Fen and Flannel

Frocks and Frou Frou Frocks and Frou Frou Frocks and Frou Frou Frocks and Frou FrouDress: DIY from Fancy Tiger Crafts pattern

Tights: Woolen Goods

Shoes: Gorman

Flannel’s nice, huh? Flannel PJs, flannel sheets. There’s just something about it that suggests warmth, comfort, lazy winter days. It’s definitely an indoor fabric, or at least that’s what I thought until I saw this brushed cotton from Japanese fabric designer Nani Iro.

It has the lovely soft hand-feel and warmth of a regular flannel, but the composition is 100% cotton and the elegant floral print ensures the dress looks more like a watercolour painting than a nightie.

It’s the second Fen dress that I’ve made using my new(ish) Fancy Tiger Crafts dress pattern. The first, made from a hemp-cotton linen, has been one of my favourites for months.

In deference to the chiller weather this flannel Fen dress has sleeves which (to be honest) I’m a little on the fence with. The pattern is already so boxy that the extra volume around the arms just seems to nudge it into OTT territory.

More successful was the piping that I added to the pockets:

Frocks and frou frouI haven’t used piping before, but it turns out it’s hilariously easy and adds just the right amount of definition to the low scooped pockets. I like it. I want to add piping to alllllll my pockets now.

Shot to the Heart

frocks and frou frou - shot to the heart frocks and frou frou - shot to the heart frocks and frou frou - shot to the heart frocks and frou frou - shot to the heartCardigan: Gorman

T-shirt: Dream Diva

Skirt: Sewing By Selena via Etsy

Tights: Sonsee

Shoes: Ara via Shoebuy

The second I spotted this graphic arrow-print skirt way back in May I decided I had to have it. The fabric is part of the100% cotton “Mustang” line at Melody Miller, and it has a kind of heavy linen-y feel to it. The arrows are interspersed with gold dots, and the whole effect just makes me swoon a little.

I deliberated about buying the fabric and sewing something myself, but ended up taking the easier route and buying a pre-made skirt from Sewing By Selena.

Selena specialises in making simple skirts in a variety of amazing colours and prints, and she offers her customers the opportunity to customise their orders with a variety of extras like pockets or lining.

I chose a simple a-line skirt with  gathers at the centre front and back and an elasticised drop waistband. In the end the drop-waist was a little too deep, and drew more attention to the curve of my tummy than I was comfortable with, so I brought the waistband up a little, but apart from that my new skirt was everything I could have hoped for.

Selena’s workmanship was absolutely impeccable, with tidily finished seams, and even a lovely embroidered patch with Sewing By Selena‘s logo on it.

frocks and frou frou - shot to the heartI teamed it with the sequin heart tee-shirt that I bought some years ago from Dream Diva. It’s long gone now, but it would an easy remix project with a bit of sequin fabric and this tutorial.