This is a simple sleeveless dress with bust darts to add a bit of shape. It looks rather like those old pinafores people used to wear hence the name.
It is easy to wear – either as a comfortable tunic when worn over a tee shirt and leggings or a cool dress for those hotter days. This Summer I hardly need say I have been wearing it as a tunic, over leggings, with a cardigan!
I would be very pleased with it if it wasn’t for the fabric…..
It is a silky fabric that creases easily. I mean really easily. I wear it for seconds and it looks like crumpled paper. I am not sure it is a dress making fabric. It was sold in small bales folded on a cardboard board. In a section of the shop called craft fabrics. I think they are mainly used for patchwork and quilting. Is this cotton somehow different? Rose & Hubble fabrics are sold the same way and the stuff I used for my loon pants worked out fie. I thought with washing it would soften it as has happened with my loon pants. These are made out of Rose & Hubble cotton. They are now so soft I don’t need to iron them. Actually I never ironed them and while they looked rumpled I could get away with it. Not a chance of that with this top! Still as stiff as a board, needs ironing before I can wear it. Even with my low sartorial standard I feel I have to do at least that. Once on, it creases immediately.
As time has passed it’s tendency to crease has annoyed me more and more. As has the constant ironing.
Fixtures & Fittings Cotton bias binding round the neck and arms sold by the meter at the shop.
Sustainable Rating
Natural fibres
Fabric was bought plastic free – no packaging
Supporting a local fabric shop
Homemade by me
Weighs In At 149 grams
Why the weighing
As an experiment, in 2015, I pledged to use no more than my fair global share of fibres This is a self imposed rationing system. I use no more than my global share of fibres and they have to be sustainably sourced. What’s a global share? Share out all the fibres made by all the people on the planet and it works out, (very roughly), 11.74 kg per person of which 3.8 kg is natural fibres. As I don’t like synthetics I try to stick to 3.8 kg of natural fibres.
Bought some lovely organic cotton cambric from Offset Warehouse an online fabric store that sell greener than green fabrics.
Such as this lovely patterned cambric that is
made from organic (uncertified) cotton
hand woven and printed by hand using wooden “hand-blocks”.
The dyes used in the printing are azo-free
The weaving and printing is done in a cooperative and certified Fair Trade by the WFTO.
As it is a hand-made product, the process uses virtually no energy or water!
can be washed in washing machines.
I prefer to use natural fibres because on consideration they are the greenest option, they don’t shed plastic microfibres when washed and, even better, at the end of a long and useful life, I can compost them.
Weave/Knit Type Plain, Woven
Thread Count 46 x 46
width 119cm 47″
Packaging
I had been assured that the packaging was plastic free and it almost was. The fabric came wrapped in tissue paper in a cardboard box but the box was sealed with plastic tape and the invoice was attached to the front in a plastic bag. Sigh!
Why the weighing? Well this item of clothing is counted as part of my fair share fabrics project. This is a self imposed rationing system. I use no more than my global share of fibres and they have to be sustainably sourced. Whats a global share? Share out all the fibres made by all the people on the planet and it works out, (very roughly), at 11.74 kg per person of which 3.8 kg is natural fibres. As I don’t like synthetics I try to stick to my fair share of 3.8 kg of natural fibres. Here are the figures in full.
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About this fabric
Vasanta Fairtrade Cambric
A beautiful light blue print on a smooth, clean white base. The design is printed by hand using wooden “hand-blocks”. The dyes are totally ironable and colourfast (although we always recommend washing your fabrics before you make) and the fabric can be washed in washing machines.
Originally from India, the ethnic print has a rustic, authentic and unique quality to it. It is a fabric that will transend seasons and works in both fashion and interiors. This is a heavier, cambric weight, so ideal for lightweight clothing, and semi sheer soft furnishings. It’s a little transparent against darker colours, so would recommend lining if the material is used for clothing.
Due to the hand-woven style of this fabric, it may contain some small weaving irregularities, but this adds to its rustic appearance and doesn’t affect the look or quality. The dyes are azo-free and the cotton is organic and totally biodegradable. The weaving and printing is done in a cooperative and certified Fair Trade by the WFTO. As it is a hand-made product, the process uses virtually no energy or water!
