Fabric Mart Fabricistas

I feel like this might have been the first project in years where I planned appropriately for the timeline that I had. With the last bit of summer heat, I wanted to make a cute little set that I could layer with as it got colder. So, here's to a button-up tank and a really floofy skirt. I have made a version of this tank before and it has become a staple in my wardrobe. So having more was an absolute necessity. The pattern is inspired by Edwardian corset covers. I used the pattern from my Medieval Cotehardie back in March as a base. It wasn't the best pattern to use because of the angle of the straps. But it worked for this project. The skirt was inspired by my new obsession for tiered skirts. While this isn't a style that I have historically loved, I have recently started a Pinterest board to help me figure out what I want to transition to wardrobe-wise and realized that almost all of the skirts had some form of ruffles or gathers. Plus, this is an excellent way to get rea

Hi sewing friends! Have you ever decided to try a pattern or color outside your comfort zone just to try something new? I often try to try to stick to what styles I know, make patterns on repeat because I know I will love it. Sometimes my makes look very similar to the colors I choose as well. This time, I am going outside my sewing comfort zone! I chose the Friday Pattern Company Davenport dress in an orange patterned Fabric Mart rayon. I have seen so many beautiful Davenport dresses on Instagram. I have made many Friday Pattern Company patterns that usually fit me really well without many pattern adjustments. I thought the ruffle sleeve on the shoulder, high neckline, long sleeves and tie waist would not be my style. I am so happy to say that I was wrong! I chose a non-floral orange print rayon with a white background which is a gorgeous fabric but not my usual choice of pattern or color. I LOVE rayon, and this one is so soft and very opaque. Rayon is one of my favorite fabr

First Fall Sew – A great beginner jacket pattern Happy September to my sewing friends! So are you Team Fall or Team Summer? Do you count the moments until that first crisp Fall day or do you mourn the end of the warm summer nights? I’m definitely the former – especially because I work remotely most of the time and by August I’m ready for the kids to be gone from the house. Ok, maybe even by July! And while we are on the topic of two teams, let me share the internal dialogue that went on last month between Practical Andrea and Creative Andrea. It went something like this…. Practical A – “OK, we need to get a jump on our September blog sew. August is gonna be insane with work, back to school, and still unpacking this house. Let’s plan ahead, check out the newest fabrics, and get started.” Creative A – “Yes, yes, yes! I LOVE choosing fabric! Let’s do it!” P.A – “OK, here we go. Let’s check out the knits, maybe choose something for a basic dress we can plan as a transitional piece from

When was the last time you did something for the first time?  Back in February I went to hot yoga for the very first time.  I remember finding it super challenging and I am pretty sure I looked completely crazy trying to execute the poses for the first time.  Somehow I stuck with it and have absolutely fell in love with the practice.   Nowadays I go into my classes confident, I am able to keep up and get into poses more easily and have seen my strength build.  This has been a catalyst for an overall change in my personal life.  I am back to working out regularly, enjoying yoga and I have even joined a run club! To keep up in my fitness journey I found myself needing more activewear clothing.  Of course I found it to be way cooler to try and make myself new pieces. When I saw Fabric Mart started to offer Beyond Yoga knit fabrics I was really excited.  The quality of fabrics is absolutely amazing, probably some of the best knits I’ve used.  I made two sets and two pairs of leggings that

I recently discovered a new thing: Pickleball. And I’ve become a little obsessed with it! Naturally, I needed new clothes to wear when playing, and when I saw the collection of Beyond Yoga performance fabric arrive at Fabric Mart, I knew I needed it!  After getting some inspiration from the Beyond Yoga website, I selected three fabrics from Fabric Mart with my $50 budget – two Nylon/Lycra “Sportflex” fabrics (purple and olive), and a polyester/Lycra featherweight Jersey knit (blue).  I’m a big fan of Jalie patterns for all things sportswear, so once again I turned to their collection for each of these creations (disclosure: Jalie gifted me the patterns for this project). I decided to use the same top for each of my outfits, and then use various patterns for the bottoms. I struggled to find a simple dress in their collection, so in the end, decided to use the same top pattern, but self-draft a quarter-circle skirt for it. There are a couple of things I’d do differently next time, but ov