Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Let me start by giving my “official creative adviser” a public THANK YOU. I was stuck, browsing through ideas, looking for inspiration. My Fabric Mart cart had 24 fabric options at some point, but nothing really “clicked”. What would I sew next? I am glad I asked that out loud! My husband got the answers I needed to hear. From the concept (a tennis outfit) to the patterns (a skort and a dress), up to the fabric choice (a fabulous combo of Activewear Lycras), he helped me get my inspiration back! As soon as I ordered the fabric and patterns, my enthusiasm had come back in full force!  While waiting for the package, I read about sewing Lycras. I got the basic theory, such as using a ballpoint needle and elastic stitches. I made sure the fabric had the required elasticity for both patterns. Anytime either of the patterns called for straight stitches, such as in the sidebands on the skort and the pocket on the dress, I used my domestic machine with a ballpoint needle. For elastic stitc...

I love wearing dresses year round. Jeans are always the last thing that I would prefer wearing nowadays. Maxi dresses are a perfect transition for when the weather begins to change. Both of these dresses featured in this blog are awesome for both summer & fall.  The first dress I will start with is, “The Shirred Dress,” By Hand London. This dress is not one of their featured patterns, but they include an extremely simple tutorial on how to create this dress. It is made with your measurements & a few rectangles. The actual shirring was a fun part. It took me awhile to do though, because I made the rows so tiny.  To create shirred fabric, I had to wind many bobbins with elastic thread, and use a regular thread for the top. I made the stitch length a tiny bit longer, but this can vary from the differences in machines. When sewing the dress you will need to follow a guide for how you separate each line. I used my presser foot as my guide. You can stretch your fabric out as...

There are so many things that I love about summer; shorts, sandals, warm sunshine, cold ice cream, and fireflies, just to name a few. It pains me to admit that summer is drawing to an end. To celebrate my love for summer, I decided to sew one last pair of shorts and a coordinating button-up. Fabric Mart recently started carrying Megan Nielsen Patterns , so I jumped at the opportunity to make my last shorts of summer. I've been eyeing the classic Flint Pants & Shorts pattern for years now, so I knew this was the perfect time to snatch up the pattern and start sewing. I picked a Cream and Navy horizontal stripe viscose Suiting fabric to make my Flint Shorts.  The pattern recommended woven fabrics ranging in different weights depending on the look that you are going for. I wanted a nice structured pair of shorts, so I thought that this mid-weight woven suiting fabric would do the trick.  While the Cream and Navy horizontal stripe suiting proved to be a bit of a challenge to...

Hi Fabric Mart friends! I’m back with another Fabricista Sewing Make, and I’m excited to share my latest sewing make using this beautiful crinkle crepe challis fabric. This month I’ll be sharing my experience sewing the skirt and tee.  Have you seen the latest selection of new patterns on the Fabric Mart Fabric’s website?  Among a few of the newly stocked indie patterns are Megan Nielsen patterns. I’m thrilled to see all these newly stocked patterns by several of my favorite indie pattern companies. I must admit,  I’ve never sewn a Megan Nielsen pattern prior to making this Brumby skirt pattern. So, sewing this pattern was a special treat for me. Fabric Choice  First I’d like to talk about my fabric choice. I selected two fabrics for this month’s makes, which include this beautiful fluid crinkle crepe challis, and a black rayon jersey knit. The crimson red and white fabric is a floral print that is 100% rayon with a beautiful fluid drape and soft hand. This fabric ...

Can you even believe it’s August?! 2020 felt like the slowest year in history and it feels like 2021 is making up for it by going by twice as fast! I am shocked summer is nearly over and we are full speed ahead towards fall. I am a warm weather kinda gal, so 90+ degrees and sunshine is my jam. Since I know that once it drops below 60 degrees I am freezing, I decided to get a jump start on fall makes and start my August post with you all with a smart layering piece.  Let’s make the Kelly Anorak Jacket by Closet Core Patterns ! I knew I wanted a lightweight material for the outer, and something I could potentially apply a water repellency coating to for some weather proofing for rainy afternoons. I started looking in the Coating/Jacketing section of the Fabric Mart website and came across the jackpot: this olive tan Poly/Rayon with a water repellency property! It also happened to be on sale, so I picked up my needed yardage for about $21. Knowing I was also doing a lining, I looked...

Hey sewing friends! I hope your summer is treating you right thus far and you're soaking in the rays (if that's your thing). I've basically been sewing current-season clothes as of late, but I just realized that these pants will happily see me through practically the end of the year.  By this point, you know how much I love linen!  I love sewing with it and I love wearing it.  I reached a little outside my comfort zone with this color, choosing a light and pretty Cornmeal Linen and I'm really happy that I made the effort. This texture is really lovely and quite soft. While some linens like to crease deeply, this texture is far more of a light rumpled effect. Perfect because they look presentable right out of the dryer. The nuanced buttery yellow is a little lighter than I imagined and quite a lively neutral. I had planned from the get-go for this yardage to be some type of bottom half of an outfit, and this will look marvelous with many solid colors or prints on top, d...