• Dressmaking, Interiors, Crafts •
Unbelievably this is my 10th year participating in May Made May. That feels both long and short, because I remember so well the feeling of not having enough me mades to participate the whole month, but I’m sat here with a bursting wardrobe of probably close to 200 makes, some old and some newer; some…
When I got engaged there was no doubt in my mind that I would make my wedding dress but it is undeniably a daunting task even if you’ve sewn dresses before. So if you’re on the fence about a DIY gown, here are 10 tips based on what I learned making mine: 1. Make it…
Continue reading ➞ So you’re thinking about making your own wedding dress…
So what did it cost, how long did it take, how many tears were cried* and how many needles broken? This post should provide some insights. *I didn’t actually measure tears cried Photo by Caroline Opacic I am two types of people – I am the person who veers towards Excel for every problem to…
Continue reading ➞ Making my wedding dress – part 6: The cost & hours spent
Slap a bow on it at the end you might think, but the bow probably took up most of my decision making time with the dress (and the whole wedding in fact). Firstly, shout out to my friend and official Bow Consultant Man Yee Woo who not only fed back on every pic I sent…
Continue reading ➞ Making my wedding dress – part 5: The bow journey & accessories
And now for the small task of ACTUALLY MAKING IT. And yes, the caps represent my mood when I realised it was time to make the real dress. So firstly I had to gather all of my fabrics and notions. Obviously I’d already bought my main fabric – this silk jacquard from New Craft House.…
Continue reading ➞ Making my wedding dress – part 4: Sewing the final dress
While the bodice felt like my comfort zone, the skirt really did feel like a challenge to my pattern making skills (which are very self-taught) and while I knew I would give it my best shot, I wasn’t 100% convinced that I would be able to recreate the skirt I loved from Jesus Peiro gowns.…
Continue reading ➞ Making my wedding dress – part 3: Drafting the skirt & final toile
I spent a lot of time toiling the bodice, starting in October 2023 and finishing my final toile in January 2024. If you don’t know, a toile is a practice version of the garment often made in cheap fabric. I made mine in calico. I didn’t necessarily take pictures or videos in order to share this…
Continue reading ➞ Making my wedding dress – part 2: drafting the bodice
I made my wedding dress; a real, actual wedding dress. And let me tell you it was actually a very joyful and (mostly) stress-free experience which I did not expect. When I got engaged I knew that I would make my dress, mostly because I feel most comfortable in clothes I’ve made. I didn’t set…
Continue reading ➞ Making my wedding dress – part 1: Inspo, patterns & fabric
As a huge fan of By Hand London and proud owner of 25+ Flora dresses and at least 8 Anna dresses, it may surprise you to know that I’ve only ever made one Kim dress. I love the square neckline but honestly on my first one I didn’t get the fit quite right and I…
I’ve made a few By Hand London Hannah dresses now and I have to say it’s my favourite and most worn pattern since lockdown. I love wearing a Hannah dress for work calls because it looks presentable enough but also is super comfortable sitting down all day. I’ve made a few with the tulip sleeves…
Kate Eva 