Fibre Mood Holly Dress in Liberty Crepe

I made this dress just in time for Christmas so I'm playing a little catch up here.  It's the Holly dress from Fibre Mood. I saw a few versions popping up on Instagram and I liked the winter-friendly style: long Bishop sleeves, high neck, midi length.  Fibre Mood is based in Belgium and sell quarterly magazines (physical and digital) but also single PDF and paper patterns.  The PDF has overlapping pattern pieces so they need to be traced off and seam allowances have to be added too but I usually trace off anyway and fewer sheets to print means less to pay on the copy shop print- I use Dottyprint. 

I cut a size 36 based on my bust and hip measurements, then made my standard high round back adjustment and added 5/8" (1.5cm) seam allowances rather than the recommended 1cm so I had extra to play with.  I did tweak the fit a little, the shoulders were snug at the back so I let the seam out 1/4" or so and graded that into the shoulder and underarm.  I am quite narrow across the shoulder, I have read reviews where the shoulder width is commented on as being on the small size.  Not much else needed changing. I stopped the zip at the neck seam (rather than ending at the top of the collar) and added a button and loop elastic sewn in the seam as I don't like constriction at the neck.  The sleeves have a bias strip opening which is a finish I really like and enjoy sewing- quilters are used to narrow seams!  Although the cuff looks like a button closure, the pearl buttons are just decorative- I used black snap fasteners from my vintage notions stash.  

The fabric is Liberty Tana cotton crepe (eBay purchase) in 'Mitsi' which has been waiting at least four years for the right pattern!  It has good opacity and more drape than Liberty lawn.  It's also easy to cut and sew with, but hard to find (Alice Caroline currently has some).  For a similar weight and feel Atelier Brunette viscose crepe is a good option. I had two metres and I just about squeezed the pattern out of the fabric (the belt was pieced at the end from the scraps) so there was minimal wastage.  I wasn't sure this print was going to suit me whatever I chose to make with it but I've been surprised and loved wearing it.  It's feminine without shouting Liberty!  When I'm at home I leave the belt off and often wear it with a jumper but if I'm meeting someone or going out, it smartens up with the tie belt.  There are no pockets and I don't think I would add them with this style, the skirt is not particularly full so pockets would be a bit bulky and maybe too visible with a crepe.  I've seen the same pattern made up as a top too, great option!  I like the modern Victorian vibe and that the lines are simple and not too fussy; I'm not into the frills and overlay skirt layers that are everywhere at the moment. Check out #fibremoodholly on Instagram to see lots of top and dress versions. 

Liberty at the Fashion and Textiles Museum: Part 1, 1910-1940

I had a very brief trip to London last week to see my brother on his birthday.  We had tickets for Hamlet at The Barbican with Benedict Cumberbatch in the starring role- his present for my birthday the previous month, and we also managed to squeeze in a visit to the Fashion and Textile Museum on Bermondsey Street to see the Liberty in Fashion exhibition.   

It celebrates 140 years of the Liberty company with examples of key trends, designer collaborations and many glorious garments, scarves and more.  I've divided my rather large quantity of pictures into three posts.  Photos are permitted and although I took a lot, I wish I had taken more!  Here's part 1 of three posts.  This covers garments from 1910-1940s.  The first garments in the exhibition wouldn't have looked out of place in early episodes of Downton Abbey.  They were Aesthetic inspired tops and dresses most made of silk and with some exquisite details.  You can see the embroidery on the cuffs on the top above.  It still has a contemporary look about it too.

This green dress fabric had a crinkle pleating effect which gave it a body skimming shape.  I loved the simple turn back cuffs and the chunky stitches around the edge.

Lots of these early 1920s tops and dresses were made of plain fabrics of the highest quality and there was always a subtle detail to spot!  The fullness on the sleeve below created by a gathered inset piece of fabric.

This was one of the few patterned dresses.  I think it is the Elysian print, still going today but in very muted colours.  I was rather fascinated by this top stitch panel - I wasn't sure if it was a giant belt loop or just decorative! 

There was some even earlier clothing.  These  traditional English smocks based  are based on eighteenth century shepherd's/waggonner's rural workwear.  The grey is linen and the cream is shantung silk.  Both are circa 1910 and are heavily smocked and embroidered.  

These are children's smocked dresses from c.1920s.  The far left and right styles are timeless.  I remember wearing similar hand-me-down versions as a child for special photographs or parties in the early 1970s.

I think these are late 1930s and early 1940s styles- I didn't take photos of all the info displays as I was almost giddy with all the patterns and dresses!   I do remember reading (and the ticket booklet confirms) the 1920s shopper preferred prints on a dark ground and this changed in the 1930s to a lighter, more romantic mood and colours in the 1930s.  So many, if not all of these styles could be worn now.

This dress caught my eye.  The dramatic colours and the gathers which defined the bust and sleeve- further emphasised by velvet ribbon decoration which continues round the waist.  The neck line is defined by a multitude of separately made flowers.

