I’m addicted to fabric!
Confession time – I have a major fabric habit. It’s not just upholstery fabric (which I adore), or curtain fabric (I bloody love a print) but the true source of my fabric addiction comes from my TRUE love, dressmaking fabrics. Be it linen (my favourite), cotton (sub-heading: cotton lawn, voile to name a couple), rayon (so slinky), double gauze (my favourite), viscose (mmmmm, drapey), chambray, denim, corduroy (my favourite), velvet, jersey, french terry (so cosy) – I could go on and on and on and bore you all to tears. So this isn’t going to be about upholstery or soft furnishings or anything work related, I am going to talk about my habit, my addicton, my love – dressmaking fabrics and patterns.
My wardrobe is probably about 70% hand made (that cheekily includes all the gorgeous knits my grandmother has made for me) but it’s starting to feel like it needs some new life. I’ve worn everything so many times, and I still treasure every garment, but with spring and an end to lockdown looming (WOO HOOOO) it would be lovely to have some new clothes. And use up my ridiculous fabric stash. SO I’ve made a plan, and I’m going to share it with you, along with some of my fave fabric shops online and patterns. I’m going to make some more time for sewing for myself over the next few months!
First up is going to be the Wilder Gown by The Friday Pattern Company. Perfect for easy, breezy Summer days, this dress can be dressed up or down and also makes a fab top (I have one in navy corduroy which I wear to death). I have two of these dresses planned in the fabrics shown below. The blue stripe is a lightweight cotton that I got in the New Year’s sale section of Seasalt and I think the stripes are going to work so well with the tiers. I also fancy one in this mad, multicoloured botanical print on a super soft, drapey viscose – it’s going to be a statement piece! (please excuse the creases – I only iron when making things – before/after that they have to fend for themselves.)
Next on my list is the Sagebrush top also by The Friday Pattern Company. I’ve never made one of these before but I have a hankering for puff sleeves and I have the perfect fabric in my stash in my new favourite colour, chartreuse (apologies teal, I still love you). The Fabric is a supersoft and cloudy double gauze and it may be one of my most favourites ever. It’ll go beautifully with my navy linen culottes, my jeans and all of my Pants no. 1 (if you are new to making clothes I cannot recommend Sonya Phillips and all her patterns from 100 Acts of Sewing highly enough. They are some of the first pieces I made and I still wear them constantly).
Next up is the most beautiful woven cotton Ikat from Lush Cloth by Merchant & Mills in a deep green. I love Ikat. Its my (you guessed it) favourite. Its destined to become a pair of trousers but I’m not sure yet if I’ll use my trusty Pants No. 1 by 100 Acts of Sewing mentioned above or use the Bob Pants pattern by Style Arc – both of which are so comfy and practical and easy to sew up.
Lastly I am planning two more tops for the Summer. One in Organic Grey Spots by Merchant & Mills, which is a fairly lightweight cotton with a subtle print and one in this Viscose from Ikatee with a gorgeous Indian style pattern. Its so beautiful that it almost makes me cry. I’m a bit undecided on patterns at the moment – one may well become a tiered top version of the Wilder Gown and the other may become another Sagebrush or perhaps just a simple tunic style like the Tunic No. 1 by 100 Acts of sewing. I may well have to go down the pattern hunting rabbit hole on Instagram for a few hours before I make up my mind!
Newton Fabrics 
You have some gorgeous fabric. Look forward to seeing the makes.