More sleeveless shell tops

My Sleeveless Shell Top has been such a hit this summer I promptly made myself two more. Taking on board my own advice from my first version, I made a couple of tiny adjustments to the pattern: I lengthened the front curve to match the back and eliminated the centre back seam. I also used this method to attach the all-in-one facings by machine and it worked like a dream. Now that I know what I'm doing (it only took me five years to work it out...) it actually takes me less time to attach an all-in-one facing than it takes to attach bias tape and you get a lovely clean finish. I'm a complete convert!

First up is a Liberty lawn version in my all time favourite print - Carline (only available in pink at the moment). I had just one metre of fabric, which was lucky as that's all you need for this pattern! I made it during a sewing afternoon over at Tilly's and am amazed I managed to sew it without any mistakes as I was more than a little distracted by the sewing chat. It's such a lovely, colourful top and looks great with all kinds of solid coloured garments: jeans, skinny trousers, red skirts, the lot! 

The second version is made from Swiss Dot cotton*, this time in turquoise.

I used the same kind of fabric for my Malia top and it's a really nice weight for a sleeveless top - it has a lovely drape. I only had a 60cm remnant, (snapped up for £2 from Fabric Godmother last year) and it was just enough to cut out the front and back pieces. I love it when I get to use up smaller pieces from my stash like this! I cut the facing pieces from white silk cotton.

This top will probably get even more wear than the Carline one as it's a solid colour so can be paired up with virtually anything.

Three is probably my limit for this pattern this summer - I dread to think how many I'm going to make next year though! I love this pattern. x


*Every single time I type this fabric name I think of Dot Cotton from Eastenders...

Liberty fabric suppliers

Last summer I talked about making a new quilt using some Liberty remnants I've been hoarding for the past few years. But when I went through my stash, I realised there were only three I actually wanted to use and that I'd need to buy a few more Liberty fabrics (such a hardship!) My first port of call was the Liberty shop itself as there's currently 50% off online on selected prints, but annoyingly there was nothing in the sale that was quite right. Full price Liberty fabric is pricey (£22.50 a metre for Tana lawn), so I decided to do a bit of online research to see if I could find cheaper options....  

I spent an entire afternoon overdosing on Liberty prints and could quite easily have been at it for days on end if I didn't had children to look after. I did however, manage to find quite a few cheaper alternatives, so if you love Liberty prints but don't love their usual hefty price tags, read on! I've included a mixture of bricks and mortar shops and online stores, but obviously it's nowhere near a comprehensive list. I should also point out that I've used some, but not all of these suppliers, so can't vouch for them all personally. Hopefully one of them may lead you to a bargain though!

Sewbox

This friendly online store offers a mix of classic and contemporary prints at reduced prices, often in unusual colourways. The majority of fabrics are Tana lawn and Lifestyle cottons, with some jersey and cord prints also stocked.

Shaukat

THE place to go for discounted Liberty fabrics if you're in London. They stock absolutely everything, with a far broader range than the Liberty store itself, including all the classic floral prints and lots of seasonal collections. If you're desperate to track down a discontinued or limited edition print, give them a try, they probably have it in stock. The firework print fabric I got for Christmas was found at  Shaukat after it had sold out at Liberty. 

Visit the shop in South Kensington or buy online here.  

Goldhawk Road, London W12

Classic Textiles stocks some lovely Tana lawns and silks. Last time I was there I think Tana lawn was about £17 a metre and silk amazingly was about £12 a metre. I used Liberty silk from this shop to line my boiled wool coat.

Misan West on Goldhawk Road is a relatively new fabric shop and also stocks Liberty fabrics. Definitely worth paying a visit if you're in the area.

Fabrics Galore

Fabrics Galore has been around for 25 years and offers a good selection of classic and seasonal Tana lawns at very good prices (around £15.00 a metre). 

They have a shop in Battersea, you can buy online here or they regularly exhibit at sewing shows throughout the year.

Abakhan

As well as stocking classic Tana lawns at full price, Abakhan also has a separate clearance sections where you can snap up past collections of Tana lawn for £12.95 a metre and Lifestyle cottons for £9.95 a metre).

Clothkits

Clothkits are more commonly known for their ready made clothing kits, but did you know they also have a small but perfectly formed Liberty section on their website?! Check out their Tana lawn clearance section where you can find an interesting selection for £16.00 a metre. They also sell Liberty bias binding and fabric covered buttons!

Kat's Fabrics

I found this eBay seller via What Kate Sews a couple of years ago when she listed her favourite eBay fabric shops. In Katie's words, "A good source for Liberty Tana Lawns in largeish pre-cut lots. At roughly £30 for a 3 metre cut it's a good deal."  I''d agree with that! You can also get good deals on smaller pieces - I snapped up a metre of hard-to-find Carline print for £15 last year.

If you have a favourite place for sourcing discounting Liberty fabric, please let me know in the comments. And whilst I'm at it, what's your favourite Liberty print? My favourite is Carline, which I've just noticed seems to be in stock again at Liberty. Sadly not in the sale though. Have a good week! x

Delphine with roses

I told you it wouldn't be long in the making didn't I?! This version of the Delphine skirt from Love at First Stitch was even easier to make than my first, largely because I cut out the correct size this time! I made a straight size 3, with a ½" seam allowance at the waist instead of ⅝" and that was it! The fit's really good.

One thing I didn't mention in my first Delphine post was that I initially lengthened the skirt by two inches as it looked a bit short. Of course when I tried it on, it looked all wrong so I lopped two inches off the bottom, taking it back to its original length. My measuring must have been off however, (or maybe the size 4 is slightly longer?), because I didn't alter the original length at all on this version and it's turned out shorter. So just for reference, the red denim version is probably just under one inch longer than the original pattern length.

As per my last version, I added a standard dress zip rather than an invisible one, which will hopefully be more hard wearing. The waistband facing is made from the red shirting left over from my Afternoon Blouse, which is a lovely bright contrast against the Liberty Carline twill.

Yes, you read that correctly, Liberty Carline twill!! My favourite Liberty floral design - in TWILL! I didn't even know Liberty twill existed until last year when I made my blue rose shirt dress. Reader Nathalie contacted me after seeing the post to say she had a metre of Carline twill going spare. It was left over from a project she'd finished and did I want it? YES!!!!! I screeched. That's one of the best things about having a blog - the friendships you make online. I've never met Nathalie - she doesn't even have a blog -  but we've been emailing sporadically for a couple of years now thanks to our similar tastes in fabric! I'm so pleased that her leftover metre of Liberty twill has been turned into such a beaut of a skirt.

The Carline print is very busy, so I think it looks best teamed with a plain top half. The top I'm wearing isn't a particularly great match, but all my red tops were in the wash and it's the only plain cream top I own. Hmm, this might be just the kick up the arse I need to make a few neutral, short sleeved tops for summer. On the subject of summer dressmaking, I've almost finished two projects - my denim sailor shorts (talked about here) and a lemon print dress (inspiration here).  They're both pretty awesome so it will be a big punch up to decide which one features on the blog first.

And one final piece of news.… the winner of the Dragonfly Fabrics giveaway is Frankie Carson from KnitWitsOwls! Hoorah!! I'll be in touch soon to organise your prize Frankie. Thank you to everybody else who entered the giveaway. Have a great week! x