Made By A Fabricista: Fall Capsule Wardrobe with Pattern Emporium

Hello fellow fabric lovers! At long last the very best of all seasons has commenced and I'm ready to embrace the impending chill. When Fabric Mart held their sale for 65% off knits (!) I had a ridiculously fun time curating a little collection for myself to sew into a wardrobe that would be perfect for both warm and cool days since fall likes to tease with temperature changes. Can you even believe this whole stack (and thread!!) came in just under $50?! Mind blown. I wear a lot of light wovens in summer to keep cool, and switching to more cozier knits really marks a welcome change in my wardrobe.

There are many designers I simply adore, but the reason I chose Pattern Emporium's patterns for this project is because the garments are already created to pair well with many other designs in the collection. Since I've previously sewn all of these particular items and own just about the entire expanse of PE's patterns, this was a relatively easy decision and I had no doubts as to how beautifully they'd all work together, which is, of course, key for a capsule.

I started with a fabric with a multicolored print, and chose a floral double brushed poly with a lot of beautiful and subtle autumn colors and worked out different textured solids colors from there. With the floral, I sewed the Pleats to Meet You Pants with the intention of adding a matching Besties Tee (which, by the way, just underwent a recent size expansion) for a faux jumpsuit and all-around secret pajamas. Having two pieces in the same print allows for easier coordination with the solids.

My other main garment for this capsule is a basic A-line dress that can simply be worn alone or paired with almost every other top in the capsule. This is the Exhale Dress with cap sleeves in a very fine 2x2 rib knit. Up close, the colors are a blend of black and mulberry, and the result is gorgeous. There are streaks of this exact shade in the floral print and it's so lovely together.

From there, I needed a couple of layering pieces. I am a girl who LOVES a blazer, so I sewed the Sondbird Cardigan in a striped ponte, which has enough structure to hold the shape and the stripes are visually appealing. I cut the bands on the bias for lots of interest and also slimmed the sleeves a couple of inches since this fabric has a lot of body. Of all the pieces, this would probably coordinate well with a ton of items already in my closet.

A second layering piece I chose is the Unwind Jumper in a wildly soft and squishy brushed jersey. I'll tell you, when in doubt, I choose navy blue and it always serves me well. I've sewn this sweater at least half a dozen times and I find the style lines just so flattering on me. This knit is very stretchy, so I sized down one size so I didn't feel overwhelmed with the volume.

The only woven garment I snuck into this capsule is a Make it Happen Hi Lo Tank with a crossover back for extra drama and fun. This beautiful dark green Cotton Crinkle Gauze is sheer and airy and a gorgeous flowy top for warmer days. The crossover back has lots of movement when I'm walking around going about my business, and so it feels fairly glamorous. This cotton is unbelievably soft, like shockingly soft, and feels amazing to wear.

Sewing this collection was such a blast. It challenged me to really think about the uses of each garment and also how they'd pair with different articles, not to mention narrowing down the final fabrics! If you've got the inclination, this is a really fun creative exercise.

I wish you happy fall sewing!

KATIE | @kak513

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories KNITS, RIB KNIT, PONTE KNIT, DOUBLE BRUSHED, COTTON GAUZE.