Mod Musings

Although things have been a little quiet on the blog front - my creative cogs have been busy whirring away!

While its been some times since I've contributed any Me-Made garments to my wardrobe of late, I have been having a blast designing some new delights for my next collection at Molly-Made, with love.

And all I can think about is 60's MOD!

It just so happens that I'm currently working on an archive project at work, and have been sourcing and pulling all the advertisements the company ran in the 1940's through to 1980's. I can hardly call it work - its so much fun. Our label has morphed irrefutably since its inception in 1911, but it really seemed to have blossomed in the 60's and the inspiration it's provided for my new collection is undeniable.

Not only are the shapes structured and playful, but the colours are bold and bright and give me the opportunity to play with my blatantly favourite colour combination - red, white and blue! it just screams London Mod.

Although I can't give you a sneak peeks just yet (even though I'm just dying too) I will leave you with some delightfully 60's eye candy for the devine Courreges -

Happy Tuesday Dears! x

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing you all a very happy Valentine's Day!

Here are some delightfuly Pun-ny Valentine's cards just for you. ( I should be ashamed of that one!)

Have a Lovely day! xx

The World says No!

Yesterday was one of those days! You know the type I'm talking about. One of those days when you just don't want to get out of bed. Its the type of day when you put on a dress that you wore only last week and the zip splits. When you run for the bus and wave your arms like a mad woman, and still miss it. When you forget to pack your lunch and don't have a penny to your name and your hungry and cranky. One of those days when it seems that everyone who woke up on the wrong side of the bed finds you, just so they can be rude. When it rains and you don't have your umbrella and your perfectly straightened fringe curls like it has never curled before and sticks up like corkscrews from your forehead.

It is on days like that my friends and fellow sewers that you should not attempt to sew. I repeat DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SEW.

It's days like that when you need your fairy god mother to say to you "Molly, don't even think about it! Back away from the sewing machine!" and hand you your super dorky, yet inviting flannelette pajama's, a bar off chocolate and order you to bed.

Sadly, I don't have a guardian angel, and as I am slowly but surely learning, I appear to not have an common sense either. I know this ladies and gentlemen, because I did not heed the warnings that the universe was sending me - and I SEWED!

IT WAS DISASTROUS!

It all started with a dress sample that I was making for the next Finders Keepers Market and my Molly-Made store. I had drafted a cute sixties shape shift/tent dress and cut it out in a royal blue poly cotton. The same fabric used for the Penelope Pom Pom Skirt.

For some reason I then decided that a little white peter pan collar would look cute on the dress. Had I forgot all those years of watching Madeline? Did I not know that the french school girl look ought to be left to small cartoon girls that walked in lines of two?

Even if that was the look I was going for, Look at that collar!? What the!?

Both those side were cut from the same pattern, using the same seam allowance, how on earth did the end up so uneven??

Then we have the issue of the zip. It was beginning to resemble a very nice lapped zipped. Except for the fact that it too is completely wonky!

It was at this point that the dress got tossed into the corner of the room and I sat there pouting, with my arms crossed (Madeline-esque?)

This dress is SO BAD, I even contemplated submitting it to lovely Karen's Ugly Amnesty over at Did you Make That, but that would mean finishing it and there was no way in hell that was going to happen.

So - Moral to the story children, don't run with scissors! ..... or sew when having a bad day!

Whats your biggest sewing disaster? do you have any words of wisdom?

Finders Keepers: Featured Designer

I'm super pleased to say that Molly-Made, With Love was featured on the Finders Keepers Blog today!

Check it out here.

Things are full steam ahead for the next FK market in June, and I've been busy sampling up some new additions for the winter range- I can't wait to share them with you!

Have a Good Weekend x

It is a truth, Universally Acknowledged...

..... That I have always wanted to dress up as Elizabeth Bennett! So here it is, finally, my Elizabeth Bennett gown!

If you have ever read Pride & Prejudice or are at all familiar with the story, you'll know that Elizabeth Bennett would never wear such a bold, rich dress. To me the hue would be much more suited to someone like Caroline Bingley. I love Caroline's character and her snooty attitude, but seeing as the opportunity to dress in regency garb (not in my life anyhow) doesn't arise too often, I just knew I had to go as Elizabeth. So, shall we just say it's an Elizabeth dress, post marriage to Mr Darcy?

Anyway, Whatever, who cares?! I got the wear a floor length gold regency dress, I wasn't about to let any literary technicalities stand in the way of that!

I used Burdastyles Danielle # 9306 for the base and made a few alterations, such as lengthening the skirt and widening it too, so I could add a few pleats to the front and back panels.

I also added extra width to the bust, So that I could add some darling little pin tucks to the front.

The fabric started it's life as 3 large curtain panels that I found a Vinnie's (a Thrift Store) about a year back for a mere $5. They were perfect for my bedroom, but for some reason they never got hung and now, well, I suppose its a little late for that! It appears to be a synthetic Shantung? Its quite stiff, and a little scratchy so I lined it in white cotton, the same cotton the curtains were backed with originally (Thrifty, Thrifty!).

Now, this dress is tight! and by tight, I mean tight tight! So tight, that while I was struggling out of it, my arm got pinched in the fabric and left a suspicious looking mark. You try to convincingly tell your colleagues "No, that's not a love bite, I just got stuck in regency dress". Sad, but true!

Other than a minor seam pull in the underarm (caused by above event) this dress held together very well, and I certainly put it to the test - Tennis, Bunny chasing, Badminton, Dancing, Eating, Drinking, You know -all the things you do at a good party!

Now I just need to find another excuse to wear it again - any ideas?