My Textile Designs

Butterflies and Flowers

I have produced a collection of textile designs using silks,linen,embroidery, and beading.
Some of my designs include lace made by my Great Grandmother and vintage buttons, buckles and beads I have collected over the years.
This collage was sage green silk satin mounted on white linen.

A satin stitch hand Embroidered Linen Cushion

Another of my vintage finds that I made into this stunning cushion. It is such a fine example of the disappearing art of hand embroidery of this quality.

Beautiful Claire

Andy and  Sophia

I really can't believe it is over a year since my lovely JP and Claire tied the knot and the whole family went to Richmond Park for their fantastic wedding!

The ever organised Claire had some ideas of what she wanted me to make for 'The Dress' and here it is. Gorgeous Duchesse Satin, with a tulle overlay of beaded embroidery, it is a stunning look on Claire with her fantastic figure.

Claire was the perfect client and she was a joy to make such a special dress for.

To see more picures of the Wedding of 2009 go to my website

www.mrsbdesigns.vpweb.co.uk

 

 

Vintage Embroidered Hearts.... filled with lavender

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I have a fantastic collection of my great grandmothers' (on both sides) hand embroidery and hand made lace. This one of meadow flowers is particularly beautiful, and the colours are so bright and vivid.
It was hard to cut them up to make my vintage lavender hearts but as the linen ground fabric has many stains on ( mostly red wine, which is impossible to remove) I found it a bit easier, especially when the hearts were filled with French Lavender.



Look for my Lavender hearts on Etsy coming soon or available from Redhouse Gifts in Totnes, Devon. http://www.redhousegifts.co.uk/

Vintage Fashion

This is my lovely friend Samaya Ling ( in the white beret). We met at Shepton Mallet Flea market last year while I was selling my vintage textiles. Sam bought some lovely 1940's shoes from me and we got talking about fashion and textiles of course....

Sam sells vintage at all the big London Textile markets, Hammersmith, Chelsea etc and she has a blog http://www.samayalingvintage.blogspot.com/
We meet up at each others place for coffee and a chat about our latest finds and projects! I recently took some of my John Galliano to show her and I have a fabulous Zandra Rhodes dress from the 1980's. All from the early days of my career in fashion and I have pieces from the designers I used to work with.
Last year I put some of the Galliano's in for a sale at Christies ...with amazing results!

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Welsh Tapestry... a fabric I love

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I made this cushion out of a piece of a Welsh Tapestry. It is an amazing woven material and is reversible with a totally different effect on both sides.



I inherited thousands of vintage buttons from my grand parents, and adorned this cushion with all the Art Deco 1930's buttons in the collection. My husband had been given a beige (shocking beige!) sweater and it was an awful colour on him , so I pinched it off him and cut it up to make the back!

My Visit to the V&A Quilt Exhibition

My first coach trip in years was a trip with my patchwork group from Castle Combe to the 'ol smoke, another first in years, to go back to London! I started with a good look, of course at the fashion section of the V&A. I did of course get there via the museum shop! where it was impossible to resist buying the Repro vintage print fabrics. These I have used to inspire my latest patchwork cushions.

The Quilt Exhibition itself was amazing and I had my sketch book to hand for getting down some ideas for my first quilt.

With tired feet after 3 hours sketching and taking photos on my phone of some of the main V&A exhibits, I wandered down to South Kensington to reminisce on my London working days! I found a lovely Charity shop ( which I had to ask the assistant if I was in a vintage shop or a Charity shop! due to the price tags). So watch this space for my pictures of a completed quilt by ME!

Charlie Boots Launches New Collection

 

This is one of my favorite designs from the new Charlie Boots collection

One of the unique selling points of Charlie's designs is they are all reversable. CB is a very creative pattern cutter and I am impressed for the fact that this is her first collection and each piece is so different to anything I have seen before. Darts and seams are cleaverly placed on the inside and out.I must also say they are beautifully made! http://www.charlieboots.com/

Pattern Cutting and Knitting

John, our new postman (shhh dont say postman too loudly or Milligan will go crazy woofing at the door) has just  delivered my latest assignment. Redhound stuff has arrived at last and I can start creating the latest in doggie fashions!
Also a lovely Tweed and suede throw was lovingly wrapped for a belated birthday pressie from my friend in Devon, Debs, and some more French lavender for my hearts.

First, I will finish the knitting I started on Monday for the doggie Jumpers.Work came to a halt after an industrial injury when a knitting machine needle went straight into my right index finger nail! outch....
I know this looks like a Cat ( it is in fact Periwinkle the Siamese cat/dog I inherited last year from my Nan!)
But he does look good in a Redhound handknit!

My Patchwork craze!

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After my visit to the V&A quilt exhibition with the Castle Combe patchwork group, I have been passionately stiching my seminole patchwork using ribbons and Repro vintage print fabrics into heart shaped cushions.
The smaller ones are filled with French lavender from Provence and they smell heavenly, of course they are perfect to hang by the bed if you have trouble sleeping! Find my hearts for sale on Etsy at
my Etsy shop called* heartsofengland*

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• Quilts at the V&A (thefword.org.uk)