Tag: Alexander Henry

Rose Tattoo bow tie

Rose Tattoo bow tie

I spent yesterday drawing out a new bow tie pattern, and here’s the result! It’s made from quilting cotton, “Rose Tattoo” by Alexander Henry. Not that you’d know it, from the way this one’s folded, but I think it’s rather nice this way.

Rose Tattoo bow tie

As you can see, it’s both freestyle (self-tied) and adjustable. That means you get the classic self-tied look, but you don’t have to tie it yourself every time you put it on. The slider that you can see just below the collar is hidden once the tie’s fastened, and there’s a hook at the back.

This tie’s quite a long one, adjustable to fit 15″ to 21″ collars. (For reference: a ladies’ shirt in a size 12 has a collar around a 15″.) Next time I’ll amend the band a little bit, to make it a bit shorter and ever so slightly wider.

I’ve popped this one into my Etsy shop, and my plan for this afternoon is to start work on a few more to follow it!

New hat!

New hat - finished!

For Christmas, skycarrots gave me a 1960s book on millinery. I keep leafing through it, but it’s taken me all these months to get around to actually making anything. There are several chapters on “dressmaker” hats. Rather than using felt hoods and a block to mould your hat into shape, you make a pattern and sew it up in the same way that you’d make any other item of clothing.

This is a sort of a cloche style, with a four piece crown and an asymmetric brim. The fabric is “Kyoto Hollyhock” by Alexander Henry – yet another quilting cotton. The brim is made from the same fabric on both sides, and the crown is lined with plain black polycotton.

As recommended by various online tutorials, I stiffened the main fabric with fusible interfacing. It works well for speed and convenience, as you don’t have to worry about a third separate layer, but next time I think I’ll try horsehair canvas or coutil instead. The fusible interfacing prevented the fabric from steaming into a nice rounded shape at the crown, and I think horsehair or coutil will be better for that.

I finished the main body of the hat last night and left it plain. I knew it needed a bit of livening up though, so this morning I added the band around the crown, and the flower trim.

The flower is a variation on my flower brooch tutorial. I’d been reading about kanzashi (traditional japanese hair ornaments) and was inspired by some of the multi-layered flowers that I saw. Once I’d made my basic flower, I added the second layer by folding strips of bias tape into place. I used a fabric covered button to finish off the centre of the flower, and here it is – my finished hat!

New hat - finished!

Maria’s Rose Tattoo Tunic

Maria's Alexander Henry tunic

This is my usual raglan tunic/mini dress pattern, in Alexander Henry’s “The Rose Tattoo”. It’s hand bound with black bias tape. Simple as that!

Maria contacted me after I’d made Chloe’s cupcake dress, originally asking for a dress of her own in the same style. I don’t take on custom dressmaking any more (and the pattern’s been discontinued), so I would have had to say no, but in the meantime I’d started making these tunic dresses. Maria decided that this was the perfect style, and sent me a piece of fabric that she’d been hiding away in her stash.

The fabric turned out to be this Alexander Henry quilting cotton in one of my favourite prints – The Rose Tattoo. Perfect!

I’ve also had an order for a top-length version in another novelty print quilting cotton – this Beatles Yellow Submarine print. I might have accidentally ordered enough of the Sea of Holes fabric to make a little something for myself as well. While I wait for it to arrive, I just need to decode what it’s going to be…

Mini Calaveras Corset

Liz's Skull Corset

At long last, here is Liz’s custom made corset!

I say “at long last” because it’s taken me twice as long as it should have done to make – because I had to make it twice. The first time I’d got as far as putting in the busk, when I realised that I’d made a fundamental error in the pattern, and it was completely the wrong shape. Oops.

Thankfully I had just enough fabric to make another, having double and triple-checked the pattern this time. This is the result – a long underbust corset, in Alexander Henry’s “Mini Calaveras” print.

This one is my last corset for the time being, as I’m in the process of giving the sewing a bit of a re-think. I’m going to be volunteering at the Museum of English Rural Life over the summer, so I need to work out what I can and can’t do with the rest of my time.

Watch this space!

Skulls & Roses waistcoat.

Skulls & Roses waistcoat

This is what I’ve been up to today – making a skulls & roses waistcoat.

The fabric is by Alexander Henry, the print is “The Rose Tattoo”. 
The waistcoat itself is from an old “Style” (now Simplicity/New Look) pattern, from 1995. I think it’s one of the first patterns I bought when I started sewing.

I particularly like the sweetheart neckline, and I think this would look equally good worn on its own as it would over a smart shirt. 

Skulls & Roses waistcoat

I used the fabric that was left over from a skirt that I made last year. That’s why there’s a seam down the centre back – I didn’t have a large enough piece of fabric to cut the panel on a fold.

The lacing at the back gives the waistcoat a nice fit and makes it very comfortable to wear.

