Jono has been dropping hints that he needs to go shopping. I think this is also code for 'finish the shirt you started making me for Christmas'. Now, I'll get there and finish the shirt when it's done ripening in the UFO pile, but in the meantime I've been noticing, with growing irritation, the lack of suitable fabric for men in New Zealand fabric stores.
So, what better's a better excuse for finishing that shirt? Shop for fabric? Oh sure, but let's do it this time with men in mind!
I like the idea of making the odd garment for Jono, I do. But I'm also stuck with the problem of what to make it with. So how about some gorgeous 'woven' from mood as above? It's very urban and edgy, and I can see it as a nice shirt for the weekend.
Or are your men more into more breezy colours and styles? I personally love this from
gorgeousfabrics.com, can't you see it as a
negoni?
I see plenty of amazing shirts both on men and for sale when I take a stroll through the shops, and the fabric is so cool, that I honestly don't see the point in making a shirt when I can't even find some good, basic plain cotton to use for a man's shirt. So tell me, why can't I find something like this 'bar code' print above? It's from
emmaonesock.com - best name for a store ever!
My local fabric stores are Arthur Toye (the first stop in all situations), Spotlight (and it's Spotlight), an outlet store and a bridal and evening fabric store, both if which I don't really frequent. But whenever I visit my locals, there's fabric that I would buy, fabric that quilters and crafters would buy, stuff for fancy dresses, for kids... and nothing for men. Of the two items of fabric I've managed to buy for Jono, one was a striped cotton and the other some tartan. That's all I've ever managed to find that would be suitable for a man.
I was starting to despair that the internet would turn up nada as well, and then I found these lovely examples - above we have some Italian striped shirting from mood, and below we have some gorgeous Gucci shirting weight cotton from
finefabrics.com? I'd use both of these to make something very smart for Jono.
So, fellow stitchers of the world, please tell me, is it just me? Are your local stores just as devoid of fabric for men as mine are? Or are you lucky? Do you buy online, and if so, where? Do you make for the men in your life, or do you leave them to fend for themselves?
