A collaboration between Olive Road London and The Button Queen: a collection of vintage fabric covered buttons. I look into the history of the infamous London shop and one of their famous customers… ‘I’ll be in buttons‘ Doreen tells the woman on the other end of the phone. The caller is from the BBC and…
Hochanda invited me back, so I must have done OK last time. I was back on telly yesterday with my accessory patterns and kits. The lovely Hayley presented the show and I gave some demonstrations on how to make some of the items. I focused on zips at on this show as I know zips…
I love a good rummage for vintage fabrics at an antique market, charity shop or boot sale. Sadly, lockdown put a stop to all that and I was struggling to source fabrics for my shop. The Instagram vintage community have come up trumps and I’ve had a virtual rummage through their stores to find a…
Food has been pretty central to this period in lockdown. From planning what we are going to eat to in-depth discussions on video calls with family on what we have eaten. Navigating the now complicated experience of food shopping and collecting for our local food bank. So it will be no surprise that I’ve pulled together…
When I find a piece of vintage fabric for my shop I imagine what it will be turned into and enjoy giving suggestions. I always ask customers to share photos of their makes and wow, you haven’t disappointed me! I’m impressed with how creative everyone has been during lockdown, sewing some fantastic styles. Tops have…
Did you see me on the telly on Monday? It was my first time ever on TV, the fact it was live made it a whole lot more nerve wracking! I was due to have an induction day but because of Covid-19 I was only allowed at the studio an hour before my show. I…
Eighties style icons Known as the decade of power dressing, the 1980’s gave teenagers like me strong women role models to look up to. Madonna and Joan Collins rather than the Iron Lady who wore blue. A box of knitting patterns took me back to the eighties this week. They were gifted to me by…
My top tips on where to buy vintage fabrics ‘Where do you find the fabrics?’ is a common question I’m asked by customers and friends. I’ll admit, it isn’t easy finding vintage fabrics and I stumble to give a straight answer. Here is an attempt to share some of my vintage shopping secrets… 1. Look…
Have you made a face mask? I’ve seen lots of posts and videos but I wasn’t sure if they were effective prevention against the Corona Virus. A friend asked me to make a mask for his girlfriend. She is working in a restaurant take-away and can’t get hold of any masks. His opinion is it…
For Fashion Revolution Week, I have been looking into the properties of our most common fibres and their effects on the environment. Cotton & Polyester are the most common fibres in our clothes and fabrics. Viscose is a close third. Particularly popular amongst dressmakers due to its beautiful soft drape qualities. In clothing, it is…