So many style variations and beautiful details, especially when you look in closer.   Note the curved seams above the hips and below the waist, gorgeous!  The fabrics are a  mix of Tana Lawn or crepe-many looked like silk.

I loved the neckline on this dress.  There is no separate collar pieces, different part of the bodice form the neck and I especially like the higher back section.  There are a multitude of clever gathered and ruched areas al over the dress to create controlled fullness in the upper part of the dress.  There's also a pleat detail in the hem of the panelled skirt.

Possibly my favourite!  I think it is a mock placket but effective nevertheless.   The sleeve head is pleated to give a boxy effect- there must be shoulder pads underneath - and the skirt has box pleats too.  The bound buttonhole style details continue on the sleeves as well as the bodice.

The exhibition has inspired me to make more Liberty dresses.  Back with more in part 2, this time it will be a 1970s special!  You can see all my photos in a Liberty in Fashion album on Flickr.

Liberty: British Colour Pattern

I came across a beautiful book in our local cut price bookstore, Liberty: British Colour Pattern.  

A hardback book that comes with its own 'sleeve' and contains paper inserts and fold outs presented  in an archive style.  It was released Dec 2013 so I have no idea why it was at the bargain price of £14.99 but it ended up in my stocking and I was very pleased.

 It is the most beautiful picture book to go through, beautifully presented and the envelopes and fold outs are like little treats through out.  I have a push/pull relationship with Liberty.  I can remember some of the less glamourous days in the 1990s when it was all umbrellas and oilcloth tote bags in the darkest and most old fashioned of prints- badly thought out products and over use of beautiful patterns.  The brand seems to have repositioned itself since then and branched off into more original design briefs and artists whilst retaining the legacy of the past.

There is a particularly interesting sec ion later in the book covering the Liberty Art fabrics and the seasonal prints that come out for a limited period and can be exciting, original- at times a bit weird but always creatively interesting- success has to come with a little failure to create an energy and desire for new things in the next season.

Grayson Perry is my favourite artist so far in the new direction but each year there are quirky additions and wry choice of artists or creative people behind the new prints.

 These are scraps of the Grayson Perry Liberty lawn prints I have used, all for clothing over the past couple of years: Philippa, Cranford and Cissy

 The paper pull outs show his painted repeats for some of the designs.

 And finally the new addition, Liberty lifestyle- the quilting/craft fabric range which so far has drawn on the Liberty heritage with the Bloomsbury and Stile collections.

I thoroughly recommend it.  I find it such a delight to dip into.  If you have a branch of The Works near you, it is definitely worth popping into.  The craft/sewing section contains many familiar titles and there are some great bargains- this caught my eye, I remember it blog hopping about.  You can see sewing titles here and there are knitting and crochet too.  I do love a bargain, especially one that involves Liberty. 

Oakshott Liberty Love

Months back, Oakshott fabrics were kind enough to send me a stack of Impressions, a set of 16 colours all shot with a white warp (vertical) thread and I immediately knew my plan, starting with some Liberty lawn from Jo's shop- she lives close by so I got personal delivery.

The next part of my plan was Alexia Abegg's Green Bee Diamond Ring Quilt Pattern available here.   I remember seeing this pattern in multiple photographs a few quilt markets ago and I knew it was perfect for this- big cuts of fabric that will allow the prints and the colours to shine. Liberty and Oakshott are a similar weight so this marriage is a happy one.  The Liberty is more densely woven but they play together very nicely. The background fabric is one of my favourites: Kaufman Quilter's linen in grey which has an etched crosshatch linen style pattern on it but is soft quilting cotton, very quiet but it says just enough.

There are a few practical things to over come in the pattern- drawing a massive quarter circle to start with.  I used my Dura-bac board which is a large gridded piece of cardboard- v useful for pinning and in this case securing a drawing pin.  I bought this at a bootsale many years ago and I see them in charity shops from time to time.

The design looks like it would make perfect paper piecing but the scale is too large so instead I traced all the diamond pattern pieces on to freezer paper including seam allowances.  Because the diamond will form a circle you need to piece with a high degree of accuracy so each seam corner point is marked on the pattern and I then use a pin and fabric pencil to transfer it to the reverse of each piece of fabric.

You can see the pencil dot marked with the arrow below.

Once these points are pinned each I work my way round the diamond in order taking care not to stretch or distort the long diagonal bias edges.

When each diamond is complete I spray and press felt.  Earth Friendly starch it flattens and stabilises the fabric rather than producing a crispy shirt collar effect.   The smell is gentle and natural- I am very sensitive to fragrance of any kind.  I found it invaluable when Lynne and I were sewing up our 500 blocks for the book and I now class it as essential equipment, a bottle lasts ages.

I have just returned to this project after months away and I am around halfway round the ring.  If you are on instagram I have been posting these with the tag #diamondringquilt.

Matching the Oakshotts with my various bits of Liberty lawn is a happy task. I need to get a wriggle on, I am planning this as a Christmas present.

