Start to Finish - creating the Dove Grey Silk Wiggle Dress

 This dress was a commission I designed and created specifically for a customer, a real couture garment in all manner of speaking and the way of working I like best, focusing on one dress for one woman. 

The occasion for the dress is a day at the races and the inspiration, elegant 1950s wiggle dresses to match a fantastically designed hat in grey and black lace. 

The fabric was a heavyweight pure silk satin, very drapey and very very difficult to control when it comes to hand pleating. Many a time I had to walk out of the studio as the silk kept slipping through my hands and refused to be pinned. It makes up for it in it's beauty. 

I have photographed the dress from start to finish as I always find it amazing how a dress evolves from a flat piece of silk into a structured dress.

The muslin base of the dress is where we start and make sure the fit of this is perfect before anything else continues. The light boning is then added to give structure and form.

The outer silk bodice is cut, sewn and added to the muslin base..........

 The chiffon lining is cut (from the same pattern as the bodice) and is pinned in place to the muslin base bodice. The outer silk is quite heavy in this dress and due to the muslin base there is no need to add another heavy lining which would add unneccessary bulk. The dress is for the summer so it is also important to keep the wearer cool.

The skirt and facings are cut and sewn and added to the bodice.

The facings are hand stitched in place to the chiffon lining and a lining for the skirt is cut and added.

The main section of the dress is nearly complete. It needs hemming and a very good steam to remove the creases created from working with the silk. 

The sash is added and pinned in place ready to be hand stitched for the finished dress. The chairs are for me to sit on whilst hand stitching the waist so I'm at the correct eye level (and I don't hurt my back too much). 

 

Vintage Bridesmaids Dresses

I'm very excited to show you these two bridesmaids dress commissions we have just completed,  both with a 1950s theme but two very different looks. 

The first is a brilliantly summery collection of halter neck fifties swing dresses with full circle skirts and blue silk pleated belts to match the blue tulle underskirts. Made in a Tanya Whelan print fabric chosen by the bride The matching flower girl dress Anna made is just adorable with the pretty ruffle hem.  I have already seen a sneak peek and one maid in her dress and they look fabulous! 

The second are a sophisticated cocktail style in a beautiful cafe tulle and lace that we sourced on our trip to Singapore. (I'm still kicking myself for not buying twenty more metres of that tulle as the colour is gorgeous, I could only fit enough for these dresses in my suitcase!) Again Anna produced the prettiest flower girl dress to match, complete with dusky pink bow. 

Birthday Party Silk Cocktail Dress

This fabulous dress was made earlier this year for a birthday party and I have just been given this dazzling photo by Julie Bee the photographer for the event. The dress and birthday girl look gorgeous.
You can view Julie's portfolio here at www.juliebee.co.uk, there's a great shot of George Clooney which is a nice bonus too :)

Polaroid camera found ....

I have just found my Polaroid camera in the back of my draw that I last used three years ago.

There was still some film left inside, (the first shot I took was in my eye) so I took some pics of my studio. This has a very seventies haze to it as the film in way out of date. Polaroids are awesome and I'm going to order some new film from Impossible project.

Summertime Florals - Spring Summer Collection

A preview of the first dresses from the Spring Summer collection. Lots of florals, silk organdies and pretty ribbon stripes along with vintage floral cottons that I've been gathering for this collection.
Inspired by hazy fifties summers with pastel roses blooming in the garden and dirty dancing holiday camps. Imagine a slightly worn kitsch America and colourful vintage crockery in saturated pastel shades.  It's very indulgent prettiness that I think is best worn with something a bit harder edged and a grunge soundtrack playing in the background. That's  just my thoughts on styling this collection and I would love hear other ideas on this. Maybe you would up the prettiness stakes even further?

Red and white stripe sheer illusion dress with floral linen lining

Peach and dove grey ribbon stripe organza dress
Blush pink and blue silk organdie full circles flower hem dress with floral lining
Floral cotton wiggle dress with pleated hips silk organdie tie sash
Silk organdie full circle pleated bodice dress with low cut back

Cafe tulle gathered cape with velvet ribbon trim
Blush pink silk organdie petal collar

All the dresses are available ready to wear and made to order and are limited to one or two dresses made in each print.

The week away from the computer ........

