I hand made this little textile bride for a close friend when she got married. It's dress portion was raw silk and crocheted lace and the bride is filled with some fresh Lavender from my garden as she loves the smell of Lavender. Another friend has also asked me to make one for her when she marries next year 😊
During the lovely warm weather I sat outside on my patio sewing a camisole top for a friend. The camisole was based on an 1880s replica corset cover I had sewn for my Victorian dress project and she asked me to make her one.
What I hasn't even thought about was that because I was sewing with a 1954 Singer 128K hand crank sewing machine, it wasn't noisy so didn't disturb the wide variety of wild birds that visit my garden daily.
I got to spend the day enjoying the sun and seeing the wonderful birds popping in for some good food (only the best for my birds) and a nice soak in the bird baths. All in all it was a truly lovely day 😊
Just found this photograph of my first attempt at embroidery on a hand sewn cushion. It was made many years ago, before I even began my Foundation Diploma In Art & Design. I still think it's a pretty design but it is very amateurish looking at it now. Both designs came from a book a friend loaned me and I put the Peacock design together with the floral design thinking they complimented each other as I love animals and natural world as inspiration. I'm sure I still have the cushion in a storage box somewhere.
While I was completing my Foundation Diploma In Art & Design prior to University we had a brief which was inspired by the Garden Of Earthly Delights painting by Hieronymus Bosch.
My response to the brief was to research into the evolution of burlesque, which then led to corsetry and as a gay man led to looking at the photography of Physique Pictorial and photographers like Bob Mizer, George Platt Lynes and Bruce of Los Angeles.
The project was to culminate with a friend posing for a photo session recreating some Physique Pictorial shots but he backed out at the last minute and ugly mug me had to be in the photos. As a result I really went to town manipulating and distorting the photos before printing them onto fabric with the plan to make a garment. Sadly I ran out of time and didn't finish the garment. Now looking back at the photographs I'm quite proud of them. Just wish I still had the full head of hair, the flat stomach and just the one chin!
I created these surface pattern designs while I was studying my Foundation Diploma In Art & Design course prior to University. It was partly inspired by the designs created for the 'From Atoms To Patterns' designs for the 1951 Festival Of Britain. A year or so ago I digitally printed the designs and created these cushions as a present for a friend.
I'm currently midway through a sewing project to reproduce a complete 1880s Victorian woman's outfit. I've made 3 Victorian corsets from Simplicity's 1139 sewing pattern and this is the corset I chosen from the three. I've also made 2 tie on pockets from the same fabric.
I loved making Georgeanna the Giraffe for my ex boyfriend. I really loved this fabric too. I wish I had more left. She could have done with a much longer neck obviously but apart from that he loved her. I made a few others for my friends when they were pregnant.
For the last few years I've been collecting antique and vintage sewing machines as I developed an interest in historical costuming. I'm currently midway though making a complete 1880s Victorian women's dress and appropriate undergarments. Several items for the project have been hand sewn but the items that are not have been sewn using the transverse shuttle German made sewing machines that date from the 1870s to the 1890s. These machines are not my full collection but for the time being in not planning on acquiring any more as I don't really have the space!
I absolutely love feeding all the local birds. On a daily basis I have visits from Crows, Jackdaws, Goldfinches, Sparrows, Robins and obviously Pigeons. Watching them enjoy their breakfast is a true joy 😊
As I've started a vintage clothing collection, which currently consists of Victorian era undergarments, my sister gave me this lovely mid to late 1970s Marion Donaldson dress that she'd acquired in Devon several years ago but no longer wore. I think it's stunning and researching into Marion Donaldson I'm very inspired by her wonderful dresses and individual style.