Ridley Road market in east London is a great place to find good value fabric. Here was an African tie dye that, though stiff as a board with starch, shouted out to be made into a garment.

After a good wash, it turned into a beautiful, soft cotton fabric with a damask weave. It took all my pattern matching skills to achieve this result.

Buttons are from the bead shop in Kentish Town, www.londonbeadco.co.uk, and the local tailor Chris Ruocco made the buttonholes – not a skill that I have mastered so far.