The wonderful Julie cheering up a decidedly grey day with this amazing parrot print heavy cotton canvas made up into the Kwik Sew K4097 dress. We love it. We love it!
Archive | Catwalk
Navy Blue Needlecord Shirtwaister
The lovely Sandra here modelling her navy blue needlecord/babycord cotton shirtwaister with matching classic marble effect buttons. The pattern is McCall’s 4769. She is really please (as she should be) and has had a lot of wear out of it 😊).
Red and Cream Spotty Silk Twill Shift Dress
Petra sent us this pic of her dress made up using spotty silk twill from LG. You will notice the spots are arranged inline rather than offset which makes them a super finnickity to match but she did it really well. She said: A week ago I googled dress fabric shops in the uk and […]
Royal Blue Wool Crepe Shift Dress
I know we always say this but is there anything out there better and more versatile than a wool crepe? Here we have Bernie (from French France) at her son’s wedding (in the UK) wearing this lovely shift dress expertly fitted by Bernie’s teacher Brigitte. The pattern was out of the Burda magazine (and they […]
Navy Linen and Sorona Mix Kalle Shirt
Sue (from French France) made this fabulous linen and Sorona mix shirt using the Closet Case Patterns ‘Kalle Shirt’, Sorona is a new fibre made from corn starch that we hope will take off because added to linen it adds a fabulous softness and suppleness (less creases! Yayy!!). Sue used a bias maker to make […]
Linen Jersey Cardigan with sequin Trim and Iron-On Patch
Bess made this fab linen jersey cardigan using her tried-and-tested t-shirt pattern that has been cut up the front. The trim is a sequinned rick rack. It is possible Bess’s life is complete now there is sequinned rickrack in the world. (more…)
Purple Felted Wool Child’s Coat
Catharine made this delightful coat for her daughter, she said she doesn’t normally send in photos but has had so many compliments about this coat she decided she really ought to share. The fabric is a lovely foxglove felted wool from LG. Lined with her favourite Frozen fabric (not from us) and sleeves lined with […]
Chartreuse Green Tweed Panelled Skirt
Lynn here with her lovely chartreuse green Shetland style tweed skirt made up using Simplicity 1560 and lined in Venezia lining
Stripe Tweed from LG Wrap Coat
Sarah out on the river with her amazing technicolour stripe tweed coat. Belted, and lined in vivid turquoise lining (you will just have to take our word for it there). 😍
PussyCat and Floral digital print T-Shirt
Bess made up this T-Shirt for Lulu (her sister – not the mannequin) , the pattern is Vogue elements 9926 size small with xs sleeve, zigzag hems and a self bound neck. It took 1 hour (most of which was looking for scissors)
Feather Print T-Shirt
Bess made up this feather print T-Shirt for her little sister using lovely stable Cotton and Elastane Jersey with lots of stretch that makes the binding on the neck a cinch. Plus there is the added bonus that as the fabric is so wide and Lulu is such a squinge Bess can make up the […]
Child’s Cotton Dress and Matching Hat
This is Christine’s Granddaughter Georgia, who was nearly 5. She’d just been to stay, and as soon as her parents had dropped her off she wanted to ‘do sewing – a hat and a dress!’ They found a lovely free bucket hat pattern online – from Oliver + s – a PDF, a first for […]
Dusky Purple Wool Melton Coat with Psychedelic Lining
Here we have Melody with her dusky purple coat made up beautifully and lined in psychedelic digital print poly satin. The pattern is the Clare Coat from Closet Case patterns. Melody said the printed pattern is not the best but their site has a brilliant tutorial for making it. It comes as a zipped version […]
Blue and White Paisley Print Slubby Cotton Tunic
Sheryl made this lovely tunic up in heavy slubby cotton with a blue paisley overprint. The pattern comes from the book The Tunic Bible. (more…)
Seagull Print Cotton and Elastane Jersey T-Shirt
Lynn has been making clothes for herself, friends and family for years. She works mostly in soft furnishings and upholstery now so making clothes is a real treat, and what a treat this t-shirt is? Made from 95% Cotton 5% Elastane lightweight jersey with a fun seagull print (seagulls are not best friends in Devon but […]
Taupe Geometric Print Polyester Satin Vest Top
Trish came to the shop wearing her fabulous taupe geometric print polyester satin vest top, she self drafted the pattern (clever old sticks our customers are). This top is as versatile as a top can be – perfect for a trip to the shops but equally at home dressed up with some snazzy trousers for […]
Embroidered Denim Cleo Dress
Heather in the sunshine wearing her lovely embroidered denim Cleo dress by Tilly and the Buttons. Sooooo Good!
