December 2020

It's been the craziest of years for All of us, it has been an unbelievable year!! 

Worked on fresh ideas

Had an idea to do a starter embroidery kit

Wanted to inspire stay at homers to do some sewing

Did my first live video!!!

Had to make myself some silk scrunchies as my hair
 got longer in lockdown

I have sold handmade silk ribbons

I have dyed things and tried things

Always loads of ideas, not enough hours to my days!

 

A Wedding Dress in Weeks!

I have been creating wedding dresses for over 30 years, with passion, knowledge and skill. Whether a bride has a year to create her dress or as little as a number of weeks , with a will and a way , whatever the time frame it has to be ensured.

During these unprecedented and somewhat constrained times, I have been working with a number of brides who's plans have changed, but for who I will deliver. Brides who decide to get married in a matter of weeks, some who have not even started their search, are being carefully swept up, carried through the process and guided with the best practise.

"Though I usually ask brides to plan ahead approximately 9-12 months in advance to complete a bespoke bridal dress, I have always said that I would would never turn away a frockless bride. Now more than ever this is absolutely true. I love to put every ounce of energy and love into making a brides dress for her special day. If I say I can do it, and I'm not fazed you are in safe hands and you should trust that you can enjoy the experience."

You can start your journey with an online chat or a telephone call so that we can workout what is involved and what the timeframe is. This can speed things up and even as I work I can send photos of the stages of the dress and how it is coming along.

My sewing doesn't stop at wedding dresses. I can also make you a bespoke bridal veil, you can have your new initials or the wedding date monogrammed on. Also a headband or foundation wear can be made for you.

Please contact us on my mobile 07736069692 

The New Normal 2020

 Face masks, finally N.Ireland  has made it manitory for us to wear face masks while on public transport and while shopping.

To make sure you can step out in style I turned my hand to making a few. You can have a plain one or a bespoke one, or have you a logo in mind!

Princess Beatrice chooses vintage, Norman Hartnell, for her wedding dress

For those of you who want to know more about the designer Hartnell here are some facts. 

Norman Hartnell was born in London on June 12, 1901. His parents owned a pub, the Crown & Sceptre, but he never much talked about that as an adult—pubs weren't exactly popular among his well-to-do clients. He caught the fashion bug while studying at Cambridge, first creating costumes for the Footlights Dramatic Club.

Having found his calling, he dropped out of university to pursue it, leveraging the connections he made at the elite university to find upper-class clients. At the beginning of his career, he quickly found his footing as a society designer. It wasn't long before he'd found international success, catering to both silver screen stars and high-society ladies.

In 1935, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester asked Hartnell to create her wedding dress, as well as looks for her bridesmaids. Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were among those bridesmaids, and their mother took a particular liking to Hartnell's designs. From then on, Hartnell would be a favorite of the Queen Mother's; she awarded him a Royal warrant in 1940, signifying his importance.

The Queen chose Hartnell two create the two most memorable designs she's ever worn, in 1947 and her 1953 coronation gown. In 1957, he was awarded his second Royal Warrant, this time as a dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth.

Hartnell didn't just design dresses for the monarch's biggest moments; he created many of the garments she wore to the more ordinary formal events on her royal calendar. The dress that Princess Beatrice would eventually wear to her own wedding has been worn by the Queen on at least three occasions, ending in the mid-1960s: a state dinner in Rome, the premiere of Lawrence of Arabia, and the 1966 State Opening of Parliament.

The Queen wasn't the only Windsor besides the Queen Mother who became a devoted client. Princess Margaret enlisted him to design, her royal wedding dress too.

Below are some photos of him at work and his designs.

I think my favourite part of the story is that years later Beatrice decided to re vape the dress.

My understanding is that the designer Stewart Parvin and the Queens dressmaker Angela Kelly restyled the dress for Beatrice.  You can see in this last photo that a band of satin was used to make it longer.  They added organza sleeves for Beatrices look on her special day. For me the sentiment means more than anything. What are your views on  her 

choice of dress?

The latest update on what is different about a bridal dress fitting afte...

What to expect when you go bridal dress shopping. Most bridal dresses need to be made to fit. No matter whether you buy an off the peg bridal dress or have a bespoke bridal the fit is crucial. Plan ahead. Make a bridal consultation appointment. Best to plan, contact, and discuss with the dressmaker what suits your shape, style, mood and budget best. Choose a bridal buddy that can go with you to appointments, someone who is in your bubble. Health and safety measures must be adhered to, masks and gloves will be part of the new norm. Space, you will have to keep to the distance that is recommended by health and safety. Your entourage will have to watch by video. Focus on the advice and expert knowledge from people who have been in the bridal industry for years. Talent and creativity are part of the process in making a bridal dress. Being able to read a person, know their character and knowing what is best for their shape will help in the choice of the right dress in a quicker time. Do a proper gut check about what you are looking for style-wise, what you like and what suits you. Its important you select a dress that has you looking and feeling like your best self. Social distancing means that you may need to be guided through the process, how best to be measured, will you change size and how competent is your bridal buddy. Some brides may consider bringing their fiances to help choose their dress. Virtual bridal consultations and At-home fittings could be considered. Now that Northern Ireland has changed to a 1 metre policy for social distancing fittings have been made easier. A lot of things can be tweaked in alterations. An experienced seamstress can gauge from a metre distance what can be pinned in place on a tailors dummy. A tailors dummy can be made to be your size and shape so that the dress can be fitted to it.

