Hello again! Sorry this post has been a bit slow in coming; we've been working on updating the patterns to include a UK size 6 (now done!) and along with all the other crazy work that happens over here at Nina Lee this poor old blog has suffered somewhat!
Anyway, today we're talking fabric picks for the Carnaby Dress. No shortage of options here! Carnaby will work best in medium to heavy-weight fabrics, although don't forget those peek-out pocket linings (perfect stash-busters) can be lighter.
Top, left to right: 1 & 2 Essex linen (Dragonfly Fabrics), 3 Denim (The Village Haberdashery) Bottom: 1 Selection of Indigo cottons (Dragonfly Fabrics), 2 Chambray (The Village Haberdashery), 3 Reversible denim (Fabric Godmother)
It's HOT right here in London at the moment (and how often do we get to say that?!), so naturally summer fabrics are uppermost in our minds. Linens make for a dreamy summer Carnaby dress; the wide range of shades available makes for ideal contrast or complementary colour-blocking. Indigo cottons are all the rage right now and offer refreshing summer prints which are neither floral nor tropical.
Top, left to right: 1 Wool tweed (The Village Haberdashery), 2 Cotton velvet (Minerva Crafts), 3 Houndstooth check (Sew Over It) Bottom, left to right: 1 Felted wool (Guthrie and Ghani), 2 Pink check wool (Sew Over It), 3 Melton wool (Sew Over It)
There are just so many options when it comes to winter fabrics for Carnaby: wools, corduroys, velvets, tweed, brocade for the evening... The pocket linings could still be of cotton, or perhaps a silk (we're picturing a block-colour velvet with printed silk pocket linings...).
Top, left to right: 1 Linen cotton (Fabrics Galore), 2 Linen cotton (Fabric Godmother), 3 Linen cotton (Fabrics Galore) Bottom, left to right: 1 Printed denim (John Lewis), 2 Panda canvas (Village Haberdashery), 3 Printed canvas (Village Haberdashery)
Ok, it's just possible this London heatwave has made us a little more tropically-minded than usual, but wouldn't these printed linen cottons be so fun on the beach (or just about anywhere with a little sunshine)?! The second row is a little more restrained (and of course could be even more so paired with matching plains) but still shows what fun you can have with a blank canvas style like Carnaby! *We haven't seen or handled all of these fabrics in person, so in some cases are going on the basis of the online descriptions. If you're unsure about the suitability of a fabric, contact the supplier who will usually be able to advise (fabric sellers tend to be friendly types!).