Made by a Fabricista: Weekend Getaway Capsule for $50

Hi everyone! I’m Chelsea, of @thatssewchelsea and I’m excited to share my first Fabric Mart Fabricista makes with you!

The inspiration for my post is a sunny resort weekend getaway. A casual, relaxed capsule of resort wear inspired pieces. I’m talking my ideal warm weather weekend getaway – hot and sunny weather, no schedule/agenda, a book by the pool, a cold beverage, and some good food. My capsule has pieces that can be styled several different ways for a weekend of relaxing.

The best part? My capsule costs only $50 total, for 9.5 yards of fabric and 3 days’ worth of mix and match outfits. For my fabrics, I shopped the $2/$3/$4 per yard sale at Fabric Mart to get the most bang for my buck. I was determined to stick to my budget, so I waited for the right sale to pop up and got to work on picking my fabrics.

I also knew that since I wanted to make pieces for a hot weather/summer getaway, I wanted light and breezy fabrics, which helped narrow down which categories to watch for and shop for. All my fabrics were jersey knit, except for the white fabric which is a Liverpool double knit and the sports bra/swim top which is a shiny activewear knit.

I like to mix & match basic colors/staple pieces in with fun pops of color and/or print, so I made sure I had a good mix of both when choosing my fabrics.

First, I made a pair of high waisted white paper bag waist shorts, hacked from the paper bag waist pants from Ellie & Mac. In hindsight, I should have made a couple more adjustments to the backside for a more flattering fit! The top doubles as a sports bra or a bikini top, made from Greenstyle Creations Power Spots Bra (search for the “even strappier back” hack on their blog!) and I also made a separate matching bikini bottom to go with it.

I made a quick, easy layering cardigan out of Sinclair Patterns Harper Cardigan (a free pattern!), to throw over top of my swimsuit when needed. I made the classic length in this abstract striped jersey.

After spending the day by the pool relaxing, I figure I’ll need a quick change for dinner. I made a bold printed Blomma Tank by Paradise Patterns to tuck into the shorts and made another easy Harper Cardigan, but this time in the cropped length. The tank is perfect for layering multiple ways, and I really like the high neck fit of this pattern.

Next, I used a more structured jersey to make another pair of casual navy-blue shorts with an elastic waistband and of course, more deep pockets! I used McCall #8099, view A. Out of the remaining fabric of my white Liverpool, I made a quick and easy crop top out of Mimi G’s Simplicity #8558 to pair with it for a day of sightseeing, or if I’m lucky, wine tasting!

Lastly, I made a fun open back Domino Romper from Studio Calicot. The pattern calls for using a woven, but I couldn’t help myself with this tie dye jersey! This particular jersey is very lightweight and while it feels great on, I will need to take the sides/back in a little bit to prevent the little bit of gapping from the material being so light and drapey. I think you can make this romper with a knit, but I would suggest you use a more stable or structured knit than jersey, like a ponte or scuba.

I ended up with 1 swimsuit, 2 tank tops, 2 cardigans, 2 pairs of shorts and 1 romper… and all for $50!

Another benefit of having interchangeable pieces in your capsule is that you don’t need to pack as much (and I am a serious serial overpacker!) and still have options for your trip. All eight makes, plus flip flops and a small bag of toiletries, can fit in a backpack for a quick, easy and no-extra-baggage-fees-needed getaway.

Thanks for checking out my first post! See you next time!

CHELSEA | @thatssewchelsea

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Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories:
JERSEY KNITS, DOUBLE KNITS, & ACTIVEWEAR KNITS