This past week has been quite exciting really, I stepped away from the computer, banned myself from facebook, twitter and even the blog, switched to radio six and got on with work. Funny how things start to happen when you don't sit for hours in front of a screen!
The first task was blue tulle underskirts for 50s dresses..................

I then worked on the final details of the summer collection, this dress is a sneak peek (I'm liking cardboard backgrounds at the moment as it makes the colours a little sparkier) .....

I had three visits from brides to be this week, this is Theresa who came for a whole day whilst we created her wedding dress. It was a long, long day but her dress looked incredible, elegant and terribly chic by the end of it. I can't wait to see the final looks over the two days of her wedding bonanza, there is even a music festival planned with some pretty awesome bands.
This reminded me of our wedding where we found our bands on myspace and they all did an excellent job. It's great to give young bands the opportunity to perform and get paid and you usually end up with something really cool, not too weddingy and at a far better price by not going through a wedding entertainment agent who tend to charge an extra chunk for that every word 'wedding'.

 And then I was in the local paper which was a really lovely surprise and from this single article in the local rag last Thursday I was invited to talk on BBC Somerset this morning about the bridal collection and a wedding magazine also rang for an interview, so not at all bad from the Cheddar Valley Gazette.  Many many thanks to them and Beth Perry.

I was so shocked to be asked to talk on the radio I immediately said yes and then it sank in over the bank holiday weekend that I would have to talk out loud and this is something I find very very nerve wracking. I was convinced I would be sick on the radio and very luckily I wasn't. Emma Britton the presenter was wonderful and made it all relaxing, she was so lovely and I recognised Rachel Andrews the producer from school which was quite a comfort. So a HUGE thank you to them both!

Here is the radio interview

So, it's been a very exciting week away from the computer and I can't think of anything happening this next week that might be worth talking about?

Floral Dotty Tulle Summer Dress

Our dotty tulle summer dress has been created once again, this time for a wedding guest in the US, she's going to look quite fabulous in such pretty fabrics.
I photographed the dress whilst making and got some good shots on the dummy next to a shadow of my old ballet shoes (this is all sounding a bit overly pretty right now, the shoes were an accident that I kept in the picture!). In my squirrelling fabrics away I forgot how vibrant the print was and how great the tulle worked over prints, will have to try and order in some more of these fabrics so we can have these to order.   I wonder what shoes she will wear with the dress?

Coral Pink Grecian Bridesmaids

 

Italian Actress Sophia Loren wearing Bvlgari jewelry and photographed by Richard Avedon.Vogue,December 1969.

Anna has been very busy over the past few months working on these beautiful Grecian goddess dresses for Lisa's bridesmaids. The colour is bold and when Anna showed me the silks in the stunning colour soaked chiffon's and crepes from Beckford Silks it confirmed that this was a geat choice. (Beckford silks fabric selection is small and perfectly formed with the highest quality silks and dying service that is second to none.)

The dresses were custom made to the brides specifications and made to measure with a few fittings for the bridesmaids to make sure the length and fit was perfect.
A full length design was requested and the flowing skirt was created by hand draping from the empire line giving the lean line to the dress. Anna trimmed the dresses with a contrasting gold metallic ribbon which works well with the coral and she hand stitched the amazing silk chiffon roses on the shoulder.  These would also look gorgeous on a belt or as vintage style wrist corsages and the finishing touch is the adorable neat bow to the back.
The gold and corals remind me of fabulous 1960s Italian evening gowns worn with gold heels and wonderfully plaited hair, think Sophia Loren.
Overall the look will be four statuesque Grecian Aphrodite's accompanying the beautiful bride on her wedding day. I can't wait to see the pictures!

A day at the Races

This custom dress has just been posted off on it's way to Ireland ready for the races and ladies day. When I received the photo of the lady in question I instantly knew what style to get in my head and wonderfully it was Audrey, Parisian Chic and Fifties all the way.
Navy was chosen and in the flesh it's a vibrant indigo navy with a fine, bright white Guipure lace to contrast at the waist, neckline and cuffs. This was tricky to fit as there is no give in Guipure lace so it very carefully had to be hand stitched with notches that were cut and restitched binding together at the curve. The two colours work perfectly as a classic combination and should keep the fashion spectators happy at the races.
This is just a little preview and I can't wait to see the finished look.