Geo Print Cotton Needlecord Dress
Marion wearing her mauve and blue geometric print cotton needlecord shift dress with short sleeves and princess seams. made and designed by Dawn Hooper of Hardy and Hooper (Maidenhead)
Multicolour Stripe Stretch Cotton Dress
We have been looking at this stretch cotton sateen multicolour stripe for a while thinking “something FANTASTIC could be made out of this”, and here we have the proof. Marion, with her dress made and designed by the clever stick Dawn Hooper of Hardy and Hooper (Maidenhead). We love the chevron detailing on the back, and […]
Animal Print Stretch Cotton Sateen Asymmetric Dress
Marion wearing this great animal print stretch cotton sateen dress with asymmetric zip detailing and shawl collar. Made and designed by Dawn Hooper of Hardy and Hooper (Maidenhead).
Colour Block Shift Dress
Pamela sent us this photo after a season of wearing this self proclaimed favourite dress made up from her stash of heavy linen. Aside from the generally pleasing aesthetics of a colour block dress you get to do some quality stash busting. Win/Win! For the best results use like fabrics (weight/drape) and make sure they […]
Spotty Green Ponte Jersey Dress
Patricia working in the shop wearing her fabulous cut and super comfy long sleeve ponte roma dress. (Pattern cut herself)
Tulip Print Shift Dress with Wool Crepe Bolero Jacket
The lovely Anne here in full glory doing the Mother of the Bride thing wearing this statement tulip print poly twill taffeta dress and classic wool crepe bolero jacket. Anne had help matching the tulips at a sewing class in Bath (the pattern is Vogue 8997). The wool crepe in the bright pink for the jacket […]
Silver Satin Prom Dress with Guipure Lace
Penney made up this dress for her daughter Rosie using silver satin and overlaid on the bodice with silver guipure lace, originally the plan was to have the lace all over but they opted (quite rightly, we think) to stick to just the bodice, even though Penney had already matched up all the pieces (doh!). […]
Wool Check Tweedy Flannel Jacket and Worsted Trousers
Emma sent us this pic of her brilliant jacket and trousers combo using an ex designer tweedy wool flannel check for the jacket with leather accents, and worsted wool for the trousers. She cuts the patterns herself (our customers are clever aren’t they?)
Green Linen Jersey Cardigan with Sequin Trim
Bess made this green linen jersey cardigan purely because she needed an excuse to use the fantastic scroll sequin trim. This trim is not confined to cardigans, and whilst it may look like it is a pig to attach it really wasn’t (Bess sewed it by hand). The pattern is a basic t-shirt pattern with bust […]
White Broderie Anglaise Shift Dress
White Broderie Anglaise embroidered cotton dress made by Jane for Lulu using Vogue pattern 1942 (discontinued). IT is trimmed with turquoise blue satin bias, soft cotton bias and piping around the neck, and lined in cotton voile.
Peacock Print off the Shoulder Dress
Aiste made this most fabulous green peacock print cotton and elastane jersey made up with black ribbing on the neck and cuffs (cut on the fly – as is Aiste’s speciality)
Lobster Print Cotton Voile Man’s Shirt
Jane this lobster print cotton voile shirt for Scotty. Cut extra roomy as the fabric is super fine, and french seams all round. The pattern is Burda 3800
Turquoise Blue and Multicolour Geo Floral Print Cotton Needlecord Dress
Marion in this super fresh blue and multicolour print cotton needlecord short sleeve dress made and designed by Dawn Hooper of Hardy and Hooper (Maidenhead)
Brown Geo Floral Babycord Shift Dress with Sleeves
Marion wearing her super dress made with brown and yellow geometric floral print cotton babycord, there are clever princess seams that are piped and curve out to the side seams below the waist, which is a very flattering design feature. Made and designed by Dawn Hooper of Hardy and Hooper (Maidenhead)
Navy and White Polka Dot Print Viscose Shirtwaister
Sandra visiting the shop on a super sunny day wearing her light and breezy navy polka dot viscose shirtwaister dress. The pattern is McCall’s 6891 and has various length and sleeve options. I suspect every girl needs one of these dresses, right?
