Made By A Fabricista: 3 Chambray Pieces

Hey everybody, it's hard to believe that spring is just ten days away as we are in the midst of another snow storm here in Eastern Canada. Despite the bad weather I'm making some spring pieces and my theme for this month is: chambray!

Fabric Mart always has a great selection of chambray to browse - my first make is a top in this 100_ cotton chambray voile in denim blue and white, lightweight and very pleasurable to sew. It is still available here!

McCall's Vintage Top 4028

If you wonder what pattern I used, it is McCall's 4028, a vintage pattern circa 1974 I bought on Ebay. I do sometimes buy vintage patterns that I find cute, but I tend not to make them that much, perhaps because I get distracted by all the new releases and I relegate the vintage ones at the bottom of my bucket list.

I'm glad though I made this one as I find this style pretty and feminine, and perfect for spring!

Next up is my skirt project: the Carmen Flounce Skirt

I bought the Carmen Flounce Skirt as soon as it was released (last fall). The tester versions pretty much convinced me that this skirt looks lovely on all kinds of silhouettes. When I saw this beautiful 100_ tencel chambray I knew it would be perfect for my project.

Tencel chambray is beautiful 'cause it has tremendous drape, and a slightly iridescent finish. This wonderful fabric is still available here!

Please note that it's important to wash it before using it (maybe more than once) and it does bleed a bit, so be careful if you wash other items together with the fabric, it could easily stain them.

It's my second time using a Designer Stitch Pattern, and they never disappoint as the girl behind this australian company really knows how to draft!

That skirt has a CB zipper as it is a mock wrap - no need to worry about the skirt flipping open! If you'd like a shorter skirt for spring/summer, the shorter version looks equally pretty. I will probably make it as well.

I really enjoyed sewing it as some portions of the flounces are on the bias and I really like to sew anything bias.

Stowe Bag in dark blue cotton/tencel chambray

My last make this month is... a bag! The Stowe Bag by Grainline Studio caught my eye some time ago as there are plenty of lovely versions on the internet.

For my version I chose this great cotton/tencel dark blue chambray that is just soooo perfect for that project! (By the way there is plenty still available here!)

I would describe this chambray as medium weight with some crispness to it, which makes it ideal for skirts or dresses with structure, jackets, vests, bags, etc. It looks even better once washed and dried (and it bleeds a lot so keep that in mind).




The Stowe Bag comes in 2 sizes; this is the small version. It has inner pockets where you can put your small stuff like keys, cards or cell phone, and the edges are finished with double fold bias (I made my own).

Here are 2 pictures showing the finishes with self fabric bias binding:




This is how the bag looks flat:




I like that bag very much, and the good thing is I have enough of that great chambray left to make the large version!

My 3 chambray pieces: bag, skirt and top

That's it for my spring preview - can't wait for all that snow to melt for I can wear my new chambray pieces.

Wishing you some quality time with your sewing machine, and a happy spring!

Virginie

from

Jazz Couture