Limited Availability – Once this fabric has sold out it will be wholesale only, with a minimum of 80 metres and a lead time of approximately 8 weeks
Product Name
Textile Index more clothes, more links and more information.
We were planning to visit Seville for the Feria, the big flamenco party. To say it is dreey would be understating. I spent a lot of time wondering what I could possibly wear. The flamenco dresses I had seen looked very elaborate featuring different fabrics, trimmings and all manner frou-frouery. Needless to say I possessed nothing like that. Then, while meandering through the Indonesian markets, I came across some very lively sarongs. They were highly patterned strips of fabric featuring a bold use of color and frantic patterning. If, I thought, I was to make a skirt out of such sarongs, it would look extremely ornate. Not frilly but with a general air of exuberance that would make it suitable for a flamenco night out.
So I bought some. They were amazingly cheap but I was assured they were made from Indonesian cotton. They are not. They are synthetic fibres. I didn’t realize this till I got home, tried to iron them and they melted. I was annoyed. Not only did I have to spend hours scraping away at the iron but I don’t like wearing synthetic fabrics. I’m sure you know that synthetic fibres contribute to micro plastic pollution. When they are washed, they shed tiny, non-biodegradable, synthetic fibres into the drains. These are then washed out to sea where they are now polluting the oceans and being eaten by plankton.
Still I thought I could still make the skirt, wear it for the Feria, and never, ever wash it. After all how much demand would there be for such a lively skirt in my daily life? So I copied a pattern for a circular skirt from the internet, sewed it up and tried it on. It hung nicely but it was full…. very full. Draped over my Rubenesque curves it looked rather tent like – by which I mean a big top. It might have worked if I had made it from a different fabric. Something with less pattern and nicer colors. Lord knows what I was thinking but dominant tints were bottle green and aquamarine blue covered in hot pink and purple flowers. It looked funky in the market place as a sarong; it looked insane as a swirling skirt on a wide berthed middle aged woman. So much so I will not be featuring a photo of me modeling it.
So I now have a huge and very ugly skirt which I can never wash and never wear. But as I can’t bear waste so I am keeping it as a permanent pattern for future huge skirts I may wish to make. In fact I used it as the base for my Japanese Fish Wrap Skirt.
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Weight 243g. This counts as part of my fair share fabrics project– a self imposed rationing system where I use no more than my global share of fibres and they have to be sustainably sourced. Whats a global share? 11.74 kg per person of which 3.8 kg is natural fibres. As I don’t like synthetics I try to stick to 3.8 kg of natural fibres.
The following information is for guidance only. None of the following recipes or tips have not been tested on anyone other than me. I strongly advise you do your own research and proceed very carefully.
Disclaimer
Be aware of the risks of listening to someone who a) doesn’t have any training in this field, b) most of what they know comes from Google, That’s me I mean.
If you want a better informed opinion I suggest you head on over to the Aromantics website. They will sell you everything you need to make sun tan lotion including recipes you can download as a PDF. They have been in this game for years and are far more qualified then I am. The following is an account of my own experiences which may help you in your own research.
It is so easy to make your own creams and lotion that once you start you will never look back. The advantages are huge; you get to control what goes on your skin, be way more eco-friendly and save a whole load of cash. You can make almost anything the cosmetic companies sell but without the palm oil, dodgy chemicals and weird colours. Though you can have all those too if you want.
Lotion and cream is basically a mix of oills,waxes or butters with water combined using an emulsifier. Lotions are thinner, cream more solid.
Do you really need to make a cream? Many times you can use an oil or butter neat. But sometimes they are just too oily.
Many commercial creams including E45 use mineral oil. That’s derived from the same gloopy black oil we use to make petrol.
ingredients
To make cream or lotion you will need
Oil, butters & waxes. There are hundreds of vegetable oils. Different skins like different oils and you will have to experiment to find what is best for you. Generally speaking the richer the oil the heavier the cream, the more water you put in the lighter the lotion. There are hundreds of vegetable oils. Different skins like different oils and you will have to experiment to find what is best for you. See my guide to oils here.
