Made By A Fabricista: Start Summer Sewing Now!

Hello fellow Fabric Mart lovers! It’s March and spring and summer will be here before you know it! We need to get prepared for warmer weather. Fabric Mart is the place to get started with your warmer weather must haves, whether it's patterns or fabric. As you know they got it all.

I got my hands on an amazing oatmeal colored linen and it was the most perfect fabric for a vacation I took in February. For a while we (myself and my family) had been planning a trip to Maui! We finally got to see this beautiful place. It was mid 70s everyday with just the right amount of humidity. The sun shined most days and we got sprinkled on by the Hawaiian showers that pop up. We saw rainbows, whales, turtles and all the lush beauty Maui had to offer us. It was an amazing trip and this amazing trip needed the right wardrobe.

I took so many of my Fabric Mart Fabric makes with me!! But before I went you know I had to get some more sewing in. Easy and fast was the plan. Also I really wanted to make something super comfortable to wear. The Emerson pants/shorts from True/Bias made all the cuts. There were no zippers, buttonholes or buttons to sew! These shorts have an elastic waist on the back side and a flat front design for the front of the pants. This last part was super important for me. I just cannot get behind pants or shorts with a fully elastic waist, I just don’t find that flattering for me. I also liked that this pattern had a high waist version and mid rise version. I chose the mid rise option.

For a vacation style I really felt like I could dress these shorts up or down. In Hawaii I never felt the need to look fancy in anyway but just really put together at the right time. The day I wore these short we had lunch at the amazing Mama’s Fish House. They were the right choice for the setting. The linen fabric was the perfect weight for Hawaii’s weather. I love how linen has that wrinkle factor that gives your garment a lived in, vacation look. The pockets on these shorts are the right size and large enough to hold my phone! Installing the elastic was super easy too. I always like to talk about pattern instructions and they did not disappoint. They were super clear. My go-to seam finishing is the French seam, so of course that is what I did with these shorts. You could make these in so many fun fabrics and if you use a lighter fabric they could be more drapey. A note of warning though! I did try to make another pair of these in a twill type fabric, it was not a good choice. The weight of the fabric caused the shorts to bunch up a little too much in the front, not a good look. So choose fabric that’s more light to medium weight. I think I might try a rayon challis next time.

If you are looking to get started with some spring and summer sewing, this pattern is a good place to start. It’s simple, easy and comfortable style. I can’t wait to make more of these shorts in the months to come!

HANNAH | @modistrasews

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following category LINEN.
You can also shop our selection of True Bias patterns HERE.

Made By A Fabricista: A Wooly Wearable Blanket.

Twirling in a me-made outfit! I live in a small town where the nearest fabric shop is a road trip away, so I almost exclusively shop for fabric online. Having access to an online shop like Fabric Mart with a solid search engine is incredibly helpful. But by far my favorite aspect of Fabric Mart is what I call the “Drape Picture” included in each listing! This picture gives me all the information I need and I find it more helpful than the exact weight per yard/square meter. Seeing how the fabric falls close or away from the body gives me a clear idea of how it will behave and inspires me to make it into something that will highlight the fabric’s nature. When I saw the drape of this “Baked Plum” wool suiting , I immediately wanted to immortalize those beautiful folds into a skirt! I opted for a simple self-drafted pleated skirt with a deep hem. I wear my dresses year-round and rely on wool skirts that I layer under or over my dresses for warmth. I cut two panels for the front ...

Made By A Fabricista: Which comes first – the fabric or the pattern?

Ah, the age old question garment sewers are often asked – do you choose the pattern first and then look for fabric, or do you buy fabric and then later decide what it will be when it grows up? If you are a sewist with a large fabric stash (like myself), then perhaps you are on Team Fabric. I would say I definitely lean that way, but there are also times when I land somewhere in the middle – I see a fabric and I think, I’ve just seen a pattern and these two would be perfect together! And that’s how gorgeous dusty rose stretch velvet and a recently released cardigan pattern came together to create the newest addition to my wardrobe. And had me improvising a few things along the way. First. I have to admit - I have a stretch velvet problem. I see it pop up on the website and I almost always grab it, especially if I see a sale. It’s not the easiest fabric to sew (it’s slippery as heck!), but I love it so much and I especially love using it in non-traditional ways. In my last blog post, I...

Made By A Fabricista: Back In The Saddle

If you don’t know in October my beloved Bernina sewing machine blew a fuse and started smoking while I was using it. She went to the shop for repairs, and then I moved. So it’s been a bit since I’ve sewed last and I’ve had trouble getting back into it. I knew I needed a simpler project to get me going again. Julie sewed up a Jarrah sweater recently ( restock coming soon! ) and gushed about how simple and rewarding a project it was. Then we got in this beautiful wool/cashmere sweater knit from England. I was seeing lighthouse keeper, sheep herder in the highlands. I knew it had to be my Jarrah sweater. I did lengthen the bodice by 3 inches. I actually sewed up a mock up with the curved hemline, but decided that wasn’t for me and went with the straight hem. Of course I took zero photos of said mock up. Oops. Otherwise I sewed it up in a size 6 as is. Using the serger this really does sew up quickly. The dropped shoulder creates clean, simple lines that make it easy to sew u...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog