During my Top 10 Basic Sewing tips for beginners post from the other day, I was using my favourite dress pattern to make the garment which was the subject of the photos because in the words of supermodel of the world, Rupaul, “I’ll take one in every colour” and so I used fabric ordered from Cotton Reel Studio to create my next version of the dress. Previous versions of the dress can be seen below and as you can see I like to make them different to each other even though it is the same pattern, differences include velvet, cotton, poly cotton, and pleather as well as the obvious colours. I have two pink dresses for example but they are different shades, textures and patterns.

So I was looking for another unique fabric which would not only stand out when I’m wearing it but also from the rest of the collection and so after I got talking to people on Instagram and following accounts, I found Cotton Reel Studio. Now may be a good time to mention that this review is not sponsored nor have I been asked to do it, I have chosen to do it purely because I enjoy sharing fabric suppliers with others as I know it can be hard to find places to shop for fabrics at times which fit your requirements. I chose a really cute bumble bee cotton for £3.50 per half a metre which is a bit brighter and a minty green in person, it is gorgeous.



For my garment, I need 2 and a half metres of fabric and as I said earlier you purchase from CRS in half meters in the quantity box when adding the fabric to your basket so for one metre you need to enter 2 in the box and so on. I was impressed by the amount of money the postage, especially how quickly and efficiently it arrived and how it was protected. I was more than happy to pay £2.90 for postage when I placed the order Tuesday afternoon and when I heard the rustle of a fabric delivery in the post on Thursday I was thrilled. At first, I admit I was surprised at the size of the parcel, I have had fabric suppliers not send my full amount of fabric before and was a tad worried at how thin the parcel was but after opening it I found that it had been folded beautifully and smoothly in tissue paper. Very pleased with care and value of the postage, really left like Laura, the owner of Cotton Reel studio cares about her customers and the fabrics she sells, I’m very impressed!

I am in love with the colours of the fabric and I love the details in the bumble bees, I decided to put in a white zip knowing I wouldn’t be able to colour match a zip for this garment because I didn’t want to purchase a zip online because it would be hard to colour match with how different the colours look in photos and lighting and so I chose a white which I think complimented to bee’s wings well.

The round “peter pan” style collar is also in white which is similar to most of my other dresses but I love the effect it has on the fabrics and the look it has in general.

This is how it looks at the moment before the collar is on and pins in the hem ready to sew. I will post the finished garment on Instagram as soon as it is done.

Overall I am so happy with the fabric I would 100% recommend buying from Cotton Reel Studio, I was so impressed with the love, time and care put into orders, the protective tissue paper, excellent cutting, just everything was done in great condition and care. The fabric selection itself is amazing and there are lots of options and so many more fabrics I want to get and no doubt will be ordering soon which I can’t wait for. The prices are so good for the quality of the fabric that you get. I love that in the description sections there are the uses of the fabrics, what the fabric is usually or recommended to be used for, this can prompt ideas for experienced sewers but can also make a massive difference for sewing beginners who need to get used to the properties of different fabrics and build that knowledge that you use when creating more and more projects. It’s a small detail to the website that can have a big useful effect. which can prompt sewing ideas as well as being useful for beginners getting used to fabrics. I can’t stop saying I’m impressed because I am and I will really happily order from Laura again. Make sure you check out their Instagram because Laura keeps you up to date on everything again because the care and attention is amazing.