Red Christmas Party Dress

http://alexandraking.bigcartel.com/product/dotty-red-polkadot-party-dress

 It's the time of year .... for festive cheer! And to start getting in Christmas mood this is the first little red dress of the season.
Made for Millie Moon's shop window in a tiny red polkadot cotton trimmed with a sumptuous green velvet bow. Velvet is a must for this time of year. The party dress can be made to order for your party and worn with a tulle underskirt gives an amazing silhouette that will have you swishing away into the night.

I love the dress worn with the forties Italian tea party in mind for the summer, just add peep toes or  Nineties style Gwen with a chunky knit grunge cardigan and bare feet. This one will actually last me all year round and the cotton is so soft.

The dress itself is made with a boned sweetheart bodice, gathered sweetheart neckline and a pleated wide waistband. The skirt is full and is trimmed with a little pleated bow which can be bought separately. This adds to the forties Mediterranean styling worn in your hair.

View the dress in the shop here. xxx

Moodboard - Sweetheart Summer Sports Dress

This weeks dress theme has a sports, sweetheart sundress feel to it which involves a candy popping sweetheart print from our favourite fabric shop Millie Moon. 

I love the 1950s Jantzen swimwear ads and the ways that fashion has interpreted the Olympics and sportswear. The early 1980s and late 1950s have a similar healthy Californian feel to them with tans and uber chic, body con styling. Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman wearing her transformed 'races' dress sums up the tone of the dress this week, that and a heavy sprinkling of candy hearts. 

Sports, summer and bright prints will be a running theme over the next few weeks, as with last week. Some will be a little tongue and cheek fun and some will be wonderfully elegant, we'll just see how we feel each Monday!

Little Easter Blue Bird Dress

Anna's Easter Kids Dress is totally adorable!  I love the super cute bluebirds in the centre and the polka dot trim. You can just imagine little girls running around this Summer in this dress complete with pigtails tied with matching bows. I think I would have used the pockets for Barbie shoes, feathers and frogs.

If you would like to learn how to make this gorgeous little dress yourself (and are based in the South West) Anna will be running a workshop at Millie Moon in Frome on Friday 22nd June. Click here for more details and to book. 

Anna is also teaching a fifties style skirt workshop like this one above on the Thursday 5th July again at Millie Moon in Frome.

This little dress is going to Millie Moon so won't be appearing in the shop yet but I'm sure Anna would make one on request for a little girl in need of a dress. In the meantime take a look at Anna's other children's dresses in the shop here.  xxx

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day lovelies! We're doing it (poochy) style today in our fabulous new red dog print dress. Another amazing find from Millie Moons incredible fabric selection and this heart stopping bright red. This is a Michael Miller Tribute to Tammis Keefe print, she was (in my opinion) one of the best graphic print designers of the mid century creating iconic American, kitsch textile prints in the 40's and 50's. Read More here.

The dress will be available in the shop soon with the long awaited return of the pink elephant dress!Also available at the Millie Moon shop ion Frome, Somerset.

Pink Elephant Dress at Millie Moon

 Millie Moon is this amazing fabric shop run by Rachel and Becki which has just opened in Wells. This is their second shop, the flagship is in Frome where they also have a sewing school  and a massive following. This may seem like a major suck up to this shop, but for me when something it really good I like to shout about it and it really is genuinely brilliant.

Each time I have visited the shop, not only does my mind turn to mush over all the gorgeous fabrics, trimmings, sewing treats galore but I'm always so happy to see it packed full of people wanting to sew. I'm always at the back of a big queue which in this case is wonderful.
They stock very carefully selected and beautifully presented fabrics by Amy Butler, Liberty, Michael Miller (my favourite at the moment) and many more along with quilting supplies, gifts for sewing enthusiasts, great quality trimmings and little exciting sewing bit and bobs. And it's all wonderful quality.
Here is their website so you can buy online and feed your addiction! 

This dress is one of the first dresses I have made from their fabric and it is a dream to sew, it has a slight stretch which is great when it comes to fit and a lovely medium weight which has just the right balance between drape and structure.
We chose a Pink Drunken Elephant print for the shop dress by Michael Miller, It reminds me a little of Dumbo and how can you resist pink elephants on the dark charcoal grey?

This design is another fifties inspired silhouette with a slight off the shoulder neckline, boned bodice and a fine pleated, very full skirt. Trimmed with satin piping and trim at the waist in olive green to match the juggling bottles.
This fabric has been very popular so we may be able to make just one more of this dress if anyone would like to order, it makes a fabulous party dress!

Even just looking on the website, I just can't help myself!!!  They have a blog too here with lost of sewing inspirations and ideas.  A huge thank you to Millie Moon just for being here in Somerset and inspiring designs. x