A little dress making

OK so when it comes to sewing of any kind I am a bit ropey, don't get me wrong I love it and I can just about pull off a lovely tote or toy bunny rabbit, but anything more technical and I have to call in Mrs A. And step in she will have to, as this week I took a delivery of this lovely pattern book to make some tea dresses out of a bunch of beautiful dress fabric I acquired whilst working for Cath Kidston. The fabric is rayon and the prints are of course very retro/vintage in style and would have been used as tea dress material by Ms. Kidston. I look forward to showing you the results when we are done (it may be a while yet).

Oh and one other thing... the book is entirely in Japanese so good luck mother!

 Stylish dress book ISBN978-4-579-11185-5

How are you with dress making?

typically.pretty.wish list 03/13

One or two items from Etsy for you to covet today, I hope you like them as much as I do.

1. Illustration by Libby Burns Design
2. Illustration by Spread the Love
3. Wall hanging by ELWoodworks
4. Gloves by Bloomed Flower
5. Clutch by Cindy Mars 7
6. Leg warmers by Three Bird Nest

treats - thrifted tops

Look what I picked up this week. Whether it's thrifting/charity shop chic/flea market foraging, whatever you like to call it, finding little gems like these is always a treat.

Selling Second Hand

I decided to throw a few things on eBay today and when taking the photo's (sorry still only able to use the phone!) I wanted to give potential buyers some idea on how the items could be used/worn. So I thought I would share a few tips with you, drawing on my time as a visual merchandiser, on how to make something more appealing. 

Obviously your main shot should be of the item as a stand alone piece as your customer will want to see exactly what they are buying. But, to draw people in it is always good to give some lifestyle shots, showing how an item of clothing could be worn, for example. If you are lucky enough to have a mannequin you can show clothing as part of a whole outfit, accessorise with jewellery or a scarf, and pin at the back to give a nice line.

For bags it is always best to stuff them so they look full, sheets of tissue paper works well loosely screwed into a ball. Then to show the bag off place a book/purse/scarf etc in it to give your customer an idea of they would use it. As long as you clearly state that these things are not included in the purchase you can style the item in whichever way shows it at its best. 

I hope you find these basic tips helpful, and by the way Les Miserables was great, emotional, but great!

typically.pretty.wish list 01/13

I'm still in love with chunky knits and it's clear the sun isn't heading to these shores anytime soon, so here is a look at some new items in store that I am coveting! I particularly heart the idea of bringing the leather look leggings out again to wear with a long sweater and biker boots.

1. Denim trapeze dress from Topshop
2. Utility jacket from New Look
3. Knitted clean v-neck sweater from Topshop
4. Basic tee from New Look
5. PU cuff legging from Urban Outfitters
6. Gene cuban ankle boot from Allsaints 

Have a good day xx