The only thing that’s missing now is the buttons. Despite my enormous button collection, I couldn’t find a set of ten that matched. Typical!

Rose Tattoo Retro Dress

Alexander Henry dress

Yesterday I finished off a dress that’s been almost done for far too long.

It was mostly already finished. I just had to add the waistband, sew the top and bottom halves together, and add elastic and binding. Ta daa.

I have a sneaky suspicion it’s going to be too long in the bodice for me, and therefore might need to be re-homed with somebody taller. I hope not, because I’ve just bought a buckle on Etsy, for making a matching belt!

It started life as one of my many versions of Butterick 6582. I don’t think I’ve ever made this dress exactly as per the pattern, and this incarnation is no exception.

This time I’ve left out all of the waist darts on the bodice, and gathered it into the skirt with an elastic waistband. The arms and hem are trimmed with bias binding, and there’s also a layer of tubular crinoline in the hem, to help it stand out without an extra petticoat.

The fabric is Alexander Henry’s “Rose Tattoo”.

Kyoto Hollyhock Corset

Here’s what I’ve been working on for the past few days – a corset made from a beautiful Alexander Henry quilting cotton. The design is called “Kyoto Hollyhock”, and it’s swirly red leaves on a black background.

Rhona's Corset

I’m really pleased with this one, although it’s not shown to its full effect in the picture. It gives a waist reduction of four inches, which will give the wearer a staggering seventeen inches difference between her waist and her hips. Those are the same proportions as Dita Von Teese! My dress form couldn’t accommodate that difference, but I can assure you that this corset is going to look sensational.

With each corset I’ve made, I always seem to have a crisis moment, after I’ve put the bones in but before I’ve added the binding. Will it fit? Can this really be the right shape? In that stage, a corset looks absolutely dreadful, but once the binding’s on, a real transformation takes place. Suddenly it’s neat, and almost finished.

It’s always very reassuring to put the eyelets in, lace it up, and see the finished piece in three dimensions.

Bewitched!

Lettice's Bewitched Skirt

No, not the nose-wiggling variety, nor the Ella Fitzgerald song… but the Alexander Henry fabric of the same name!

I’ve made dozens of these simple elasticated skirts now, and I never cease to be pleased with how prettily they turn out.

I’ve been asked to write up a tutorial for drafting the pattern in your own size, and putting together the skirt from it. I’m a bit pushed for time at the moment, but I’ll definitely sort that out as soon as I get a minute. These skirts are so easy to make, everybody should have one!

 

[edit] You can now find the tutorial over here!

Catching up with myself…

Here’s what I’ve been up to this week – two skirts and two jackets.

Skirts and Jackets

The two skirts are both made from Alexander Henry fabrics.
The left hand one is “Carnaby Stripe”, and it’s a knee-length skirt with an elasticated waist and broderie anglais trimming around the hem. The right hand one is “The Rose Tattoo”, and it’s an extremely full ball-gown style skirt, also with an elasticated waist. Both are made from my own patterns.

The fleecy jacket is one of a pair – the second one will be appearing later this week. It’s a dolman-sleeved hooded jacket, fastened with one enormous button! The pattern (Kwik Sew 3459) suggested leaving the edges of the fleece raw, which looked as though I hadn’t bothered to finish sewing, so I’ve added bias binding to all the edges.

The pink tartan jacket is my first foray into the adventure of draping on the stand, which I am learning about from Winifred Aldrich. I’m sure this doesn’t look very exciting from where you are (unless you happen to be a big fan of pink tartan!), so I really need to show you some photos of this one being worn. The nicest thing about it is how the fabric drapes and flows over the body, which is difficult to demonstrate on a static dress form.

I plan to develop this pattern, and make several different versions in fleece and jersey – and maybe some evening wear versions, using up some of the satins from my stash. I have some lovely aubergine charmeuse, which would drape beautifully.

That was quick!

Less than a week ago I ordered eight yards of Alexander Henry prints from Buy Fabrics Online. They turned up this morning – all the way from America in just five days, and I didn’t even have to pay any customs charges.

I placed an order with eQuilter on the same day – let’s see how long it takes for that one to arrive. I wasn’t expecting to receive either parcel for at least another week, so I’m pretty impressed so far!

Alexander Henry Fabrics

From top to bottom we have:

“Bewitched” in purple – intended for a skirt
“Carnaby Stripe” – also intended for a skirt
“Rose Tattoo” in tea – this one’s going to be a dress for me, probably in a 1950s style, if 4 yards of fabric is enough for that.

The fabric that I’m waiting for is also the Alexander Henry “Rose Tattoo”, but in a different colourway.

I’m still working on my August corset orders at the moment, and I have another two dresses to complete before I can start sewing with these lovely fabrics. I guess I’d better get a move on!