista Marcia (keechiibstyle) who just has a magical way with mixing her prints. For this I used two different print jersey knits of 2yds each and McCall’s Pattern M8238 which allows for easy color blocking but in this case print mixing.  The fabric requirements call for a 2 way stretch but this knit worked just fine for the pattern. I love the contrast between the two prints.  This is the perfect spring style but can also but transitioned into summer as well. I did view C which had a high slit in the cen...

I was lucky to go on a weekend cruise to the Bahamas with my husband! For the occasion, and for this April post, I initially planned on doing two versions of the Wanda Wrap Dress: a colorful sleeveless one for daytime excursions and a darker mid-sleeved one for nighttime outings. Thankfully, I did the black one first and realized I preferred to sew something else with the other fabric. Why? Indeed, the dress is very comfortable to wear. It is flowy, elegant and a good option for day or night, depending on the chosen fabric. But, with its six panels full skirt, its faux-wrap top, and its extended waistband, this dress took almost two yards of fabric to make, even in a small size! With this jersey knit elastic fabric, it ended up being bulky and heavy to pack. Knowing I am used to traveling with very minimal luggage (backpack forever!), bulkiness and weight do not work for me. I will wear this in Miami, but it won’t travel much with me in the future.  Also, making the Wanda Dress was...

The weather is changing & for the better, that is. I absolutely love dresses & that comes at no surprise. Spring & summer is my favorite time to pull them all out & wear them. It is so easy to style them & dress them up to work for different occasions, which is one of the many reasons I love them so much. Today, I am sharing my beautiful burnt orange stretch eyelet dress. I love eyelet fabric so much, it’s truly a spring & summer staple. The fabric is the such a beautiful color of orange. The fabric had two sides, one showed a sleekness with the eyelet & the other showed a bit more of a pattern. I used the side that had emphasis on the pattern, however, I do think I used the wrong side of the fabric, but it was intentional because it was my favorite. When using an eyelet, you may consider lining the inside of the garment based on how big the holes are.  This was my first time using an eyelet fabric that was a knit. It was a bit slippery when sewing it, ...

Hello Gems! It's finally Spring and I am so excited for all the Spring dresses, bright new prints and the classic Spring florals. So, even though we have had a frigid start to Spring with the lingering cold temperatures, I am so excited to dive into Spring Dresses, and these too beautiful fabrics from Fabric Mart.  As this month's Fabricista make I’m featuring their Abstract Multi colored Silky Charmeuse and Michael Stars abstract rayon challis fabric.   This Spring is all about the color and this Silky Charmeuse hits us with all the bright pops of color. I love a good abstract print and this print holds its own as a statement piece with its abstract multi print. To showcase this fabric I chose a Vogue Dress pattern 9311. This is not my first time creating this dress. However, it is my first time wearing it backwards! Yes, I turned the dress around and wore it from the back because it just works. I love the silhouette of this dress and I wanted to go with something that had ...