Stash fabrics for autumn

Based on what I read on other blogs, my style of fabric shopping may be somewhat a-typical. This is owed mostly to how I find most of my fabrics: stalking the sales of the local fabric stores and mostly, the stalls of the The Hague market. Especially the market is a source of cheap fabric. Most of it is polyesther nastiness, with some OK cottons thrown in for good measure. However, over time, I have perfected the art of finding the one bolt of nice wool blend, all cotton jersey or whatever else in natural fibres, on the entire stall. Although I don't buy anything I really wouldn't wear, this strategy means I often buy out of season and Isometimes end up with a lot of similar colours (like olive coloured jersey: I've got lots of it, all cotton, but in three different weights and unfortunately the colours don't match exactly). I have also, in this past year, realised I have to buy more colour. Which can be a bit hit-and-miss.

These are all fabrics from my stash (although, to be fair, most of them, and certainly most of the striking ones, were bought within the last 6 months), which will fit in with my new colour plan for autumn winter. The colours in the picture are not exactly right, but close enough. Crucially, only the sparkly stuff (cotton voile. I'm not usually a sparkle-loving person, but I think it could be a nice accent as a sleeveless blouse worn with these rich colours) at upper left is black. The fabric in the lower left corner between the grey rib knit and the breton stripe is brown.

I thought I really, really had to find some ocher or mustard yellow for the colour scheme I wanted, but the beige-ish cotton voile gets remarkably close (and is the only fabric here which I bought thinking it wouldn't work on me but I would use it for my mother or sister. Who, by the way, are never very enthousiastic about having me sew for them. I think they're afraid I'll be overbearing style-wise. Which I wouldn't be. Or only if I'm right ;D ).

Of course there will be other fabrics too. Black wools, that eye-popping purple, tweeds and some black-and-white checks come to mind. And isn't it interesting that in my stash, apperently, prints are for summer and rich colours for winter? However, I'm quite pleased with this line-up and I'm already mentally mixing and matching the yet-to-be-made garments.

I've never colour plans before, but right now, I'm feeling inspired by them. Do you have any experience with that? Or other good planning tips?

On to autumn sewing

For the past few days, this has been the view that has greeted me in the morning. Although it's still fairly warm, this is clear sign that summer is ending, I would say.

Time to plan for autumn sewing. As usual, I really want to make use of the fabrics in my stash, I will be making my own patterns and trying to develop some new skills.

All the talk of hard-core tailoring and dressmaking on other blogs, has left me feeling like a bit of an under-achiever recently (althoug, to be fair, I make all my own clothes and rarely spend more than 10 euros on the material for one garment. So it shouldn't be a surprise that I don't always feel like making muslins and mock-ups and I never like basting...). Still, I definately want to make at least one jackets employing old-school tailoring techniques. Just for the experience.

The very thought of winter sewing makes me want to make jackets anyway.

They've never the most worn items in my wardrobe (because 1. not all jackets go

with skirts and 2. they can be too formal for some of my daily activities), but I just love making them. I think jackets or cardigans over colourful short sleeved dresses will be a look I'll try this year. And I bought more purple mystery crepe which I sort of want to make into a New Look suit...

I have been looking at pictures from the A/W 2010 fashion shows for inspiration as well. To me, the extreme shapes of high fashion tend to be a better inspiration than the everywhere-the-same stuff found on every high street. Toning things down and translating styles into wearable garments is something I can do myself.

I'm happy to see that the tapered leg trousers, which I've come to love, will still be an 'in' thing, as will beautifully flowy wide legged styles (like these, from Ann Demeulemeester). And of course, there are the longer and fuller skirts, which I've been loving all this summer.

I still like them, but not as much as I thought I would.

The Louis Vuitton show, which so many sewing bloggers have been raving about, actually looked a bit disappointing to me. Like something about the silhouet wasn't quite right... I prefer Dries van Noten for inspirational dresses for this winter (although, obviously, it's not about loving whole shows for me. it's about inspiring details and twists)

What has really surprise me however, is how much I love colour for this winter. There's always black for winter, and this year is no exception. And I've always loved it and I will probably make more black clothes, even if it's just because it's in my stash and it goes with the clothes I already have. However, out of all the shows I've looked at (I bought a magazine for the overview, looking at everything online would drive me crazy), this is what really got stuck in my mind.

Marni. I'm not loving all the shapes. Not at all. But just look at that colour palette: brown and ocher and red and turquoise. It seems like something which has been growing on me since way before I saw this. I've been looking for ocher and/or mustard coloured fabric since last winter and turquoise was my big colour discovery this summer. It's putting it all together to great effect that really blows my mind. Although it's way out of my comfort zone, I may just try and go for this kind of colour this winter...