Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Summer Vacation Looks

Image
By

Happy First Friday of the month! It’s officially 3 weeks since I have been off for summer break and I am enjoying every single minute. Even though I am working part time this summer, I still have a bit more time to sew.

I was a bit uninspired right after the break but got a burst of sewing energy last week and decided to sew a few pieces. I have been wanting to create a jumpsuit since early Spring and finally decided on a pattern.

I have had McCalls 7755 (now M8069) in my stash for quite a while but hated the neckline with the casing. I had an epiphany and decided to use the same neckline method for the top I made in my last post here.


The bodice part of the jumpsuit is exactly the same cut and I knew it would work. I should have removed about an inch more from the top but definitely plan to make the adjustments next time around. Additionally I should have gathered it just like the dress but opted to gather the front at 8 inches instead of 7 inches and 4 inches on each side in the back.  I also added an invisible zipper to be able to get in and out of it.


My original plan was to use a rayon blend for the jumpsuit but I opted to try it first with a cotton/lycra stretch poplin shirting fabric. I absolutely love the comfort and fit and definitely plan to make another version soon using a silky fabric.

For my second look, I am definitely a fan of 2 piece sets or faux rompers or jumpsuits. With this hot summer weather in Miami, sleeveless is my go garment. I absolutely fell in love the minute I came across this orange rayon fabric which is perfect for this look.

I have been wanting to make Simplicity 9268 but wasn’t a fan of the crop look. I decided to modify it by adding 3 inches to the length so that it would fall right at the waist of the pants I made using McCalls 8057 to give the Illusion of a jumpsuit.



For the pants, I added 2 rows of elastic casing using 1 ¼  inch elastic.  I then stretched the waistband ensuring that it is evenly distributed and flat and sewed directly in the center to create an illusion of a ⅝ inch casing.  This method is one that I haved used for most of my elastic waist pants and I absolutely recommend it, especially if you don’t want your elastic to roll in the casing.  I plan to teach this method this summer sharing various types of waistband techniques on garments. I shared a quick video here using ponte knit and it pretty much works for any fabric type.

I am very pleased with both looks and will be rocking them this weekend just in time for July 4th. Thank you so much for reading and definitely stop by my Instagram page to see how I mix and match the set in a video. Have an amazing July 4th weekend and stay safe.


One Love,

MARICA  | @heymaricamitchell

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories, POPLIN, SHIRTING, & CHALLIS.

Comments

  1. JDJuly 1, 2022 at 10:28 AM

    I can’t wait to try your method for elastic waist. Thanks for a great tip. Hope it works as well for me as it looks so great on you. You look stunning as always. I wish you and your family a wonderful 4th also.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MelindaJuly 1, 2022 at 10:31 AM

    Such a great job, beautiful sewing, and looks amazing on you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJuly 1, 2022 at 10:57 AM

    Thank you for posting. Your work is creative and precise. I enjoy seeing you use fabric that I passed over. And the outcomes are great.

    ReplyDelete
  4. penny sipesJuly 3, 2022 at 12:21 PM

    Very good looks on you, job well done!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJuly 4, 2022 at 1:45 PM

    Great choices, looks marvelous on you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJuly 18, 2022 at 7:49 PM

    Wow! So professionally done, and you look fabulous in these outfits!

    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

Made by a Fabricista: What to Make with Silk Taffeta

By
You may have noticed that Fabric Mart has a *HUGE* selection of silk taffeta right now.  A lot of it is either large plaid or large stripes.   I was curious about it, and not really sure what I could make with it, but I just knew it would be gorgeous fabric and had to play around with it.  Turns out, it's actually great for quite a range of projects!  The dress above is my third project. Let me show you the first two. My first was to make some queen size pillow shams.  They are the plaid ones in the back of the photo.  I also made the two printed ones in the center from another Fabric Mart home dec fabric special!  I wanted to make the covers removable with a zipper, and include a braided trim.  As luck would have it, I found a whole card of braided trim at an estate sale that worked with my taffeta for just $2! To start, I used a zipper foot to stitch down the braided trim all around one side of the pillow. Then I serged ...
8 comments
Continue Reading »

Help Our Buyers Shop!

By
  Comment on this post with what you are looking for right now and our buyers will seek it out!  I am craving wool gabardines and ponte knits in fun autumn colors. What about you?
129 comments
Continue Reading »

A Yard And Change

By
Do you have a fabric that you love and has been hanging around but is too small to use? Maybe you found a wonderful fabric with a super cute print but there's only a yard left.  I've got a few projects I worked on all with roughly a yard of fabric. And I have a few tips for making that yard and change go further! Cutting Layout: You can get a lot more mileage out of a yard of fabric if you can get creative with how you lay out your fabric. Cutting things single layer will give you the most control. My favorite thing to do is unfold the fabric and fold the selvages in to meet in the middle. That gives me two folded edges to work with. I had to overlap these to get enough width for the tank top. Just make sure that your pattern pieces don't also overlap!  This one was especially fun for me because I really loved the print on this swimwear knit but am not yet up to sewing swimwear. But a nice flowy hiking tank is perfect for this! In the future I'd love to experiment with...
3 comments
Continue Reading »

Sewing Vintage for Summer

By
Hello sewing friends!  I was highly motivated to try another one of the vintage Polynesian Pattern dresses I’ve collected during our hot weather. The patterns are all dramatic and fashionable and really apropos for summer styling. This one is number 204, the Pilialoha Dress.  The gown includes a wide boatneck that many of them feature, plus a very beautiful back gathering and wraparound closure. I always find that the special details on the back are such a chic surprise compared to the simple front.  I chose a lemon covered cotton lawn . I am really delighted with the quality of this cotton, it’s luxuriously soft and smooth. The scale of the lemons and blossoms are just right and not overwhelming, and the soft yellow background is beautiful. This could not be more charming and summery!  I also chose some excellent lightweight interfacing for my facings, and the real highlight is these Dritz Floral Sew-On Snaps that I’ve had my eye on for months! Finally, the perfect ...
3 comments
Continue Reading »