A special custom-made coat

Quite a picture heavy blog post today to showcase a coat that I recently finished. This coat was a special commission from a good friend who is also a loyal customer (and has been from the start). We had a vision of how it wanted to look, and finding the perfect fabric and buttons was as much of a challenge as getting the coat right!

In the end we decided on a black poly-blend Melton fabric for the outer layer, and a beautiful blue-black jacquard weave lining fabric with a rose motif on it. Buttons were sourced from Duttons after an extensive look round everywhere.

The coat design itself is fairly simple: full-length with a fitted waist and additional flare at the back to create dramatic movement when she's walking. And, as is only appropriate, a voluminous hood.

Winter product highlight: cloaks

Following on from capes a couple of weeks ago it's time for my last product highlight: cloaks!

Full-length cloaks were the first item that I started to offer on a made to order basis, and they've remained a steady favourite ever since. Most popular are my fleece cloaks with a polyester lining, as they are lovely and warm plus showerproof and can be easily machine washed when needed.

(I also offer an unlined version, but most people seem to like the opportunity to have a flash of contrasting colour from the lining as they walk)

In the last year or so I've seen an increase in demand for semi-circular cloaks, which customers generally prefer to have made up in a wool-blend Melton or pure boiled wool. These are truly spectacular garments, quite heavy but super warm due to the amount of fabric you have draped around you.

I haven't listed the semi-circular cloaks in my online shop yet as price varies quite a bit depending on the length you require, but it is on the list of "things I really need to do". In the meantime I'm happy to do you a quote if you let me know what you're after!

A lovely fabric choice on the part of a customer.

Just a quick post this week to show you a customer's lovely fabric choice. Upon hearing that I was off on maternity leave in the not too distant future one of my regulars went on a little shopping spree at one of the local fabric shops and brought me material to make her a number of dresses to tide her over until I return to work. The dresses themselves are all variations on a style I've made for her before, which we know suits her and she feels good in, but normally she chooses a plain fabric. Not this time though! She fell in love with this fabulous Rose & Hubble stamp print cotton, so I was set the challenge of turning it in to a dress.

I have to admit that lining up the pattern repeat of the stamps so that there was no visible break at the waist was a little bit of a challenge, but what a result...

 

One last class

Due to popular demand we've decided to offer one last "Get to know your sewing machine class before I go on maternity leave. It's already got a few of people booked on to it but here are the details if you'd like to nab one of the two remaining places:

Get to know your sewing machine – Make a Tote Bag! 
Saturday 4th April 10.30am – 1pm

A class for absolute beginners, where you can learn to set-up and use your own machine. You’ll learn some basic sewing skills and end up with a gorgeous bag to take home and show off!

Class length: 2 & 1/2 hours
Price: £30

NB: Student needs to bring: functioning machine (incl instruction manual and power cord), ½ metre medium weight cotton fabric, notebook and pen/pencil.

Optional extra: Basic Sewers Kit to be collected from tutor on the day, price £8. A kit containing the basic ‘extra’ tools that come in handy when you’re sewing, please contact me in advance if you would like to order one.

To book a place just call in to the cafe (maybe leave time to try the cake while you're there?) or telephone them on 01904 656566 

Winter product highlight: capes

This week's product highlight is capes. There is no big story behind the beginning of these, just that my love of them and my love of wearing them has driven me development of my original pattern. Subsequent alterations / options have evolved from a combination of ideas from my head and requests from customers.

The 'true' original design is the fleece outer, polyester lining and rounded hood:

After this design was tried and tested fully I added in the option to have a pointed hood instead:

Next step - other materials! I wanted to offer a wool version but didn't want the colours to be limited to just a few shades. Fortunately I found a supplier that can offer a wide range, and what a range that is:

And most recently? Capes with armholes part way across the front. In either hood design and any fabric, the overall shape of the cape remains the same.

So where will I go next with them? I seem to be always looking at waterproof pvc options and I'm working on my pattern and design for that but this year's personal events may delay release a little bit. I'm always happy to custom make though, and have a variety of one-offs in a few designs and fabrics (including some velvets and lace) for sale either on my website or in Fabrication in Leeds.

Winter product highlight: fleece wraps

In this week's product highlight I'm going to take a look at my fleece wraps. The design for these came about because although I love wearing a pashmina as an extra layer it is sometimes frustrating that they don't stay further down your back when you have them wrapped round your shoulders, and sometimes they're just not warm enough. So the design for the wrap was born - long enough that it covers most of your back, wide enough that you can wrap it elegantly round your shoulders, and made from a soft, warm but practical fabric.

I have to admit that while I love them myself they have surprised me with their popularity, selling well both at fairs and in Fabrication and online - I've sent several to the US already this year!

