Fabric Mart Fabricistas

As I get more into reading I see dress descriptions that I want to recreate. While this wasn't the exact dress I wanted, it was still a fun adventure. From patterning to sewing to the photoshoot with my mom. I had this piece of fan art by @fireheartweekly saved for a while, and even had a few friends excited to see me make the dress. To say there was a lot of excitement in my little social circle when I started this project would be an understatement. I kept trying the dress on at every possible moment to check the fit, but also because I loved the way it made me feel. While the fan art was inspired by Feyre Archeron from Sarah J Mass's series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, I found myself coming up with my own story for who would wear this dress in my fantasy world. She would be some powerful fantasy hero that could look stunning at a ball but also lead her troops into battle in the morning. Delivering lines like, "For Frodo," or "Be Careful but Be Brave," or...

This was another one of those times when I saw the fabric and instantly knew what it needed to become. I've wanted to do book-themed garments for a while and Bryce Quinlan's Autumn Ball dress from House of Sky and Breath was an excellent place to start. While the book gave a good description of the dress, it also left much up to interpretation. The key details were 1. a plunging neckline. 2. a mermaid skirt. 3. high slit. I eventually landed on a bustier style top because I've been wanting one for a while, and it really felt like it fit with her character. I had no idea what I was doing 90% of the time which made this one of the most stressful builds I've done in a while. But it also taught me a lot. When I make a dress like this in the future, I will definitely be looking up a few tutorials to make sure I get all the supports right. In the end, this was one of the most rewarding projects I've done. I was able to do something new and felt amazing in this dress. 10/1...

  When I saw the Vogue V1842 pattern by Badgley Mischka, I knew I was going to sew it for a special event.  The style is elegant, versatile as it can be worn with a jacket or shawl during cooler seasons and accommodating of changing body shapes with its empire waist.  I needed a formal dress to wear to a Mozart concert in Europe in a couple of months; that dress must be easy to pack on a cruise.    Fabric Mart’s sequined mesh fabric (# SKU:  MOA9294) met my criteria and its color was so unique – a combination of violet, cadmium blue, and deep carmine.  Because sequined fabric is not one of the suggested fabrics in the back of the pattern, I decided to try out the pattern first on one that is, a jacquard.  I happen to have on hand FM’s black and white 100% cotton leaf print with oval jacquard design (SKU#BLA4147).  I first made a muslin and found size 14 bodice and size 16 skirt fit me properly.  I raised the neckline by 5/8 inch, however...