Fabric Mart Fabricistas

As I prepare for an upcoming total knee replacement, comfort has been on my mind quite a bit. Recovery will mean plenty of time resting, icing, and focusing on physical therapy, so I wanted to make sure I had garments that would be easy to wear while still helping me feel put together. Rather than relying solely on pajamas or lounge sets, I decided to sew a couple of comfortable house dresses using beautiful fabrics from Fabric Mart. Loose-fitting dresses are ideal for recovery because they are easy to pull on and off, have no restrictive waistbands, and allow for comfortable movement. They also feel a bit more polished than traditional loungewear, which is always nice when you’re spending time at home but may still have visitors stopping by. For this project I chose two different dress patterns and two lovely woven fabrics: a lightweight broadcloth and a soft rayon challis . Vintage Butterick 6161     The first dress I made was from Vintage Butterick 6161, a pattern tha...

“All’s well that ends well” That phrase popped into my head (in my mother’s voice of course) as I sewed the last stitch on this two-piece dress.  Why, might you ask?  Because I made so many silly sewing mistakes along the way.  Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with my latest Fabricista make.  As I started to plan my next make, I knew I wanted something that would work for those early spring days in Texas that begin cold and gloomy but end warm and sunny. I decided to use a lightweight rayon crinkle challis, in a darker floral print, to sew Vogue 2127, as I fell in love with the pattern cover illustration.  I pictured myself wearing this romantic top paired with that flowing skirt catching the breeze just right as I ran through an overgrown meadow filled with flowers, butterflies and songbirds. However, any overgrown meadow where I live would likely be filled with baby snakes this time of year, not something I wish to encounter wearing a dress a...

This time around I didn't have a specific cosplay in mind I wanted to make, but while doing my usual window shopping on the website, I found the perfect blue and white gingham shirting fabric and knew what I had to make! I wanted something a little extra with it, so I opted to get in addition to the gingham, this novelty weave suiting  in yellow and finally got to use one of the colorways of the large floral voiles  that reminded me of the poppies in Wizard of Oz, as well as the orange poppies in my home state of California. Since I was making this more for my wardrobe than a cosplay, I opted to make two pieces that could work independently or together. The poppy fabric got cut into three panels to be a knee length skirt for me, and since I was just pleating the width into a skirt, I had no excess to use for pockets, so for now this skirt has no pockets, but would be easy enough to add them at a later date since I was able to use the selvedge for the seams making this an easy...

I knew what this Linen/Silk Organza would be the minute I saw it. For years, I have been struggling with wearing my Italian Ren Garb in the hot summers. It has not only been a struggle but a disappointment to have to try and find something else to wear when the temperature is above 75. Enter, the lightest kirtle I have ever sewn. I'm not joking, this dress is half the weight of my other kirtles. I even had other people test it to make sure I wasn't delusional. Over the past 10 years, I have made so many kirtles that I know the process and how to get this done efficiently. The only problem that I saw was how to get the right drape on the skirt without adding bulk and therefore warmth to the dress. The solution? Add a canvas facing on the hem of the skirt. This was such a simple fix that is not only historically accurate, but it produced such an amazing shape to the dress that it somehow looks better than all my past dresses?  I might just be biased. I managed to finish this dre...

Hi everyone, this is Byrd with my latest Fabricista make! If you’re looking for a versatile transitional spring layering piece - something you can dress up for the office or dress down for everyday wear - this ponte knit blazer-style cardigan might be exactly what your handmade wardrobe needs. This time around I’m sewing the Jalie Open Front Blazer-Style Cardigan , an indie sewing pattern designed for stable knits, using Fabric Mart’s Wet Sand Rayon/Nylon/Lycra Ponte Knit . This fabric and pattern pairing creates the perfect structured knit cardigan for spring, fall, and even cool summer evenings. The pattern specifically calls for a stable knit, and this rayon/nylon/lycra ponte knit was an ideal choice. Ponte fabric provides structure and recovery while still offering comfortable stretch, making it perfect for blazer-style cardigans, knit jackets, and professional layering pieces. The “wet sand” neutral tone is a wardrobe workhorse. If you’ve been following along, you know I usually ...

As we slowly (very slowly) start to leave winter behind, I am starting to resent my heavy coats and crave light and flowy garments. So what better way to summon Spring than this airy little gem of a blouse!  The fabric is a delightful silk cotton voile that floats mid-air like a feather as it drapes around you, truly whimsical and exactly what I was looking for!  I had never sewn anything this fine or sheer before, and even though it wasn't as daunting as the internet made it out to be, I certainly learned a lot in the process. For instance, I found myself paying closer attention to my sewing machine settings and for once I actually swapped my universal sewing needle for the more appropriate microtex needle. Also, the fraying was legendary and unfortunately I didn't realize until I had already lost ¼ of an inch around the hem. Once I pinked the raw edges I was OK, so in the future I'll remember to pink my raw edges to minimize fraying during construction. Overall I really ...

Hello sewing friends! I’m here on the blog today sharing a pattern hack I recently did to boost my wardrobe with a few pieces to wear during my recovery from surgery…and I’m also sharing a tip for those pesky rounded hems. So let’s jump in! I recently had surgery on my neck due to issues with my parathyroid glands. All went to plan and I’m doing well, but I have to admit, the scar was a bit larger and more prominent than I expected. I definitely want to cover it up a bit during the healing process, and I realized that I own very few tops that cover that area of my neck. I don’t really love wearing high neck tops, so I came up with the idea to sew a top that I could convert back to my preferred style once I recover.  The pattern I used to do this is the Laundry Day Tee from Love Notions. This pattern is a fan favorite in the sewing community and has been around for more than ten years. I love the style – fitted at the bust but with extra swing at the waist, with lots of sleeve and n...