Showing posts with label Melrose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Melrose. Show all posts

Thursday, 1 September 2011

PRESENT PERFECT, MELROSE

Present Perfect is tucked away just off the main street in Melrose. Its newly painted front gleams blue in the sunshine, inviting you in. Its open Tuesday to Saturday and is one of those shops your pleased you've found. Although tiny, it is packed full of household items, lighting, candles, gifts, local artist jewellery, cards and even a few teddy bears.

Here are some of the things you can find in Present Perfect:







Monday, 4 October 2010

WEDDING ART


I was commissioned to make a sketch of a brides dress for a first wedding anniversary present, here's the result.

Thursday, 23 September 2010

1st stage in gown making

SLEEVES

Here were have the first stage. Its the sleeves. I am using an embroidered linen. Its off white, more of a grey than a ususal  linen colour so I will be using silvered whites to do the embroidery with.

TOP SLEEVE: I've added the lace edge.The lace is already gathered with a bound edge. I over-locked this with a narrow rolled hem stitch, feeding the fabric edge and the lace edge through the machine together.

BOTTOM SLEEVE: As the lace is bound with a particularly nasty looking nylon tape, I topstitched the sleeve edge just to make sure that no tape was visible form the front. This step is not always necessary as a simple pressing of the bound edge to the top on the reverse would be enough.

The only thing to do before the smocking is the gather stitches along the curved edge.



BONNET

This is the bonnet, or it will be when some magical smocking has been stitches along its front edge. As you can see, the front edge has a slight curve in it. If the smocking is stitched on straight then this curve will form a peak which I think is a nice wee feature on a plain bonnet.


So far, the lace has been over-locked and top stitched in the same way as the sleeves. The sides have been hemmed using a size 4 bound hemming foot - quite easy to use when you've got the knack, but quite difficult for a left hander. The back edge has been turned to form a channel for the gathering ribbon. This will be threaded through and pulled tight to make the crown of the bonnet.