Notions Of Fabric

I ummed and ahhed about whether to post this dress or not. I don't usually talk about my fails, which I think is totally normal. People don't want to embrace their failures, but this I think it an interesting failure, and for a few reasons. The first reason is the pattern. This pattern is McCalls 7504, which looks really lovely on the envelope. I sewed it up in a size 14, using the finished measurements to choose my size as I typically like less ease than most patterns are designed for. I did make the correct size and it fits decently. This was actually not picked by me, but was chosen by the Husband as something I should try in order to branch out and try new silhouettes. Normally his complaint is that all my dresses are "the same" - by which he means - they have a fitted bodice and a flared skirt. Which yes, they do, because this is a look that not only works on me (I think) but is something I feel comfortable in. But in the effort of branching out, I thought...

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 is my first ever pair of bottoms that wasn't a skirt! My first shorts. These were definitely a test of this pattern, a wearable muslin as it were. And they are still hanging around years later... I bought this fabric in Paris (oh, I am planning a stash filling trip to Paris once things go back to normal!) from one of the coupon shops at the base of Montmatre. I don't remember which store it was as I had that fabric for a few years. I think I bought it on my first trip to Paris after arriving long term in the UK? That would make it 2017, I guess. I snapped up a 3m coupon for a great price, and I still remember at the time being really really pleased with my purchase The original plan for this fabric was to make a dress with it, but I released as soon as it was washed that it was too heavy for that purpose. So instead I made shorts! It does mean I have a lot left as I had 3m to start with (shorts don't take much!) These are the Maritime shorts by Grainlin...

This is such an oldie but a goodie. I hadn't even realised that I hadn't taken photos of it yet until I was going through my cupboard in preparation for this photoshoot. In fact this is truly one that I love and wear a lot. I actually took photos of it last during this shoot, as it was already on the ironing board having just been washed, and then I wore it all day - again! The Lady Skater is such a versatile pattern. It is a really lovely shape and style for casual weekend wear, and I have worn mine quite a lot, although this one was always my favourite. I have made, I think 4? but only 2 are still around. This is mostly due to the fact that the Lady Skater was the first non-sweater knit I made, and I didn't really know much about knits. I did have one in a hunter green panne stretch velvet (which was lovely and I wore it for my first UK Christmas), which didn't have enough stretch so it didn't last very long, and I had another with a similar situatio...

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...

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...

As I often do with new patterns that I like, after I made my first one in the navy and white stripe, I promptly made another in a different but striped knit! Once I knew that the first dress was going to be successful, I ordered this gorgeous rainbow stripe knit from Tilly and the Buttons! I liked the idea of having a rainbow, and because this fabric is black printed on white (not black when woven) I needed a pattern that doesn't stretch very much. This fabric though is lovely, really comfy with a lovely stretch and the rainbow colours work super well with the black. I really love the end result! There is a little fading across the bust when I wear it due to it stretching slightly, but I don't think it's really noticeable and definitely not enough to stop me wearing it! As with my first Moneta, I placed the stripe horizontal on the bodice and vertical on the skirt. I think that looks better on me than the other way around. I made the same size (M), however...