Design!

With the end of wedding season looming, I'm all set for a bit of me time!

It's been my first full wedding season since opening the shop, after having caught the tail end when we opened last year I couldn't even have imagined how busy it was going to be! It's been hard work, with massive ups and downs but now it's finally calming down I couldn't feel more inspired to be cracking on with some design work!

I'm currently in major need of some good sleep, a hair overhaul, a bath and maybe a little holiday! However, today I have been drafting up my pattern blocks ready to get cracking on some brand new designs both for weddings and beautiful recycled dresses.

Amazing studio!
(http://statigr.am/p/476067668838198123_2062441)

Throughout Uni, the design and pattern cutting aspect is always what I enjoyed most. I've always been a bit of math geek and enjoy solving problems (mathematical ones, not such an agony aunt!). Having never quite gotten the hang of draping, pattern cutting really is down to mathematics, working out how to create a shape by manipulating the fabric then recreating it on paper.

I'd love to eventually do some workshops on pattern cutting, getting the basics of dart manipulation for all you lovely sewers to create your own patterns!

I'll post some photos from design to patterns to final pieces soon!

xoxo

♥

1950s love

Went Pinteresting today...

Fell in love.

Definitely thinking when I have a bit of time to hand paint a dress! So beautiful!

xoxo
♥

Oxfam. Being humankind for 70 years.

As ethical fashion supporters we love all sorts of charity shops. They are the ideal businesses because everyone ends up winning - clients get great deals, and great causes get support. Brilliant!

One of these organizations, and perhaps the one that has done most to elevate the status of second hand fashion, is Oxfam. They've been organizing relief campaigns to fight poverty and famine since the early forties and this year they are celebrating their 70th anniversary.

Here at Cardiff they stand proudly inside the beautiful Morgan Arcade. As you step into the shop there is no clutter or randomness. They manage to get different styles, colours and decades to work together perfectly and now they even have a full rail dedicated to vintage fashion!

Over the course of seven decades they have succeeded in changing mentalities. From the: "erghh, is that from a charity shop?" to "is that Annie Lennox in the Oxfam shop?" they taught us all how to re-value things and how to transform something old into something else.

Photo via: cardiffashion.com

So here is my invitation to you all: why not stop by your nearest Oxfam shop and try to reproduce one of these "fashion under a fiver" looks? And whatever you end up spending, at least you'll be happy to know that every penny will be put to good use!

Let us know what you come up with!!

Eva...

A recent commission got me drawing...

I decided to call this dress Eva and I'm going to include a similar version (editing some details in the back and adding sleeves) in my mini collection of versatile wedding dresses.

The lace is a beautiful corded open work lace and the skirt will be layered chiffon and floor length with a separate under dress that can be worn by itself too!

♥

xoxo

My Wardrobe Challenge

So I started my wardrobe clear out... Luckily I do have some sort of order throughout so the next few weeks is going to be skirts skirts skirts! Thankfully the weather is agreeing with it too, it's sunshine and flipflops for the next week or so at least

Day #2 (Saturday) I wore my much loved vintage sage pleated St Michael skirt, it's gorgeous on and the perfect length when paired with my KG's. We had some cocktails and tapas at Pica Pica discussing some future plans for the new shop and then headed to Fire Island for dinner, keeping it all in our quirky corner of Cardiff!

♥

xoxo

Beautiful Bride

One of our wonderful Brides Lucy got married today (Congratulations!), so we can officially release out photos of the stunning champagne and ivory dress we made for her. 

You may remember our post Here comes the Bride showing the preliminary sketches and designs for Lucy's dress. A champagne satin under gown with a beaded lace overlay and stunning keyhole feature in the back. As far as I'm concerned I'm still new at working with lace, especially of the beaded variety, but I'm so pleased with how this turned out!

Complete with a button up bustle train to dance the night away!

The sash is optional, appliqued over the champagne under satin with a tie back.

We hope Lucy had the best of days and wish her all the best for her future! Enjoy your beautiful dress

♥

xoxo

The Wardrobe Challenge.

I bought my wardrobe from a second hand shop a few months back and painted it up to look pretty. It's a super cute, 1940's "gentlemen's" wardrobe, which essentially means - it doesn't fit all my clothes.

As quirky and interesting my wardrobe looks on the outside, I have to say I don't feel like my clothing reflects this quite as much as I'd like it to, but I'm sure every girl feels like that. Right?

I like to pick pieces at random. I have no thought as to what it should go with and unfortunately there are no 'wardrobe essentials' as Gok drums into all his viewers. So as I stand every morning looking at my wardrobe thinking "I have absolutely NOTHING to wear" I usually end up wearing the same things over and over.

So, I've set a challenge to myself...

(In true Ted Mosby style "if you haven't used it in a year")

Each item in my wardrobe is going to be worn, from one end to the other over the next few weeks - or months (I may well be underestimating the amount of clothing I have). Anything I feel like I don't want to wear is being revamped into something I do want to wear or going to charity! 

It's a hard thing for me. I have so many sentimental items of clothing that never get worn but just sit when they could be of so much more use to someone else. I built E&W on the ethos of reviving clothing, something I should adopt in my own wardrobe and I feel now is the time!

Ill be posting every few days my collection of outfits and challenge you lovely followers to do the same! 

Its Summer clean out time

♥

xoxo