Alphabet Dress

Introducing the Alphabet Dress - A One of a Kind Dress

The dress started with the print, it's incredible with all those brightly decorative letters, I feel a word search coming on! From the fabulous print designers at Michael Miller.

It's a real nod to all those late 1950s novelty print party dresses worn throughout Summer picnics and parties. Wear with white flats and stacked pearls or mid century plastic bangles around your wrists. Big Jackie O's a must!

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

Pink Stripes

This shocking pink silk was quite a find.  Interwoven with gold and pale gold metallic threads to form this electric pink stiff silk taffeta. I needed to tone it down a little with a layer of black tulle and satin outlines to keep it contained and the as always satin bow is the finishing touch.

We've started using metal zippers in some of our dresses of which this one. It's a little tricky to move away from the ease and invisibility of the concealed zippers but the metal zips are from the golden ages of elegance and always move nice and smoothly. No breaking, sticking or wiggling if the dress is on the tightly fitted!

Stripes

So we started with some carefully sourced, hoarded and found vintage stripe fabrics. Just enough to make a dress from each piece and then we turned them into fabulously wonderful party dresses!
Unfortunately the great yellow and cream 40s style cotton was a casualty and though the print was great it's weave was not and ended up in the scrap bin after lots of huffing and puffing and desperately trying to make it into a dress.

The results will follow over the next few days whilst I am away in Singapore.

LBD with a collar

A new little black cocktail dress in taffeta with a detachable collar. 

I really like the idea of interchangeable collars at the moment. This is probably thanks to Miu Miu, my box of vintage collars and the fact that I've sold the entire collection of collars i've previously made. About time I made some more! So I am now in the middle of making a small range to go with the all important little black dress. So far we have a ballet pink peter pan collar with stitching and centre bow tie. 

I did think about making 'days of the week' collars? Not with the days written on or anything like that, just a collection of seven interchangeable collars. I do like fun accessories, I'm not too much a of a jewellery fan unless it's a statement piece, so a collar works just fine. Need to try with a simple T-shirt next for everyday use. 

The dress again has a 50's inspired cut with a full skirt, nets and a fitted bodice. This is slightly different from the organic cotton dress as this has cutaway shoulders, a higher neckline and nets shaped to give an extra full bloom silhouette to the skirt.

Dress - black taffeta with cotton edging and cut away shoulders. Lined with nets attached.

Collar - ballet pink taffeta with ribbon stitching and satin bow tie

NOW AVAILABLE ON ETSY

Olive Linen Border Dress

This fabric was a fantastic find with it's embroidered bow topped frames and a border screaming to be used in a dress. I love the way the olive tones down the pink prettiness in it's heavy weave linen.

I haven't added anything to the frames on this dress as it's nice to see through to the underskirt, but I have just enough fabric to make another dress with. What shall I put in the frames this time? I'll have to think on that. 

AVAILABLE NOW ON ETSY

Friday Dress

Here's is Fridays dress. It's not quite finished but is what you would call 'photo ready'. I was so proud of my zip finishing the other day that I want everything to be wonderful inside.

My Mum also gave me some great advice ...... 'never buy a car on a Friday'  because people rush on Friday's and don't do a thorough job. I think this is when they used to make cars in a day?

Little Tulle Dress

Popped over the Anna's today where she gave me this gorgeous little dress to show you all. Like Anna's other dresses for makemeadress mini, this one is made from an adorable, ditsy vintage cotton. Matching tulle ruffles sleeves and a full skirt makes it ideal for a party dress and gives you're little lady some vintage style!