Stylish Shirt or Japanese Dressing Gown?

I got an email recently from Mad Jak's, a small fabric shop in Shere near Guildford, Surrey announcing they were having a 50% off sale. What was a girl to do? The shop is about 15 miles from me but off I went in keen anticipation of adding substantially to my stash while there were bargains to be had.

The reality was actually like every other visit I've made here. There is a limited selection and if I go looking for stretch fabrics they only have cotton wovens, if I go wanting a bright coloured silky, drapey fabric they have more jersey and fleece. I never leave with more than one or two pieces and my wallet fairly in tact which can be disappointing. This day was no exception and the sale made the very cramped fabric area into a mess of discarded pieces of remnants that people were tramping over and rummaging through.

I had no choice other than to join them but found nothing of interest. Then I spotted a basket of loose overlocker cones on the floor and picked up the first one which was covered in fluff and grubbiness to hold up to an assistant so as to enquire the price. £2.75 was the answer with the added comment that they weren't in the sale!! I quickly put it back amongst the other sad examples and let the bargain hunters continue to trample over them!!! When Lidl's sell them at 2 for £4.00 they are excellent value, clean and sealed in plastic although limited colour choice they are fine for basic requirements.

But I did spot this fabric on a bolt by the door as I was about to leave and told myself I couldn't justify driving all that way without something to show for it. So, this red and black print which is a warm cotton at the sale price of £5.00 per metre was my choice. I bought 1.5 Metres and that would have been plenty to make the whole shirt. However, I decided to use some silky plain black from my stash as a contrast for the roll collar, front placket and cuffs.

The design is based on Glenda's 'V' neck shirt [from SFD] which she published last year. I have made this a couple of times and really love the way the neckline gives a shirt a more feminine feel and look.

I was delighted with my progress until I finished the major construction and placed it on my mannequin to stand back for an overview. It then hit me that the colour combination reminded me of a Japanese kimono style housecoat. I hope the finished garment doesn't give the same impression but I can now see why I don't normally go for red even though the shirt is very comfortable to wear and goes well with my new black jeans blogged here.