Butterfly Print Viscose ‘learn to sew’ Halterneck Girl’s Dress
Madeleine overjoyed with her butterfly print viscose halterneck dress made by Granny, Alisa. The Pattern is ‘learn to sew’ McCall’s 7589 as Alisa has had time out from sewing and needed to ease herself in gently, she was back for more fabric the following week so I think it worked!
Floral Stretch Cotton Sateen Wide Leg Trousers
Aiste is showing off her fabulous wide leg trousers made up in floral print stretch cotton sateen using Burda vintage (re-published) pattern #6966, she used the narrower of the two options. The fit of these trousers is fantastic -partly due to the elastane content of the fabric but also because, for some reason, Burda trouser […]
Big Digital Tulip Print Poly Twill A-line Skirt
Jacoba did an excellent job of making up this big digital tulip print polyester twill fabric into a simple A-line skirt. Lots of people are scared of big prints but when used carefully they are stunning.
Rose Print on Black and White Spotty Stretch Cotton Sateen dress
Jacoba in red roses on black and white polka dot print stretch cotton sateen dress. We’ve said this before and we shall say it again, Stretch Cotton Sateen is a girl’s best friend when it comes to shift dresses. You can look smart AND be comfortable! 👍 😀
Pink Floral and Spotty Cotton Brocade Dress
This is Sophie who has a degree in Costume Design and keeps turning up at the shop with friends and family working out what she will make next. She is quite an inspiration. The pattern was drafted herself and is using a cotton brocade which is heavy enough to hold shape but drapey enough to swing […]
Purple Faux Fur Short Jacket
This luxurious Purple faux fur jacket was made by Pauline using Butterick 6328 pattern, which is illustrated here as overshirts but as you can see works very well in faux fur. The pattern is unlined but Pauline wanted lovely yellow satin inside so she drafted a lining pattern by the following method. The neatest and […]
Bright Green Laminated PVC Peplum Skirt
Back when The Great British Sewing Bee were after applicants for the next show (before they went and upset the BBC) Pauline was rather hoping to get on it, and being the kind of person who will happily sew brown tweed and bunny print cotton most of the time she thought she better widen her […]
Watermelon Print Cotton A-Line Dress
Pauline made this delicious summery watermelon print cotton up into this great a-line dress from McCall’s (M2401). The cotton is pretty lightweight (somewhere between a lawn and a poplin) and could have got away with no lining but Pauline went for the smarter option and lined it in cotton voile.
Jersey Mock Wrap Top and Maxi Skirt
Sue had never sewn jersey before so approached this project with a little trepidation, a few days later she was showing off her skills with both the white wrap top made in cotton and elastane jersey and the maxi skirt made in multicolour digital print lightweight viscose and elastane jersey. I think it is fair […]
Spring Green Cotton Jersey with Inset Lace T-Shirt
Jane B made this fresh and lovely spring green cotton jersey top with lace inset on the shoulder. She used Butterick 6418 view D – made longer – but bound the neckline as it would not have worked simply turning a hem over. Very pleased with it! 👏
Waterfall Hem Tunic in Magazine Print and Stripes Viscose Jersey
Wendy visited the shop all the way from Welsh Wales to check us out ‘in the flesh’ (we don’t think she was disappointed). We couldn’t resist getting a photo as she was wearing this fab tunic Katherine Tilton for Vogue patterns. We love the combination of the two prints which just look spectacular together. Thumbs […]
Silver Stretch Brocade Fitted Shift Dress
Frances made up this fabulous silver grey stretch brocade shift dress for her sister who was needing an outfit for her son’s wedding – she didn’t want anyone else to turn up wearing the same dress! She knew what she wanted and was delighted with the result (Obv!) The pattern was copied from a dress that was bought […]
Pink Spotty Kid’s Raincoat
Anna from I ❤️ Sewing made this funky little fully lined spotty raincoat from laminated cotton and finished it off with snap fasteners
Meadow Digital Print Cotton Canvas Ruffle Skirt
Ann came in smiling wearing this skirt that gets her stopped in the street to ask her where it’s from 🙂 Made from meadow print slightly brushed cotton canvas with just a centre back seam, elasticated waist and a ruffle hem. It only took an afternoon which is fairly impressive, until you see every single […]
Floral Print Wide Leg Trousers
Here we have Lyn who only nipped in to replace some fabric that was spoiled by a bad iron but was collared for a photo on the way wearing her Simplicity floral print polyester crepe trousers that look both smart AND comfy.
