Olive Road customer makes
We all love a fabric stash, a collection of fabrics we can fold, re-fold and admire. Amazing as they all look together, fabric really is there to be used. My business is created from buying people’s fabric stash. So when a customer sends me a photo of their creations from my vintage fabrics, it gives so much joy. These fabrics have been hidden in someone’s fabric stash for a very long time. I love to see them come to life and be used in a wide variety of dressmaking, soft furnishings and accessories. Thanks to everyone who has sent me photos of their makes, scroll down to discover what they have created for your own sewing inspiration.
Alison had a great time in the shirt she made especially for her Platinum Jubilee garden party. She created this amazing shirt using an original 1970’s pattern. This jersey fabric from my vintage fabric shop was original created for the 1977 Silver Jubilee. It was very fitting that Alison used a 1970s vintage pattern to make the shirt from. I love the pointed collars and the fact Alison used press studs instead of buttons for the fastenings. It looks as fun as the party she wore it to!
Hannah created a fab Jubilee outfit also from the vintage Silver Jubilee fabric. The circle skirt works really well in this fabric as it has lots of drape. Very patriotic teamed up with the red wrap cardigan. Hannah made some kid’s T-shirts with the left over fabric. She had a great time wearing the skirt at a tea party and a street party. Hannah said she had loads of comments and I’m not surprised, it looks great! The Jubilee fabric is sold out but here are some other vintage jersey fabrics with a similar weight and drape.
Verity bought this fun vintage floral jersey from my stand at The Knitting & Stitching Show. There wasn’t enough fabric to make a dress but that didn’t stop her. She added a pumpkin plain fabric for the sleeves and pleat at the front. Verity brought it all together by making bias binding from the scrap pieces of fabric. Attaching the bias binding to the sleeves and hem. An ingenious way to make the most of a small piece of fabric. Find more tips on how to make the most of small pieces of fabric in my article for The Pattern Pages.
Katy’s cotton blouse is perfect for the summer. I love the slightly puffed sleeves and curved collar on the Revere Blouse from Now and Then Patterns. It works really well in this crisp floral vintage cotton that Katy bought from my stand at The Knitting & Stitching Show last Autumn.
Jenny created this zero waste dress by cutting rectangles from this vintage cotton seersucker fabric. She patiently added rows of shirring to the bodice to give it a flattering shape. What a fantastic idea and it suits this seventies striped fabric perfectly. If you are looking for a holiday dress with a bit more structure then the Seasons of East Summer in London dress is a great alternative.
Mera visited my stand at The Stitch Festival earlier this year and showed off the Betty tote bag that she made. She added some of her Suffolk puffs to the outside, a great addition. Sarah (Essellfern) used my Isabelle applique kit to create at monogrammed zipper pouch. The combination of stripes and florals looks fab! Lisa Oliver used a combination of my vintage fabrics for her final MA collection. Such beautiful, elegant bags.
If you have bought some fabric from my online fabric shop, please send me a photo of what you have made or tag me in on Instagram using the tag @oliveroadlondon. I truly love to see all of your creations with the vintage fabrics.