Made By A Fabricista: Wintry Chic in Wool

Hello, all! Here we find ourselves in the midst of winter and it’s still chilly, but most of the festivities are over. I feel all the doldrums this time of year and mostly wind up wearing shapeless sweats much of the time, but I’d like to shake that off and aim for something much more stylish. I suppose we could file this measure under dopamine dressing, too. Hard to not step a little lighter in pretty clothes!

I planned this outfit idea around a wool skirt. This design is luxurious, classic, and so easy to wear, and I chose a medium-weight wool suiting fabric in a tiny houndstooth to attempt to make it more transeasonal. I love a good larger plaid, but that pattern type definitely screams fall and winter to me, and I’m thinking this would be equally snappy worn with a graphic tee and some clogs for spring.

The threads are mostly black and cream, but the design is so tiny that this skirt really reads gray, and I love this more muted appearance; it’s really neutral and pairs with so much. For the skirt, I chose the wrong side to be the outside. The wrong side is more of a black and ivory micro-stripe, while the right side is a gray and black micro-houndstooth. Both sides are smooth and easily used as the right side, so go with what you feel works best!

This pattern is the Encore Skirt from Love Notions, which was released fairly recently, and I used the midi A-line option since I wanted a flare, but not one as large as the Full option. And the pockets! So big and useful, and I love how they are cleverly folded in the design. There is a zipper closure and interfaced waistband that sits at the natural waist, although you could easily grade up a size to adjust for it to sit lower.

Now, the scarf had to happen once I came across this beautiful deep plaid. This is a very soft wool and nylon blend. I had originally been mulling over making one in jersey fabric, but I couldn’t decide on a color and then the record needle screeched when I saw this garnet and gray combo! So very beautiful and I love the gentle plaid-on-plaid combo with the skirt.

To sew the scarf, I just cut my fabric in half, right along the center fold perpendicular to the selvedge edges, and then sewed those right sides together while matching the plaid. Then I folded the whole long rectangle right sides together and stitched all around the edges, leaving a space to pull it through to the right side, and also adding in some cotton lace that’s been languishing in my stash for years to finish the short ends. Ta-da!

The knit top is a beautiful modal/spandex blend with a fantastic striped texture. I wanted something a little more on the slim fitted side since this skirt is so high-waisted. This shirt is another Love Notions pattern, the Rockford Raglan. I used View D which is the more fitted and sweatshirt style, with bands and cuffs, but I omitted them both for a more simple streamlined (and less bulky for tucking) hemmed finish.

I love the way the raised stripes meet at the shoulder seams. I’m always on the lookout for a solid color fabric that boasts interesting texture which adds a touch of oomph to a simple piece.

Unexpected bonus top! Because the wool yardage is so wide, I was able to fit a tee out of the leftovers. This woven shirt is a severely hacked Hey June Key Largo Top, and it’s the smallest, slimmest woven tee I have found and I love that there are no bust darts, which makes this a very quick sew. For kicks, I used the houndstoothier side of the fabric as the right side, and this adds a teeny bit of contrast. This wool is so smooth, there’s nothing itchy at all about this shirt.

How’d I do? This to me is a much more upscale look, and will help get me out of my boring sweatsuit cycle.

Happy sewing!

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: KNITS, WOOL, & SUITING.