Bright Blue and Yellow Asymmetric Ponte Jersey Dress
Aiste self-drafted this dress and made it up in ponte jersey with yellow contrast asymmetric sleeves. It’s very cool, and looks different everytime she moves 🙂
Grey Stripe Velour Hooded Sweatshirt
Pearl made this grey stripe velour hooded sweatshirt at the Steiner School, great care was taken lining up the pocket so the stripes stayed straight, which can’t have been easy in this fabric but she did exceptionally well 🙂 👏 👍
Green Linen Coat with Grosgrain Trim
Bess made this heavy washed green linen coat on a weekend retreat by staying up practically all night for two nights and not skiving at all. She had even come prepared with her two grosgrain trims sewn to each other already and the pattern fully adjusted to fit and toile tweaked. The linen had been pre-washed […]
Raspberry Heavy Washed Linen for Mother-of-the-Groom Dress
Here is Andy (the Mother of the Groom) wearing a fabulous raspberry heavy washed linen dress made for her by Anna Ash of I ❤️ Sewing . The pattern is Vogue V1410 which has a wrap front rather than a front opening. The whole point of dressmaking is making exactly what you want* so of course these details are […]
Floral Viscose Twill Jumpsuit
You know those days when you make something and you decide it is a mistake so you hide it away, and then a few days/weeks/years later you try it on again and decide actually it’s fine? This is one of those projects. Pauline came into the shop wearing it and it looks fab (we were […]
Cars and Landscape Print Cotton Shirt
Another superb shirt made by Rachel and modelled here by Luke. Again the fabric is a quilting weight cotton which is great for casual shirts. There is a light knit interfacing in the collar, cuffs and front placket.
Digital Print Viscose Jersey Wrap T-Shirt
Jane busy sampling wearing her digital print viscose jersey mock wrap t-shirt made by Bess. The Pattern is Kay Unger for Vogue V1519 which has a cap sleeve, Bess used the sleeve off another top (that just so conveniently fitted) so as to have a longer one. As it was quite a complicated design and […]
Candy Pink Felted Wool Coat
Lauren made this amazing kimono sleeved coat for her final year degree show using pink felted wool coating. It’s tied together through oversized eyelets, has an extended hem at the back and an embellished shawl collar. Soooo beautiful!
Peacock Blue Abstract Print Stretch Cotton Sateen Dress
Marion looking fabulous in her peacock blue abstract print short sleeve stretch cotton sateen dress made and designed by Dawn Hooper of Hardy and Hooper (Maidenhead)
Navy Harlequin Man’s Cotton Shirt
Rachel made Luke this beautiful harlequin jacquard cotton shirt. I think we can tell he likes it 😉
Printed Pajamas in Brushed Cotton
Two little sweeties here (like butter wouldn’t melt) wearing their printed brushed cotton pajamas made by Aiste. Love the funky flared cut.
Blue and Red Wool Tweed Ulster Coat
Emma from Sweden is wearing her classic wool tweed 1970’s ulster made from the wonderful navy wool tweed she bought in the Autumn. She also made her dog a matching coat! 🙂 She loves the fabric! The pattern is Very Easy Vogue 8699 from the 1970’s, (see picture). She made the coat a bit longer […]
Plummy Pink Wool Melton Coat with Shawl Collar
The lovely Wendy with her plummy pink shawl collar jacket-weight wool Melton coat. It is super soft and lightweight, the lightness is continued with wool wadding in the collar and front facing. It is lined in jacquard coat lining, and there are tailored shoulder pads to add shape and help with the structure. There were a […]