Day 43- Beautiful views

This Saturday I needed to just relax, so it's means that I didn't go shopping, thought it was tempting. In the morning I went running, the weather was so stunning! I just ran somewhere, the further the better. I found nice park and there was beautiful views. 

In the evening I went to a pub for the first time here in London. My landlady was with me first, she showed me the place, which was in the Walthamstow central. The pub was called Ye olde rose & crown. I heard a story about the place that in medieval time people who came far and were going to London, used to stay at the pub to sleep overnight and continue their journey to London, which took about a day with their horses etc. 

It was definitely an experience to visit a pub here, so different that being in a bar in Finland. And the culture is more easy-going and people are so open minded and friendly to strangers. 

Christmas tree in our living room

Day 42- Sings of Christmas

Now when we are getting closer to December, I noticed that it says ''Merry Christmas and Happy New year'' on the doors of different shops, and there is now Christmas tree on our living room. It got me thinking how fast this year has gone by. And soon it really is new year, and time to make some decisions regarding to my future. I've been struggling to decide what I really want to do next year. I mean applying to schools and really focusing on making my dreams come reality. It sure ain't easy now, 'cause I am getting more and more interested about studying abroad. And realizing how many options I have in my hands is confusing. 

me at the studio

Anyways, back to today's business.. Today at work I draw some patterns for kid's clothing. I continued where I had stayed last time so today I finished making all the patterns ready for making kid's dresses some day. Then I cut more lace for one dress, which needs lace decoration to the hem. The rest of the day I repaired the old vintage dress, which was coming apart. The lace fabric felt almost like a paper to me, it has become very stiff and fragile over time.

a pile of patterns

lace for a dress I cut before

cutting lace trimming for the fragment dress

vintage dress

repairing the shoulders

broken lace fabric

Day 41- Lovely Thursday

This Thursday was lovely, thought I got stuck in the traffic on my way to work, not for a long time but still it isn't nice. I'm feeling good, and had a couple of days, mainly on the weekend, when I missed home, but that has faded already.

But I got to work and I continued making the lace cap and added a few lace flowers in it, attachable veil and a brooch for a decoration. Then when the cap was ready, I cut fabrics for the Karlie dress. The dress I'm talking about has a godet, short lace sleeves and quite open back. Anyways, the design is simple, but simplicity is beautiful :)

So here is some pictures from today:

about to cut the netting

closer look to the cap

making the edges straight

sewing the stitch for a gathering

added this brooch

''Karlie'' dress

all of the pieces cut

Day 40- Something new

My day started with going to the Shepherd's bush to pick up fabrics for Minna. There are lots of fabric shops at Shepherd's Bush in the western London. Me and my workmate Laura, went to Classic Textiles, got our fabrics and headed to the studio.

at Goldhawk Road station

fabric stores and the Shepherd's Bush market

At the studio I continued working with the silk dress. I'm not familiar with silk fabrics, so I wasn't very comfortable altering this dress at the beginning. But definitely learned new things with this garment, so I was glad to finish it. To alter the shoulder parts, I had to unpick the seam first, then place the lace again and sew it on it's place. 

altering the shoulder parts

finished seam

and from the back

Today I also made a pattern for a lace cape, so that I could make a new one since there was no existing pattern. I started with marking some darts, pleats etc. to the headpiece and the unpicked the cap. Then I was able to put it on the pattern paper and trace it to have a pattern on fold. After that it was quite easy to make a new cap, while trying on the cap and laughing cause it's so not my style :D The cap is pretty and sure fits someone who is into vintage accessories.

a lace cap with flowers

making a pattern from the old cap

ready pattern

a new lace cap

flower details

sewing it together

Day 39- Vintage and silk

On Tuesday at work I repaired one dress, cause there was a hole near the shoulder seam. So I unpicked the seam, I set the runaway threads between the seam, added just a bit of a glue and sewed the seam together. Then I made a very beautiful detail to one of the new dresses. I cut the lace edge from fabric and sewed it to the lining of the dress, so that it shows under the main fabric in the hem.

I was facing a bit of a challenge with attaching the lace to the lining, cause the fabric was stretching and the lace wasn't that much, but I managed to get them together nicely.

a cute kids dress at the studio

hole in the fabric

repaired seam

cutting the hem

lace trimming (cut out from fabric)

sewing the lace to the hem of the lining

shoulders need some alterations

Brixton Road about 6pm