RockN'Roll Bride Feature ........

Our new bridal collection and styled shoots are on RockN'Roll Bride today with Laura Michelle Photography and What Katy Did Next. Go check it out, Huge Thank you for everyone involved!!!!

The Lookbook - Bridal 2012 'Seven Brides' collection

 

Sophia - red rose printed silk full length halter gown

Lily - rose printed pale bronze tea length gown

Penelope - ivory crepe rhinestone dotted wiggle dress

Carla - pale blue silk pleated dress with tulle underskirts

Judy - sheer polkadot tulle illusion calf length dress

Louisa - soft ivory tulle ballerina skirt dress with beaded sleeves and rhinestone polka dots

Claudia - full length wedding gown in champagne tulle with a fine bead and sequin trim.

 

At long last here's our 2012 bridal collection look-book beautifully shot by photographer Laura Michelle. The 'seven brides' collection is available made to order from our online boutique, some of the dresses require consultations (either online or at the studio) to discuss fabrics, beading options and designs and others you can simply click and order.

For the next seven weeks I will share more details about each dress, the photo shoots and the wonderful people we worked with.

You can click on each image to take you to the boutique for more info.

Photographer : Laura Michelle Photography

Accessories : What Katy Did Next (see more beautiful pieces in the shoots coming later)

Models: Kimberley Louise Hill and Natalie Power

 

Sunday Night Reads - On Writing by Stephen King

On Writing, a memoir of a craft by Stephen King. Published 2001

Ok, I know it's Monday morning now. I finished reading this book late last night and needed to sleep on what I was going to say.

The book is not about fashion, sewing or how to be a designer but this book has been inspiring. You can easily change the title to 'On Designing' or 'On Craftsmanship'.

We all know Stephen King is a super successful writer, this is the first book I have read of his but I have watched enough films adapted from his books to know he's an amazing story teller.

This book goes through a mini autobiography, relevant to starting out in your particular craft and then covers working practices that help you along the way. I was handed this book by Wing to improve my writing the blog (I really struggle with writing and am the slowest reader I know) and On Writing has helped.

My favourite parts of the book are lessons on ......

• Rejection, Stephen King had a huge pile of rejection letters that he kept above his desk to spur him on.
  
• Closing the studio door and keeping yourself in a bubble until the first draft is complete.
  
• Taking criticism, taking walks (being careful to avoid swerving blue trucks) watching movies and just loving the type of creative work you do to death.
  
• Setting goals to achieve each day. And then stepping away to gain a little perspective.
  

It's incredibly reassuring to know that someone this successful really struggled, worked his arse off, nearly died a few times, but kept at it. And all that motivates him is wanting to write.

I have a long way to go with my writing, I still use unecessary words. But it is another softly worn paperback that I will keep returning too. I have promised myself to read more and wear more and more dresses.

You can buy the book here

Readers, do you have any books on one subject that have helped you in another? Or any books to share that have really motivated you?

 

A Day At The Studio ....

The day starts with going through emails, ordering fabrics and basically being glued to this desk for a couple of hours. As you can see my desk (a lovely solid oak, brass handled beast with a green leather top salvaged from a vets skip) is rather covered in stuff, sketchbooks, to do lists, paints, calculators, lollipop wrappers etc. This part of the studio is not tidy.

Then the post arrives with fabric orders, zips, trimmings and everything we need to make dresses with. We have quite a few gentlemen callers at the studio door with packages for us. (sorry!)

 Sometimes our lovely customers hand deliver the fabric they have personally selected in lovely wrappings.

Today we needed to source lace for a consultation later this week so Anna and Me selected options that would work for the design and ordered a few more laces.

Eventually it's time to start work on the actual dresses, laying out and cutting the silk. These colours are part of the prettiest bridesmaids collection for a wedding this year, I can't wait to share it.

 Anna sews the bodices of the dresses, super carefully .................... whilst we discuss each stage, seam finish and how it fits.

Dresses we are working on get added to rail, the rail is nearly full at the moment.

And finished dresses get packed in their white boxes ready for shipping to the other side of the world. Today dresses are off the the US and Australia.

So there is our day in the studio, I'm still here typing away and working on sketches and lists for tomorrow. We will share more days with you from time to time xxx

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