COMPLETE! Vogue 8815 peplum top

PATTERN: Vogue 8815 peplum top, View A


FABRIC: navy cotton with a bit of a stretch, Borovick fabrics £5p/m
Plus satin navy bias binding from MacCulloch and Wallis, and navy polka dot bias binding from The Sewing Shop in Lichfield

TIME: 1 hour to cut paper and fabric, 1 hour to do darts, 1 hour to sew seams, 1 hour to insert zip, 3 hours to do neck, armhole and bottom edge binding With bias tape.


I LEARNT: a much better way to do an invisible zipper- to actually baste the gap closed first, then baste both sides of zipper tape, open the slit, then sew into place.
Also the first time I've down bias binding on a garment


ISSUES: I had to chuck a needle in the bin when I bent it sewing over the zip!
The front darts have a slightly odd look -like they are not one right? Will look it up.

Lovely too- intend to make it again in silver velvet with long slim sleeves.

Fabric shopping, London

I have been collecting fabrics for my 2013 wardrobe.

So far I have shopped at:

Stitch, Wanstead, London E11-great local store on the high street run by a friendly family

Regent Sewing, Ilford. Not so friendly in my experience and chaotic organisation, but a good range and quite cheap.

Walthamstow market esp. Sayed Fabrics-so cheap it's unbelievable

And today I took myself off on the tube into Soho.
I visited The Cloth House, Borovick, Berwick Street Cloth Shop, MacCulloch and Wallis and Kleins haberdashery on Noel Street. I spent a fortune on fabrics but am really pleased with what I got.

Aaaaaaghh hide the bags!! And receipts for that matter!! Central London ain't like the 'stow market.