Made by a Fabricista: Easy Breezy Beach Capsule

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, and the flowers have a delicate pattern. I wanted to make the Izzy dress by Lulu Ferris, a flowy dress with frilly short sleeves. But I was not happy about the sleeves, I felt too much fabric kept clinging! After much trial and error, I ended up skipping the sleeves altogether. Since I had some leftover fabric, I made a matching long band that I can use either as a headband or a belt. I know I will use this dress a lot!

The third and last piece in my capsule is yet another dress! I was planning to do something else, but this one called for some improvisation. The fabric is a Polyester/Spandex Tropical Jacquard Double Knit. While reading the details in the fabric description, I thought: “once I touch it, I will know what to do with it!” Easier said than done. I ended up choosing by elimination:

1 – The pattern on this fabric is sizeable, so I had to it justice by sewing something large. Leggings, shorts, a top, or even a t-shirt were out of the question. Maybe an oversized sweater? Not ideal for summer.

2 – This fabric is narrower than other knits (42”), and I only had 1.5 yards. Not enough for a sweater or a jumpsuit, let alone a midi dress. I would have to settle for a sleeveless and short dress!

3 –Double knit is thicker than others, so I needed to take that into account and make something with structure.

4 – After so much back and forth, I had very limited time to get this piece done! I decided to stop thinking, take my scissors, cut two rectangles, add a round neck (lower in the front, higher in the back). To give it a simple finishing touch, I gathered it at the waistline by sewing an elastic on the inside. Et voila!

I admire and appreciate intricate handmade pieces, but I am an impatient sewist who loves to get something – or several things - done in an afternoon. I prefer spending a few hours sewing than going to the mall! This capsule has taken me more hours than I can confess (counting all the second-guessing and do-overs). But the good thing is that I have done it once, so now I can easily replicate it in a fraction of the time!

INES | @bynunis

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: JERSEY KNITS , TERRY KNITS , & DOUBLE KNITS.
You can also shop our collection of Jalie patterns HERE.