Month: January 2018

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Beginner Dressmakers at the ready!!

Three Days, New Clothes! with Linda Radley on Saturday 10th February, 10th March and 14th April

Make 3 different clothing items on three different days with Linda helping you create a complete outfit and bringing some freshness to your wardrobe.

You will make:

  • A skirt on 10th February
  • A top for Summer on 10th March
  • A jacket to finish the outfit on 14th April

Linda will guide you to achieve the best fit and look for you, along with lots of helpful tips throughout the three days.

You can chose from a selection of patterns – which can be purchased from Tudor Rose Patchwork in advance of the course and at a 20% discount!

 

The patterns recommended by Linda are:

M6654 – a classic

skirt in stretch fabric

M6927 – Simple top

M7059, M6970 and M7368 – a selection of skirts, tops, and easy-to-wear jackets.

 

There is a wide range of fabric suitable for the McCalls patterns available at Tudor Rose Patchwork, however the type of fabric you can use may be impacted by it’s suitability for the chosen pattern.

At the end of the three days you will have a completed, new outfit, have met lots of new people and really enjoyed your time with Linda.

Each day will run from 10am to 4pm. Book a place here.

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Sculpting with Powertex

My first foray into Powertex work was a sculpture of a figure so this week I have been dabbling in the human form. I am trying to use different ways to build the armature for my pieces so this was an experiment into the wonders of kitchen roll tubes and foil. With a bundle of masking tape it was all getting very Blue Peter.

Once I had created a kneeling form that I was happy with I started bringing it all together with lots of old, natural fabrics and a healthy dollop of trusty Powertex. I love seeing the way the fabrics take on the shape of the armature and drape so that the clothing takes place. I especially like giving my figures hoods as I like the mystery they create so this figure is no exception.

Powertex is a great way to use old, stained linens so here I have incorporated some lace and even a few charms for effect. The feather charms we have in store at the moment are my favourite and find their way into lots of my work.

I was going for the bronze statue look with this piece and focused on some metallic tones to achieve this end. I hope you like her…or him….

If I have captured your imagination and you would like a piece like this for your garden remember Powertex is completely weather proof! The next opportunity to make this figure is on Saturday April 28th 2018.

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Purple Boots Update

Its a cold day and I am busy creating in my cold dining room. The fire has been calling me though so I am taking a break to warm my bones and catch up with my blog posts.

Just a few days now until Tudor Rose holds its wonderful annual exhibition. So much to see and learn about. I have been lucky to work with Kathy Laurel Sage on one of her machine embroidery classes so I need to set up my machine and get some of those pieces finished but first…Powertex!

I’m working on a mixture of pieces at the moment. My half day courses have proved popular so I am busy coming up with a new one based around mirrors. Those who know me know I am a little addicted to recycling so I have been rummaging in charity shops far and wide and have managed to come up with a whole bunch of mirrors that we can turn into a class.

My recycling habit is also becoming well known amongst our shop customers and I often find little donations for me to incorporate into my work have appeared in my drawer. The current favourite is old keys so a few of these are making an appearance into my mirror frames alongside the usual fabrics and linens.

I’m working in Ivory at the moment. This is also weather proof just like my lead and bronze pieces but will allow for a wider colour choice once I get to that stage. I’m thinking I might like a wall of, mirrors in my garden to hide the slightly ugly pallet fence made by my neighbour. I should love it, its a total recycling triumph but it’s orangeness offends me just a little. I’m hoping a collection of Powertex magic will make me love it a little. To this end I also found an absolute steal of an oval mirror in a charity shop. A friend and I have spent a happy hour with a pot of tea and some of the stockinette we have just added to our product line in store and the frame is now half covered with ivory. I am tempted to try some ombre skills by mixing my white with lead and creating some interesting graduated colours…but will it work? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Watch this space to see how my mirror projects turn out.