Water There is much talk of using distilled water but I use tap.
Cooking thermometer VERY useful .
Emulsifiers: Water and fat do not naturally mix, you need to use an emulsifier.You have to add other ingredients to turn what is basically salad dressing into lovely thick cream. So in addition to oils and water you will need an emulsifier.
Notes On Emulsifiers
The most complex ingredient in cream is the emulsifier. The water and oils are simple enough but this is what makes them bind together.
There are a few completely natural emulsifiers but they do not give consistent results. Most commercially used emulsifiers are manufactured. They are most often derived from coconut oil and palm oil. More recently, rapeseed has been used. But some are produced from pig fats. Check what you buy. I have tried a few with varied success BUT A combination of VE Emulsifier, MF Emulsifier and Cetearyl Alcohol works every time and can be used to make a wide range of products from thick creams to thin lotions.
VE Emulsifier or Glyceryl Stearate is a vegetable-based emulsifier Cetearyl Alcohol is a vegetable based emulsifying wax MF Emulsifier or Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate can be fermented from lactose (milk sugar)but more commonly comes from nondairy sources such as cornstarch, potatoes and molasses.
Palm Oil Please note that all the above also may be derived from or include palm oil. Be sure to buy from a good practice supplier. For example there should be something this note on Aromantics VE emulsifier “The Palm oil that is used in both in MF/VE emulsifiers comes from suppliers that are either members of the Round Table of Sustainable Palm Oil or a subsidiary company or who are members of FEDIOL which supports sustainability. FEDIOL is a European industry federation based in Brussels”. You can read more about palm oil here.
Preservatives
Optional?
Oil on its own does not go off – there is no water for bacterial to feed on. Once you have added water to oil then it can. Now your creams are vulnerable to bacteria. Preservatives will help “keep” your cream. I don’t use it as it can cause skin irritations. And I find cream without I less itchy on my skin. I have had a few pots of cream go mouldy but we are talking maybe 5 in the years I have been making my own creams. You can read up and buy preservatives here Aromantics
However there is a growing movement on the internet that insist the bacteria that could grow in your creams could be harmful if spread on the skin. Obviously bacteria can grow in your cream which is why preservatives are added. Without preservatives your cream might have a shorter shelf lie. As to wether it is harmful I cant find any actual research linking cream to infection but i suggest you research more.
For me being able to use moisturiser that doesn’t make my skin flare up is a worthwhile risk. However I do store it in the fridge and use a clean spoon each time to scoop some out.
Pots to put your cream in.
Process
Heat the Fat Stage ingredients in a double boiler (or a metal pot on hot water) until above 75°C. Use a thermometer to check.
Boil the water add the MF emulsifier and other Water Stage ingredients to 75°C.
Take off heat. Now pour the Fat Stage into the Water Stage in a slow steady stream before they drop below 75°C.
Mix well – I use a hand blender.
Allow to cool. Whisk occasionally to achieve a nice creamy consistency. As the mixture cools it becomes thicker and more creamy. It will reach its thickest consistency when it has cooled down to room temperature.
When the temperature is below 40°C you can add active ingredients perfumes or essential oils and other magical things to make you look years younger.
You can also add specialist ingredients to make for example sun tan lotion or self tan.
Put the Cream into jars and label.
Take Care
That everything you use is clean, very clean. Make sure you have enough pots to store your cream in. That you label it – and date it. Believe me you will forget!
Recipes & Kits
Here are some sample recipes.
Supermarket Cream (My recipe)
You can buy all these ingredient from the supermarket. I cut the olive oil with the lighter almond oil because I find it rather heavy. Makes One liter of cream – have a big pot ready!
Fat Stage
20g Cetyl Alcohol
70ml Almond Oil Tesco’s or Asian Shop
30ml Olive Oil
20g coconut oil Tescos or Asian Shop
Water Stage
800ml water
40g MF emulsifier
Fancy Aromatics RecipeTo be honest I think this recipe has way to many ingredients but I like this company, I have used their products many times and think that this will probably make a nice cream. It is also useful to have a recipe that lists by percentages.You can experiment and use different oils, or even less oils. Just make sure the percentages stay the same. For example you can cut the thistle oil and use 10% Apricot Kernal Oil.
