Made By A Fabricista: Teen Birthday Party Look using Ponte Knit

Happy Friday All!

I am so excited that my daughter has allowed me to sew for her again. When she was younger and in elementary school, she was always excited for me to make her skirts and dresses. I haven’t sewn much for her over the past 3 years, but this year I have made 2 dresses and this cute set for our next vacation. I plan to make a few other pieces before the summer is over.

My daughter Arielle wanted a black ponte knit leisure wear set for the longest that she could rock to her a summer party or on vacation. She was too picky with the style of the top, so I delayed making it. We settled on the pants but for the top, she just could not decide. She is very particular about showing her chest, making it to crop and love a peekaboo in the back. When we came across Simplicity 9784 pattern, we knew this was a win. I love the style but felt it was a bit crop for my personal taste but perfect for her.

Top Review: Size Small

The pattern is an easy sew and the directions are written clearly. I read through once and went straight to work. The only issue I noticed is if you lengthen the bodice by an inch or so at the bottom for the back pattern piece, the side seam of the top does pucker a bit. I will make another version without lengthening it to see if that was the cause of the puckering.

Also, for View A, you will need a special bra to wear it. We ordered one from Amazon and it worked out just perfect.

Pants Review/Tip: Size X-Small

Did you know that you can use a woven pants pattern to make a knit version? I have been making Simplicity 8605 using ponte knit and love the fit. For knit pants, always look at the hip finish garment measurement and if you are looking for a more of a fitted look, you will have to size down quite a bit. For example, if your hip measurement is 44 inches, cut the hip finished garment measurement that is about 40 inches. The 4 inches of negative ease will give you the perfect fit. Additionally, the crotch adjustments that you may have to make for the woven may not be necessary with the knit. I typically remove ½ of the adjustments for the crotch and the pants fit perfect.

Finally, I made an orange palazzo pants using McCall’s 7789 for my next trip. I am not too happy with the fit as I cut a larger size and do believe the hip measurement for this pattern is off. I will size down about 2 sizes if I do make it again.

I wore it to run errands and unfortunately, the camera died when we took the first shot. The heat has been so uncomfortable lately and I haven’t been in the mood to shoot outdoors. I plan to style it and share a video on my page real soon when I rock in on vacation.

Thank you so much for reading. I have been trying to finish up a few pieces including my birthday look for our vacation in August and I can’t wait to share. Don’t forget to stop by my Instagram page to see what I am working out. Have the most amazing weekend!

One Love,

MARICA | @heymaricamitchell

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories KNITS, DOUBLE KNITS, PONTE KNITS, LINEN, & SHIRTING.

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: Sewing for a Florida Cold Snap with Fabric Mart Fabrics

Even here in Florida, we get the occasional cold weather surprise, and when temperatures dipped recently, I was very glad to have the perfect handmade outfit ready to go. For this month’s Fabricista make, I sewed up New Look pattern 6771, using two beautiful fabrics sent to me by Fabric Mart Fabrics. The Fabric & Pattern Choice New Look 6771 is a cozy two-piece set featuring a relaxed-fit top and pull-on pants—exactly the kind of pattern that works well for transitional weather. I chose to start with the top, using a brown animal print French terry from Fabric Mart, and it turned out to be an absolute dream to work with. The French terry was soft, substantial without being heavy, and handled beautifully at the machine . It had just the right amount of structure to highlight the pattern’s design details while still feeling comfortable and wearable. From cutting to pressing, this fabric behaved perfectly and elevated the final garment. The Top: A Total Win The top from New Look 677...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog