My top six films for sewing machine day Encanto Blink and you miss it but there is a sewing machine in Encanto! Right at the beginning of the film. Mirabel pulls her skirt from under a vintage sewing machine as she starts singing. I noticed it as I’d just finished making my niece her very…
Paper patterns from Maven Patterns and Seasons of East I met Sharon from Maven Patterns , her husband Richard (from James Tailoring) and their daughters at the Knitting & Stitching Show in October 2019 and loved their patterns. The clean designs that champion vintage fabrics, classic with a vintage style. Shop now Choose from the…
Thanks for coming! I had a blast at The Stitch Festival earlier this month. Thanks so much to everyone who came along to my stand for a sewing chat and bought vintage fabric, patterns and kits from my pop up shop. Thanks to Liz, my mum and Laura for helping me on my stand. It…
Review of London’s Fashion and Textile Museum’s 1960’s exhibition, Beautiful People: The Boutique in 1960s Counter Culture. While Swinging London promoted consumerism and futurism, a very different ideology was developing in parallel. The Underground were ‘arty’ and intellectual. They rejected materialism, seeking instead spiritual and psychedelic enlightenment. On 11 June 1965 this alternative community congregated…
My six favourite bags in the exhibition I managed to catch the exhibition a few days before it closed. Leaving it until the last minute, the exhibition was busy but I’ve chosen my six favourite bags. 1. Sentimental Lulu Guinness, 1996 Florist’s Basket handbag I’m being sentimental as 1996 is the year I met my…
During COP26 there have been plenty of stats on the negative effect of fast fashion on the environment. As a sustainable business it is something I have campaigned about for years and I’m glad to see the awareness growing. But do you ever wonder how we got into this situation. I worked as a fashion…
Thanks to everyone who visited my stand at the Knitting & Stitching show last week. If you couldn’t make it, thanks for opening my emails and liking my posts on social media. Every little bit helps small businesses like me. It was great to be out chatting to vintage fabric fans again. Working on my…
I’m super excited to contribute to The Pattern Pages (out on Monday 2nd Jan). Get this great magazine to read my top tips on how to work with narrow vintage fabrics. The whole issue is vintage style themed including vintage style patterns. Buy the issue as a one off or subscribe for the year for…
1980s 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…
Whilst everyone was busy making tote bags from vintage fabric at my last beginners sewing workshop, we chatted about what to make at the next workshop. Dresses were a popular choice, particular with an A-line skirt. I’ve been wearing this style since the 1990’s but the origins of this silhouette come from the 1960’s. I…
