Ethical Fashion Event in Bethnal Green

Hey guys,

there's this great event happening this thursday evening at the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green!

Its an event all about ethical fashion and craft with workshops, talks and green styling!

Here's the link to some web pages about it!

http://eastlondoncraftguerrilla.blogspot.com/2011/02/ethical-fashion.html

http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/whats_on/events/first_thursdays/the_papered_parlour/ethical_fashion_in_the_age_of_austerity/index.html

Hope to see you there


xxx

other apron designs. . . .

Hey guys,

Here are some of the other aprons I've designed. I have a few of each in stock if anyone would like one, they're £15 each

Dotty aprons

Hey guys,

Here is one of my aprons which I've been making for friends as part of my business. The fabric is clarke and clarke.

Where to learn to Sew in London

Many of my friends are getting creative a learning to sew, knit and crochet just now. Here's a selection of tried and tested sewing classes in London to give you some ideas and help you choose!!

I learn to sew at Fashion Antidote based just of Brick Lane in East London. This great school does a fab range of classes particularly focusing on fashion sewing for garment making. They run one day intensive classes to get you started which are fab! As well as classes such as; How to make a Dress, How to make a pair of trousers! They're great on advice for how to start your own fashion business as well.

Also in East London we have the newly opened The Create Place which is a community run venture run by volunteers which teaches crochet, cup cake decorating, card making as well as sewing skills and other crafts. They had a great pop up shop for the last few weeks with a variety of the things they make. Its not for profit as well, so definitely worth a look.

I also have heard through the grape vine that Our Patterned Hand (possibly my favourite fabric shop in London) has started a range of classes.

For knitting, crochet and felt making try fabrications, the lady that usually works in here is so friendly! ( They sell really great wool as well).

Venturing out of East London there is the very fabulous Make Lounge in Islington which runs a full programme of craft activities and classes.Print making, cushions, aprons, knickers and candles ( cute ones in vintage cups). These guys are well established and very experienced. They are great for parties and also stock fabrics.

Then we and the wonderfully fabulous Liberty's, who run fab one off classes at their sewing school.

For the more serious sewers, there are great evening and weekend courses at London School of Fashion. Although more expensive, these courses are comprehensive and will really build your confidence and help you become a very competent sewer.

For sewing, pattern cutting and home furnishings, the Ideas Stores in East London run a huge range of very reasonably priced classes over a period of weeks and are suppose to be really good.


I'm sure their are many more great classes, and feel free to add your comments below, but these are the ones I've heard really great reports about and that I will be recommending to friends.

Happy Sewing!!

xxxx

My fave Fabric Shop in Brighton

I love fabric shopping in brighton! Through the Laines there's some really great little places.

I really love Ditto, there is such a great range of fabric for dress making and furnishings. Its great.

I particularly love this fabric that I made cushions with for our charcoal sofa! Amazing

x x x x

Another great Fabric Shop.....

Just to add to yesterday's blog,

was walking down brick lane this afternoon, and came across Epra Fabrics, a wholesaler with a massive range of great fabrics. They had really good jerseys, faux furs, cute patterned and basic dress making fabrics. Minimum order is ten metres but can be over a few fabrics.

Definitely worth a look of your buying big quantities,

the guys that work in there are really friendly as well!

Happy Sewing

xxxx

Places for Fabrics and Accessories in London

So,

I've just started this little business making home furnishings and accessories, but the biggest problem is finding good, reasonably priced fabric shops as well as places for buttons, sewing machines and habadashery.

So I thought I'd share my experience and put together a list of my finds ( and there's some real gems)

Fabrics
My favourite shop for fabric in the whole of london is Our Patterned Hand in Broadway Market. It stocks a great selection of beautiful and unusual fabrics which are quite modern and updated regularly, some of which are liberty's. There fabrics are mainly for dress making but are great for home furnishings as well. They also now run classes! They are really friendly and helpful and its by far my favourite!

Another great, East London based fabric shop is Beyond Fabrics on Columbia road. This stocks a huge selection of cute fabrics and patchwork. Some of the fabrics are quite pricey, but you'll definitely find something you like here!

If you move over to Soho, there's a whole street of fabric paradise, Berwick St. These fashion savy shops are bursting of beautiful fabrics and knowledgable staff. Any crafty chick should definately pay it a visit. Here's a few of my favourite shops on that street.

The berwick street cloth shop is a great little place with modern fabrics for fashion, tv and bridal. There was a great selections of faux furs in here, and some beautiful knits when I last went!

Borovick Fabrics  has beautiful lace and silks and a great selection of ribbons and accessories

Soho Silks again is great for lace, silks and beautiful fabrics.

Then you have the classics, John Lewis and Liberty's. Great, but expensive fabric and knowledgable staff. Definately worth a look, even just to get some ideas and advice


Accessories, machines and buttons.

I'm yet to fully discover the wealth of habadashery shops in London, but here's a few other shops I've found.

For Buttons, you must visit the button stall at Broadway Market, its amazing and cheap! Go! Go!Go!

For great sewing machines, there are two places East that I have visited. On Hackney Road, just at the cambridge heath station end, on the left hand side, you'll find, (who we like to call!) the sewing machine man! He has a great range, second had as well, and lets you try them out before you buy! He also has vintage ones.

Secondly, on Roman road, by the roundabout, just before the road becomes pedestranised, there's a great machine and accessory shop with amazing staff! Its called Sew Amazing!

Right, that's me for today, off to make some aprons! Next week I will be blogging about where to go for sewing lessons!!

xxxx