Whilst this project is on the way, I am planning my next with a bundle of Italy which has a silver grey warp.  I saw these at retreat when Michael and the Oakshott team set up the stall for the Saturday night market.  I am thinking something with a simple block and lots of light prints, Ohio Star is my block of choice and I have a pack of Denyse Schmidt charms that are shouting me- just need to make a sample to check on sizing and scale.  You can see the silvery threads peeping through the Oakshott colours below.

Thankyou to Oakshott, you know how to make me very happy!

Quickie: Liberty Discount!

A little Liberty discount that won't last for long, 20% off at Jo's etsy shop  with the code RESTOCK20.  My order is already in...planning a Diamond Ring quilt with Liberty and maybe some Oakshotts...

Sorry to distract you but some things are best shared, I have a cold (I won't share that with you)so I am at home fiddling around when I should be resting so I can go back to work tomorrow!

Busy

Autumn is turning out to be busy so it has been a little quiet here of late- bear with, bear with, bear with... projects are coming and a couple of new free tutorials/patterns will be guesting at other blogs.  In the meantime, there is a whole lot of Liberty going on.  One of my projects is for the Liberty Lifestyle Craft blog and I can't wait to show you!  A sneak peek below- making is still in progress.

Plus a project for Nova and Jo's Liberty Scrap Challenge

Jo has given me a scrap bag ( she now lives conveniently close by!) and my project is for October,

Meanwhile Katy has done a gorgeous Ruffle Front Clutch for the September project- see here for more!

Very Berry I Love Liberty Giveaway!

I have a lovely giveaway treat today!  Ali from Very Berry Handmade has a bundle of 20 prints, each measuring 9x12" for one lucky winner.  You can see them in the pic below, all folded, ready and waiting!   I have known Ali a while now, she is a lovely, generous person with great integrity and she puts a lot of work into her family and her website,  so I thought I would find out a little more about her Folksy shop and why she decided to specialise in Liberty lawn.

Why did you decide to specialise in Liberty Lawn?

I started with Liberty mostly because I am addicted to it myself. I love the colours, the feel of the lawn, how wonderful it is to sew with, and that there's always such a lovely variety and imagination in the style of the prints themselves But I was also prompted by my own frustration that it is so expensive to buy in metre lengths. Quilters and accessories designers (like me!) need lots of small amounts of prints that work together, so I thought, with the aid of my trusty rotary cutter and cutting mat, that I could help a bit with that!  I also wanted to start small (and stay!) small, so working with a specific line of fabrics seemed sensible.

What are you aiming for with your shop?

I aim provide small quantities of Liberty tana lawn to make it more affordable for people who want to buy small amounts of lots of different prints. I put together my own (approx) Fat 16th bundles of prints that I think work together, but buyers also have the opportunity to put together their own bundles. I've only really been in business for a few months and am still building up my stocks, and at present I don't buy fabric in huge quantities because I want to make sure there's lots of variety for regular customers, but if someone needs a larger cut, then they should definitely get in touch to see what I can do. Although I try to ring the changes, there will always be some of my favourite prints (like Mitsi and Sophie's Blossom) and some of the classic prints that people associate with Liberty (like Pelagia and Ianthe) available.   In addition to the bundles I also sell patchwork packs of 4" and 5" squares, and try to keep a good variety there too, as well as single pieces of a print, scrap bags and colour bundles. 

Liberty has global popularity and it can be hard to find in some countries.   Do you sell internationally?

I do and I also try and ensure that all my customers pay no more than they need to in postage costs, and am happy to put together custom bundles for overseas buyers to make sure that they don't get overcharged by the slightly inflexible Folksy P&P charging system - people just need to contact me via Folksy or via email.

On your website there are lots of tutorials and project ideas.  Do you have any particularly for using  Liberty lawn?

I have collected many ideas for Liberty on a Liberty Inspiration Pinterest board as an easy place to keep them all stored and many of the tutorials on Very Berry Handmade work well with Liberty lawns.

What are you enjoying about running your Folksy Fabric Shop?

The biggest bonus is thatI get to work with loads of Liberty fabrics myself, there are always plenty to hand!

So to win this bundle of Loveliness you can:

1. Leave a comment saying what you like to make using Liberty- attach a link if you like, it can get added to Ali's Pinterest board!

2.  Have an extra entry if you 'Like' Ali's Very Berry Fabrics Facebook page

3. Have an extra entry if you follow me!

A possible 3 entries are available.  

All welcome including international.  I must be able to contact you and find your email address- if you are no-reply blogger or have no email in your profile please leave it in your comment like this:   kerrykit(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk

Entries close Monday 24th September 6.00am GMT

Good luck, it is the most fabulous bundle to win!  And if you really can't wait you can buy single pieces of the prints from only £1.40 (my fav, Poppy and Daisy) in Ali's shop- cheaper than a takeout coffee and a lot longer lasting.

This giveaway is now closed.