Spa-ready

This lovely and very beefy cotton waffle fabric is now partly out of my stash and has been turned into a pristine white robe.

Naturally, I only finished making this once the outdoor pool-swimming summer session ended (after a 6AM outdoor swim it is lovely to wrap yourself in a nice towelly robe). However I expect there will be more outdoor swimming in my future, and this robe will last for years as the fabric is a really great quality. Also, since when would a kimono-style robe ever go out of style?

The pattern is (natch) another Jalie, the Mélanie robe. I bought it last year at PR Weekend since there were a few of these present and they looked nice and easy to wear. However there are not many reviews on Pattern Review. I'm not sure why...

This pattern was intended for much softer and possibly drapier fabrics such as challis, crepe and satin so my thick and somewhat stiff waffle weave outfit is not quite performing as intended. I made this because I wanted a nice bathrobe, but also to see if I would like the pattern (more in a jacket length) for the double weave cotton I bought in Tokyo. I'm still thinking about it.

This robe is really easy and very quick to make. The only confusing part was sorting out which long skinny rectangles I needed to trace for the collar and belt. This was only confusing because they are the same printed piece on the pattern sheet and it wasn't immediately clear which one was which, or how many I needed to cut.

For your information, in your fabric you need one collar piece and two belt pieces. The collar pattern piece is the LONGER one (on the pattern sheet) but of course once you sew the two belt pieces together, the belt is longer than the collar. Clear as mud? Maybe a picture (left) is worth a thousand words.

Once you muddle through, the collar is precisely the right length to fit the neck, and the belt is good and long for tying in various ways.


What next?

I haven't been sewing much in August, because I haven't been at home. It has been great to see friends but I'm feeling the need for time to make stuff!

While I think about it, enjoy this photo of the Three Sisters that I took in Canmore, Alberta.