Latest Fabric Haul

I've been working on the Ruby Star quilt for so long, my dressmaking has had to take a back seat, but no longer! I'm really trying to limit the clothes that I buy for myself and Amelie. I believe for a lot of reasons, that it's best to wear handmade, homemade. So no dress shopping for me, BUT, that means you get to shop for fabric instead. I have picked up a pretty good haul this week in Shrewsbury at Abakhan and last week at Festival of Quilts. Here's what we'll be wearing this Autumn/Winter season 😆 First up, the fabrics from Shrewsbury. So these are all from Abakhan which is a mill shop and you buy things by weight.

This red one is a viscose and I'm going to use it to test out a new dress pattern, more on that in a moment. The rest of these are all knits and jersey.

Can't seem to get a good photo of this one, the colour is much more pale turquoise than blue. And this leopard has a more forest green. My sister has bagged this one though!

Abakhan isn't as cheap as the Rag Market (is anywhere as cheap as the Rag Market??), but I still think they were a bargain. 

Now for the ones I picked up at Festival. Amelie chose this cat print from Dots and Stripes. We just got a metre, but teamed with some plain black, I think we'll get a nice dress + leggings outfit.

I bought this black and white print for myself, but Amelie might end up with it. It's a jersey from Higgs and Higgs. I've bought the sweatshirt version of a very similar print before which sewed up and washed really well so I'm hoping for the same with this.

Also from Higgs and Higgs, but definitely for Amelie is this little collection of starry double gauze, print jersey and the textured knit. I'm thinking dress in the gauze, leggings and T in the jersey and a hoodie in the knit. 

I got this cotton/linen shibori type print from Rosenberg's. Really like this and I think I'll try a shirt dress. I'm sure I have a pattern for one deep in a drawer somewhere.

My splurge was this Italian silk Botticelli panel print also from Rosenberg which is just gorgeous. 

 I bought enough for a dress (if I can bear to cut it) so the mission was on to find a pattern that didn't involve too many seams and darts. No-one wants to decapitate a Botticelli. I hit upon the Rochester dress from Maven which I hope will be just right. It's gathered into the neck with no bust darts or waist seam. My plan is to test the theory with the red newsprint fabric from Abakhan and see how it fits, then if I like it, go for it in the silk. If not the silk might end up as cushions!!

So lots of garment sewing planned. Watch this space. I'll post if anything turns out wearable!

Back soon,

Laura

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