Jane wearing fine black wool worsted skirt with spotty satin lining.
Fabric and notions:
Black Worsted wool
Spotty Polyester Satin (Frill lining) and Black Venezia (lining)
Medium weight knitted Iron on interfacing
Piping and piping cord
Invisible zip
Pattern: Simplicity 3881
Lulu wearing her lovely silk and linen shift wedding dress, holding her daughter, Kitcat, in her printed cotton seersucker ruffled dress and matching headband. Gemma to her right wears an embroidered cotton bridesmaid dress.
Fabrics and Notions (Lulu):
Turquoise silk and linen
Silk habotai lining
Silk organza feather trim
Invisible zip
Iron-on lightweight interfacing
Fabrics and Notions (Gemma):
Embroidered lightweight cotton
Venezia lining
Invisible zip
Lightweight iron-on interfacing
Fabrics and Notions (KitCat)
Printed cotton seersucker
Cotton lawn (lining and collar))
Button
Extra-Lightweight knitted iron-on interfacing
The silk organza trim gave Lulu’s dress just the touch of something special she wanted for her wedding dress without making it too impractical or unsuitable to wear at subsequent posh do’s. A shift is the most flattering of dress, and easy to make fit really well.
Jane wearing Purple cotton needlecord frill skirt.
Fabric and Notions:
Cotton Needlecord
Venezia and cotton lawn (for frill) Lining
Medium weight iron-on knitted interfacing
Piping and bias binding
Invisible zip
Pattern: Simplicity 3881
Jane wearing wool melton skirt with frill hem. (Made by Clair)
Fabric and Notions:
Wool Melton coating
Shot Taffeta Frill lining, Venezia Lining
Viscose iron-on interfacing
Piping with bias binding
Invisible zip
Pattern: Simplicity 3881
Wool melton is traditionally used for coats and heavy jackets, but can be used on other garments when the structural characteristics of a coating wool is required. (It’s a good idea to use co-ordinating lighter fabrics to make up facings, if required)
Jo and Lulu sporting matching bridesmaid’s dresses for Bess’s wedding, made out of strecth cotton denim, net underskirts and covered belts. (Made by Jane)
Fabrics and Notions:
Stretch cotton denim
Cotton voil lining
Nylon dress net
Covered boning
Invisible zip
Petersham (waist stays)
Pattern: custom made
When using a ‘less posh’ type of fabric such as stretch denim and you want to make it look posh, make sure the pattern choice is structured and fits perfectly. Stretch denim is great to make tight bodices as it is strong and has just the right amount of ‘give’ (which means the poor suffering bridesmaids can breathe -usually a good thing)
Bess’s amazing quartz-crystal covered white linen cap-sleeve a-line dress. (made by Jane)
Fabrics and Notions:
White heavy washed linen.
4kg quartz crystal bead chips
Stretch silk satin (bodice lining)
Covered boning
Fine white Riviera cotton lawn (skirt lining)
Red satin bias and fine piping cord
Invisible zip
Lightweight knitted iron-on interfacing
Pattern: Custom made
The beading on this very special dress took three months by Jane (and her small army of helpers), the whole dress weighed so much Bess had to give in to Jane’s request that she be allowed to bone it (Bess doesn’t like being contained), as without boning the weight was pulling down and giving her a flat chest. The boning and the waist stays, although on a stretch satin foundation, were enough to support the dress.
Jane wearing a linen jacket to Bess’s wedding, made with pink and green panels, embellished with machine embroidery.
Fabrics and Notions:
Fuchsia Pink & Lime green heavy washed linen
Small self-cover buttons
Satin bias binding and piping cord
Venezia lining
Viscose iron-on interfacing
Pattern: Custom made
Jane with her superb Austrian border-embroidered long skirt with split.
Fabric and Notions:
Border-embroidered Wool Flannel
Silk Habotai Lining
Viscose iron-on interfacing
Invisible zip
Pattern: McCall’s 3341
