Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Hey friends - I am so excited to have been invited to participate as a Fabric Mart Fabricista this month!  This year is the year I challenge my sewing skills.   I have wanted a moto jacket for some time.  Not just any moto jacket but one that has a classic and timeless style. I saw the Dana Marie Moto Jacket pattern on the Fabric Mart website and knew that was the one.  The fabric I used was a beautiful porcelain white/black/silver 100% polyester plaid weave boucle suiting.    Remember when I said I wanted to challenge my sewing skills?  😉 This fabric was beautiful but fragile to work with.  It was a great mental challenge that had me problem solving before sewing to avoid any potential problems.  I first traced out the pattern onto tissue paper to determine the fit.   I used scrap cotton fabric to sew up a “practice run” of the jacket.    I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the jacket comes together.  ...

Hi Everyone!  My name is Johanna Ali and I am SEW excited to be a Fabric Mart Fabricista!  I’ve been shopping with Fabric Mart for years and have been wanting to be a Fabricista since then too, so I jumped at the opportunity as soon as they posted it.  So, here I am.  I will be sharing my Chanel Inspired Jacket and how I made my own trim. The classic Chanel Jacket is iconic and sophisticated as it should be with the price tag associated with them. Usually, the classic Chanel Jacket is made using a tweed or a bouclé fabric and are hand sewn.  This is what makes them couture.  Other distinct characteristics are the front pockets, the ornate buttons and trim as well as the chain weighted hem.  The lining is also quilted to the jacket. There are several patterns produced by the big 4 pattern companies that you can use for this make.  Initially, I was going to use Vogue 8804, but I decided to go in a different direction and used Simplicity 8741 instead...

Coat season is in full effect, and I plan to take advantage to the very end. When I spotted this boucle suiting fabric I instantly fell in love.  It’s definitely a statement fabric with interesting texture.  I had no idea what I wanted to do with it, I just knew I needed to have it.  Which by the way is the story of my life.  My stash could easily hold me over for the next couple years. But once I got it home, I couldn’t imagine making anything else with it other than a coat. It’s a medium weight that surprisingly doesn’t fray too much.  It’s easy to sew and irons very well for a boucle. I didn’t feel like going through the process of designing the coat I had in mind, so I altered my favorite vintage McCalls 6349 view B Pattern Alterations:  -Removed side pockets and added oversized 8.5”x 12.5” pockets -Slightly altered the lapels and collar by adding 3” to the width and changing the lapel from a rounded lapel to a pointed lapel. -Removed the sleeve cuff -A...