November at Village Haberdashery

For the start of my monthly visit to Village Haberdashery here is what I ordered this month from Village Haberdashery.  I was tempted by the new releases, firstly Katy Jones' Priory Square for Art Gallery.  I know lots of vintage lovers have singled out this Cottagely Posey pretty sprig floral for praise and I can only join them!  I bought the knit jersey version which has a touch of spandex in so makes for a stretchy cotton based fabric which recovers well.   I think this is going to be a Coppelia top for me, I am hoping to make it to wear over Christmas.

I could not resist the allure of Carolyn Friedlander's new Doe fabric line.  I ordered to make a Christmas gift for my mother.  She went to art school and started her working life as a graphic designer before going into teaching.  I know the intaglio style designs will appeal to her and I loved them too.  Great colours and for someone and these fabrics work as both background and feature prints.  These prints are, L to R top:
Doe Grid Mash Up in Grey
Doe Boxed Lines in White
Doe Grid Mash up in Sky
And on the bottom,
Doe Boxed Lines in Yarrow

I've been looking at a lot of blender fabrics recently, prints that give a bit of space and breathing room to the louder prints.  I don't use many solids and I often find I don't have the right blender prints when I need them so I've had a dig around the stash builder section and these are a few that I've found.
Firstly,  there's a great range called Figures by Zen Chic for Moda which combines number typography and some graphic shapes but not too strongly- very geometric graphic prints often don't appeal to me.   This print is called Numbers, the colours are Linen,  Vaper  and Ocean.

Some of these prints are perfect low volume fabrics with only a whisper of colour.  Others are a little more noticeable but retain a quite appeal, I really like it.  I also notice that they mainly use a white base which again is something I've found lacking in my stash and something I struggle to find- I have tonnes of off white/cream.  I love the Positive print too:

These are Linen and Salmon, and Linen and Graphite.  You can find the build a bundle option here for more prints and colours.

It's a great time of year to be making nightwear.  It feels like the less glamourous side of sewing but it is always much worn, fit issues are less of a bother as comfort rules for pyjamas and it makes for a good gift project too. Annie has devoted her most recent window display to nightwear.

The Buchanan wrap is a great pattern for a beginner dressmaker.  There are no tricky fastenings, it is a loose forgiving shaper and works as a PJ top as well as a dressing gown.  I've made a similar wrap to this in Art Gallery voile and I find it really useful for travelling as it packs very small in a travel bag.

Pattern: Buchanan Dressing Gown by Gather

Main Fabric: Pretty Potent Anna Maria Horner, (currently on a special price offer)

Trim: Cambridge Lawn in Emerald, Robert Kaufman

And for the more experienced, viscose/rayon would be very slinky indeed and some new graphic bold prints have just arrived.  This pattern is a bit of a fabric guzzler so this wide viscose/rayon is a more competitively priced option too but do bear in mind that it is trickier to handle and sew than cotton.

Main Fabric: Dressmaking viscose, Autumn Floral in Multi

Trim: Cambridge Lawn in Mango

I know Christmas is calling and you suddenly need lots of reds and greens  Here are my picks with Christmassy and non Christmassy options for both:

Miss Kate 'Sundae in Red' from Bonnie and Camille

Havana 'Weave' in red

Knitted Xmas, Reindeer in red and White, Copenhagen print factory

Candy Toss in Green

Stitch Floral Circle in Emerald

Dim Dots in Spearmint

Kona Watermelon

Home for the Holidays 'Sweets' in multi

Cotton + Steel basics in Bandana

Happy making, especially the festive kind x