Princes Trust Collaberation

I have been on the Princes Trust programme for eighteen months and lauched in October 2013 since then I have met a lot of lovely Princes Trust mentees and this week thoroughly enjoyed working with three of them on my latest photoshoot.

The Princes Trust give help to young people both practical and financial to help develop key skills, confidence and motivation to either move into work, education or training. In my case the help is make a success of my business so I have a mentor who I meet regularly and back up help from The Princess Trust who arange different events.  At one event I met Andreia Sousa a make up artist, (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andreia-Sousa-Makeup-Design/664652373582973?ref=profile), at another Rose Courage, florist and stylist of Rosie Bespoke Styling (https://www.facebook.com/ROSIEBESPOKE?fref=ts) and I was introduced to Guy Wood our photographer (https://www.facebook.com/PhotoArt.By.Sirius?fref=ts) by Ginette Boyd  the wonderful Programme Executive.

Any photoshoot takes organisation and this one a little more as the first hurdle to overcome is to find a time and date that everyone can make, with this decided the next decision is the location.  I always like to tell a story on my photoshoots and the idea for this one is that of a girl arriving at a seaside resort on her holidays and how her week progressed.  The weather report was bad for Sunday which was the only day our model, Anna was available and this worried me until I talked with Guy who said he was up for taking photos in the rain as I particularly wanted beach shots.  My husband works in The Haven a beautiful hotel by the beach(http://www.fjbhotels.co.uk/hotels/poole/haven-hotel/) and we were kindly allowed a room in the Spa to change our model and also to take photos both inside and out. I am very grateful to the management and all of the staff, everyone was so lovely and helpful and the hotel was the perfect setting especially as it has access to the beach.

Talking over it with my business partner (my mum) I decided on a progression from a prim and proper look on arrival working through to a more carefree look at the end of the holiday.  We always visit the location before any shoot and work out a schedule as a guideline which we find helps us all work efficiently and be able to concentrate on the more important things during the shoot.

This was our suggested schedule which we also sent to Guy our wonderful photographer : –

Arrive at the location at 8.30 am earlier if the hair and makeup is done

Set up a wardrobe space in the spa changing rooms

Start with the first garment for the story board at 8.35 the pink dotted tulle- this could be photographed in the foyer by the revolving doors and in the bar overlooking the sea 20 mins

The second outfit is the high waisted dress with a wild flower crown, this can be photographed on the terrace over looking the sea because she wants to get closer to it.

The third outfit is the most prim and is really the start of the story and could be at the entrance there is a lovely fountain just outside, this one could also be taken by the revolving doors too.

The fourth outfit is the short set and there are some lovely big rocks on the beach i thought this could look pretty cool if she was sat on them, it’s got a Peter Pan feel to it.

The fifth outfit is the blue strapless and is paired with a hair accessory which is based on ram horns I would like this with the sea as the back drop or the beach.

The final outfit is my statement piece and I would love it to be photographed on the promenade overlooking the sea.

All of this is fluid, don’t feel like we have to stick to this, it’s just a good idea to have a sort of idea so we are not running all over the place.

Our day started at 7 am with make up and hair (again Jessica my sister and hairdresser did the hair and I am going to set up a business facebook for her in the next week or two).  These are our snapshots below:-

At the location we set up the room, clothes on the rack, hairpieces set out and shoes all by Irregular Choice for this shoot lined up by the wall.

The props from Rosie :-

 

Here is Guy getting himself ready for the shoot:-

The first photo, this is actually the ‘second day’ of the holiday but we had to work in this room before all the guests came down for morning coffee, here Anna is wishing the weather was nice enough to go out :-

This dress was accessories with my little boater and a pair of my Irregular Choice shoes, Fantasy Flower.

Arrival at the hotel:

Another pair of my Irregular Choice shoes Abigail Ankle, I have worn these a lot and the hair accessory is a pretty bow.

Onto the terrace regardless of the weather: –

Anna shoes were Mal E Bow by Irregular Choice and I had made a large flower crown for her hair.

I was busy directing and carrying props:-

And Andrea was on hand to touch up the make up

Abandoning all hope of the weather improving:-

 

Anna carried her Spot the Dot shoes and wore my flower decorated horns in her hair.  I love these and plan to make more in different colours.

Andrea adjusted  the lipstick to suit each outfit and freshened the makeup: –

The Beach Outfit, here the shots were just taken inside again:-

I love these shoes, I bought them from Irregular Choice in Brighton, one of my favourite pairs and they are called Cherry Shaker.  Her hat is based on a small sailor hat.

Last but not least my statement piece on the promenade:-

Shoes again by Irregular Choice, one of mine and a twin flower fascinator in her hair joined by beads across her forehead.

We had a great morning and it was lovely to work on the day with Guy and Andrea, I cant wait to see Guy’s photos.

Heirloom Sewing

We were commissioned to make a dress for a returning customer, it was to be in black and feature pin tucks and lace which reminded us of old fashioned heirloom sewing.

