August 2012

A 1960’s ‘Pan Am’ inspired couture jacket

27 August 2012

A couple of years ago I did a short course on couture tailoring techniques. I loved how much history and skill there was behind the craft. It was only a one week course and so we were only scratching the surface of the skills involved but nevertheless sitting in the classroom on Curtain Road, an […]

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A far cry from the original

27 August 2012

This was a strange sewing project! It was made from a vintage McCalls pattern from 1946. I really loved the shape of this vintage dress on the pattern picture but once I had sewn up a toile and tried it on I suddenly felt the urge to butcher the poor thing to oblivion. I looked […]

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My (non) beaded knitted sweater

21 August 2012

I LOVED the shape of this little raglan sleeve vintage knitted sweater from ‘Vintage knits’ by Sarah Dallas. The actual pattern is knitted in a 4 ply wool yarn and is beaded but I wanted to knit something summery and casual so I decided to make it up without the beads in some pretty pale […]

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Bound Buttonhole Tutorial

7 August 2012

Bound buttonholes are a lovely way to add a couture finish to your fashion sewing projects. They are commonly found on heavier weight items like coats and jackets but also work beautifully on light-weight garments that have either a facing or a lining. Although they can seem fiddly at first and are a little […]

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Creamy Vanilla Lactose Free Cupcakes!

7 August 2012

Before you begin… always bake cakes and whip up icing with room temperature ingredients. Ingredients For the cupcakes 115g butter (for additional info on butter and lactose click here) 115 caster sugar 2 medium eggs 115g self- raising flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons Lactofree milk For the buttercream 60g butter 60g Lactofree cream […]

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Lactose Free Mini Lemon Meringue Pies

5 August 2012

These little pies take a bit of effort but in my opinion they are totally worth it. The individual size makes serving them so easy and it makes them look extra pretty. A lovely treat for tea or desert with absolutely no lactose– plus you always end up with a little lemon curd left over […]

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McCalls Shirtwaist Dress

5 August 2012

I have been wanting to add a shirt dress to my wardrobe for a while now, i actually can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get around to making one. To me they are the ultimate 1950s dress and I love how iconicly vintage they are, conjuring up images of the poster girl fifties […]

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Tips For Working With Vintage Patterns

1 August 2012

I have been making up some new vintage sewing patterns over the summer and have rediscovered the joy of working with them. I really enjoy the feeling that you are sewing up a little piece of history- it’s so much fun imagining who was making up the pattern when it was first printed. It’s also […]

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