Spring is on the way...

Well spring is certainly on the way here in Wellington. We've changed the clocks and it's light until after 7.30 in the evenings and when the sun comes out, boy is it warm! :-) The spring flowers are out everywhere including these tulips which are in the Botanic Gardens.

And so while I'm off work (doctors orders) with a bad chest and throat, I thought I'd go through the stash and make a start on making a hole in it! I've managed to pre-wash four pieces of fabric today and cut out one lot. Feeling pleased with myself.

So what's on the cutting board...

The dark red linen at the back came from Global Fabrics and is going to become a straight wrap skirt. The red and cream leafy cotton lawn came from Goldhawk Road when I went about a year ago. It's destined to become a blouse of some description, not sure which pattern yet. Finally the bright flowery cheerful polycotton on the right came from Fabric Warehouse and is destined to become another skirt. There's not loads of it, so I think I'll give it a black border and possibly black fitted basque.

So what about the blue and green hearts underneath? OK, this is the last of the four pieces, which I've even managed to get cut out. I was not sure how this would work. I thought I'd only bought enough for a skirt, but when I measured it, there was enough for a dress, even with this seam at one end of the fabric. 

 

It's not been printed centrally on the fabric either, as you can see above, there's about a 3cm selvedge which is white on one side and on the other selvedge the patten goes right to the edge.

Even so, I've got a dress out of it!! It's a tried and tested pattern, so with any luck...

What I want to know from any of you out there is... When you pre-wash fabric, do you bother to iron/press it afterwards before cutting out? Polycotton generally seems OK, but the red linen is a tad creased having washed it - as linen ever is.

Don't panic, I only washed them on a cold wash...