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Mal ♥ Tea, or A Mad Tea Party Fairfield Button-Up!

March 27, 2018

This is Mal’s birthday shirt! I can’t remember what I was searching for but this Cotton + Steel Rifle Paper Co. Wonderland 100% cotton popped up and I had to order it immediately. Mal loves tea. He also enjoys good design and illustration, and fun shirts, so this fabric is perfect.

The Thread Theory Fairfield is such a good canvas for fun fabric. The trickiest part of using this busy print was deciding what to center on the button placket. I went with a strip that had more black than pattern and am pretty happy with it.

For this version we decided to shorten the sleeves a bit and cuff them and I love how the cuffs look. I can’t say that the extra couple of inches of fabric made the print overwhelming, but the cuff helps break things up and makes the shirt feel more casual.

I also like to call this the second edition of “WHAT POCKET?” Here is a close up with his glasses to show off the invisible pocket.

Filed Under: 2018 makes, gifts, Mal's Wardrobe Refresh, shirts, WHAT POCKET? Tagged With: fairfield button-up, rifle paper co, thread theory

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On the way back from Skye we stopped at Blair Cast On the way back from Skye we stopped at Blair Castle where they had a great fashion exhibit from their collection. They also had a room of stunning needlework collected or created by one of the Duke’s daughters in the 1800s. 

With our extra day, we went to Lochcarron of Scotland for a fabric mill tour. We were going to spend the day exploring the Scottish Borders but found a giant bulge in the tire of our rental car so we anxiously drove back to drop it off, avoiding as many of the millions of potholes as possible. 

Then we headed to our stately hotel for our last day before heading home: a spa day complete with afternoon tea and yes another tasting menu.
We didn’t spend as much time in Skye as we thoug We didn’t spend as much time in Skye as we thought we would. Our hotel sucked and it was SO crowded. We drove to one hike and turned right around when we saw the crowd. But we did get some gorgeous views, a tour at Talisker, and an incredible tasting menu @scorrybreacrestaurant.
Photos from Oban: the drive was beautiful and we s Photos from Oban: the drive was beautiful and we stopped at Inveraray Castle. We went straight to Harris Tweed Oban where I got beautiful fabric. Then to our stylish B&B. The next day we headed to Skye but stopped at Glencoe for an easy walk around a beautiful little loch. 

The castle was a filming location for a Christmas episode of Downton Abbey, and there were photos everywhere. In the little cafe a woman asked if she could take a photo of the photo over our table and I said “sure, I love that show” and she looked at me dead serious and said “yeah of course!” Like duh.
Very full day in Edinburgh: National Museum of Sco Very full day in Edinburgh: National Museum of Scotland and the Dr. Who exhibit, lunch in a building from the 1500s, Edinburgh Castle, shopping, Dovecot studios (textile gallery), and the Scotch Whiskey Experience. We logged almost 8 miles of walking then took a taxi back to our amazing hotel.
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I'm a graphic designer, small business owner, occasional knitter, and reluctant sewist. This is my sewing notebook. Read more

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