Making Life more Beautiful
According to Wallis Simpson “A woman cannot be too rich or too thin.” She talking about herself, of course. She aimed to become Queen (consort) of the United Kingdom, one of the richest women in the world. And she was … Continued
When I first started sewing my teacher suggested that we all buy a “wardrobe” pattern. These patterns, which during the 1980s when I was learning to sew, were especially aimed at workwear, have a longer history. Here is one from … Continued
Once, in the eighties, when paint effects were all the rage in Clapham, London, I decided to paint a “marble effect” on our white, wooden fireplace. During preparation I scraped off a little of the white paint – and guess … Continued
Set-in, semi-fitted and fitted sleeve A set in sleeve is perhaps the most basic sleeve, but fitting it and inserting it into a garment is fairly advanced. It is one of my favourite parts of dressmaking and getting it right … Continued
I recently realised I didn’t have any purple in my wardrobe. I had been looking for a dress, but when a colour is not a seasonal fashion favourite you will not find it in the shops. This is a great … Continued
Henry VIII was partial to wearing Cloth of Gold – this was fabric woven from thin strands of gold, and in this lovely portrait by the marvellous Hans Holbein, we see it encrusted with real jewels, fur, velvet, silk and … Continued
A skirt is basically a piece of cloth that surrounds the lower body. Because the hips are rather larger than the waist the garment has to be tapered to sit on the waist and not fall down, but has to … Continued
A few weeks ago I had never heard of Geoffrey Beene, an American designer. Since purchasing a 1988 Vogue pattern, and making it up I have found that Beene produced several patterns for Vogue. Here are a few I like, … Continued
I am sure you would agree that this iconic look is not just about the dress – the dress is set off by the look as a whole. What I find interesting about the Mondrian dress – the star of … Continued
I read a review of this book on Ooobop’s blog, and decided it would be a nice holiday read. It was! Who would have thought of basing a whole novel around the topic of making a ladies suit, but what … Continued