My amazing intern, Annabrings fascinating things to show me each time she arrives to the studio. The other day she brought along the most beautiful collection of vintage pattern drafting workbooks that she acquired online. They are exercise books created by a woman who attended a drafting school in Italy in the 1950's. The pages are as delicate as brittle leaves and the care that went into making them is just admirable.I wanted to share a few pages, because they are just gorgeous.
::: MADELEINE SKIRT SANS SUSPENDERS :::
I love Gail's punchy red version of Madeleine. I think it totally works without suspenders. She's got the sexy librarian thing down pat!
Add an extra touch of class to your hand made item by making your own clothing labels! Making tags is quick and easy, all you need is a photocopy version of your own logo, name or artwork, and a few supplies. Make sure that your artwork or text is in mirror image to the original format. If you've made one of our patterns and would like to make it look extra professional, you can print our labels.
These tags use a chemical called xylene from blender markers to dissolve photocopy toner onto fabric. When the toner is transferred onto natural fibre, it creates a wash-fast transfer. You can expand on this idea and transfer images to clothing!
::: AVA PEPLUM BLOUSE :::
It's been really great seeing your versions of the patterns appearing online and how each garment expresses your own personality. I really love to see how they turn out, and I thought you guys might like to see some of the results for yourselves. This week, Shona from Shona Stitches blog shares her funky version of the Ava peplum blouse...
::: ADERYN SERIES :::
Ok, I get excited pretty easily, but when a friend tells me she's launched a collection of graphic prints for fabric, I get excited on a whole other level!!! I'm thrilled to show off this body of work for two reasons, a) I'm thoroughly proud of this girl (who also happens to be my graphic designer), and b) this means that soon enough, we will all be able to buy some gorgeous fabrics to sew up some pretty dresses.
I was so happy to be asked to take part in Tilly's awesome "Day In The Life" blog feature. If you wanted a little peek into my days at the studio and the see coolest parrot ever, you can head over to her blog
As a bonus, read Tilly's blurb at the end of the interview and you'll find a pattern sale surprise.
Certain seams need a little extra TLC in order to prevent the seam from stretching out and loosing its shape, or to give the seam extra durability. Some examples of areas that you would commonly reinforce are armholes, necklines, bias seams, or areas like the shoulder that bear the weight of the garment.
One of my passions is textile design. I don't get to do it enough these days, and I was thrilled to be able to take a natural dye class at The Workroom taught by Julie Sinden, an amazing textile artist. This class blew my mind!!! I'm fascinated by process, and how people have figured out how to do the intricate techniques involved in so many crafts, so this class was right up my alley. We used 5 types of dyestuff all found in nature, such as the heartwood of a tree, roots of plant, and a beetle!! It was really amazing to see the color that came out of this stuff. I want to share some photos to show the the amazing color, but also give you a small tutorial on how to create a beautiful textile using the shibori stitch resit method.
I have a soft spot for sappy things, and so when I came across this video, I fell in love! It's quite beautiful and I though you might enjoy it. After watching this, I ended up wasting some more time on Youtube watching videos of munchkin kittens who have small feet. They're crazy adorable! SO if you have some time to waste, and you just and get enough of small hands, you know what to do.
Have a lovely Saturday!
Hi! I just wanted to let everyone know patterns are also available as a "print at the copy shop" version. Meaning, if you hate assembling the patterns, or you happen to have access to a plotter, you can print the pattern out in one sheet which will avoid the assembly step. Patterns will print out at 36" wide. I'm working on a way to allow you to select your version of choice upon purchase, but in the meantime, if you'd like to get your hands on the copy shop version, simply message me after you make a purchase and I'll make sure to send it your way!