I was going to sew from my stash for a bit. I wasn’t doing too badly: I made the neoprene skirt, and I have cut out and started sewing a knit dress (of which more later) from a piece of blue doubleknit I have had for a long time. But the opportunity to go to London arose this weekend and I couldn’t pass it up. I need fabrics for making warm tops to go with all the skirts I’ve made recently. Well that’s my excuse anyway.

I didn’t have a lot of time in London so I stuck with the West End so I knew I’d be able to get the things I was looking for there. I set out to get black wool jersey for a top, grey wool jersey for a dress, and black neoprene, also for a dress.

I started out at Cloth House on Berwick St. The service was great; really helpful and not at all pushy. A really nice man pulled out all the wool jerseys for me and then had a look at my pattern, Vogue 1087. After we’d decided all the grey ones they had were the wrong weight for the pattern, he suggested a beautiful blue one that was just right. I wouldn’t normally go for blue (something to do with having had a blue school uniform I think) but this one is lovely.

I also got a wonderfully soft and stretchy black wool jersey. This is to make a basic long-sleeved t-shirt with. It didn’t photograph at all well so you can’t get much of an idea from the picture but here it is anyway.

I also got the black neoprene I wanted. I haven’t even tried to photograph that. I’m going to have a go at the Burda dress that’s based on the pattern I made the neoprene skirt from.

Despite having found everything on my list at Cloth House I had to have a look in Macculloch and Wallis. I came away with two pieces. The first is a very drapey, transparent grey sweater knit which I’m going to use to make another basic top, probably with a bit of a cowl neck. The second is a stretchy lightweight doubleknit that’s black on one side and dark green on the other. They’ve had it in for months and I have been coveting it ever since I first saw it in August. It is very soft and snuggly.

So much for not buying any more fabric. At least I have definite plans for all of these pieces except the doubleknit, so hopefully they won’t sit in my stash too long.