I try to keep Fabrication stocked with a rotating range of colours, but I'm always happy to take orders for custom colours if you can't find what you'd like. The same applies to orders from my online shop.

Winter product highlight: wristwarmers

I thought I'd spend the next few blog posts giving you some more details behind some of my "off the peg" products that are perfect for the winter weather we've been having, starting with my wristwarmers!

These come in two styles: with thumbhole, and slightly shorter without thumbhole. The shorter style are actually the ones that came first, starting off life as a personal solution for keeping my hands warm on the freezing cold front edge of my sewing machine and then put on sale after people kept asking me about them. They've been a good stalwart but have definitely been overtaken in popularity by the second version I made.

Version two is the (currently more popular) longer version with a thumbhole. This version got added to sale after requests from friends, and has two advantages over the shorter version: they're longer and thus warmer and suitable for wearing instead of gloves on autumn days, and the thumbhole stops them from twisting round under your top while you're wearing them.

I tend to have the longer version ready-made up in a wider range of colours that the short ones but as always I'm happy to make you a custom pair in any colour you chose. Both are available to purchase from my online shop, and there is a basket full of the longer version for you to try on and buy in Fabrication in The Light, Leeds. 

Workshop info

We've all done it - welcomed in the New Year and made plans that this will be the year we learn new skills. Luckily for you, I am running some workshops at the lovely Me & Mrs Fisher in York that give you the chance to do just that. We've only scheduled up to the end of March at the moment, but I will be doing more from September onwards and am open to requests and suggestions of things you would like to see covered.

Here are some details of what's available so far... 

Get to know your sewing machine – Make a Tote Bag! [Edit: this class is now full! There will be another one in the autumn or I can do private tuition before then]
Saturday 17th January 10.30am – 1pm

A class for absolute beginners, where you can learn to set-up and use your machine. You’ll learn some basic sewing skills and end up with a length of bunting to take home and show off!

Class length: 2 & 1/2 hours
Price: £30
Student level: Absolute beginner

Optional extra: Basic Sewers Kit to be collected from tutor on the day, price £8. A kit containing the basic ‘extra’ tools that come in handy when you’re sewing, please contact the tutor in advance if you would like to order one.

Student needs to bring: functioning machine (incl instruction manual and power cord), 2 or 3 fat quarts of cotton print, notebook and pen/pencil.

   

Basic Cushions
Saturday 7th February 10.30am – 1pm

Learnt to use your machine but want to learn more skills? In this session you’ll learn zip insertion, buttonholes, applique and how to make a cushion.

Class length: 2 & 1/2 hours
Price: £30
Student level: Beginner (need ability to set-up machine and sew a straight(ish) line)

Student needs to bring: functioning machine (incl instruction manual and power cord), notebook and pen/pencil, 1/2 metre of medium weight cotton, matching zip or button, matching thread.

  

Make an A-line skirt
Saturday 7th March 10.00am – 1.30pm

Learn to make a knee-length A-line skirt that fits you perfectly. This is a class for those who can sew but want to learn to follow a pattern, insert a zip, hem and finish a garment.

Class length: 3.5 hours
Price: £40
Student level: Improver (basic ability to sew, at least having done our “Get to know your machine” class)

N.B. Student needs to provide tutor with their waist and hip measurements at least a week before class to ensure the correct size pattern is available. If you are struggling to measure yourself please contact the tutor for assistance.

Student needs to bring: functioning machine (incl instruction manual and power cord), notebook and pen/pencil, 1 metre of fabric (suggested fabric: light/med weight cotton), matching thread and 7” or 8” zip.


All classes should be booked directly with Me & Mrs Fisher, either by telephoning 01904 656566 or calling in in person. And if you've never been in to the cafe then you really should, it's a lovely little place and the food is great!

Catching up after Christmas...

Blimey December was a busy month! I barely had time to catch my breath between sewing sessions to get all the orders done and keep my area in Fabrication in Leeds fully stocked. Rather than bore you with a post per cape/cloak, here's a round up of some of the beautiful custom pieces which left my workroom in December...

Black crushed velvet cape with a pointed hood:

Semi-circular boiled wool cloak a red lining, with 3 frog-clasps as closure:

Semi-circular pure wool cloak with a midnight blue satin lining and a beautiful celtic clasp - a surprise Christmas present for a very lucky lady!! The hood on this one is detachable, revealing a mandarin collar underneath:

Full-length boiled wool cloak with a jacquard weave lining. This was designed to go over a silk-velvet wedding dress in the same colour as the lining, which I also made but don't have any decent photographs of:

Child's red melton cloak with a white fur trim, after the cloak worn by the main character in the Goth Girl books. Also a Christmas present! 

This month already has a couple of cloaks and a wedding dress lined up, so I'm sure I'll be doing another round-up at some point!