I am planning a simple holiday wardrobe for my trip to Shanghai in October. Yes! Shanghai! Can you imagine me going crazy at the fabric markets!!! I am going nuts just thinking about it LOL! If you have shopped there, I welcome tips, recommendations and any information 🙂
From now till end September, I wanna sew a few essential pieces to squeeze into a luggage I am sharing with my hubby and kids. With kids around, we always try to travel as light as possible.
I figured layering is the way to go. The weather has become temperamental. It was just 40 degrees Celsius (typically, it should be 30) in Shanghai a few days ago and by past years’ records, typical weather in October should be 15 to 22 degrees Celsius. My plan is to sew my first fall coat, first cardigan, first pair of jeans and to create a few coordinating knit pieces to bring along. At the same time, I am hoping that all these pieces will be versatile enough to be wore back home.
1) My first coat
I am gonna tackle the coat first. I have the Butterick 5295 sewing pattern but I am constrained by my stash busting effort to sew this-Insufficient yardage. Major major bummer! So, this pattern has got to wait.
I considered some coat sewing patterns on burdastyle where I chanced upon my dream coat named Alden.
This looks so retro. I love the back details! But alas, I still have a fabric constrain issue. I relooked at my stash and reluctantly let this go. It shall be made for my next fall holiday. It has been raining so much in Singapore, I just might get to wear this here if I use a waterproof material. I convinced myself that Alden has got to wait. Stash busting is my priority at this point. That’s when I met Esther and got totally inspired by this lovely cosy version made of woven and knit fabric by Kitzler. I checked the yardage required and am a happy woman! By mixing knit and woven, i have enough to get this going! What an ingenious idea! Thank you Kitzler!
2) My first cardigan
I fell in love with this long cardi from Japanese sewing book ‘Les couleurs francaises’ but never thought I would actually make it.
The good news-I have the fabric for this in green! The bad news- the pattern is not provided. But, they did provide pattern for a shorter similar version (image below) and the sew gutsy in me said I’m not gonna let the lack of pattern get the better of me. I shall modify this to create a slightly longer cardi.
3) My first jeans
I am still tossed between making jeans from Wendy Mullin’s Sew U pants pattern and a high-waisted pair from burdastyle’s bella pattern. Afterall, the shorts version is so comfortable. The only certainty is I’m making this pair of jeans out of the only denim fabric in my stash, in Indigo.
Here’s what bella jeans look like. I love this pair by the Cupcake Goddess.
But, I am equally smitten with this Sew U pair by Le Printemps Jolie
What do you think? Bella or Sew U jeans?
4) Twinkle Sew Tops
These two tops from Wenlan Chia’s Twinkle Sew caught my eyes when I was going through my sewing patterns and I hope to create them in cotton jersey fabric from my stash. I have heard issues with printing out the CD Rom patterns but would still love to give them a try.
This project is going to be challenging. I have only sewn knit fabric twice. Knit fabric. First Jeans. First Coat, First Cardigan. I’m ready.
The Sew Convert 
I have two pairs of Bella trousers and I love them. Just make sure you make them tight enough to stay up – I have had to move the buttons twice on mine as they relaxed in wear.
I am pretty sure all your 1st something will turn out lovely. I love that long cardigan too and hadn’t notices it looked similar to the short one. Thanks for the tip 😉
How fun! Good luck with your wardrobe!
Thanks so much for the tip Roobeedoo!
Merci by night! You are always so kind 🙂 They do look similar don’t they, I’m hopeful that it can be done.
Thanks Angela 🙂
I year or so ago I had a couple of days in Shanghai. I had no chance to look for fabric etc.
However the highlight of the trip was the few hours we spent at the Shanghai Museum. To start with the building is a stunning example of genuine modern Chines architecture and not a Chicago look alike. It was the only modern building I saw in any of the 5 or 6 cities I visited that really belonged there.
Apart from the wonderful furniture, china and bronzes as you might expect to see at a museum in China, I so much enjoyed the Minority nationalities display. I must say that I did not go looking for this gallery. I am not particularly interested in this topic as such. But I accidentally found myself in that gallery and boy oh boy what a delight it was.
One room was devoted to clothing made by various minorities. Having read your blog and seeing today your choice of those lovely green tiles for a photo, I am sure you will find this one room quite breathtaking and fascinating. eg: http://www.shanghaimuseum.net/en/display/display-10-1.html
I nearly missed this display because it was not under the title of clothing or textiles or something similar.
Have a wonderful holiday.
Thanks for the information Irene, appreciate it!
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Wow, you’re going to have an amazing time in Shanghai! And congrats on the many firsts 🙂
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Everyone has their own ideas as to how much they should and should not stash. I do stash fabric. I find that I have a slightly different taste in fabrics than most people. If I don’t buy what I like when I see it, I won’t have an acceptable fabric when I need it. Yes, with this attitude I have accumulated too much and have had regrets. But my regrets have not been I can’t sew because I don’t have the fabric. My regrets are, I stashed too much fabric, I stashed, trendy fabric which has passed its “time”, I stashed fabrics that are not in keeping with my decorating tastes or my personal clothing tastes. You should do what is right for you. If that’s a fabric diet, then by all means keep your purchases to a minimum.
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