Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Happy Monday All! It has been a while since I wrote a blogpost and it feels great to be back! Today I am excited to share my daughter who hasn’t graced the blog for quite sometime. Now that my children are older, I have to always get their permission to take photos and share. It took a lot of convincing to get my daughter to rock this FAMU (Florida A & M University) inspired cardigan. I originally planned to make the Blackwood cardigan using the orange and green ponte knit for myself to represent my alma mater FAMU but then realized I cut the wrong size.  I was a bit disappointed at first that I cut a medium instead of a large but knew my daughter would rock it. Additionally, even if I wanted to squeeze in the cardigan, it just could not even pass my elbow when I tried it on. It was definitely a learning experience because I now know that you cannot add a non stretch ribbon around a fitted knit garment sleeve. It must be added to a loose sleeve as the ribbon stops the fabric fr...

Hello Fabric Mart friends! So nice to say hey again!  Just want to take this opportunity to wish my awesome, sweet and amazing firstborn a Happy 5th Birthday this week.  It's hard to believe he's already FIVE! Like many folks I've been spending a lot of time at home this Summer, which has translated into lots of sewing.  I've often had a thoughts about sewing for the upcoming season to get maximum wear out of garments, but often seem to be playing catch up for the current season.  But not this time:  here are my first transitional pieces for Autumn, entirely inspired by the wonderful sweater knits I kept spying at Fabric Mart. First up is the cardigan:  Helen's Closet Blackwood Cardigan This is the third Blackwood I've made, but the first of the shorter iteration (view B).  It makes me want to sew up a 3/4 sleeve cropped version! The fabric is a delightfully mottled abstract blot poly/lycra sweater knit.  Unfortunate...

Hi everyone! I know you don't see me around these parts too often, but I'm excited to be sharing a few new makes with you. For those of you that don't know me, I'm Julie, co-owner of Fabric Mart. My main tasks are buying fabric and managing our wholesale division. I don't get as much time in my sewing room as I would like, but when I do I want to make things that I know will turn out well the first time. In this post, I'll share two of my newest TNT (tried-n-true) patterns with you.  Pattern #1: Pamela's Patterns - Cap Sleeve Shell If you are a Julie's Picks member, you probably know that I am a big fan of Pamela's Patterns , because I talk about them a lot. I love how they fit any body and she has so many great professional tips included that really make your garment look less homemade and more RTW. Pamela recently came out with the Cap Sleeve Shell pattern. It is her first woven top pattern release. I was really excited when I ...

My sewing time has been very limited with the holidays and the normal house activities (kids getting older means life getting so much busier)! And because of that I've been very selective of what I choose to sew, free time is so incredibly rare! Right before Thanksgiving I sat down and quickly sewed four new tank tops and I absolutely love how they turned out!

Happy Saturday loves! I am so excited that this weekend the weather is finally cooling down here in Sunny South Florida which means its cardigan season.   This Fall, my goal is to create staple pieces including cardigans that can be styled from preppy to edgy. This month's sewing plans was to create a few cardigans from different pattern companies for my November Fabric Mart blog post just in time for Thanksgiving. I am sharing my thoughts about each pattern and what I like and would change next time around.  I wanted to use at least two commercial patterns, however, I did not select the right fabric choice for the Butterick I intended to use.  I did NOT make any modifications to the patterns and plan to make a few the next time around. The Blackwood Cardigan Size: MEDIUM  Fabric: Red Designer  Ponte Knit (SOLD OUT).  Fabric Mart has another red  ponte knit available here .  The Blackwood cardigan is an open front, f...