*Cloth Edit Exclusive ~ 100% Ramie 'Alice's Looking Glass'

100% Ramie - Alice's Looking Glass

• 140cm wide
• Fine Weave 100% Ramie
• Approx. 155gsm 
• Directional 
• See below for more information about Cloth Edit’s Ramie cloth.

Introducing 'Alice's Looking Glass'; one of four final editions to Cloth Edit’s Exclusive Ramie Collection.   

There is something whimsical yet sophisticated about this print.  On the stunning powder pink background there are frames that offer a vignette of mushrooms, a tangle of vines, and small butterflies and insects.   These little critters are not easily discernible for those with an insect aversion ;-).  The collage immediately speaks to 'Alice in Wonderland' and the importance of mushrooms for Alice's fantastical journey and self-exploration.   It also seems to represent the mirror in 'Through the Looking Glass'.  The 'mirror' is a wonderful combination of greys (or silver) and a lovely rope detail in old gold (tan).  The design also includes a wonderful autumnal and green vines and sprays of pink roses to bring the vignettes together.  There are two sized mirrors as you'll see in the images.  This is a spectacular design, and I can see this most clearly as a dress, co-ord or robe. Mmmmm.  This will be great with tan, gold, silver (any metallic), white, or black accessories. 

This cloth isn’t like a heavier, floppy linen, but rather like a light and airy linen.   This might be a touch semi-transparent in places, but there is a lot going on and if there is a bit of fullness to what you make you probably won’t line it as you’d lose the free movement of this gorgeous cloth.

About Ramie

• The fibres come from the Ramie plant, and the fabric has been woven for thousands of years, especially in China, India, Korea and Indonesia. 
• It’s a wonderful natural fibre: durable yet light and resistant to bacteria and ultraviolent light. Ramie dries quickly (and thus has great wicking qualities) and is a perfect choice for blouses/shirts, pants, and dresses.  It’s a great alterative to cotton and linen. 
• There are different grades of Ramie, just as there are of linen.  The Ramie fabric at Cloth Edit is fine, with a close, even weave.  Looking at it and touching it, this cloth is like a fine, floaty linen.  The fabric has a bit of texture, but the fibres are consistent and smooth. 
• Fine Ramie can be expensive due to the labour-intensive process of extracting and cleaning the fibres, but it has real ‘eco’ credentials as the process doesn’t include a lot of chemicals.   The recent increase in the production of Ramie has been in response to designers preferring responsibly sourced textile options.
• This cloth feels even more beautiful after washing.   I’ve done a test by washing at 30 degrees, drying in the tumble dryer (only used for my test purposes), and then ironing.  There was no shrinkage, the colour fastness is great, and the ironing was easy (i.e the creases weren’t resistant).  Normally I would line dry, and the ironing after this would be a breeze.  This is a quality fabric. 

For your cloth edit consider:  semi-fitted or looser shirts, blouses, tops and tunics; dresses (eg. wrap, tunic, shirt dresses), fuller skirts (eg. wrap, midi, gathered, pleated) and loose pants. 

We stock so many beautiful sewing patterns that would be a perfect match with this fabric. Here are some Indie Pattern suggestions:

• Singuliere by Cousette - Espelette, Jupette, Sandelette, Bridgette, Soerette, Buchette, Bobinette, Miette, Blondinette
• Monsterfabriken - Bonnie, Cina, Elizabeth, Elsa, Ester, Flora, Marika, Vanja
• Size Me Sewing - Serene Dress, Serene Jumpsuit, Serene Shirt, Vienne Dress.
• Ann Ringstrand - Holy Shirtdress, Gather Dress (and check out the SEW book). 
• Atelier Brunette - La Jupe, Le Pyjama, La Chemisette, La Robe Chemise, La Robe Butterfly, La Blouse
• Seasons of East - Summer in New York, Autumn in London
• Sewing and the City - Mercer, Essex
• Merchant and Mills - Edie, Ellis and Hattie, Ellsworth, Factory, Florence, Shepherd, Winnie
• Now and Then - Beach Pyjamas, Tilbury, All Seasons, Hepburn, Revere, Amelie
• Atelier Jupe - Lynn, Zoey, Liv, Sienna, Frida, Tilda, Olivia, Emily, Chloe, Pippa, Lottie/Kate, Solange, Savannah, Lea, Alana, Este, Ava, Hannah
• The Avid Seamstress - The Blouse, The Everyday Shirt, The Raglan Dress, The Day Dress, The Pyjama Bottoms, Sun Dress, Jumpset Dress.
• Atelier Scammit - Petites Choses, Artesane, Astree, Vertige, Zephir 
• Closet Core Patterns – Cielo, Elodie, Charlie, Carolyn, Pauline, Kalle, Nicks, Jenna
• Folkwear Patterns – Mexico Dress (and Top), Japanese Kimono, Victorian Shirt
• Friday Pattern Co. – Sagebrush Top, Square Neck, Top Wilder Gown, Davenport, Saturday Skirt Set, Saguaro, Donny, Avenir
• I AM Patterns – Barbara, Cassiopee, Gaia, Jain, Joy, Juliette, Lucienne, Sherazade, Cinderella, Irma, Octarine, Aura, Helios, Heset, Marty
  
• Maison Fauve - Tilda, Penelope, Zenith, Atlas, Lauren, Mia, Niki, Byzance, Violette, Marissa, Soho, Skyline, Chelsea, Haut Vol, Transat, Primrose.
• Named Patterns – Helmi, Reeta Shirt Dress, Ninni, Valo, Hali, Syli, Taiko, Lilja, Sylvi, Taiko, Sisko
• Papercut Patterns – Array, Nexus, Sequence, Tide, Ashling, Celestia
• Pauline Alice Patterns – Calvari, Reina, Cami.
• Pattern Fantastique – Calyx, Celestial, Vali
• The Assembly Line – Cuff Top, Cuff Dress, Oversized Shirt, The Shirt Dress, Front Pleat Shirt.
• Liberty Patterns - Beatrix, Natasha, Rosanna, Megan 
• Sew House Seven - Romey, Remy, Sauvie, Wildwood
• Tilly and the Buttons - Mabel, Marnie, Lottie, Lyra, Stevie
• Stitched for Good - Chorizema, Waratah, Honeysuckle
• Wardrobe By Me - Freedom Dress, Perfect Tunic, Piper, Tropicana.

Cloth Care:

Pre-Wash fabric.  Garments made from Ramie fabric are easy to care for, as they are machine washable and increase in strength when wet, making them durable over time. To keep your treasured make in the best condition, line dry (inside out), machine wash at 30 degrees on a normal cycle.  Avoid Tumble Drying. Hot steam iron. Spot test.