After last weekend's 'Dress in a Day' workshop I was so impressed with what everyone had achieved in the day that I decided to make another dress for myself, using the same bias cut pattern. So this is a lovely Summer dress in printed linen (from Direct Fabric warehouse on London Road), I didn't have any bias binding to match so I did double hems on the neckline, hem and sleeves. I opted for cap sleeves and gathered them slightly to make them runch a little. As the dress pattern is designed to be quite loose fitting instead of putting darts in etc I just sewed some lengths of ribbon into the side seams and tied them at the back. I think it worked out really well and I've been wearing it for the last few days because its so cool and lose fitting in this warm weather.
At the workshop everyone created different dresses, some were plain fabric with contrast or coordinating bias binding, some were patterned, others altered necklines, added darts or sewed hems in contrast coloured thread, and everyone put in some sleeves which were long, short, flared or runched! It was a really busy day for me, our tutor Sharon and everyone at the workshop!
Next 'Dress in a Day' workshop on Saturday 4th August @ Meersbrook Park United Reformed Church!
Well the shop display is actually up for the people of Sheffield to gaze at! (on Cambridge Street, in town) I am really impressed with what the retail display students have achieved. The Running With Scissors concept is quite hard to put across in a static display because its really a creative / dynamic / changing business but I think the students have got it spot on. I didn't just want to display all the products we do at our workshops as they would look really disparate and random, it was more about getting the idea across and using materials and equipment which would be of interest to people who are interested in crafting. We had decided beforehand that the chest of drawers should be painted red and then I created 6 streamers (a line of pom-poms, tape measures, red ribbon, red pom-pom trimming, a washing line with 3 products from our workshops and a paper chain in red, white and black). When I met with the students I also gave them a little sketch but I said that they could have a free hand and chop up the streamers if they wanted, use some of the items only, or could request more things.... I think its important to give creative people a free rein as both they, and you, get the most out of a situation that way. So streamers got chopped up and wool 'rope' created and fabric samples added - all to everyones benefit.
