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: Falling for Knits

We are now well into Fall, even though the temps are still relatively warm here in Texas. I love the fall season and dressing for Fall. When it comes to the conversation of knits vs. wovens I typically sew mostly wovens. So for this post I decided to sew completely knits! With the holiday season right around the corner I saw these three dress styles as perfect for Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving gatherings. The first look is a tried and true pattern Simplicity S9372. Using this gorgeous burgundy ponte knit , I like how this pattern fits throughout. I chose this color to add to my typically neutral palette in my closet. I also wanted something I could wear to my sorority meetings and found this color perfect. It's an easy sew with back fisheye darts and invisible zipper to add to the tapered style. The neckline and armholes are finished with bias binding giving it a clean finish on the inside. I used a universal needle to sew a...

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: 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...

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