Notions Of Fabric

Hi again guys! Hope you are all doing well - or, well enough. Another post of something from the wardrobe today. This fabric is one I picked up in a bulk order from fabric.com when I bought the twill for my Luzerne Trench - so I've had it for a while... But I have also had this top in my life for a while and wore it quite a lot last summer. It comes from right at the beginning of my Ogden cami making run, after the first one I made. But every version has turned out slight different, and this one was no exception. It is this gorgeous cotton lawn in the massive electric blue check. I have used lawn before to make several Ogden camis, but this behaved quite differently to the Liberty one which I have made. This lawn is lighter but not as drapey. It's perfect for hot sweaty summer days where you don't want to have the fabric against your skin. So it sticks up a little bit when wearing, as you can see in the photo, but I really don't mind. As with all m...

I know people say this every year, but how is it the end of 2019 already? It has been a big one for us in many ways. We had to leave the UK for a few months to get new visas at the beginning of the year, I lost a job, I got a new (better) one, we have travelled, I have seen much theatre, and as usual I've bought more fabric than I've sewn! Of course, this is a common problem among sewists and I will do a post in a week or so with my intentions for the year 2020 but for now this is a wrapping up post! In terms of sewing, I did a lot in the beginning of the year. It helped to pass the time while I was back at home for 2 months, unemployed and with my family at work every day. And that period of time was a real eye-opener for me! I made three projects which were challenging me in different ways - piping and pattern matching, trousers, and many buttonholes! After that, and the successes which I had with those, I realised that I need to challenge myself more in my sewing. So then ...

No, you’re not imagining it - I am back with another  Ogden cami  with photos taken in Mallorca! I actually brought almost all handmade on that trip, including my  Sophie Swimsuit   but I didn’t get the chance to photograph many things due to pretty atrocious weather. In the end I only got these three sets of photos done, but better than nothing! This cami was one of the first I’d made, using a Liberty Tana lawn. The Ogden is perfect for when you love a fabric but it’s a little pricey, or you’re not so sure about how the colour or pattern will work on you. In this case it was the pattern I fell for and the fabric that was pricey! So I got 1m - and this was about a year ago, actually. It wasn’t until the Ogden pattern came out I realised that this was the best use of this fabric! Again, I made my usual size (8) with the extended lining. And again (limited holiday wardrobe!) I am wearing my beloved  Grainline Maritime  shorts. As you might be able to spot, th...

This is the first of several posts featuring an  Ogden cami   While that might not be so exciting, seeing as I’ve made several (up to 5 in my wardrobe?), I do feel like I should be realistic about what I’m both sewing and wearing - and these got a lot of both over the last few months! This Ogden I made with a lovely rayon I bought in Barcelona on my girls summer trip! I totally detoured us away from Casa Battlo (after we were finished there, of course) to a local Ribes y Casals to check things out. There was lots I liked, but I picked up this rayon-esque fabric as well as another. I think they’re rayon but all I think it said was 100% cotton - also, I don’t speak Spanish. I was drawn to the print because I thought they looked like moons, and they were beautiful! In a nice twist, these photos were taken in Mallorca on our half term break, so back in Spain! This was simply my regular size (8), with the lining extended again to go past the apex of my bust. Otherwise I find you ca...

Today I have a double post - both patterns which you have seen on the blog before. Let's go from the top down! The top is another  True Bias Ogden Cami ... I think I've made 5 at this point? I wear a lot of this style top (and did before I discovered the pattern), so I am now in the process of updating my original Primark tops in this style with Ogdens. I have also found that every time I find a print I like but am not sure if it will work as a dress, I am tempted to get a metre and make a top. Maybe I need to start making some for others! This fabric though is pretty special. It's the first ever silk I've seen with! It's a sandwashed silk, which I purchased on Goldhawk Rd while in a meet up with Claire of  Claire Sews   What I actually had planned for sandwashed silk is to make an underdressed in black to go with an embroidered tulle fabric I have in my stash, but given I'd never sewed with silk before I thought it would be a good idea to test it first to make ...

Today we have a change of photographer and scenery - on location photos! These photos were taken on my iPhone by my lovely friend Jess, so the quality might not be quite the best, but I am on location in Barcelona! I'm currently on holiday in Spain without my usual Photographer husband, but here I am in the kitchen courtyard of Casa Batllo, my favourite of the Gaudi designed residences. I just couldn't turn down the chance to get such great location shots! This dress is hot of the presses, as I finished it less than a week ago! I have made several Ogden cami tops, and decided that I really liked the dress version on the  True Bias  blog and wanted to make it myself! I used the tutorial roughly, although I did end up having to take more off the back to even it out (I just did it as I tried in on with the skirt basted to make sure it hung straight on my body). This fabric is from my trip to Paris last summer, and I'm pretty certain it's a viscose. It's light and drape...