Chevron patterned Coco!

So I said in my previous post that I purchased some chevron patterned cotton jersey from Spotlight in Singapore. This is the make I used it for! After the success of my first Coco, I knew that I wanted to make more garments from this wardrobe building pattern. 

Chevron patterned fabric is something I have coveted for a while and have yet to find any for clothing in Hong Kong. I had considered purchasing some Riley Blake chevron fabric from modes4u.com, but it was quite pricey so I decided to wait. I'm very glad because I totally love this red, fine stripe version. It's a challenge to look at, especially with the funnel neck and cuffs! However I do enjoy the pattern it creates at the joining point. It is certainly a statement piece! 

The manufacture went smoothly and substituting a sewn neckline with the funnel neck made it even easier to sew than my first Coco (see here). I used the hemming tape that I also bought from Spotlight to help with the finishing of the hem. This made the process extremely easy and i'm sure that a novice with knitted fabric would find this very straightforward.

I'm now almost looking forward to the weather getting cooler here in Hong Kong so that I can wear all my lovely new wintery clothes! I'm off to Beijing on a course on Wednesday, so this little number might make it into my suitcase. 

Has anyone else made a statement Coco? 

Spotlight shopping spree...

Since I missed out on visiting Spotlight during my summer trip to Australia and New Zealand, I have been looking for an opportunity to browse their fabric collection. Their website does not have an online shop for fabric and haberdashery, but during my search I discovered that there was a branch of Spotlight in Singapore. Low and behold, I already had my flight booked for October half term to visit Singapore! 

I went with a few things in mind that I wanted to shop for. Although Hong Kong is brilliant for so many sewing supplies, there are just some items that are illusive. My list was as follows:-

- Coverable buttons (various sizes)

- Hemming tape

- Colour saver (to remove dying accidents!)

I managed to find these 3 items and more! I got 2 different sizes of coverable buttons. They come with the tool and seem fairly robust. I'm hoping to use them on the Mimi blouse (another Tilly and the Buttons pattern) that I am planning. In addition to this, I managed to get some 1.5cm width hemming tape that comes with the paper backing (excellent for sticking jersey hems). I also found the colour saver! Other than that, I also bought two sets of press studs (with tool) that I can use on the male shirts I'm planning to make, a bobbin box (to organise my sewing area further) and some lovely chevron printed cotton jersey. 

I was a little overwhelmed by the fabric, purely because there was a vast range of great and not so great fabrics. I had to have a thorough look around to see what I liked and also fabrics that I can't get in Hong Kong. They had a small selection of cotton jerseys (compared with the large selection of woven fabrics) and because this is something that is not too common in Hong Kong and is also something that I need to add to my capsule wardrobe, It was my main focus. I went for a lovely red and white narrow chevron pattern (I will blog the garment I made from it soon). The quality of the fabric was lovely and I didn't notice any shrinkage from the washing process, which was a pleasant surprise. 

Overall, I was pretty pleased with my purchases and the price wasn't too bad either - especially when I got a discount for joining their member's club. So if you're ever in Singapore, it's certainly worth a quick visit!