A hint of Peacock

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on November 29, 2014

29 Nov

I have often seen peacock feathers used in weddings and sadly they seem to be a little overdone. Here are some inspiring ideas for ways to bring a little hint of peacock into a celebration.

A few feathers tucked into a bouquet of greens.

Incredible shoes (Choo, Choo, Bhlanik) Lovely if they are in your budget and inspiring ideas for a diy if you are a little crafty.

cute little uncut mineral earrings to bring more of the peacock colours in other ways.

Peacock colours for bridesmaids kept simple with white flowers and gold shoes.

Kate Moss’s Galliano peacock embroidery

Creative shapes for bridesmaids

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on November 28, 2014

28 Nov

A little collection of dresses for the non traditional bridesmaid.

Dip dyed dress above from Bottega Vanetta. A lovely silk slip with a cute little belt. The idea of the dip dye hem is achievable for a made to measure dress.

Below are two more from Bottega Vanetta, The first a cute little peach dress pleated and gathered down the sides. The seccond a long sheath using the same belt as above but with subtle white on peach.

Oscar de la Renta dress below I love for the shorter lining covered with the patterned tule overlay. This would be a simple way to use a print for a bridesmaid dress. the sheer layer would make any print subtle and romantic.

The skirt on this one caught my eye, another Oscar de la Renta lovely. The fabric is a light silk and the skirt is cut with some fullness at the asymmetric hem for movement.

Foundation techniques – waist tape

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on November 22, 2014

22 Nov

The internal structure is critical to getting the fit right for a dress. The more formal and complex the outside the same will be true for the inside.

There is a vintage technique I commonly use for formal and wedding dresses and that is adding a waist tape.

the waist tape is a strip of rigid ribbon placed inside the gown at the narrowest point. I love using it for a few reasons. If the dress is tight it will be closed before the zip making it easier to pull the zip (or buttons) up. keeps the dress sitting well and not riding up. It can be raised to around the ribs giving more support for a strapless dress or larger bust.

I have added some images showing the inside of vintage gowns where a waist tape is visible. Before the 1900’s it was used to keep the bodice in place over a corset, gowns were usually made of a top and skirt and the gap between should never be visible. Later it was used to keep the waist of the dress close to the tiny wasp waist in fashion in the 40’s and 50’s.

Shibori wonderland

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on November 22, 2014

22 Nov

Tie dye has been reborn. The Japanese art of Shibori with its fine crinkles and deep Indigo is far more sophisticated than the tie dye of school craft and hippy music festivals.

The dress below and above are amazing examples of dyeing techniques used on a finished dress to create complex details. I think the thing that appeals to me the most is the danger involved at the moment when you take the lovely silk dress and place it in the dye, hoping for the best.

These dresses are made using a dye technique applied to the fabric before making. Less risky but still lovely.

Illusion waist

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on November 19, 2014

19 Nov

A trick of the eye, panel lines and colours carefully selected to slim down a waist. The ladies of the 50’s had it right (their smoking and now banned diet pills helped too….)

Swiss dot Tulle, I love you too

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on November 18, 2014

18 Nov

I recently posted about how wonderful tulle is and if you didnt think it could get any better I still have 2 more posts to go.

Swiss dot tulle is a soft fine mesh speckled with tiny little embroidered dots. It can be softer than usual bridal tulle so used for more simple shapes where the dots are the main feature of the dress.

It also makes wonderful veils. Shown above a swiss dot tulle veil as the centreipeic of a wedding day, the dress a simple strapelss sheath. Below a stunning veil of swiss dot tulle edged with a cobweb of chantilly lace.

A simpla asymmetric dress with layers of swiss dot tulle left raw edged.

The dots have a cuteness to them that lends itself well to 50’s style tea length dresses.

I have seen swiss dot tulle in fabric shops I have visited as well as the fine cotton voile version which is just as lovely.

The Finished Tutu

by Meg. Posted on November 14, 2014

14 Nov

Finally a chance to photograph the lovely ballerina in her new tutu.

Tulle, I love you

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on November 13, 2014

13 Nov

Tulle is an incredibly versatile, cheap and fun fabric to use in a wedding gown.

It comes in huge widths for flowing skirts. It doesn’t fray so there is no need for edging it, this saves time in making but more importantly the edges have no weight added to them. Tulle can be dressed up for the evening but works equally well for a day dress because of its matte finish.

Below are some examples of the way tulle can be used in wedding gowns. All of these ideas can be used in a made to measure dress and most will be a great way achieve drama without a dramatic price.

A playfull sweetheart dress with a draped tulle skirt from Love Yu

Tulle here is used to make a dramatic but soft fishtail. Raw edge strips are woven around the body creating texture.

Marchesa uses the cut edges to great effect with a hankerchief cut skirt.

I love the shape of this dress from Charlie Brear, A bias cut sheath would fall beautifully over the body and the tulle add a layer of movement without any bulk.

Silver tulle , no source. Colour can be a little trickier to find in a softer weight tulle but isn’t impossible. The right type of tulle can be dyed. Colour tulle (black is available and sexy) is also perfect for any other formal event where you want to make a scene.

this Blue skirt a has a single layer of contrasting tulle over the top. This tulle is a little stiffer than some other examples here so it sits out from the lining skirt.

A skirt of a single layer of tulle draped from a jewel encrusted sheath. I love the way this skirt falls like a waterfall from the edge of the beading.

Lovely tulle sleeve seen on Style me Pretty. A gorgeous addition to any dress.

Another from Style me pretty is this wonderful wedding where the bride isnt the only one who gets to wear an amazing tulle skirt. I love the way the bridesmaids have paired their skirts with a simple stretch fabric tee.

Tulle gives a layer of etherial softness to a sequin gown without dampening the sparkle underneath. This simple shape is turned into a shining star through an inspired choice of tulle and sequins. The photo of this dress at the top of the post also shows tulle used for the straps.

Another wonderful use for tulle is for table cloths, in white on white and as a pale contrast to a moody grey.

I wish it was my year 12 formal again.

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on November 10, 2014

10 Nov

This Eli Saab dress would be my inspiration, perhaps more sheer panels in the skirt and in an amazing cobalt blue.

Beach bag

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on November 10, 2014

10 Nov

Another search of the hardware store has yielded more sewing inspiration. This beach bag is made from scraps of the print fabric used at the Breakfast at Tiffanys fashion parade combined with fly screen mesh.

The mesh is easier to work with than I expected as long as the Iron is kept well away. I made rope handles covered by hand and 2 internal pockets, one with a zip.