Much easier far fewer ingredients. I cut the olive oil with Almond because I find it rather heavy. Makes One liter of cream – have a big pot ready!
Fat Stage
25 g VE Emulsifier
20g Cetyl Alcohol
70ml Almond Oil
30ml Coconut Oil
20g Shea butter
10g Cocoa butter
Water Stage
800ml water
40g MF emulsifier
Design Your Own You can adapt the mix of oils for the above recipes based on your personal preference. If you want to design you own cream from scratch, follow these guidelines… style=”font-size: medium;”>Emulsifiers 5-8%
Oils 12-20%
Water, Additives, and Botanicals to 100 %.
Trouble Shoot Cream too thick? You cannot add more water once the mixture has cooled. This ruins the cream – it will not rub in. You will need to make a thinner lotion and mix your creams to achieve the desired consistency. You can add more oil and mix well. This of course makes your cream more oily.
Lotions
If you want a thinner cream add more water at the water stage.
Kits
If this is your first time making lotions I can also recommend the Aromantics cream making starter pack from www.aromantic.co.uk It comes with everything you need including, sadly, 30 little plastic pots to put it in. All the ingredients were wrapped in plastic bags as well. Hmmm. On the plus side, the cream is really easy to make and they send you several different recipes.
Anti Aging, Sun Tan Lotion & Fake Bake You can add specialist ingredients to your base to make for example sun tan lotion or self tan.
Buy
Aromantics is a good and ethical supplier of ingredients but expensive. I buy a lot of stuff in bulk from other suppliers. Ebay is a good source. Prices vary so do shop around.
Most plastic base ingredients come in plastic bags but I get huge amounts cream out of one small bag of ingredients so I consider it a worthwhile compromise.
Making Personal Care Products
Its quicker then trying to choose between a hundred different shampoos and it’s really simple, fun to do, so much cheaper and I get to control what goes on my body, where it comes from and what environmental impact it has.
Kits If this is your first time making lotions I can also recommend the Aromantics cream making starter pack from www.aromantic.co.uk It comes with everything you need including, sadly, 30 little plastic pots to put it in. All the ingredients were wrapped in plastic bags as well. Hmmm. On the plus side, the cream is really easy to make and they send you several different recipes.
Who wouldn’t want a wooden time piece to mark the hours ? Buy one from WeWood in Australia and they will also plant tree for you. So sweet! You can get them from Ethical Superstore.
Want something cheaper There are more wooden watches on Amazon and you can sponsor a tree plant via the national forest scheme.
For the Feria (the week-long party in Seville,)I made a chiffon top. I know – get me…. in chiffon. I wanted something see through to wear over my vest and bombazine skirt that would look sort of dressy. I wanted something like this.
I had a practise run with white lawn which was partly successful. Now I was ready for the real thing. I bought some silk chiffon from Ebay. Other than it is natural fibres, there is nothing particularly sustainable about this but it was cheap, it was seen through and if it all went wrong I would not have spent too much.
I made it in black. It was fine for the Semana. Easter week is marked with big parades, penitents in gloomy Klan outfits incense and weeping virgins. Gloomy black was just right.
It was not going to work for the Feria. In the last week everyone has started on their outfits. The shops are full of fantastic frocks, people are staggering through the streets laden down with lace, flowers and shiny jewels. There are tasselled shawls fans and fedoras every where you look. They don’t do minimalism
This is what people are planning to wear and that is the plainest dress I could find.
I can get away with black, I cannot do without trimmings.So the last few days has seen me desperately titivating my outfit. In Seville. They sell cotton crochet yarn very cheaply here so I have knitted a frilly collar through which I have threaded some lace and ribbon. I have attached this to the chiffon top.
I have also bought some fancy tights. Hope this will see me right!
I bought this fabric on Ebay. It came packaged in a plastic bag.It cost £15.00 and I have some left over.
The cotton coller was made from cotton bought from the Chinese Grocery in Macarena, Seville and knitted using metal needles bought in plastic packaging.
The ribbons and lace are all synthetic fibres.
This is what I wanted to make but I couldn’t find a pattern so I decided to adapt the Mc Calls M6996 Misses’ Jackets & Belt pattern, the one used for the waistcoat.
As I had no proper idea as to what I was doing, I thought it might be practical to make a toile first. A toile, also known as a muslin, is a trial run using cheap fabric. The cheap fabric I chose was lawn. I got it from Ebay. The same place I got the wool for the jacket. I bought it because it was cheap and I wanted to know what lawn was. They are always talking about it in Jane Austin type books but other than the green stuff outside your house I have no idea what it is like.
Turns out it is a really fine cotton, soft and semi transparent. Far too nice for trial runs. And then remembered I am living within my global share of fabric this year. This is a self imposed rationing system. I am only allowed 3.8 of natural fibres. I cant afford to be making toiles and then not wearing them.
So here I am, wearing my experimental wrap around top. It wasn’t entirely successful but I quite like it.
After the practise run I was ready for the real thing………
I bought this, pink gingham cotton and some lovely lawn (a very fine cotton) from Maggie, a very nice Ebay trader who is based in Leeds. It came packaged in a plastic bag.
It cost £9.00 and I have some left over.
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This counts as part of my fair share of global fabrics – a self imposed rationing system. You can read about it here #
Weighs In At
grams Why the weighing? Well this item of clothing is counted as part of my fair share fabrics project. This is a self imposed rationing system. I use no more than my global share of fibres and they have to be sustainably sourced. Whats a global share? Share out all the fibres made by all the people on the planet and it works out, (very roughly), 11.74 kg per person of which 3.8 kg is natural fibres. As I don’t like synthetics I try to stick to 3.8 kg of natural fibres. Here are the figures in full.
Sometimes you need to go cheap and Ebay has some great fabric bargains. I got myself some great woolen fabric described as SCOTTISH HIGHLAND FINEST GREY FINE TWEED 100% PURE NEW WOOL SUITING FABRIC at £6.00. a meter I don’t know if it is made in Scotland – at that price I doubt it -but the seller lives in Leeds which is local.
I was a bit leery about buying from Ebay but pure wool at that price? In grey, my favorite color. Worth a try. And I needed some cheaper fabric as my next project was risky
I had decided to make myself a jacket. I realized this was foolishly ambitious and going to test my sewing skills to the limit. Bear in mind I still can’t do button holes and you do not want to see that zip in the back of the bombazine skirt. There’s more than one reason I wear long tops.
But back to the jacket! I thought I would start with something simple. Something like this.
Mc Calls M6770 Misses’ Jacket, Bustle/Capelet, Skirt and Pants. I know what you are thinking but the pattern was in the sale and really cheap. Possibly there’s a reason for that but I can’t resist a bargain. I never intended to add the ruffles or the lace.
Any way the fabric arrived, (in a plastic bag), and it was surprisingly lovely. Well pleased I set off sewing.
Here’s my jacket. It is not a complete success. None of it sits quite right. The sleeves are rather strange and the seams pucker everywhere. But if I keep moving and wear it with other flowing stuff I recon I can just about swing it.
You see it pictured with the Yorkshire Wool Waistcoat and the Mu Mu Of Modesty both homemade, worn over my gifted, stripy skirt and yoga leggings.
Sustainable Rating
Natural fibres
Homemade
Possibly made in the U.K. fabric – I did contact the seller and she said it was described as Scottish Highland Tweed but there was no mill label.
I bought this, pink gingham cotton and some lovely lawn (a very fine cotton) from Maggie, a very nice Ebay trader who is based in Leeds. It came packaged in a plastic bag.
My jacket cost £12.00 and I have enough left to make a skirt.
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This counts as part of my fair share of global fabrics – a self imposed rationing system. You can read about it here #
This loose waistcoat is a made from fine light weight wool that was woven in Yorkshire. Yes a locally made U.K. fabric.
Not only that, I didn’t pay a fortune for it.
I bought it from Jacks, a small stall on Leeds Kirkgate Market. Right at the back in the new part.They sell end of line remnants of Yorkshire made wooden fabric. For very reasonable amounts. Anything from £5.00 to £12.00 a meter.
It is loosely based on the Mc Calls M6996 Misses’ Jackets & Belt pattern. Rather too loosely. I made it so big I had to put some bust tucks in. But I like to think it gives it a rather Downton Abbey look?
Back home from the tropics and I desperately needed some new clothes. So I have been busy sewing. First off the production line is an enormous bell shaped skirt in black bombazine. I’m not sure it is bombazine but it looks as though it should be. Besides which I like the word.
The fabric is a heavy silk / wool mix. This is not so much clothing as architecture. It was made in Yorkshire. I bought it from Jacks, a small stall on Leeds Kirkgate Market. Right at the back in the new part.They sell end of line remnants of Yorkshire made wooden fabric. For very reasonable amounts. Anything from £5.00 to £12.00 a meter.
Bargain! Not only am I supporting a local fabric shop but this fabric was actually made in Yorkshire. How fantastic is that?
I made it using plastic-free, sustainable sewing supplies (you can find them here) but had to use a plastic zip.
I made the pattern up.
Sustainable Rating
Natural fibres
Homemade
Supporting local fabric shop
Made with plastic free sewing supplies
This counts as part of my fair share of global fabrics – a self imposed rationing system. You can read about it here #
Menstrual pants are knickers you wear during your period. They come with inbuilt protection. Some can be worn instead of a pad or tampon. All provide additional security against leaks.
Hi, my name is ruby, co-founder of WUKA Wear.
In the last 50 years there has been little innovation in menstrual products and we have been stuck with the same which contain huge about if plastic and silica gels that gets end up in landfill of down to our rivers and seas.
Every-year, in the UK 200,000 tonnes of pads and tampons ends up in landfill and 2 Billion sanitary items are flushed down the toilet leading to polluted rivers and seas. This is also major reason of death of millions of birds and sea creature.
A person can use up to 16,000 tampons or pads in a lifetime. We are reusable, one set of 3 underwear replaces two years worth of disposables. We are the only reusable period underwear which completely replaces disposable tampons and pads, helping us to be kinder to the planet for us and future generations. We are made up of eco-fabric called Tencel made from sustainable Eucalyptus tree.
We are reusable and allow free-flowing, the benefits of which are huge and eliminates any potential health risks.
We are designed and manufactured in Nepal so our product is made to the highest standards and supports small communities through sustainable employment.
WUKA wear is being created so anyone menstruating can have an ultra-luxurious, hygienic, comfortable and an eco-friendly period – because we care about our bodies and the planet.
we are currently not at the market but coming soon via Kickstarter.
If you like what we do and looking for alternative menstrual product that is good for you and your planet, then please get in touch with us @ www.wuka.co.uk
Follow us Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @wukawear
Recently I have been wearing the Mu Mu of Modesty as a dress but there are a couple of problematic, pressing issues.
The pressing being my sweaty, chubby thighs rubbing on each other. The problem? The resulting chafing! I tried talc.
In this heat it lasts about 5 minutes before being sweated off. The solution? Bloomers! Very light weight shorts I can wear under my dress.
I looked round the bazaars but all the shorts on sale were more knickers then bloomers. They were so short the thighs would have remained uncovered. Most of my butt would have remained uncovered come to that. And, though they say the fabric is cotton, I suspect synthetics are involved. It is like no cotton I have ever worked with.
I used my loon pants as a pattern. I traced it onto newspaper measuring to double check. I tacked my newspaper pattern onto the fabric. No pins you see.
I cut the pants out with my straight metal nail scissors. It took forever and hurt my fingers. Found I had made a huge mistake and they were way to tight. Had to add panels to the side.
I sewed them using thread from the market – no idea wether it was natural or synthetic but it came unpackaged and on a cardboard tube. Needles I had with me – I find they come in very handy when backpacking. I used cotton ribben for the drawstring.
It counts as part of my Fair Share Fabric Project.
In 2015 I pledged to use no more than my fair global share of fibres and they have to be sustainably sourced. Whats a global share? 11.74 kg per person of which 3.8 kg is natural fibres. You can see how I am doing here.