In a couple of weeks, Liverpool will see one of the biggest sporting events of the year, the Crabbie's Grand National, take place. Each year sees thousands of people descend on Aintree racecourse and many women spend weeks preparing their outfits. One of the main days of the week is Ladies' Day which this year is held on Friday 10th April. This day sees women attending the races in their best outfits and hats competing for prizes for the best dressed. Last week we added some new designs to our cotton spandex Dress Fabric range which would be ideal for making a stunning ladies' day outfit. Cotton spandex Dress Fabric is ideal for a special occasions outfit whether it be a dress or top and skirt. Made in Japan with a width of 150cm/ 60" it has a small percentage of elastane in its fibre content giving it a slight stretch. This stretch is what many people call a 'comfort stretch' as it does not stretch a lot but simply enough to make the fabric comfortable to wear. This is ideal if you are looking to use this Dress Fabric to make a fitted pencil skirt or fitted dress as it will still allow you to move and will be comfortable when you are sitting down as it will not be too tight. This would be a great choice of fabric for making a ladies' day outfit as it would be comfortable to wear all day and is smart and stylish which is just the look you should be aiming for at the races. Cotton spandex Dress Fabric is always very popular at Calico Laine and is one of the first fabrics to sell out in the summer months. It is a fairly sturdy fabric and because of this does not necessarily need a lining or interfacing which saves costs on your outfit. In the last week we have added several new colours and designs to the range with a number of floral designs which are perfect for a spring/summer occasion such as ladies day or the grand national itself.