Fabricista Guest Post: Perfectly Imperfect

Hey Sewing Friends!! I’m super excited to be a guest Fabricista. I’ve been a fan of Fabric Mart since I began sewing again in 2020. Let me begin with an introduction. I’m Eras, and my Instagram account is sewing_andmore. During the day, I work as a Nurse Practitioner, and I first learned to sew in my local 4-H club when I was in middle school. At that time, I had an amazing sewing instructor, Mrs. McKinney, who was extremely patient and was by my side for every step.

However, in 2020, the stress of being a Nurse Practitioner during the pandemic made me turn to sewing for my mental health. I started out sewing and creating masks, and I immediately saw a change in my mood. I’m so glad I dusted off my old sewing machine, and I haven’t stopped! After seeing the rush of adrenaline and satisfaction sewing provided, I started making clothes. When I no longer needed fat-quarters, I started looking for online fabric stores. It was during this time that I discovered Fabric Mart and their great selection of fabric choices and amazing sales.

I must admit I’ve been extremely nervous to be a Fabricista; Afraid my sewing wouldn’t be perfect, putting me in a vulnerable position to be critiqued by others. My family and friends are supportive of my sewing, but they also have no idea what a serger does or when to use a straight or zig-zag stitch. I had doubts: What if I’m not good enough? What if I have a stitch out of place? However, I decided to push through my doubts/fears and hope I encourage others to do the same!

To help me feel more confident, I purchased a natural cotton muslin fabric.

Have you ever used muslin fabric? Muslin is often used as backing for a quilt. Instead, I used it to make a mock-up of McCall’s 8285 View B Shirt Dress. Using the muslin allowed me to perfect the fit, practice making buttonholes, and putting together the collar less intimidating. I must admit I don’t always make a muslin, but when I don’t want to cut into my “good fabric,” I use muslin as a trial run.

After making the dress with the muslin fabric, I felt more comfortable cutting into my beautiful cotton lawn fabric. One of the best parts of ordering from Fabric Mart is being able to check the box to include a coordinating thread with my purchase.

I absolutely love this feature because I know when I receive my Fabric Mart purchase, I can immediately start sewing. Now, let’s discuss this stunning fabric.

This Muted Cream/Coffee/Pale Robin Egg Blue 100% Cotton Vertical Abstract Streaks Print Lawn is beautiful and extremely soft. Sewing with cotton fabric is always a treat because I can use a standard size sewing needle, and ironing it is easy.

Overall, this pattern is listed as “easy,” but I feel there are some advanced sewing techniques, including sewing the collar using a slip-stitch and making button-holes.

This fabric has an amazing drape and feels like I’m wrapped in a high-thread-count sheet. Not to mention, it is a very easy transitional fabric. Although it is officially Fall in the USA. Fall in Arizona means temperatures are in the high 80s. If it does get colder, I can easily put layers under my shirt dress and continue to wear this beautiful dress all year.

In the future, I plan to ice-dye the muslin fabric. For now, I’m enjoying wearing both dresses. For me, the best part of being a guest Fabricista is I had the courage to participate, and I’m glad I purchased these labels as a reminder my sewing can be Perfectly Imperfect and still feel stunning.

Plus creating this shirt dress was satisfying and had a positive effect on my mood.

Eras | @sewing_andmore