A trip to Lisbon - getting carried away by beautiful fabrics

A reason to go back to Lisbon might be the fabric store. Simply one of the best I've ever visited, and I have visited quite a few on my travels.

I had done my best to google fabric stores before I left but only found the one. Ouro Têxteis was mostly piles of cheap polyester, (like so many in Paris), but luckily, two other stores were close by (and right on one of the main shopping streets - unusual!) Casa Frazao and Londres Salão. Beautiful, (expensive) silk and wool from Italy and England. Since I was so high on good fabrics, it totally slipped my mind to take photos - both the first and the second time...

Anyway, the first time at Casa Frazao, I was assisted by a gentleman who didn't know any English. But, we managed to communicate in a weird mix of Portuguese (him), English (me), drawings (he), French (me) and smiles and gestures (both). I tried to explain what I wanted - luckily I was wearing a dress just like that, he made a drawing and did the math.

So I got this wonderful teal green Italian wool for a fitted dress with 3/4 sleeves. I bought 1,6 metres for €47 per metre... Not cheap, but I have never seen such beautiful wool either. It's a twill weave with a wonderful lustre.

I also got some samples for amazing lace to think about. I like the lower one the best, but at €80 / metre I would need a special project, and I couldn't think of one. After all, there are already some fabric for special fabrics in my stash. (Please read on and see if this wisdom continues.)

But I could buy other fabrics than lace... And since I didn't spend too much money on other things, I decided to go back. So on my final day, after my last, indulgent breakfast and some packing, I returned. This time, I got another assistant - just as much a gentleman as the previous one - but this one did speak English. Easier for both of us and probably more expensive for me. I went through book after book with samples, looked at some of them on the bolts, and then some more of the bolts, and when I left, I had plenty with me. Perhaps not the most planned fabric shopping I've done, and when I looked at the receipt just now I actually cringed.

But before we come to the cringe-worthy part, I started by looking at a lot of black cottons for a nice winter dress, but in the end, the wool crêpe was so much nicer than all the other cottons and wools combined. So another 1,6 metres for €47. I asked what materials he had for lining, and he had this mix (40% -60% in one or the other way) of acetate and cupro (best blend ever!), so I bought black for the new crêpe and a light teal for the wool I bought at my first visit. At €7 per metre it was a steal! (Perhaps I should have bought a couple of metres extra in black and white and then some?)

He also showed my a triacetate fabric (also know as acetate rayon, rayon viscose or viscose...), with a wonderful lustre and drape. He had it in all the colours of the rainbow but I quickly found this emerald-sea green and bought 1 metre for €39 intended for a blouse. It would probably make a lovely dress as well.

And then the final one, that just made me cringe. It's a lovely silk, perfect for a blouse so I only bought 1 metre. But I hadn't realised that it was €72... The pattern is some kind of orchids and almost zebra stripes and something green. I love the colours, and it feels both modern and classic, but not frumpy

That's without doubt my most expensive fabric ever, and I don't think it's the most beautiful fabric I've bought ever. Damn. Well, it really needs to become a good blouse... (As said above about the lace for €80, that I didn't buy although it was a Very Beautiful Fabric because I didn't have a project for it. I wouldn't have bought the silk either, if I had noticed the price. Well, you live and you learn. Don't get carried away in fabric stores!)

A jacket for Lisbon - sewing Vogue Vintage V2934

Obviously, I have a thing for new outer wear when going on vacation. The Dior-suit for Paris, the ruby red coat for London - and now a blue-grey cape-jacket. It wasn't planned at all; it wasn't even on my short list. I bought the pattern - Vogue Vintage Model V2934, an original design from 1950 - years ago at some sale, and then my sister bought some lovely wool in China, with the pattern in mind. And then I had it in my stash, and actually thought the wool would become a dress instead. Sometime.

On the Friday, I heard myself saying, "nah, I won't start another sewing project before Lisbon. The lace skirt is just finished, and there is so much going on at work." On the Sunday, I found myself making a toile, steaming the wool and adjusting the pattern. Ten days later it was done, something of a personal record for me. I wore it to work to see if I liked it enough to take to Lisbon - I did! - and so it went with me there. A bit too warm for some days, but I felt so chic and ladylike that I wore it anyway.

The wool is rather heavy, with a lovely sheen and nap, very much like the wool for my coat. Perhaps it's a seal skin as well? The lining is a slippery, ivory silk, that my sister also bought for me in China.

So let's take a closer look at the jacket or cape or cape-jacket. It's a really simple design - two front pieces and two back pieces. Centre back is not on the grain, which gives the lovely drape (and eats fabric). Darts very cleverly shapes the collar, and then cuffs to finish the shorter sleeves. Knowing that the amount of ease in contemporary patterns is a bit ridiculous, I cut a size small (even though they think that my waist measurement should be 10 centimetres less than I have) and the fit was perfect. I shortened both the sleeves and the cuffs 2 centimetres, and did the cuffs on the fold instead of with a facing - too much bulk.

I used horsehair canvas - as said in the instructions - as interfacing for the centre front and collar. I followed the instructions and cut the facing in wool, sewed it on, cursed it for quite some time and then removed it again. Reason one was the itchy wool next to my neck. Reason two was that the width of the facing and interfacing made the front part too stiff, and all the lovely intended drape over the bust area was lost - it just stood right out. I cut down the facings in the front, making them less wide.

Since I've already cut the lining, I cut the facings in the same silk, doubled it with silk organza, sewed it by machine to the lining and then fell stitched the whole piece to the wool (after prick stitching the edges).

I also did my very own version for closing - two loops and two rhinestone vintage buttons. A bit of a mess to close, but very beautiful.

The cape slash jacket has a tendency to fall backwards, perhaps because of the weight of the wool. I'm thinking about adding weights at the front hem. That would also stop it from blowing in the wind. I just need to find lead weights...

In Lisbon, I bought leather gloves to suit the short sleeves. (And then remembered that I found some suede long gloves at a second hand shop some time ago. Well, it can't hurt to have a choice can it?)

I'm actually thinking of making a second version. It would be lovely in some heavy silk; like faille or grosgrain like an evening coat. (Yes, I really, really need an evening coat, says the woman who has nothing to wear.)

A trip to Lisbon - a little bit of everything

I got back from Lisbon yesterday. I would say that the trip was very much like the weather - one minute sunshine, blue skies and 20 degrees C. The next, heavy skies and pouring rain. It was easy to see who was living in Lisbon - they were the ones walking around with an umbrella when the sun was shining, knowing that in a couple of minutes, it will rain.

The heavy skies were mostly was due to food. Eating is always important to me, but even more so on a holiday. And Lisbon is a city of bread and gluten. Everything is bread and gluten. Even when the waiter claims to understand my dilemma and makes a special dish for me, the fish is fried in bread and served with bread pudding. Hopeless. It wasn't until the last two days that I realised I should stick to the fancy hotels. They serve very good food, not more expensive than elsewhere and most of all - they are used to foreigners and their strange eating habits. They had gluten free bread, changed the dishes to suit me and even gave me free dessert to make up for the changes made!

I was also struck by the heavy traffic. Lisbon is a rather small capital, 500 000 inhabitants, but the traffic felt as intense as in Paris or London. A bus trip that took 45 minutes around lunchtime took 1,5 hours at seven in the evening!

The trip was planned so that I would be able to visit a flea or antique market. The one in Sunday was closed due to the rain (only figured that out when I was already there) but I had high hope of Feira de Ladra (translates to The Thieves' Market). I took off after a rather early breakfast. Not as early as when in Paris, where I've been there from when the vendors set up their stalls, but still. I had different  information about when the market started - at 6 or 7 or 9? so I opted for the latest. After a near-death experience with a bus going up and down the hills, and a short walk through some rather shady neighbourhoods (nothing new there, it's the same in Paris) I arrived. I understand why they call it the thieves market. I've never seen so many policemen at a market before - two or three in every corner, at least 50 in total? - and so much junk. Not flea market junk, but market junk. I didn't think there was a market for Cd's anymore - but here they had cassette tapes? Deodorants, sun glasses, cutlery I wouldn't touch, laptops... A rather scary space. There was a few stalls with actual old things, but in minority. The market is held twice a week; on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and perhaps Tuesday is the wrong day. It's not worth going, trust me.

I still bought a brooch...(pictured below). I also visited a couple of vintage stores, but they only had things from the 1970's and 1980's, and as you know, that really isn't my thing.

So yes, there was a bit of rain... Now on to the sunshine!

Walking along the river.

Amazing art nouveau- and art deco-buildings - and a shopping centre in an old moorish palace.

Stunning views.

 A wonderful, wonderful hotel; Porto Bay Liberdade.

Some really good food (after all). And the coffee was always good!

And a bit of shopping...

One reason I chose Lisbon was actually the glove store Luvaria Ulisses. I know, a rather strange reason, but in my opinion, as good as any. And I can tell you, buying gloves there really was an experience. Short, but lovely. I stepped inside what must be the smallest glove store in the world and asked for black longer gloves.

I was asked to put the hand on the counter, and then he held my hand for a brief moment to decide my size. He picked out the right box with the right size, picked up one of those things that you sometimes see at a flea market and have no idea what to use them for - to open up the fingers, put talcum powder inside, asked me to put my elbow on the little pillow and then put the glove on my hand. And - pun very much intended - it fit like a glove. And cost a lot less than at home. AND was put in a very pretty bag. The black for me, the cognac brown for my sister and the brooch from the thieves.

Then there was shopping for fabric... The sun was shining! In the end, there was so much of it that it needs it's own post.