An interesting find...

Hello,

First up Happy (belated) Easter to everyone! I hope you had a fabulous time :)

I am currently in the Isle of Wight for my Easter holidays and am having a good time

Yesterday me and my family went into ryde and had a walk down the high street. There is a shop there my family always go in called the 'Fantastic Store' it is basically a comic book and action figure store which covers both retro and new items. I am not to into that kind of stuff if I'm honest but I usually have a look around whilst I'm waiting for my parents to finish as on the odd occasion I do find something cool :p yesterday happened to be one of those days!

I was looking at the piles of magazines on the floor and came across a stack of old (about 1980s) 'military modelling' magazines, I don't really know why but I thought ill flick through one of those- just to see what it's like I suppose and then I saw that in each is sure was articles on, and sketches of, some military uniforrms! Talked about in really good detail (to help the diehard modellers I suppose)- so absoloutely fascinating for me from a costume perspective.  There was even the odd scaled down historical jacket pattern.

Look:

At only £1 each I picked up three of them :p hehe I never know what show ill be making for next but if it is set in world war 2 and there are some paratroopers taht need costuming I will know where to turn to start my research! ;p

If you can get your hands on any copies the costume bit is well worth a read if you are interested in such things as I am :)

See you all soon, 

Bye!  Xxx

Sunday style

Hi,

My my, it has been quite a while since I brought you a Sunday style! I have one for you today though :) As I mentioned in a previous post I had designed and started making an A line dress (from scratch, making my own pattern etc.) from a shirt and skirt I picked up in the costume store sale. Today we had family friends over so I made sure I got it all done ready to be worn and shown off! Lol :P

Here is it just flat:

Here are some of the details up close:

Folding back the  corners of the pocket flaps was my dad's idea and then I thought I could do the same with the collar and add little buttons to tie everything on :)

If you had forgotten the pieces I got the fabric from here they are:

Here is me wearing The dress:

I am really pleased with how it came out as it fits me really well, as it should because I made it to my measurements :P and it nice and airy for summer.  The colours also go with the colour of my hair too I think- if I am going to indulge myself and be really vain, lol! I will stop now and compliment you all- You all look beautiful today :D xxx

I am off to go and relax now. I have eaten a lot of my dad's delicious food today so need to sit and let it all go down- warm chocolate peanut butter ice cream sundae sauce and brownies is all  that needs to be said! :P

Before I go though I do want to say thank you to everyone who has looked at my new etsy shop. My viewings are increasing which is lovely :-) Also I have a special tutorial coming soon that I have made for you all so keep your eyes peeled! 

See you soon,

Bye xoxoxo

Finished.... but only just getting started... :P

Hi,

 

Today was officially my last day of college for the year, though I actually didn't have to come in really because I got all my work handed in yesterday :0)

 



So now I can bring you the final photos from my Line and form project (the collaboration with a designer) that I have been mentioning in my last few posts.

 

I kindly got permission from my designer to put up a picture of her design for court costume of the Duchess of Malfi (for a contemporary staging of the Duchess of Malfi):

 

(Copyright of my designer Sarah!)

 

I concentrated on making the jacket in the design, and now you can see what I was going from here is my final realised garment: 

 

 

 

It is fully lined, but is made in calico- really I would make it in wool worsted, but that was a bit expensive for this project when I needed 4m of it! And calico was still a suitable weight.

 

I am really proud of it and I learnt so many things from it- like how to construct a notched collar, and fully line the jacket with fairly little hand sewing (the industry method). It fitted my model really well too (she wanted to take it home :-P) so I was pleased!

 

This week, as well as finishing my jacket, I picked up some really great bargains at the big costume store sale at college. They had a clear out and all the money raised is going towards re-stocking the store. I got all of these clothing items for only £5!!!!!:

 

So that is 50p each!!! My aim is to use the fabric or adapt each of them over my summer break to make some cool stuff :) Though I may end up just wearing some of the pieces as I might not have the heart to cut into them- especially the big purple mens coat; it has a label in it saying 'Nathans and Burmans' (a famous costume house), and 'Return to OZ' so it may have been in the film- I will have to watch and see! Hehe, that will give me a bit of excitement :P

 

I better get off to bed now though as I am working at the Bridal Boutique tomorrow and as tomorrow is the first official day of my summer holidays my summer plan (lots of reading about sewing and fashion and costume, sewing and designing, going on courses and doing work experience- in between going on holiday with my family :P) can begin! So though I am finished for the year, I am only really just starting as I have so much to learn and practise in summer :)

 

See you all soon, and I will keep you all regularly updated :-)

 

I hope you are well,

 

Bye xXxXxXxXxXxXxX

A huge post! (incl. cupcake walk #2 with my friend; stitch b*tch :)

Hello,



Today I bring you a very, very full post! Full of lots of lovely costumes and cakes, shall we begin....?

