Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Hello sewing friends! It’s Andrea - @happy.things.here on IG and today I’m on the blog to share some sew inspo on one of my favorite kinds of garments to make – cardigans! I absolutely love making them and wearing them year-round, whether it’s an extra layer for around my house in the winter, as my outermost layer in Spring and Fall, or paired with a dress on a cooler summer evening. I love love love cardigans! And there are so many great cardigan patterns out there – chances are that each of your favorite pattern companies offers multiple cardigan patterns. Button-less cardigans are great beginner patterns, and a handmade cardigan is a lovely personalized gift since it’s more forgiving for fit and you don’t have to know someone’s exact measurements to make one. And you can make them in all sorts of knit fabrics too.  Today I chose two cardigan patterns to share with you that I think bring a little something extra to the table. They are the Seamwork Milo and the Made by Rae Citri...

I feel like I always take on more than I should, especially with these projects. BUT I do love how these pieces turned out. I feel like I have been workshopping them since November of last year.... You know, this project?  I feel like I have grown so much in my patterning in the past year and I am very excited to see where I'll be in another year! I have also learned a lot about what I do and don't like in my casual clothing. And I think my next project will be more of the same. Mostly because it's getting time for cozy fall nights where I can sit on my patio with a book and hot cocoa. And I need equally cozy clothing. The three garments I made are the Lydia Crop, the Hind Pant, and the Maya Pullover. And when comparing them to their first iterations last year, I couldn't be happier. Honestly... just look at the difference! The fit, the construction... I could go for days. For the Lydia Crop I wanted something that could be very functional all year, but also fit the pro...

Happy New Year! I am excited to be back blogging in 2023 with Fabric Mart.  Over the past few weeks, I spent quite some time reflecting on what truly brings me joy and a personalized form of self-care. Sewing was on the top of the list and I truly enjoy making my own clothing.  During the winter break, I wanted to create some basic looks that I can jazz up for a wedding or rock on date night.  When I read Johanna’s  blogpost and came across the Vogue 1835 pattern that she made last month, I saw endless possibilities with the pattern.  I knew it was perfect to hack to make a mini, midi or maxi dress and a staple pattern to have. My original plan with the lycra foil printed knit ( here ) fabric was to make a formal infinity wrap dress that I saw on instagram.  I will be attending a formal event later this month and felt it was perfect. Knowing that I would only wear the infinity wrap dress once or twice per year, I decided to make separates that I can dress ...

We are slowly preparing our home for our baby girl! So, every project and stitch from now to October (at least) will probably be for her. To get full advantage of my Fabricista budget, I selected four beautiful fabrics, some elastic and zippers , to make a few items. I am showing some here, and the remnants will turn into accessories and tiny clothes in the upcoming weeks. Two little disclaimers: I know I went a little overboard with these girly fabric choices, #sorrynotsorry! Also, I would have loved to get better pictures, but the nursery is not ready yet. Check out my Instagram for better pics in the future! My first project is a snuggly and reversible lounger. I made two different covers for a waterproof mattress, so we always have a clean spare. They are machine washable and easy to change, thanks to the discreet zipper. The base of the lounger is reversible, with a hot pink patterned quilt cotton on one side and a baby pink flowery cotton on the other. The yellow bias tape that ...

This post is written in loving memory of my sweet pup Lola.  Lola was in my opinion the cutest little Shih Tzu ever.  She had the best personality and loved making beds out of my bath mats and laying in dirty laundry piles that where getting ready to be washed. She was little weird like that,  Occasionally when the weather cooled I would put a little sweatshirt on her to warm her up.  She would snuggle right up in bed once I put them on her.  My goal with this beautiful navy striped French Terry fabric was to make her and I matching sweatshirts.  Unfortunately my little girl didn’t make it.  She was elderly and was just not doing good during the time I was making all my projects.  We ended up saying goodbye to her and I wasn’t able to make her sweatshirt.   There is a really great pattern for dogs from Ellie and Mac the Hoodie Dog Sweater.  It comes in a variety of sizes and I’m sure you could find the perfect size for your little ...

Happy to be back for my second post as a Fabricista! This time around, I am sharing three easy outfits for the upcoming summer weekends. The pictures were taken on a very windy morning, hence the title of this post! First, I opted to sew the Cocoon Cardigan by Jalie. I planned to do it a little oversized to wear it over the swimsuit during the day or as an extra layer in the evening. The Daisy White Leaf Jacquard Terry Knit was perfect to achieve my vision. It is a polyester/cotton blend, lightweight, a little stretchy, fresh, and it has a wonderful drape, which was necessary for this item. The leafy tropical pattern looks stunning in person and gives the cardigan such a pleasant texture. Overall, this was an uncomplicated piece to sew, and the result exceeded my expectations! Right after taking these pictures, I had to order more fabric because my sisters snitched this one… For the second piece, I chose a Rayon/Lycra Jersey Knit with a beautiful flower pattern. Colors are popping, a...