New work for Alternative Fashion Week .April 21-23. Spitafields.

This week I started to make stock for Alternative fashion week at Spitafields market. I'm sharing a stand with my beautifal and talented assistant Miss A P who runs ALQ Associates. She has been invited down to London to show her Women's and Menswear collection on the Wed. Our work is very different from each other so it will be very interesting to see how we divide the space. I brought some beautiful Makower cotton sateen from Barry's in Birmingham. I always thought that makower specialised in bridal fabric so was very suprised to see this fabulous print. I also brought it in a pale grey/turquiose combo and a wonderful sugar pink which had drawings of Brighton Pavilion all over it.



I have been an advocate of orange for years, so it's lovely to see it making a return. This print with carousels and fairground horses is enchanting. I'm really hoping that this dress will sell, It's a new style I'm trying it has a curved back and a contrast band on the hem with a little bit of vintage '70s trim. I'm doing other colourways too. I would like to see more people wearing orange and teaming it with hot pink or green, maybe stripes or polka dots......



The skirt in the background is my latest customising feature for Sew Hip magazine I think it may be Issue 19 which isn't out till about the end of April.

Friday fabric Barrys Birmingham bargains....

Please don't serve the Bag Lady.

Today lovely Miss AP and I had a well earned day of fabric buying in Birmingham. Leon came with us (her wonderful fiance) to carry our bargains and supervised our road crossing, as we tend to get flustered when we see stalls of fabric at 50p a metre. We always go to Barrys which is on the Barford Road, just a few minutes walk from the rag market. The Rag Market is open on Tues, Fri and Saturday and fabrics and trims are as cheap as dirt. The Rag Market tends to close early in the afternoon so catch the train in the morning. For the three of us it's just seven pounds each.



The lovely ladies in Barry's weren't keen on me taking a photo as they're in the middle of having new shelving put in. I think it looks fabulous like this and although some of this fabric is quite old stock it feels like new because it's been moved around. As you can see from the pic some of the fabric is just a quid a metre and I bagged some beautiful floral chiffon in pinks and yellows.



At the till I blew the entire budget buy purchasing some amazing cotton satteen in 3 different colourways, very 1950's looking with carousels and hot air balloons on. Oh, how my heart sung as I parted with the money ! AP and Leon have been invited to show at Alternative Fashion Week at Spitafields in April (19th to 23rd)and we're sharing a stall, so I'm planning lots of yummy new dresses to sell. Can't wait to get cutting. I will put pics up of fabric in due course.