The Blue Dress

It seems second hand shops aren't really a cheap option anymore, or they've been ravaged by those lucky enough to have turned vintage shopping into a profession. I have been making vintage inspired dresses from scratch and am getting to the point where I simply don't need any more dresses but love making them and trying new patterns.

My little sister is singing at a couple of weddings in New Zealand soon and has been complaining about not having the right dress to wear so I decided to surprise her by making her this blue dress. It's a good chance for me to start sewing for other people. I've also been daydreaming about labels and packaging so thought I would package the dress up as if it were a bought one. Full credit to my lovely Christopher for designing the labels for me. I haven't told anyone about my brand name, Handsome and Gretel, and she has no idea that I've made it so it will be such a surprise. She should get it in the next few days so I'm really excited to hear from her and find out if she likes it! 

The Beginnings

My mum taught me to sew when I was little. I have such fond memories of her sewing us   costumes and outfits we liked the looks of. Unfortunately, I grew up in the 90's so my desired outfits were a series of multicoloured tights and matching polar fleeces. The thrill of going to a fabric shop with her and picking my favourite one is undoubtedly what started my obsession with fabrics and clothes and even though it's a regular occurrence now, I still get the same giddy excitement when I enter a fabric shop that I used to then.

As a teenager, I would buy second hand dresses and alter them to fit me. Giving them a more flattering/modern style but keeping some of their vintage details. I really love the beautiful detail and elegance of vintage dresses which I find modern dresses lack, even with the current boom in vintage inspired styles. I really wish I had kept 'before' and 'after' photos of those dresses which is partly why I wanted to start this blog.