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 !!!

Oooh, Wedding Fayre Cakes

I have been to another Wedding Fayre.  This time it was at the lovely Leigh Park Hotel, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire.
The weather was absolutely horrendous on the day, but luckily it meant that the turnout was quite good.

I do have some photos of some of my work but have not uploaded them yet, so I will share with you some delicious cakes.

There seems to be a bit of a habit forming here !!!! My previous post was about cakes.

This time I got to take some of the cupcakes home, now that does not normally happen, but I happen to know the lady making the cakes, although when I met her she was not doing it.
I met her when I made her Wedding Dress. 
It was lovely meeting up and her cakes are lovely, so light and tasty.  Not only did I get to take cupcakes, but I also tried the carrot cake and fruit cake.  All just scrummy .

leahqueenofcakes.wordpress.com/

Take a peak xx

Love Getting Pictures x

I love getting pictures of dresses I have created.

 I have just received some lovely photos. The photographer, whom I  do not know, seems to have captured the group really well.

The bride came to me because, although they had found some lovely childrens dresses, there was not an adult dress in the same colour and also one of the young bridesmaids had measurements that were not standard for her age.
She wanted all three to match in colour, but have their own choice of style.

The bridesmaid, pictured next to the bride, wanted a long dress with a swag front and, at the time of the visit, I had a small dress out that had a ruffle on the strap and she liked it and wanted it on her dress.

The next bridesmaid wanted thicker straps and a shorter style with the swag front.

I did not meet with the adult bridesmaid until a later date and she was thinking of not having the swag front, just a princess line dress with a band under the bust and spaghetti straps, however, when I showed her how slimming the swag would be if it were added, she decided to have the swag too.

And to finish off I made three stoles , because the wedding was in October.  I think it was actually the hottest day I have ever known in Britain in October !! It was perfect.

It is lovely to get emails with pics xx

My Sewing 'Bible'

Just thought I would share with you, what I consider to be my sewing 'Bible'.

When I went to college, back in ........ (Too long ago !!) I was told that the best book to get would be Readers Digest Complete Guide To Sewing.  It has so much information that it really has been unnecessary for me to purchase any other sewing book for techniques of everything I need.  Although that has not necessarily stopped me !! After all , I am a woman who likes to buy books even if I never open them again after I have bought them LOL

Every now and again I will get it out and go back to basics, it is surprising that even though I have been sewing for many years , that I can still learn a technique that saves me time.

I found the tutorial on invisible zips, that I had avoided for a long time, was actually very easy.  I dont have the correct foot for an invisible zip, just a normal zip foot that came with my machine and once you get the hang of it, was so simple to fit that I was annoyed with myself that I had not tried sooner !!
You do not necessarily need to have loads of fancy gadgets and gizmos, just a bit of practice with what you already have .

People I have made dressses for say that I must be a very patient person !! But they are quite wrong, if I cant get something straight away, I tend to give in and go back to my own methods, but really, with a bit more patience !!! you can probably save yourself time in the long run .  Think I might have to try my own advice on this one LOL . Happy sewing xx

By the way, if anyone who reads this has any other books they consider to be fabulous, please feel free to let me know. I love to nosey through a book, even if it is only once LOL  I liked this books so much, I now have 2 because found one in a charity shop for a bargain £1 !!

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

HO HO HO x

Well, as it is Christmas, I thought I would show you one of my latest creations !!!

A little bit unusual for me, but I could not refuse to help .

My sons old junior school was in need of some assistance for Santa, he needed some new clothes !!

I donated my time, and FABRIC MAGIC in TROWBRIDGE , generously gave a discount on the materials.

He arrived a little differently than he would normally !!

Just call me Santas Little Helper !!!! My good deed done x