Christmas was a magical time at Olive Road, the street where my grandparents lived and the place my vintage fabric shop is named after. My Nana Mary would cover every inch of their tiny house with Christmas paraphernalia. ‘It is for the children’ Nan would reply to our giggles when Father Christmas ho-ho-hoed every time we entered the front room.…
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 the landlady of…
It is Make Smthng Week this week, an anti Black Friday week and collaboration between Fashion Revolution, Greenpeace and a whole host of other amazing charities challenging our throw-away culture. Events are taking place around the world to encourage spending time with friends, family and our community. ‘By sharing, repairing, making and doing it ourselves we transform…
As a vintage fashion fan I know how frustrating it can be spending hours vintage shopping only to find that perfect vintage dress and is a bit snug, too long or the sleeves cut the arms in just the wrong place. Our free sewing workshop will help you to alter your unique outfit or fix…
That dress you have been thinking of making for Christmas, now is the time to get sewing! Seven weekends to go before Christmas day, there is plenty of time to sew a festive outfit and handmade gifts. This exclusive vintage fabric collection includes two 1980’s kitchmas prints but is the classic Tartan and Paisley fabrics that get…
The warm rich colours of the 1970’s are back this Autumn, mirroring nature at this time of year. Can we expect bell bottoms this time around? Well, wide trousers, rich winter florals and bold checks are an update for 2018 but it is your make so how you interpret the look is up to…
It is the story of the vintage fabric that really draws me in. I rescued a piece of purple floral bark cloth fabric from a 1960’s VW campervan. After a quick refresh, it is ready for a designer to refashion into a new design. I only wish every piece I source could tell the journey…
London resident, Sarah Richards is awarded a small business grant by Tower Hamlets to assist her in the campaign against the fast fashion industry. ‘I wanted to do something tangible to work against the fast fashion trend by teaching people to sew and mend their own clothes. I founded a vintage fabric business to show…
Want to get involved in the sustainable fashion movement but are not sure how? Having worked as a junior buyer in the fashion industry, I have first hand experience of fashion supply chains. I became disillusioned with the practices of the industry and wanted to help make a change. What could I do as an individual and…
“Our approach to craftivism focuses on handicrafts that use slow, repetitive hand actions so that we can also use the act of crafting to meditate and think critically…” Sarah Corbett I’ve been re-reading Sarah Corbett’s ‘How to be a Craftivist’ book and the above quote made me sit up and think. When I sew, the…
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