Made By A Fabricista: Puffy Sleeves, Yes Please!

Hi Guys! Happy New Year. I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and the new year is treating you well so far. I’ve been wanting to make the Women’s Oversized Puffy Sleeve Dress by Beaute’ J’adore ever since she released this pattern. Nikki is known for her statement sleeves and she’s a woman after my own heart because I love a good statement sleeve too. The sleeves on this dress are serving all the drama and I’m here for it!

Puffy Sleeve Dress

When I tell you that I am head over heels with this make, I mean it. What is there not to love about an oversized dress with puffy sleeves?! Um, nothing! This dress has two sleeve options, so if you aren’t into the puffy sleeve, you can opt not to add the elastic and just add horsehair to the hem to the sleeve. The horsehair braid gives the sleeve hem structure and makes them stand out. I went with the puffy sleeve option.

Based on my body measurements, I made a size 16. I sewed the dress following the pattern instruction and the only modification I made to the dress was to take off two inches from the hem because I’m a shorty. Pattern comes with step-by-step instructions and a step-by-step YouTube tutorial. The experience level is set at easy and I would have to agree. There are only a few pieces that need to be sewn together and the hardest part is the zipper install, if you haven’t done one before. The pattern instructions do a pretty good job at explaining how to do it and there are tons of video tutorials on YouTube if needed.

Besides the puffy statement sleeves, my other favorite part of this dress is how the lining is sown together. I don’t recall ever installing a lining this way and I thought it was clever. There are a few steps to this process, and I can’t really explain it without sharing photos of each step. (which, unfortunately, I didn’t take) I did take photos of the lining installed and it just looks so clean. I love it.

Fabric Used

In order to get the puffy sleeves to stand out, you need to use a fabric that has some structure. If not, your sleeves will not stand up properly. The fabric suggestions for this pattern are wool, twill, cotton, taffeta, and denim. I knew I wanted to make this dress using a denim fabric and was excited when Fabric Mart had a denim sale last month. I picked up a few yards of this Twilight Dark Wash Cotton/Lycra Stretch Denim Twill 59W. I love really dark denim and it has some stretch and I think it would be perfect for making a pair of stretch jeans. I only washed this fabric once and it washed well and did not fade.

Nikki from Beaute’ J’adore paired her dress with knee-high white boots which I really enjoyed. I paired my dress with a pair of faux snakeskin knee-high boots, and a small purse with some shades. I feel like this dress could also be dressed down with some sneakers just to run errands or go out to lunch. If you like a good statement sleeve and an easy make, then I would suggest you give this dress a try. When looking for fabric, ensure to look for a fabric with some structure to ensure your sleeves stand up.

Until next time!

JOHANNA | @soveryjo

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

Made By A Fabricista: The Sheer Volume Of It All!

This garment was inspired by a dress I saw in an ad, and when I went to purchase it (which I rarely do)…I realized that the dress didn’t come in my size. Ticked off and with $300 back in my pocket, I decided to draft it myself. The description listed the fabrication as a silk cotton voile, so I used that as a starting point to recreate the simple yet elegant silhouette. My drafting experience is limited; I’ve only ever made garments that are pleated rectangles that fit into an elasticated waist. No darts, no complicated calculations, and definitely no sleeves. But I’d have that dress if it’s the last thing I do! I made a drawing, created a Pinterest board to document my inspiration, and narrowed down the features I really wanted to have: billowy bubble-hemmed bishop sleeves (say it three times fast!), a fitted and lined bodice, and a gathered tiered skirt. Finally, it was time to shop for fabric. I knew I wanted a silk blend of some kind, without breaking the bank. For weeks, I ke...

Made By A Fabricista: Just Wear It Out!

Originally I wasn’t happy with my make this time around. I put it on fresh off the sewing machine and didn’t love how it fit. My elastic was slightly too narrow for what the pattern called for. I did end up putting a stitch to close up the v-neck on the top. I thought my sewing on the waistband looked sloppy and I looked kind of frumpy in the outfit. I was going to put the project down to fix later but decided to wear it out for some feedback from our web manager and one of the describers. I ended up pleasantly surprised! The fabric is super comfortable and I felt really good wearing it. All the things I didn’t like kind of melted away wearing it out. The flaws were so small that only I noticed them. I think it’s important to remember that while striving for perfect seams and flawless construction is good, a handmade garment doesn’t have to be perfect to be wearable. This isn’t the first time I’ve softened on a garment after wearing, and it certainly won’t be the last! The 100% c...

Made By A Fabricista: In Love with Linen

Linen is the best fabric to sew and wear. I selected a beautiful 100% linen from Fabric Mart that is a steel blue and cream floral linen to sew up a By Hand London Hannah Wrap Dress pattern. The flowers look like Dahlias. I originally sewed a Toile from a black and white cotton bedsheet, wore the dress a lot but never made it again. I gave the Toile away to a friend who always commented on how much she loved the dress. When I saw this fabric, I knew I wanted to make the Hannah again. Linen is so easy to sew the entire experience reminded me why linen remains one of my favorite fabrics to sew. I look for a light to medium weight European linen for a dress. I like a rayon or cotton blend with linen because it seems to have more drape and be more soft. Linen gets softer with washing and wearing it. This particular linen feels crisp and after ironing and washing, softens up. I like how Fabric Mart describes the fabrics as top, dress, blouse, shirt weight under “Use” and will describe...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog