The Shop Stock Tee-Top!!!

Please don't be thinking that all my civilian sewing (i.e. stuff I do outside of work) is only spent making stuff for myself and my friends. From time to time, I also go through phases of making stuff to sell. I'm pleased to report that my skirt range and shoulder bags have been generally well received in the Handmade Co-op shop, here in Brighton, so I've been working on some more stuff to stock there.

I developed this new design specifically to sell at Handmade. I've called it the Tee-top because it's effectively a woven fabric T-shirt, fastening-free that just gets pulled on over your head. It's a loose, slightly cropped, boxy shape with a cute Peter Pan collar. It doesn't use much fabric which is perfect for stash bustin' some of the lovely small lengths of printed cottons that I've been hoarding. So far I've only made one size, but the style seems to cover a variety of sizes: it fits me ok-ish (a UK size 12-14) and down to a UK size 6, like Kirstin (organiser of Handmade) pictured below:

Although the fit is ok, this style doesn't suit my curvy frame particularly, so I doubt I'll be keeping any for myself, although I am tempted by the soft African wax fabric version pictured below. I've really enjoyed making them because I love to see what each piece of fabric looks like when transformed into a garment. So far, I haven't made any doubles so each creation has been a surprise and is unique.

As you may know, I'm fairly committed to only using secondhand, upcycled or stashed fabric for my personal creations, and that now extends to the products I make to sell. I couldn't justify purchasing new fabric for garments to sell when I've already pledged to myself to not buying new for my own stuff. Plus, I'm likely to make more profit by using fabric that I already have or is picked up secondhand pretty cheaply (though these Tee-tops are pretty reasonable anyhow).

Currently, they are being displayed in the shop with garments from a variety of local designer/makers. I still have some of my skirts on sale, plus a couple of pairs of high-waisted shorts I also recently whipped up from stash fabric (see below). I really like how the dark forest green of the shorts look with that apple green wax fabric Tee-top, and I think the styles would work well if worn together also.

The playing cards hanging down are my swing tags, in case you were wondering what was going on there. Now I know, having written this post, I'm going to sound intensely biased, but if you happen to find yourself in Brighton at any point, I would definately recommend popping down to Kemptown and having a look around the Handmade Co-op shop. It's one of the most innovative and inspirational establishments I've been to that actively supports local art, design and craft.