This is a really exciting time of year in the studio as February tends to be my busiest month for taking commissions. Most people tend to over-indulge in December and so are fairly unwilling to be measured up for a dress until they’ve regained their pre-Christmas physique. The new year also brings the scary reality of “OMG I’m getting married THIS year!!” This year has been no exception and the phone has been red hot with both dress enquiries and new dressmaking students. I’ve got some stunning projects to get my teeth into this wedding season and I’m desperate to share them with you, but alas, I cannot. Wedding dress commissions have to be very secretive and I would never be the one to let the cat out of the bag, so instead of telling you what I’ll be doing this year I thought I’d share with you how the process... read more
Firstly, may I wish you all a belated (but none-the-less heartfelt) Happy new Year! The studio was a busy place to be in the run up to Christmas with everyone (including myself) hurrying to finish projects before the Christmas holidays began. I’ve been meaning to share these pictures of student work for weeks now, but as time wore on I realised quite how many were destined to become gifts, and i couldn’t spoil the surprise so I’ve waited until even the last presents have been exchanged before sharing these pics with you. As well as all these gorgeous gifts we’ve been busy making a few goodies for ourselves too… After a sluggish start to 2015, the studio is back in full swing, classes all started up this week and many new projects have been gracing the cutting table, but you’ll just have to wait and see… See you next week!... read more
Unpicking is unfortunately an inevitable part of dressmaking. However carefully you’ve placed your pins or even tacked a seam, at some point you’ll need to undo misplaced stitches. If like me you are fond of secondhand clothes and frequent your local charity shops you may also spend a fair amount of time altering factory made garments. Here is my guide to the tools you should have for unpicking and how to undo some of the most common stitches. Essential tools: Unpicker, scalpel or Stanley knife blade, small scissors or snips, good light, very good eyesight or possibly a magnifying glass, and a few pins…. Common stitches: Straight seam To get the best use from our unpicker we must first understand it’s anatomy. You probably think I’ve lost the plot right now, but bear with me. There is a small blade for slicing through stitches, a pointed end to guide the... read more
As we charge ahead into autumn, I’ve been looking back at the glorious summer we had. It’s been all go in the studio, and it’s about time I shared with you some of the amazing work that my students have produced. We’ve had an array of beautiful dresses (some of which have travelled to far-flung places)…. A fabulous collection of shirts… Summery gorgeousness… And some lovely things for little people… And then of course there was Jade’s Prom dress, wow! If you’ve been inspired and think you’d like to learn to make your own clothes then get in touch… Book here to join on one of our courses. See you next week, happy sewing!
It’s been a busy month at the studio, with lots of new students signing up after The Great British Sewing Bee. Most have started with simple projects such as Pyjama bottoms but there are a few more adventurous first projects, but I can’t show you until they are finished. Here are the fabulous clothes that were made in April.
I’ve had this piece of fabric for years and always imagined that it would become a Maxi dress, but when I held it up in front of the mirror I felt that the pattern was a little bit too repetitive for a dress, and may be overpowering. After the Great British Sewing Bee there has been a new wave of students starting dressmaking classes. Since my suggested first project is usually a pair of pyjamas bottoms, there have been quite a few pairs being made in the studio recently. Truth be told I’ve been a little envious, so this week I treated myself to a pair of freshly made pyjamas. The floral silk takes centre stage… Technically there was no where near enough fabric to make Pyjamas, I was 1.2metres short, but I like a challenge so was determined to prove the pattern company wrong. As the design is large... read more
This term we’ve been really busy and made loads of new things. Bobble hats, bags, purses, PJ shorts, refashioned t-shirts, sunglasses cases for Mothers day, and then Hungry Bunnies for Easter. Applique has been a recurring theme, and I think you’ll agree the results are brilliant! Here is our animal appliqué bag project… And here are the bobble hats, made in just 2 hours… These are a few of the refashioned t-shirts… And because there was a big of spare time, pom-pom purses… Pyjama Shorts (first go at using a commercial pattern)… For Mothering Sunday we made funky sunglasses cases… Then as the last project before Easter, we made Hungry Bunnies… nom, nom, nom… Happy Easter everyone!
I’m really excited to share with you my latest post, and I’ve decided to make it a regular feature. Every month I will share pictures with you of all the projects that my students have been working on (or at least the ones I remember to photograph), so without any more ado, here is March 2014… And here is a sneaky peek at some work in progress… Dizz is making Bridesmaids dresses for her best friend’s wedding. The petticoats are looking amazing, but all that net can be a bit tricky to handle! And Jade is making her own dress for her school leavers Prom in June, watch this space… See you next week!
