Notions Of Fabric

Yes, it's another Ruby dress! I was browsing Minerva Fabrics for other things a while back, when I spotted this wool blend fabric. And I love a wintery plaid! When Minerva then emailed me to say that it was only available in 2 separate lengths, no problem! It was easy to fit the skirt pieces on one length and the bodice on the other. I went with my usual size (M with a dropped bust dart), but used a lining. I personally really don't like a facing so I cut 2 bodices and line it, hand sewing it to the skirt to also enclose the waist seam. For this, making the entire bodice out of wool seemed, well, inadvisable, so I lined it with some of the black sandwashed silk left in my stash. It is a bit easier to sew than some of my other liing facrics and I like the feel of it. The other thing I bought to make this project was some bias binding. I decided that for the wool it needed a bit of nice bias, so I bought some black satin bias binding to go around the hem. Every time I make a Ruby...

Another blog post, another Ruby! As soon as I saw this lovely plaid cotton, I knew it would be the perfect wintery Ruby dress. I wear it through the winter with tights, it pairs beautifully with all my boots, I can wear it with brightly coloured scarves and accessories if I want... It's the best. This Ruby is the same size as all my others. Using the length of fabric which I had, I actually wanted to get 2 garments out of the length of fabric. So, in an effort to save fabric I only put the facing inside this one, not a full lining - and I will admit, I will regret it. Every time I put it on I adjust the facing and slightly regret that I didn't fully line it, but once I have it on it's not actually a bother. The one thing that does actively annoy me about this dress is that I didn't put pockets in it. Mostly that bothers me when I wear it to work (I get given a lot of things and carry a pen at all times), but again, it's clearly not enough of an an...

This dress is truly and oldie but a goodie. It's another Ruby dress! My usual size, this was the first one I did with the full bodice lining rather than just a facing. If I'm totally honest, most facings I just find super annoying, especially on a dress like this. You might as well might make it a full lining and have more clean finishes as well! This Ruby in particular has become my favourite. It's a cooler weather staple which I wear all autumn and winter long, usually with tights. I added a couple of inches to the length of the skirt to make it a little dressier (and a bit better for work), and with the pretty but subdued print. This dress has become my good luck dress! I wear it regularly around once a week in the cooler seasons, but it also gets washed in time for every important occasion. I wear it for the first parent teacher night, I wore it to multiple job interviews last year (and I got offered the two that I wore it to!) and it really ...

This was another case of making a dress in a week, actually. Although this one was so much less stressful! With World Book Day being on a Thursday each year, I realised on the Saturday before it that I didn't have a costume for the day. The few costumes I own are currently in Australia (I didn't see the point in bringing them over in the move), except for the costume I used for Halloween, which wasn't a book character. So I either needed to buy one straight away or make something that could work. I spent a few hours looking at costumes, but so many of the ones that I could actually get in time were so cheap looking and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Then I remembered that I actually already owned appropriate fabric and it had barely even made it into my stash! This gorgeous fabric is from Lindy Bop (which when I went back to find it seems to be in administration?) It was labelled as crepe, and it sewed and wears beautifully. And of course, this...

Now that we've covered what happened in 2019, let's look forward to 2020! Last year, I didn't reach my #makenine goals, but I think it's still good to have something to aim for. This year, a lot of these patterns are ones I would have like to make in 2019 but didn't get a chance to! In the end, what I really want to do in 2020 is to sew from my stash, using both existing patterns and fabrics. So what I have done is created two linked lists, one of patterns, and one of fabrics I want to use. Because I have a lot of plans already in my head, of the two lists 6 patterns are already linked to fabrics on the corresponding list. So, let's discuss, shall we? 2020 MAKE NINE - PATTERNS 1: Cottesloe swimsuit (Megan Nielsen Patterns) Having made a bikini already, and having bought swimsuit fabric I haven't used yet (see fabric #4) I decided to add to my me-made swimsuit collection soon by making the one piece Cottesloe with the tie. I think I have everyt...

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 ...

After finishing my more complicated makes in Australia, I really felt like I needed a palate cleanser. So I picked up the Simple Sew Ruby, which I had bought from Amy of Almond Rock in an instagram sale a while back. Actually, this is the third I’ve made but the first to make it to the blog (I’m hoping to eventually catch up to all my current makes, but we’ll see). In this version, I decided to leave out the pockets, which I do kind of regret, and I lined the bodice instead of using the facings - personal preference. This gorgeous soft cotton is from Paris, which I bought about a year ago on a solo trip from one of the stores at the foot of the Sacre-Couer in Montmatre. That’s my favourite place to buy fabric in Paris and I picked up a few pieces (5) on this trip. This was always going to be a Ruby after the success of my other checked Ruby which I wear especially with tights and boots in colder weather. This one is a little better without tights, I think. (I’m also wearing my new favo...