Mulberry Spring Summer 2015

With the recent departure of its creative director Emma Hill, Mulberry has yet to name a replacement. However, this season it still managed to put out a stellar collection based on English Gardens.

  The really adorable print here is a trellis pattern that looks like quilted polka dots from afar.

Mulberry also introduces a new bag this season, The Delphie. A reversible bag with multiway straps and an all new Mulberry clasp.

IKEA - buying textiles

IKEA has slowly but surely attracted customers for its cut-by-the-metre fabric. Its mostly graphic prints and hand drawn designs.

Ikea also sells fabric shears, thread, sewing kits, hemming and header tapes. There is a house brand sewing machine but that's not available here in Singapore.

My artsy friends like to buy up other items like towels, blankets etc to monogram using their sewing machines.

Art supplies @ kids section.

I stopped for a snack, calamari rings are really good. Sometimes I buy food stuff from their grocery store to bring home. Moose shape pasta, fruit beers, foreign candy.

All the stuff I bought on this trip. Love these plastic bags with zippers, saw a few people with it already and since Ikea doesn't give out plastic bags, I can put all my stuff in.

MyBeautyDiary Facial Masks

Another cheap and good beauty essential are MyBeautyDiary facial masks. It's nicely packaged with at least a dozen different essences for you to choose from. Unwrap and place on your face for about 20mins.

 It's relaxing aromatherapy, I do find my skin more moisturized after, so its a great weekly beauty treat for yourself. It always feels cold on application that is a bonus for our hot weather. $16.90 per 10 pack, I tend to get mix packs so I get some variety, occasionally there are limited edition essences for mother's day etc.

BoBo Fish Cake

Best Value ever! BoBo Fish Cakes cost just $1.20 for 3 pieces, each piece is palm-sized and the correct amount of protein for each meal. To top it all off, its delicious! I can eat this everyday and be happy.

Simplicity - Jessica McClintock Pattern 1655 - Dress B

Dress B is a strapless dress with lace overlay and underlying tulle skirt. I didn't do the overlay as I really liked the fabric I picked from Sugar & Spice called Metallic Star. I also didn't make the sash in a matching fabric.

This paper pattern set utilizes 10 piece template that is assembled into a dress. The instructions are in general and it states "determine length of dress before sewing", so you decide how short you want it and how much tulle to show from underneath.

For reference, I unpicked the bodice 2x just trying to make sure the shape is right. I re-sewed the tulle on the 2 ends so it would sit even. I even sewed the hemlines 3x to get it just right.

I made the lining from cream coloured silk (soo extravagant I know but it was salvaged from previous sewing projects). The tulle was just regular white stuff that I already had on hand.

Max Mara Spring Summer 2015

With cute fishermans' hats, Max Mara clothes this season is quite formal. I like the piping on the clothes. The colours are sedate ranging from black to grey to white and even the prints are small polka dots to keep it discreet. 

Over at SportMax, clothes look more promising with the deconstructed fringed edges and an enlarged gingham pattern.

Chinatown - buying textiles

Starting @ People's Park Centre, where the famous Golden Dragon is located. It's mainly vintage quilting fabrics. You can find many cartoon-y & country designs here.

Take a walk around and you will find more fabric shops in the same shopping complex. Trims and other bits & bobs galore, including sewing machines.

Directly opposite on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th floors of Chinatown Hawker Center you can find fabric/haberdashery/costume shops. The variety is all there, including other more technical sewing tools, a haven for fashion design students.

Opening hours of 2pm - 8pm Mon to Fri, shops close earlier on Sat, doesn't exactly favor the casual browser. 

For the most part, prices are reasonable. Cash terms only. The best buy you can get here have to be cotton linings @ $2/metre, sometimes less than that.

I find the variety a little dated, not much has changed since my mother's time. There are tailoring shops for formal evening wear (mens suits/sequined cheongsams/lace gowns).

Took a break, ate a tiny rice bowl.

My haul from Chinatown. I wanted to buy soo much more than this. Will be making another trip in a few months time.