First up I thought I would show you all the most recent pictures of my Line and form project (collaboration with a designer :). Here is my finished toile- which basically means the mock up of the garment to get the fit perfect:

I have now started to make it up for final as I had my fittings this week and made the small alterations to the patterns needed. Now I have got to power on and get it finished perfectly! I am really enjoying this project though, as we are learning all the skills needed to interpret a designers sketch- something that really intrigues me as,  as well as bridal, couture fashion clothing making (being in an Atelier and interpreting fashion designers sketches) is something that I would really liked to be involved in in the future :)

Talking of bridal though- I did a bit more work experience on Saturday for Sharon, the lady who let me help out with the bridal fashion show. She has just opened a new bridal boutique. I was front of house in it on Saturday. I managed to make an appointment for a bride to come in to try dresses on so I was very happy! Hehe, here was my view from my mirrored desk (ooh fancy! :-):

On to more lovely things now....

....today I was walking around London for about 5 hours- no exaggeration as first I went to see the Graduate show for all the 3rd years at my college at the OXO Tower Bargehouse and then I went onto my 2nd cupcake walk of the year :P

The Graduate show was really good, lots of really high quality pieces :) And the setting of the Bargehouse was really cool and interesting- kind of like an old warehouse but nice and bright from all the windows:

The lovely pieces speak for themselves so I will just let you enjoy the photos- rather than natter on about my thoughts :P

As I was wandering round I couldn't help but think that that will be me in two years, presenting my work as a graduate! That made me feel really excited and inspired :)

Then after that, as I said, it was on to my 2nd cupcake walking tour of London of the year. I enjoyed the one I did with my mum soo much that I asked if my friend from Uni wanted to go with me on another one. She has just started her own blog recently and I highly recommend you check it out and drop her a comment or two :o) It is really interesting, and I am not just saying that because I am her friend: http://www.stitchbtch.blogspot.co.uk/. Her blog is titled stitch bt*ch, as believe it or not that is the often used nickname for members of wardrobe departments in theatre etc! :P

First up on the tour was the cupcake bakehouse- Owned and run by Lorraine Pascal:

I had a mini chocolate cupcake from there:

Then it was onto Laudree- their macarons I would say could not be improved, they are perfect:

Sweet couture had some new flavours for this walk so I was super excited, I had cookie dough, and Grace had oreo (a good choice! That's What I went for on my first walk):

Mmmmm... cookie dough was so nice!!!!!!!  I want another one!!!! (P.s. I think Sweet Couture is my fave cupcake place)

Then came hummingbird bakery:

And another delicious red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting:

Yauatcha is a place I am so happy I discovered form the walks- their macaron varietys are so cool!

I had another Jaffa cake one because I couldn't resist and I also tried caramel cashew and pistachio:

We got three choices there this time as Fortnum and masons was unavailable for a sample this time. I didn't mind though as I do love Yauatcha.

And finally onto Patisserie Valeire for a caramel truffle and chocolate macaron:

So lovely!

The tour went via Saville row which was cool as you could see the workrooms through the windows below the pavement level.

Hehe, you can go get a drink and have a relax now- I am finished.

I promise :P

I hope you all had a great weekend too. I am off now to watch TV with my mum and work more on my dads Paddington bear cross stitch fathers day present.

See you all soon,

Bye XxXxX

Corsets and chocolate :)

 Hi,

Last Friday I managed to finish my corset!!! I was so happy as I though I would just fall short because I had a lot of hand sewing over the eyelets to do but I managed to really get into the flow of it and got it all done :D Here is my finished corset, the mannequin is not quite the right size so you will have to some imagining to think what it would look like on my actual model who it is made to measure for:

 

 

It is fully boned a the front and laces up at the centre back and the straps are off the shoulder.

 

I am so happy my 17th century corset is done :-) It was a lot of work but I am very proud of it and enjoyed making it. Next is onto the wheel farthingale (period skirt supporter) to go with it!

 

I am off on my Easter break now though and my Brothers Birthday is coming up really soon. I wanted to make him something for his birthday but something different to the kind of things I normally make. I also wanted it to be really fun so I came up with the idea for a Domo Pinata!:

 

 

I made it from a cereal box, 4 toilet roll tubes, some red and white card and painted it all.

 

I have filled it with lots of tasty sweets:

 

 

Hehehe :)

I hope my brother likes it and I hope it holds up to a little bit of whacking before it breaks open :P

 

In my final bit of news for this post I finished the first of  the different bridal headbands I have begun designing and making recently. I am really pleased with the finished result:

 

 

I made the little ribbon roses and I put together the middle piece using the lace applique technique onto a fine net/gauze type material. There are little diamante in the centre of the flowers which sparkle in the light (you can just about see them in the photo :). I thought the peacock feather looked pretty and added a bit of interest. It is quite bohemian and vintage in style. I am still working on the others so it will be interesting to see what style/vibe they give off when they are finished.

 

I hope you are all very well and that you are having a good week so far :o) I am very excited for tomorrow as my brother is off school so we are going to the local park to play tennis then he is treating me to a Costa Coffee (my favourite!!!) lunch- sandwich, cake and everything! So generous! I treated him to a cadbury's creme egg mcflurry today- very tasty, I do recommend :P

 

Speak to you all again very soon,

 

Bye XxXxXxX