Wedding Fayre

Uploaded some photos of the dresses , jacket and bag I took to the wedding fayre.

I made this dress before , in a pale peach chiffon and really liked the style of it, so I decided to do my own take on the original and create it in ivory, as a wedding dress.

However I did have to alter the original pattern by a considerable amount, to get it like this.  I also lengthened it from the original .  I added some lace, with beading and sequins.

The full length photo is a bit hazy as I left my camera in the car, where it was cold, and in Leigh park Hotel, it was humid, so that is actually mist on the photo and no amount of editing will sort that out !!

I also took some items I have shown before , except I have now made a clutch bag to go with the red jacket .  It really was a lovely day, even though outside it was a different story.  I don't think the rain stopped the whole time we were there. There were no cars or horses and carriages at this one !!!

Fate and a ' Posh Frock '

I have a friend, who always thought she would never need me to do any sewing for her, as she just did not get invited to an occasion where she would need a 'posh frock' .

This year however, quite by accident, she met a new man.  You cant help but believe in fate sometimes !!  She rang a phone number, twice, left messages, thinking it was someone that she knew.  What are the odds on typing in a wrong number TWICE, the person  rang her back to inform her of the mistake, not only does he live in the same town as her, but he was single . They started texting each other, met up and fell in love.  How amazing is that !! 

So, his boss had arranged an evening of fine dining and a casino, hence the need for the 'posh frock'  .

I have not made the dress, it was ordered over the internet and although they ask you to measure for the sizes, this dress arrived 1-2 sizes bigger than we ordered, so extensive alterations were needed and the train was taken off the back.

The other thing I did was to make a black satin bolero and a matching clutch bag to finish off the outfit.  The picture is a bit fuzzy because we were laughing :) But she was so pleased, and so was I.  It is a lovely story and I am so pleased that she finally gets her very own 'posh frock ' x

New Monthly Make in Time for Valentines

Told you I was on another design for the Folksy Monthly Make.

I am loving making these bags.  Unlike dressmaking, which can take quite a while.  These are more instant and are satisfying my 'impatient' mode.  A lot of my customers tell me I must be a patient person !!! If only they knew. LOL x

This bag has been finished just in time for Valentines and is in my Folksy shop  http://folksy.com/shops/InspiredBrides

I love it, even got the royal seal of approval from my son ( a rare thing indeed !!)

Its made in Claret Satin      ( seems to be a theme with colours, last one was Cappucino, wine and coffee, my two favourite drinks).
I made all of the petals individually and have stitched the flower onto the bag along with a diamante centre.

Here is a close up of the flower.  I love the claret colour, its slightly darker than burgundy and is very rich looking, I think .

I can also make it in other colours, there are so many satin colours out there.

I have realised the pictures do not show that there are 2 straps, 1cm thick each. When they are pictured it is looking like one strap.

Well, I hope you like it as much as I do, and there is still time for a special Valentines gift to yourself xx LOL

Ooooh, what should I make next !!

Folksy Monthly Make !!

Well, for Folksy, I was supposed to make one item a month as a monthly make.

But hey, I made two bags.

The first one is available to view on previous posts.

But here is my second, and, believe it or not, I now have a third design on the go !!!

I have decided to do a wedding fair/fayre (never know which way to spell it) on March 5th at Rode , Nr Frome. I thought that I needed some things for my table.

Its made from Silk Dupion and has an ivory satiny lining. The flowers are made in the same fabric and attached to the bag..

My idea is, in this recession !, to have something that can be made in any colour of fabric to match something that you might already have in your wardrobe, thereby saving you buying a whole new outfit for that special occasion, wedding etc.

There are to be matching corsages or jackets. If you were interested in looking, they are at http://www.folksy.com/shops/inspiredbrides or my website gives details of how to get in touch www.inspired-brides.co.uk There are so many colours available that these could be made in, please just ask .

Thanks for looking

Photo Tips Tried

Well, my mission for today was to try and get a better photograph !!!

Here is the original. So , did I manage to get it to look better ? ?

First tip was outside. Cloudy day it is then, no sun in sight. However, no one warned me about the breeze factor !!! I put a covering on the floor first so that my fabric did not get damp, then had to hunt around for something to hold that down because it wanted to blow away into next doors garden !!! I had to wait until lunchtime too, because builders are next door blowing dust everywhere !!!

Tip two was to have a simple background, your item should be the star !! No problem to do that one, I have fabric everywhere !!

For some reason, one of the settings kept making the flash go off !! I did not want that, but it did not do it on all settings, so I just changed the setting I used , simples . LOL

Crisp and clear photos !!! I have had to delete several, they do not fall into that category !! LOL Thank goodness you can delete on digital cameras

This one is done indoors, and I quite like it, infact, I would have to say, I think they have all improved from the ones I took before.
Another of the tips that I read was to have things at an angle, this is to add depth. I like that too.

I uploaded my pictures onto my laptop , transfered them to Microsoft Office 2010 and then edited them. I have hopefully made them so that they will be the correct size and shape to fit in my Folksy shop. I shall be going off to do that now. If you have any feedback to give then it would be much appreciated.


Thankyou for looking, and reading. Hope the tips help

Taking Photos !!!! Tips to try !!!

Well, I put my evening bag into my Folksy shop . I asked for some opinions and got feedback to say that (as usual ) the photography could be better so I have been reading and reading about tips on how to take a good photo !!! In fact my eyes hurt looking so long at the laptop !!! So, I am starting off with my original photo and I am on a mission to make it better.

First thing to do, weather permitting is go outside !!!!! It better be warm(ish !!), thats all I can say, I dont think frost is good for me LOL

The sources I have read from suggest natural light, early morning in the shade, or second best is a cloudy day. Both of which are very likely tomorrow ( Sources are previous tips saved from Etsy and some from Folksy x)

Another tip was to have a simple background, your item should be the star !!! Ok, so I think I can manage those two no problem.

The next tip was to make sure the photo is crisp and clear. Sometimes , if you go to close its going to blur your item so may be better to take from a little distance . This one I struggle with !!!

Anyway, I am going to try these tomorrow, and sign off now because, as I said , my eyes hurt and are a little bit tired !!!

Wish me luck !!!

Folksy Monthly Make - evening bag

I have recently finished an evening bag which I have made to join in on a monthly make with the craft selling site Folksy. Set up by TheFeltFairy.

This is to make me finish my own projects, as well as my 'normal' sewing jobs.

I really like the shape of this bag.

Its made with black satin. The flower on the front has a brooch fastening so that it can be removed and the two pieces can be used seperately.

The flower is made up with chiffon, organza ribbon, satin and diamante.

Its the first time I have made the design .

I really like it, which is unusual for me . I normally have an idea and it sits in a cupboard on a piece of paper without getting made, so it was great to actually see one in 'real life'.

I think it may be the first item in my folksy shop, however, it might need to be photographed a bit better !! My photographty as per usual is not showing it at its best x

Hope you like it