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!). The pattern is made up from two other patterns – Vogue 2913 (one of Penneys from the eighties) and Vogue 8076. She used used a full toile to fit it and amend. Rosie was very specific about what she wanted as teenagers do best!
Julie at her daughter’s graduation wearing the navy lace shift dress she made with fuchsia pink lining (the Champagne was made in France). This looks like a very simple dress that is easy to make but as with many simple things, the devil is in the detail and Julie has become an expert on fitting dresses beautifully to her curves. Beware: Once you take the time to do this you will never be able to buy shop bought again.
Sue looking STUNNING in Greece getting married, wearing the dress she made using fabulous embroidered silk organza. Sue slightly amended the Vogue Original pattern so she could make best use of the scalloped edge, removing part of the lining to allow for 180” of skirt material being gathered into 27” (few sleepless nights there) but all in all, it was the best possible fabric choice she could have made.
Clair made this cream daisy lace maternity dress with pink linen viscose yoke for Rosie for a Scottish high summer (ha ha) wedding… on the morning of the party! The toile had been sorted out previously (see pic below in embroidered linen and viscose). The pattern is a 80’s /90’s vintage McCall’s pattern found on Ebay.
Bess enjoying a glass of bubbly wearing her black guipure lace dress which was lined in cream silk rep suiting. The pattern is her very basic dress block that only has bust darts and a centre back seam for shape. It’s tricky to tell in this photo but the lining is 3″ shorter leaving the scalloped edge unlined. Also unseen is the perfectly matched centre back seam (You’ll have to trust me on this one).
The lining and the lace are made up separately and joined at the neck with a vibrant turquoise satin bias binding. There’s no zip- it just chucks over the head.
Bess in her not-very-over-the-top coat at all made using red guipure lace and 6″ feather trim.
The coat was prepared ever so slowly making sure the spots matched and everything would line up properly and then it was izzywhizzied together on the overlocker in about 3 minutes.
Then the feather trim was hand sewn on (Bess’s fingers are still calloused from the needle – that trim has got sticky stuff inside the satin binding (that stop the feathers falling out), it’s not nice to sew!
Then the feather trim was un-picked and sewn on all over again not so tight in an effort to make it hang straight in the middle. It’s almost there, Bess weighed up further hand sewing and the possibility of losing her fingers with her OCD of straight edges and the fingers won.
Then the front edge and neck were bound in fold-over petersham binding which magically saved the jacket from being a bit ‘crafty’ (in the derogatory way) and Bess wore it to her baby step-sister’s wedding.
Also seen: bag made from offcuts of leather and a London bus e-plate. As you do.
Debbie modelling her shrug made using navy corded lace with scalloped edges. She was very pleased with it as it really updated a dress she had had for a long time. She drafted the pattern using a short sleeved shrug she already had as a pattern. Debbie had to do a bit of juggling with the scallops and hand stitching so that they would go around the curves but was glad with the finished effect. It turned out a little tight across the back and around the armholes but wasn’t a problem when it was worn for a posh event as was still able to dance in it!
Elwen in her peacock leaf design cotton mix lace shift dress with lime green Venezia lining.
Using Burda pattern 8213, she lengthened it a bit (Elwen says it’s quite short but it’s more that she’s quite tall). The lace is overlocked (by Bess because Elwen was being a proper wuss), the lining was cut 2 sizes bigger to accommodate the stretch of the lace, but it was a bit too big so 1 size would have been sufficient. Made on the 30th for New Years’ Eve so no time for alterations!
Anthea looking beautiful wearing the ivory Guipure lace dress that unbuttons to become a short dress for the evening. Backed in cream stretch cotton sateen to warm up the colour and give it a bit of structure, and lined in cream Venezia lining. Made by Bess
Once the sun went down Anthea took off the lower skirt. Nice shoes!
guipure lace wedding dress with lower skirt detached
Turquoise satin bias binding was used to pipe the neckline to add just a touch of colour
guipure lace wedding dress neckline detail
The skirt and the lower skirt were embroidered with a red heart so as to match up when putting together (there are seventeen buttons holding it together – you really don’t want to button them on cocky!
guipure lace wedding dress hearts detail
Bess embroidered a label with the date of the wedding plus a few spare buttons, and sewed it on only three sides so as to double as an emergency (inside) pocket
guipure lace wedding dress pocket detail
Fabrics and Notions:
Ivory Guipure Lace
Cream Stretch Cotton Sateen Cream Venezia Lining
Fine piping cord
Turquoise satin bias binding
Invisible zip
Shell Buttons
Embroidery thread
Remnant of shot turquoise Linen
This amazing shirt made by Jane (for Lulu) was made with white cotton Guipure lace that was dyed turquoise (along with the cotton lawn lining and button-hole trim) with a Dylon machine dye. The front and back darts were appliqué seamed rather than sewn normally so are almost invisible.
Fabrics and Notions:
White cotton Guipure lace #2900
White ‘Riviera’ cotton lawn
Off white button-hole trim
Dylon turquoise dye
Turquoise shell buttons
Pattern: Altered from a Vintage Vogue Dress pattern V2960 (made up before here)
Pattern: Altered from an ancient Vogue Elements hooded top pattern.
Whilst all the seams were overlocked, Jane hemmed and turned the neck using a twin needle, which gives enough stretch on a straight stitch because of the bobbin zigzagging on the reverse. It is an effective way to finish off the hems using a domestic machine.
black stretch lace t-shirt
This hot pink dummy might be fabulous but this t-shirt looks lots better with arms in it, you know.
SAMPLES
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Allow 10% shrinkage for all your washable natural fibres (including viscose). Wash before making up in the same manner as you would with subsequent washes (including drying methods).
Jerseys and fabrics liable to mis-shape should be dried flat, or in a cool tumble dryer.
Most fabrics should be pressed before cutting.
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