New Look 6000 and Vogue 2101 Combo Sweater Dress .

After my previous sweater knit sewing disaster I got back on the sewing seat so to speak and made up another one . Ahh, much much better this time . This sweater knit was a delight to sew - it didn`t stretch out , it didn`t unravel and was easy to stitch . This fabric came from the same internet seller as the awful ( but pretty ) sweater knit  but was accidentally sent instead of another order . I contacted her about the mistake and she sent the correct fabric and said I could keep this one ! Bonus !

I used a combination of the Vogue wardrobe pattern 2101 and New Look 6000.
I used the Vogue pattern for the main  body of the dress and added the fabulous asymmetrical collar detail from  New Look .This is now the second time this year I have used the Vogue pattern  after having it in my stash unused for probably close to a decade. I love the fit and it has been easy to adapt for different neckline looks . Who knows I might even get to use the original pattern as is one day. There is something to be said about not destashing or decluttering !

I love the collar detail .  New Look 6000 has been a very popular dress patter  but I only discovered  it after it become  OOP . I was lucky to pick up the pattern from an op shop but it was not complete. No matter the collar pieces were intact . I am loving accessorising this dress with the handful of brooches that I own. This one is a vintage silver and paua shell butterfly . I am not sure if brooches are considered a bit old hat but I love them and this one came from a special friend .

This is my third warm cosy winter dress I have made this season but I will stop there now .
I am reaching saturation point in my wardrobe but want to keep on creating so I am now sewing up replacement items of  older items that are had it or I am entirely sick of. Such an enjoyable ( but first world ) dilemma.

My Most Precious Fabric Sewn ! Ottobre Woman S/S 2016 Kimono Top.

 I finally used my most favourite piece of  fabric that I own .
This piece of silk was bought in Beijing in 2008 . Perhaps it was because it was 10 years old , perhaps because I am getting bigger and my fabric is not , perhaps because of life stuff but I finally used it .
I only had 1.1 metres and I had quite a different pattern in mind when I purchased the silk but that pattern is looking dated now .
Instead I used what is becoming a TNT pattern , the Ottobre Woman S/S 2016 Kimono top pattern.

A simple darted woven top with a  scooped neck with a  bias binding finish  , dropped shoulders forming a small sleeve and  a relaxed amount of ease. And it only takes about a metre of fabric.  It is a classic pattern that will not date quickly.

The silk is  predominantly  in a minty green with swirls of  mauve , ocean greens and blues , chartreuse and charcoal.
It was purchased at the Silk Road Markets in Beijing . Most of the market was taken over by stalls selling fake designer clothes and bags , pashminas and chop sticks etc but on the top floor there was a very large area selling silks and the variety was overwhelming. It took me some time to narrow down my choices but then you can not just simply buy the fabric. There were no prices displayed and I suppose you are meant to haggle which I hate. Next to me were an American couple negotiating  costs  and what they were being offered was  much higher  than what my shop assistant told me were the prices so I just accepted that and said yes ! It worked out to be about $15 Australian and I thought that seemed quite good although I am not in business of buying silk regularly.

 My photos unfortunately do not show up how beautiful the silk is in real life . Now that I have sewn  it  I suppose that means another fabric moves to the top of the precious list . I still have two pieces of silk from Beijing and another couple of pieces of cotton from Shanghai. Then there are three remaining  pieces of cotton my daughter bought from Tokyo for me . I also bought a spotty georgette from Toyko as a souvenir in 2013 . I have a piece of cashmere wool blend to make a skirt and Mum gave me a large remnant of  some pink and white striped Swiss cotton which feels as good as Liberty . The theme of precious fabrics being they are souvenirs from overseas or of  exceptional quality . I am working on a plan of sewing about one of these per year to extend the joy of my precious fabrics which equates to a decade !
If anyone has any precious fabric stories they would like to share then I would love to hear them !
Cheers Janine.