Made By A Fabricista: Maxi Skirt Resurgence

Maxi Skirts are everywhere this year! The last time maxi skirts were this popular was in the early 2000s so it's not a wonder that after an almost 20-year rest, maxi skirts of all shapes, styles, and fabrics have become popular again. What I appreciate about a maxi skirt is that it isn't just for dressy occasions. When paired with canvas sneakers and a classic t-shirt, a maxi skirt is just as casual as wearing jeans.

My appreciation of maxi-length skirts has grown since becoming the mom of a little boy. With shorter skirts, I can't crawl around on the floor during playtime or pick things up off the floor without worrying about accidentally showing my undergarments. I often end up wearing a pair of shorts underneath my skirts and dresses for peace of mind. But a maxi skirt is a stand-alone garment with no need for anything extra making it perfect for a hot summer day. With these benefits in mind, I knew it was time to add a new maxi skirt outfit to my wardrobe.

The True Bias Mave Skirt pattern contains all the ingredients for skirt greatness. An elastic waistband for flexibility, inseam pockets for holding your phone and other trinkets, and an optional lining for extra modesty. The pattern also has three recommended lengths including a maxi skirt with ruffles. What more could someone want from a skirt pattern?

It didn't take me long to find the perfect white and blue floral print rayon challis fabric on the Fabric Mart website. I ordered 2.5 yards to make the maxi skirt with ruffles version. Knowing that white rayon challis can sometimes be a bit sheer, I also ordered 2.25 yards of white polyester/cotton shirting fabric to use as a lining.

The pattern also requires that you have a scrap of fusible lightweight interfacing so I ordered 1 yard of interfacing to replenish my interfacing stash. I like to keep interfacing stocked in my sewing room so I never have to worry about running out when I need it most. In addition to the materials for the maxi skirt, I also ordered 1.5 yards of navy athletic knit fabric with 4-way stretch for a basic scoop neck t-shirt to wear with the skirt.

When my Fabric Mart order arrived I started making the Mave Skirt right away. The True Bias Mave Skirt PDF pattern came with A4, US, and A0 files. I wanted to cut out the skirt pattern using my projector so I converted the A0 pattern file into a projector file using the free PDF Stitcher software. This software allows you to darken lines and make minor changes to A0 files to format them for use with the projector. Once I had my projector file created, I cut out the skirt pieces quickly. I didn't make a muslin of this pattern because of the skirt's elastic waistband. Elastic waistbands are always super forgiving so I didn't feel a need to test the sizing first.

The skirt came together really quickly! The elastic waistband and drawstring looked like they would be complicated to assemble, but it was surprisingly simple. First, you sew button holes for the drawstring, and then you assemble the waistband pieces. Next, insert the 2" wide elastic into the waistband channel, and topstitch. The topstitching gives the waistband an almost shirred look which I love.

I also added an optional lining to the skirt using the white fabric I ordered. This made the rayon challis less sheer. The pattern provides clear instructions for inserting the skirt lining, making it a simple process.

For my scoop neck t-shirt, I used the Seamwork Orlando pattern. It isn't the first time I've made a Seamwork Orlando shirt, but in the past, I felt like the original length of the top was a little short. I prefer to have my tops a little longer so I set out to lengthen the pattern.

Instead of using my projector to cut out this shirt pattern, I printed the pattern pieces from the US pattern file. After printing, I lengthened the shirt's front and back pieces by about an inch. Now that I have the lengthed pattern pieces I can make this shirt in every color if I want to!

The Mave skirt and Orlando t-shirt are the perfect casual maxi skirt outfit combination. Both garments mix and match well with other items in my closet making them super functional for summer and fall. If you haven't jumped on the maxi skirt resurgence bandwagon, I hope I've inspired you to add a handmade maxi skirt to your sewing project list.

SHAINA | @shaina_sews

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

Made By A Fabricista: A Pink Suiting Set for Spring

Spring is here! So is my first blog of the year. I had some inspiration with this one. I saw a picture on an Instagram profile and wanted to make my own. Now, my version ended up a little different, but overall, I really love it. However, I still want to recreate the inspiration pic at some point. For this look, I chose a cotton candy pink double weave suiting . It is soft, has a semi-textured hand, and has a crepe weave on the wrong side. The fabric does have some stretch to it. I absolutely love the color and feel of this fabric. This is a suiting fabric with the softness of a knit. The thing I do not like about it though is it snags. So, I had to be careful using pins and seam ripping to prevent snags. I had the Fernanda Vicki Sews pattern in mind but once I downloaded the instructions and saw how many pieces were involved, I switched to a different pattern, lol. I ended up making the Riana Blazer. It has a semi-fitted blazer with a straight silhouette. A belt and belt loops that yo...

Made By A Fabricista: Youtube Edition - Marty

This is the beginning of a long-term project to make Italian Court Garb for my partner and me. And we are 100% blaming him for this. Because he asked. This project is your standard Venetian-style pants. I originally pulled this pattern for Matthew Gnagy's Modern Marker Vol 2. But over the years, I've made changes to fit my sewing preferences. The build for this was fairly straightforward. Once you get past the volume in the legs, it goes together like any other pair of pants. The only thing that really slowed me down was not being able to find the correct buttons locally (Thanks Joanns). Overall, this was a wonderful project to work on during the deadline season for my job because of how familiar it was. I am excited to continue to work on building his doublet, cassock, and eventually my gown. Be sure to check out my channel to follow along with the full build! MARTY | @scrappypatterns (Feeling inspired? Shop Linen now.)

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing the Eleonora by Silversaga – A Romantic Dress you need in your closet

I recently had the pleasure of sewing up the Eleonora pattern by Silversaga, and I’m excited to share my thoughts because this one really surprised me—in the best possible way. If you’re not already familiar with Silversaga, their aesthetic leans into romantic minimalism—think timeless silhouettes with poetic details. The Eleonora Dress is a vintage-inspired, chemise-style from the Regency Era of the 1800’s design infused with modern elements like adjustable sizing, soft gathers, and flexible fit details. The Eleonora is a thoughtfully designed dress pattern with multiple views and customizable features. Some of its standout design elements include: • Adjustable fit via ties and elastic channels at the neckline and waist, allowing it to flatter a range of body shapes and sizes. • Sleeve options, including short or long gathered raglan sleeves, often finished with ruffles for added softness. • A full, swishy four-panel skirt—complete with in seam pockets and a deep hem—that b...

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