Sewing inspiration

I suddenly got all inspired yesterday evening about some new stuff to sew. I was removing an enormous piece of very dark green fabric from my stash and thinking about using it for present bags when a couple of other pieces fell out and inspiration took hold.

I bought two pieces of green heavy cotton fabric from army surplus at the start of the summer and had been thinking that they’d make a dress. Something shift like and fitted because the fabric is quite stiff. This means that I can’t get away with my usual ‘minimal seams and shaping’ approach and just tie the whole ting together with a huge sash. But I did suddenly think what an amazing skirt it would make and after pinning it round me and holding in place with a large purple bow I decided that was just what it would be. I think I’ll use the usual A line pattern I vaguely follow from Yeah, I made it myself.

My other inspiration was regarding a top and came from two sources. I have some woolly fabric in a very dark grey that I made a skirt from some years back. I’ve never know quite what to do with it because it’s absolutely the wrong type of thing for a gift bag (even for lining) and there wasn’t enough to do anything else with it. My vague thoughts before shoving it to the back of the cupboard for use in the very distance future were around some kind of pillow case.

Then yesterday I looked up Sandra Garrett Multiples after I found a reference to them in an old letter from my Mum. These were pieces made from plain jersey fabric. The idea was that they all went together and that you could use various bits of the clothing in multiple ways. They were big in the 1980s and she is now selling them again. You can view the pieces on her site. What struck me was that they all had such a square shape (just like a pillow case).

Then last night I jumped from doublespeak to Fashion Robot and then to Gem Fatale. It was here that she was talking about making a top from a pillow case. I realised I had enough fabric to make a pillow case with and the dye was cast. Here comes another sleeveless top!

I can’t wait to get home tonight and do some sewing before going out the allotment society AGM. One day my fabric stash will be gone...