Heirloom sewing nowadays is mostly worked by machine but it used to be fine hand sewing usually on white cotton which was trimmed with lace, insertion, pin tucks, narrow ribbon and smocking.  The dress we designed would just feature tiny pin tucks, wider pin tucks and lace trim.

This is a quick sketch and you can see that it is really a basic JSK in a plain colour with the interest coming from the texture of the trimming.

Practise the pin tucks before adding to a garment.  They need to be as straight as you can  make them, evenly spaced and the same size.

When you are confident try them out on a piece of the scrap fabric you are using for your garment and below you can see the tiny pin tucks we used on the bodice.

We tried first of all to sew the small pintucks with a twin needle but found that it just looked like two rows of stitching next to each other and not like a tiny tuck.  Therefore it was easiest to mark the actual fold on  bodice  with a tiny cut in the seamline and then press this and then carefully sew.

On large pin tucks you can mark the first one and then use the width of the presser foot to space the pin tucks which is what was done on the skirt.

It is often suggested that you make your pintucks on the fabric and then cut out for example your bodice.  We chose though to pattern draft my pin tucks on the bodice, cut out the shape and then sew the pin tucks.

To make this more like heirloom sewing after sewing the pintucks some lace was added to frame the tucks.

Here you can see that the pintucks are bigger, approx 1 cm wide, on the skirt.

The finished garment looked like this: –

These are  only snapshots, taken during construction as we always like to keep clients up to date with how their garments are progressing, but  you can see that the finished look is a good one.

I am going to make myself one in burgundy and we are offering one of these in colour and size of choice as a raffle price in an upcoming international Lolita meet.

  

Embellishing with Appliqué

I have been designing a new collection for ShinkuRose https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shinkurose/593986427294641) comprising of an OP, a JSK, blouse, cutsew, coat and two skirts.  I have found it very difficult to get border prints in England which are suitable so I decided to decorate the bottom of the JSK with applique. 

The applique needed to be large so I drew it on a large piece of paper and made a pattern.  I cut this pattern out and then copied it on to Bondaweb. Bondaweb is a strong, heat reactive, sheet of glue which permanently bonds one fabric to another when ironed, it is paper backed and is ironed to the applique, the paper removed and then the applique is ironed onto the garment. 

 

 

 

Before attaching I made sure that the applique was in exactly the right place on the JSK. 

 

 

Because of the glue I used my silk organza to cover the applique whilst pressing it on.  I used a pressing movement, up and down with the iron, rather than an ironing movement so as to completely stick and not move the applique whilst attaching.

I had one or two problems with adding the bondaweb to the bow as I had cut both pieces out separately so when I repeated the process for one of my skirts I found an easier solution. I cut the applique out in bondaweb and pressed these onto one piece of fabric and then cut out the appliques out, this proved to be much easier and quicker.

Once cut out place them on the garment in the correct positions.

Press the appiques on and before sewing them to the garment practice stitching.  You will use a small close together zig zag and I did a few different combinations on a scrap of fabric bondaweb to the main to see which I preferred.

I like to loosen my top tension a bit to give a lovely rounded stitch on the right side therefore the wrong side will look like the sample below.

And here is the finished skirt.

Made to measure

One of the important aspects of our small business is that we want our dresses to fit as well as they can so each individual feels good and looks lovely when wearing them and we are trying to make this a viable option for all through our made to measure service.  We do offer bespoke wear and this can be found at http://www.mimibespoke.com but for most people this would be used for very special occasions such as a wedding.

Made to measure should result in a very good fit however for this to happen we rely on the measurements we are given by the customer therefore we are using this blog to give hints and tips on measuring accurately.

The first requirement is a good quality tape measure and not an old one which has stretched and it is easier to measure with a tape which has a soft end.  Next you need to be wearing the underwear you are most likely to wear with this outfit and a friend to help you measure makes life easier and is much more accurate.  If you have to take your own measurements then one useful tip is to stand in front of a mirror to check that the tape measure is in the correct position but it is better if you can enlist reliable help.  Also you must measure over just  your underwear or a close-fitting garment for accuracy.

Measurements needed are:-

 

Where to measure

Bust – This is measured around the fullest part of your chest making sure that the tape stays level at the back

Under bust – Measure directly under the bust (not over a wired bra)

Waist – Not always easy to find but it is just below the lowest part of your ribs at the sides, there is a natural indentation between your hip bones and ribs

Hip – Measure around your widest part which is usually halfway down your bum (lower down than most people think), again make sure that the tape stays level all the way around

Across Back – Have a look at the diagram, think of a well fitting garment and you measure from where the sleeve seam would be about halfway down the armhole.

Across Front – Same as above but across the front, this is usually slightly smaller than across back

Sleeve length- With your arm bent measure from the top of the sleeve down to the wrist

Nape to waist – This measurement is from the base of the neck (locate the little bumpy bone) to the natural waist

For some garments we would also need to know the circumference of the upper arm and the length of skirt you would like.  Skirt lengths can be very difficult to work out, our average length is 23″ and on most people that comes just on the knee.  One way to check the length is to measure the skirt of a garment which is very similar to the one you are having made.

We measure a lot of people and with the correct measurements we can make garments which enhance, if you ‘suck it all in’ when you are being measured you can slice an inch or so off of the final figure however your garment is going to come out much too small.   We would just like to emphasise please use a good tape measure, take care that the tape measure stays level around the body and do not pull the tape tight, it should be taut against the body with one finger under the tape measure, also please stick to either inches or centimetres and do not mix the two.

One final reminder, write each measurement down as you take it, use the list below as a template:-

Bust

Under bust

Waist

Hip

Across Back

Across Front

Sleeve length

Nape to waist

And if you order from us, don’t be suprised if we ask for a photograph, it helps us greatly and also we may ask what size garment you usually wear as again it is helpful to us in completing your beautiful garment.

 

 

 

It started with Pistachio Icecream

My brother has just got married in Lima, Peru which was and still is very exciting. I needed a new outfit and inspiration came from icecream.

I had already decided to wear Lolita fashion and because of the occasion and the fact that most people would be wearing evening dress, my outfit  needed to be extra dressy.  The above picture gave me my starting point for colours and I visited Goldhawk Road, Shepherds Bush fabric shops to find the materials I needed.  I bought a super green and a lovely pink in a good quality satin cotton.

Simple details were added, vintage lace at the neck, lace on the sleeves and lace on the attached underskirt in white –

A pink sash and a pink bow finished the embellishment.

I always wear a hair accessory and made one to match. My mother in law gave me a lovely bunch of flowers when she came to visit and decorating it was the pink heart you see below –

I used this heart together with flowers made from my green satin and some lovely lace fabric to make my hair accessory.

 

This is how it all went together on the day –

My little clutch bag came from TK Maxx and I mustn’t forget my shoes which are one of my favourite brands ‘Irregular Choice’.

We had a wonderful day one of the highlights being this amazing sweet table

Hyperjapan outfit in the making

We planned a trip to Hyperjapan, Earls Court, this year and my lovely husband, Simon, decided he wanted to go in cosplay as one of his favourite characters, Choji from Naruto.

Time again was running short so he decided to help!

Actually he took to sewing like a duck to water and the costume came together beautifully.

We used his basic shirt pattern putting the yoke and back piece together cutting it as one, lengthening it and shaping the fronts.  Some of the front band was removed, the basic sleeve pattern used and I drew a pattern for the lengthened and shaped cuffs.

The main jacket was sewn using red sheeting with the rectangle embellishments being sewn as separate shapes so that they could be wadded and then appliqued on and it fastened with an open-ended zip. The front grey piece needed to be separate so he could get in and out of the costume easily and I again used his shirt pattern to get the correct size.  This was cut in three pieces which were sewn together with wadding. Originally we thought that we could attach each grey strip to the jacket with velcro but as things evolved we realised that this wasnt practical so to make it one total piece we placed it onto a rectangle of red fabric and sewed each piece down.

Straps were added to the front grey piece which was then sewn to the shoulders and to make it stay flat and still on the front, it was fastened with velcro and poppers.  My husband drew out the front symbol and I painted it on with fabric paints.  It was a bit of a rush job but the end result was worth it.

The wig was bought by from a local fancy dress shop and my sister cut and styled it. Lots of people said that it was the best Choji costume they had seen.

Simon now has the sewing bug and is currently planning his next cosplay outfit and also some everyday clothes, nothing simple though!

Toiles

Started my outfit and I have photographed the fitting process:

The start of the blouse

This is in the actual fabric and now just needs the sleeves finishing with a frill, the neckline needs to be completed and pretty buttons bought and buttonholes made

The JSK

Calico pinned to fit

The Back

The shirred back will obviously look neater on the finished dress

The Straps

Now to make the changes to the pattern and cut out.  Here is the lovely fabric I bought in Bath that I am going to use

Progress

One cantonier finished, black lace with a lovely vintage brooch ( for the Gothic Lolita) and I have collected the bits and pieces for the pink one.  In the meantime I have made a lovely bow headpiece with printed needlecord.  My mum had found a lovely shaped bow and I have also covered the actual band in the needlecord.  Photos to take tonight and upload to the Etsy shop.  I am experimenting to see if I get more looks by uploading one new piece each day.

 

The trouble when just starting up is that I have too many ideas, not enough time still and also have to watch what I spend on trims etc.  Working just three afternoons in a coffee shop doesnt equal what I used to earn as a full time pattern cutter.  Still the advantages outway the disadvantages and I am so much happier.

Etsy Shop

This week I am experimenting with putting an item a day on my Etsy Shop which is Lolita themed.  I am trying to see which day is the best for the most views, whether the end of the month is good when everyone gets paid or if it makes no difference.  This is time consuming and means I start sewing later that I like but is important or otherwise I will be drowning in a sea of accessories.

I was very, very excited last night when the capelet I added was put into a treasury list.  My capelet is a beautiful cherry red and the theme of the list was red.  The capelet is trimmed with broderie anglaise and has a lovely little crocheted cherry brooch.  I want it myself.