Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Florals For The Win

Have a mentioned that I just LOVE a good matching set?  I think it's even better in this gorgeous floral fabric, don’t you think?  Usually, for my Fabric Mart makes, I always pick out my pattern first and then I check out the site for fabric that calls my name.  This time around I was intentionally searching for florals and I think I found the perfect fabric.  I'm in love.  

For my matching set, I chose to use Simplicity S9550 X Mimi G.  This pattern is so simple but yet it offers a few different design options, which I’m all about.  The top is a dolman sleeve crop top with different sleeve and back options and you can make the bottoms as a skirt or shorts.

For the top I went with view B but I chose to not add the elastic to the waist line.  I made a size 18 and I added an 1 ½” to the hem of the top because I’m only partly about that crop top life. Those were the only two modifications I made while sewing up the top.  For the rest, I followed the sewing instructions.

For the bottom I made a straight size 20 and I made no modifications while sewing it up.  Oh, wait, I did make one slight modification.  I added pockets!!  I also chose not to make the sash.  I am truly in love with the way these shorts fit.  I have a confession to make. I have a phobia of making pants.  I think I’ve been traumatized by always having issues with ready to wear pants.  These fit issue have crept into my sewing and this is why I’m always scared to make pants.  Well, I was pleasantly surprised and love the way these shorts fit.  I plan on making these again and possibly making them longer.  

Have you ever added pockets to a garment that didn’t originally have pockets?  It’s pretty simple to do.  I am always adding pockets to garments that comes with pockets.

1. Find a pocket pattern from an existing pattern.  I placed the pocket on top of the shorts pocket to ensure the pocket wasn’t too long.

2. Cut 4 pocket pieces.  Place 1 pattern piece right sides together on each edge of each pant seam.

3. Attach pockets to side seams using a 1/4” seam allowance and press open.

4. Pin front to back and sew at side seam 1” down from waist seams, break stitches and continue 1” from bottom of pocket and continue down the side seam.  Then sew around the pocket to close it up.

That’s it!  Now you have added pockets to your garment.




Now the moment we’ve all been waiting for!  It’s time to talk about this yummy fabric!  The fabric is called Tropical Floral Print Charmeuse and has all types of gorgeous tropical colors like cream, cobalt blue, vine green and cardinal.  This silky charmeuse is screaming tropical garden.  It’s screaming vacation.  It’s screaming summer time!  The leaf patterns make me feel like I’m in a tropical garden. I am here for everything this fabric is giving.

I hope you guys liked my matching set just as much as I do.  I would like to make different versions of this crop top like adding the elastic to the hems and making the top without the back cut out.  I would also like to make the skirt version.


Until next time!





 JOHANNA @soveryjo 


Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: CHARMEUSE

Comments

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.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Closing 2025 with a Lined Jacket

Hello again, sewing friends! It seems we have arrived yet again in the grandest season for layering, all this oncoming cold weather. I like ending the year with something warm and very useful. Seems based on my past Fabricista posts, I love to sew year-end outerwear, and this round is no different!  I challenged myself with a new lined coat (wait, jacket? Coat? I feel like the presence of wool changes things?). Anyhoo, since the lovely Chalk & Notch Den Jacket has been in my queue, I proceeded ahead. I like the large pockets, the option to line or not, and the extra bodice and sleeve seams for topstitching.  Sewing this coat is not at all difficult, but the many pieces and loads of topstitching will take a bit of time. My version took me a few multiple-hour sessions to complete. I sewed a size 2, which matches my measurements, and I made no alterations. Hint: for a quick size test, just employ the lining pieces.  Gorgeous, muted blue as a soft wool flannel ? This is ...

Made By A Fabricista: Sheer Elegance and Everyday Comfort with my Two New Tops

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with my last Fabricista make for 2025. While many sew a special holiday outfit at year’s end, I went in another direction sewing two tops that couldn’t be more different. One is sheer and elegant while the other is easy comfort for everyday wear.  These tops reflect how I dress at this stage of life. As an over-50 sewist, these two tops reflect how I dress at this point in my life.  Sometimes I want something a bit special, other times more basic. Either way, sewing them in beautiful fabrics, custom fit to my body, makes all the difference in how I feel when I wear them. Even though I’m quite pleased with my two tops, my original plan was to sew a jacket with the tropical print stretch twill and pair it with a top sewn from the soutache mesh knit . Sadly, I wasn’t quick enough to get enough of the stretch twill to make a jacket, so a top it was!  You do know you have to act fast when you see something you love on Fabric ...

Made By A Fabricista: Chalk and Notch Wren Dress: My Buffet dress for the Christmas season!

  I recently sewed the Chalk and Notch Wren dress using a beautifully soft black voile from Fabric Mart, and it turned into such a satisfying, enjoyable project. The pattern itself is very easy to understand and straightforward with clear instructions, intuitive construction, and a relaxed fit that makes the sewing process easy. A buffet dress in the sewing community is a dress that is loose fitting, so you can eat at the buffet without your dress being uncomfortable afterwards, lol! Because the voile I chose is extremely thin and transparent, I opted to line the bodice and first tier. Adding a lining not only provided modesty but also gave the delicate fabric a bit more stability, especially around the neckline and button placket. A helpful tip when sewing a lining into a lightweight bodice is to treat the lining and the main fabric as one. I sewed the bodice as you would for a lined bodice, and the first tier I sewed the pieces together with a basting stitch to make the process...