You must be tired of hearing me complain about my shortage of warm tops. I know I am!
Hopefully, I will soon have the situation under control.
I listened to your advice about print-mixing and knuckled down to some serious ebay-scouring.
The plan was to find fabrics that would mix and match with existing skirts and trousers, with the emphasis on recent makes like the unexpectedly blog-popular mustard mini. You like it? Aw – thanks! : )
The two navy prints above are “vintage” Viyella, a washable wool / cotton mix, both from the same seller. They have a brushed finish and a horrific attraction to dog hair. I hoovered, mopped, hoovered again… and still ended up with mutt-fluff all over it when I tried to cut out an Airelle top. Grrr….
This fabric also has a weird chemical smell which I am blaming on the dye. I pre-washed it and a lot of colour came out, but it is still smelly. I think I will have to wash the finished garment again before I wear it. I hope it doesn’t look as faded as that photo suggests!
This is another brushed fabric, but 100% cotton this time. It absolutely screams “1970’s” to me and I am besotted with the print. So much so, that I can’t bring myself to cut it up. Ridiculous behaviour!
I bought it with another Airelle in mind, but as I was ironing it, I suddenly imagined a smock-tastic mini-dress with a purple needlecord collar – ooh!
So I folded it up and put it away, waiting for the right pattern. Prevarication is my middle name.
And finally, another “Viyella” fabric… allegedly. But this feels more cotton-like than the navy prints. It was also quite off-puttingly stained when it arrived.
It was very cheap, but I still felt a little bit cheated to have been fooled into buying something that had been lying around heaven-knows-where gathering dirt for at least the last thirty years, judging by the print. I washed it immediately, and hung it on the line in a stiff breeze, so it is now refreshed, but still in quarantine.
I have a difficult relationship with second-hand goods, suspecting them of carrying the plague. This is why I don’t buy vintage / thrifted clothes.
This is quite a big piece of fabric and it is whispering Robe Sureau rather insistently… which was definitely NOT the plan! I need tops, not dresses!
Overall, I am pretty pleased with the outcome of my virtual shopping trip, but it must be so much easier for sew-ists who live near fabric shops / markets. (Birmingham market shoppers, I am looking at you!)
I really must plan a trip (somewhere, anywhere) in the new year. I might have sewn this lot up by then!
P.S. Watch this space for more news of the Drafting Top Pattern – it is coming soon… with international shipping options – woo hoo!