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Musings on Liberty tana lawn and hard decisions

Thursday, May 31

So the Jubilee is almost upon us. Are you excited? Judging from the royal wedding last year, it will be naive for me to assume that only those resident on this side of the ocean are working themselves into a frenzy. I bet every conversation now starts with " So, anything planned for the jubilee weekend?". I know because not only have I been the recipient of that question, I have also been at the questioning end of said question.

Anyways, like last time, I plan on spending the weekend sewing. To prepare for that, I went to Goldhawk road on Tuesday. I'm sure you all know by now that I love a good bargain. I am so cheap, I think if you look hard enough in the dictionary, you will find my name there as a synonym. 

I went to Goldhawk road with a plan. To buy liberty tana lawn to make the Wiksten tank top, and rummage through 1 or 2 remnant bins. I fell in love with the pattern after seeing Shivani's versions. So true to plan, I bought a metre each in these liberty prints for £10/metre. So £20 in total, for what will give me 2 tops.




Then I went to the shop that has my favourite remnant bin on Goldhawk road, and bought these

Swiss Voiles


Italian cottons


Now before you all file me into the nut bin, I did not just spend my non-existent life savings on these. These were from the remnant bin, and as such, were £.50/ piece. Some of the pieces were more than a metre, and I had to rant and rave when I was told that the bigger pieces cost more. I spent a great deal of my time there trying to charm my way into a better deal for myself. In the end, I paid £20 for all of them, and was given an extra piece for "the baby". I intend to carry Noah on all my fabric buying trips henceforth. 

Comparing the two, I begin to ask myself what the fuss is about Liberty prints. Sure, they are soft and all that, but do I want 2 soft tops, as opposed to 25 tops, for the same price? Believe me when I say the italian cottons are very soft too. I even bought a couple off the roll for other projects, and I don't think I need to tell you about Swiss cotton voile. 

Do you prefer quantity over quality? Quality here being relative, as I think the Italian cottons and voiles are quality fabrics too. Normally, they sell the Italian cotton in this shop at £10/metre, so we are not talking Primark grade here. I think I shall leave the Liberty prints for special projects, or those requiring  less fabric. Apparently the Wiksten tank top can be made with a metre of fabric. 

The pieces from the remnant bin will be used to make summer tops, and since not all of them are more than a metre, I am thinking tops that require little yardage. Tops like the Sorbetto. I know it will be ok because I took out my sorbetto pattern and did some pattern placement on all of them to see the ones that could be made into tops, and those that might be used in combination with other fabric as ascents.  I'm glad to say only one piece was not big enough for a top. So there you are. Potentially 25 tops for £20. I fear there shall be tsunami of sorbetto tops round these parts in the coming weeks.

Now, on to the second part of my post, which concerns the Cambie dress.

I want to make a cambie so badly. I have the pattern already, I have the lining already ( I decided on a white cotton lining), but now, I don't know what fabric to use. I originally intended to make it using a white eyelet fabric I had in my stash, but after my trip to goldhawk road, I became confused. Upon arriving at home, I decided to sort my stash so I could know what I had there, lo and behold, I saw more fabric with could be Cambies. aarrgggh!!!!!

So I need your help . Which would you use for a Cambie from the following lot?

Italian cotton




Linen

Cotton eyelet

Cotton sateen

Cotton Pique ( Jane made a lovely dress with this one)

decisions decisions.......

I need a stiff drink please!!

29 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. That was the original choice....until I saw the other ones. lol

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  2. Can I come with you next time? I love Goldhawk Rd, and haven't been for a while. Lovely fabrics.

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    1. Sure you can. Just let me know in advance, and we can plan it.

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  3. I vote for one of the Italian cottons. But they are all pretty fabrics!

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    1. I'm beginning to see more than one Cambie.

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  4. Considering that your last two project were HUGE successes IMHO, I think what ever fabric you choose would make a great Cambie, but fabric #2 has my heartfelt vote!

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    1. I'm flattered Faye. Coming from you that is such a big compliment. The second one does look really pretty.

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  5. What amazing fabric finds Dibs, I'm so jealous that Goldhawk Road is on your doorstep...I really must make another trip down this summer! Regarding your Cambie, you have such gorgeous fabrics to chose from - I particularly LOVE the 2nd, 3rd and 4th options ;o)

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    1. Now you see how hard it is for me to choose? lol. Let me know when you want to come to london so I can make myself available.

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  6. Oh wow! These are all great choices for the Cambie dress! I like the first Italian cotton, or the white eyelet-- maybe you're going to have to make a couple of these dresses!

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    Replies
    1. I'm begining to think so too. Someone will probably have to stage an intervention

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  7. Love, love so many of your purchases! I would definitely choos either option 1 or option 2.

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    Replies
    1. Option 2 seems to be getting quite popular.

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  8. Wow, what a great haul. I personally prefer the pink / gret cotton - or the eyelet - I think either would look great as a cambie dress!

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    1. The pink/grey one looks really pretty when you actually see it. It does not look as dull as it does in the picture, and I fell in love with it the minute I saw it.

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  9. I'm biased so of course I'd say the last one! But I also think the second Italian cotton one is lovely. x

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    1. lol, I knew you would prefer the pique.

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  10. Oh my god, the first one is amazing. Or the penultimate one. I'm not one of these ditzy floral eyelet fans. And am consumed with jealousy by your stash.

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  11. lol,I had previously seen pieces of the first one in the remnant bin, so when I saw it had been restocked, I grabbed it as fast as I could.

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  12. Please please please use the first one - so pretty!

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  13. 2 and 6!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  14. Wow fab finds Dibs!!
    So much choice, the first two Italian cottons are my favourites though!!

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  15. Dibs, I'm so overcome with fabric-jealousy that I can't even come up with an opinion for your Cambie! Why don't I live in the uk? I can't even imagine finding a comparable haul in Canada. Sob!

    I made a cambie myself last week, and all I can say is that it skews really girly.. so maybe one of the bolder fabrics would balance that? I LOVE the floral with the red background. :)

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  16. gosh - what a haul! I love the first two Cambie options, and it would also look amazing in the eyelet cotton (perhaps one of each?).

    I'm in total awe of your fabric buying powers! I can't cope at Goldhawk Rd - there's just too much - it overwhelms me! I look at your choices and wish I could find similar, but I guess I'm just not seeing it!

    Can't wait to see your Cambie! x

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  17. Most jealous of your sewing holiday and haul! I am at work as usual! However, I think that blue sateen would be a fab Cambie.

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  18. P.S. I am trying to wean myself off quantity over quality... but it isn't hard when I have no local fabric shops worth ram-raiding!

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  19. I vote for the cotton eyelet and either the grey/pink border print and/or the yellow+red linen. I think you need 3 Cambies...

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  20. I love your italian cotton. where did you get that fabric?!!!

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