Past Fabricista Guest Post: Classic Basic Pieces made with Ponte Knit

Happy Friday All! I am ecstatic to be guest blogging today and sharing a few basic pieces that I made. I truly enjoy the creative process of sewing but writing a detail blog post has been quite challenging the past few months. Hopefully after this one, I will find more time to document my creations as it helps going back and reading how I created the look.

I have been wanting to create a few basic pieces but kept procrastinating as it is often times cheaper to buy than make. This summer, I have been truly disappointed with the quality of the tank tops in the department stores and I skipped buying them. I have been eyeing the ponte knit section for a while on Fabric Mart to buy more colors to add to my stash.

When I saw the beautiful range of colors that were available a month ago with various shades of nude, I knew a few yards wouldn’t hurt my pocket. I absolutely love the quality of ponte knit that is sold at Fabric mart, especially the rayon/nylon/lycra blend. I decided to try the lola racer tank as I had a similar store bought version in my closet which I loved. I knew it was a must have as the pattern size range would be perfect for my daughter as well.

I made a wearable muslin of the tank by cutting the straight size 12 in the nude and knew I needed to make adjustments under the arm. I opted to keep the 12 in the front and under the bust grade down to the 8 for my second version.

I absolutely loved the way it fit and decided after my 2nd version to make the same adjustments for the dress.

The lola racer tank and dress is a well designed pattern and requires little to no adjustments and grading. The instructions are easy to follow and the beauty about this pattern, 90% can be sewn with the serger.

To have a clean finish below are a few tips when making this tank.

1. Use a quilting ruler to cut the arm and neckband strips. The arm and neckband is 1 and ¼ inches and is quite difficult to cut straight. For a clean and perfect neckband, the quilting ruler and rotary cutter will help you achieve that.

2. Press the neck and arm band before attaching. It makes it so much easier when pressed to serge under the machine. For a novice, I definitely recommend basting it down before serging.

3. Adjust your serger to ensure the stitches are perfect. Go slow under the serger and use tons of pins if need be. I absolutely love using the Husqvarna amber air S400 to stitch my knits as it is easy to thread and the stitches are perfect. Feel free to check out the video that I shared with more tips on instagram here.

4. Ensure that you mark your center points on the band and bodice and stretch and go.

5. Jazz up the top by using a zig zag stitch and adjust the length and width based on your desired taste.

I absolutely love all the tanks made and opted to make matching biker shorts using McCalls M6360. The colors are perfect for fall and I definitely plan to make another set before the year is out.

To kick off Fall, I wanted to make a few basic sweats. Have you ever come across a simple look and said yes I can make it? Yes, that is exactly what I did with this crop sweatshirt. This sweatshirt set popped up in my instagram search page twice and I decided it was another cute basic that I needed. I hacked Simplicity 9337 by removing 4.5 inches from the length, eliminating the band and adding elastic instead. This sweatshirt can be dressed up and down with jeans and is perfect for our chilly days in Florida.

I am definitely adding more basic pieces and will be creating a few color block looks with all the ponte knit scraps. I know these tanks will last a little longer as the quality is superb and much better than the store bought.

The beauty of making your own garment is that it fits your body type even though it's just basic. Thanks for reading and definitely check out my instagram page to see what I have been working on and the video tips I shared with sewing ponte knit. Don’t forget to stop by my blog and subscribe as well. Have the most amazing weekend and happy sewing!

One Love,

MARICA | @heymaricamitchell

https://www.maricamitchell.com/

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following category, KNITS & PONTE KNITS.