Latest News on what brides should expect as bridal shops reopen.

As we wait for the NI Gov to release a date when bridal and fashion shops can operate safely , here is some light reading for those planning to go shopping once we re open.

Here’s our guide to help you prepare for your shopping experience and know what you can expect.

Should I book an appointment in advance?

Yes, almost certainly! In order for many stores to be COVID secure, it is likely that they will be by appointment only. Simply popping in to browse will not be a possibility for the foreseeable future. Your entourage will also be limited and you may be encouraged to come with just one person to help with decisions. 

It is important you to have all the time you need to make such an important decision without feeling rushed. There will inevitably be fewer appointments available to allow time for deep cleaning between customers so it is even more important than before to do your research online and on social media before booking an appointment. Many bridal boutiques already have a waiting list for appointments so that they can get started as soon as they are permitted to open.

Some boutiques ask for a small fee to book your appointment. This to ensure you are serious about purchasing so that they can dedicate their time to help you; if you purchase your wedding dress from that boutique, they will usually take this amount off the final bill. Each store’s policy is different so check with them individually before booking an appointment.

Book appointment for wedding dress shopping.

How should I prepare for a bridal boutique appointment?
REMEMBER, if you or anyone in your household have coronavirus symptoms or have been in contact with someone who is COVID positive, you should postpone your appointment immediately and isolate for the government-recommended amount of time. If anyone in your entourage is experiencing symptoms they should not attend the appointment with you.

It’s best to contact the boutique before booking an appointment. Learn as much as you can about their policies and if you have any questions then contacting them in advance. Do your research prior to the appointment and discuss your style preferences with the boutique to ensure they have what you are looking for or want to try on. For many stores, it will be unlikely that you’ll be allowed to spend time browsing as they’ll want to limit touchpoints and their staff will take the dresses you choose into the dressing room. If you have a particular style in mind, print off pictures to take with you or send them in advance, rather than handing them your phone to look at. Be aware that there may be less stock due to the knock-on effect of coronavirus. So, if there is a particular fabric, style or designer you are looking for, ensure the shop knows so they can advise you prior to the appointment. Ask the store what their policies are and what you can expect from your shopping experience. Ensure that you have done everything you can to research and prepare for the appointment and provide the team with the information they need to fit your style. They will provide you with information about the safety measures they have in place and any further information you will need prior to the event.

Ask if there is anything you need to prepare or bring with you to ensure that you are complying with the guidelines set by the government. For example, they may not be able to provide you with a beverage and may need you to bring some water with you in your own bottle.
You’ll be encouraged to only bring just one member of your bridal party with you to minimise risks. While we are still waiting for the government to announce what it means to be ‘COVID secure’, it is worth being aware that the person who attends the appointment with you may need to be someone from your own household. The person you bring with you may have to help you to dress to minimise contact with the staff in the shop so choose someone that you are comfortable with. Brief whoever is accompanying you so that they know the safety regulations set out by the bridal shop. Everyone will need to comply and there will be no exceptions.
You may feel safer bringing someone from your own household, which could be your partner. It may break with tradition, but it is more important to stay safe. Remember, you’ll try on several dresses so you can agree on a code word with the boutique so you can let them know which is “the one” and keep your partner guessing which you’ll be wearing on the day.

How to make the most of your shopping experience.
Arrive on time for your appointment.

What will my shopping experience be like?
This will likely include the shop staff wearing gloves and masks and the installations of plastic shields and sanitation points where necessary.
You may be asked to bring your own mask and gloves to wear or be offered PPE when you arrive.
You will not be able to browse as extensively as you would like. This will be to minimise touch points and to ensure the boutique know exactly where they need to clean between appointments. The appointment may feel slightly clinical as you will need to follow certain hygiene and safety procedures. You may be asked to remove your outdoor shoes and wash or sanitise your hands on arrival.
Hopefully it will still be a fun and memorable experience for all the right reasons. Unfortunately there will be less hugging when you’ve found the dress.

Shopping safely for your wedding dress during Covid19.
What if I don’t find my wedding dress during the appointment?
Do not panic!  You can have your dress made especially for you. Maybe you have seen the top of one dress you like and want a different type of skirt, no problem.

You will leave the appointment with more knowledge and more confident about what you want. That might involve a second appointment at the same boutique if you just needed more time, a different friend to advise you or a fresh perspective on another day. 

It is kind to leave the first appointments in June and July for those brides that are getting married this year, but if you have had to postpone, or have been planning your wedding during the coronavirus lockdown, it is time that you planned for a bit of fun … and nothing will put a smile on your face more convincingly than finding the right dress.

Midwife from Cookstown on the front cover of VOGUE

I just LOVE this story and had to share with you, how brilliant must Rachel feel and so she should. Imagine a midwife from Cookstown has featured on the cover of Vogue!! - a special edition for key workers who are at the height of the health pandemic. 

The July publication stars key workers from across the UK, and 24-year-old Rachel Millar is representing Northern Ireland.

Rachel says " never thought they would be bothered with the like of me"

Now a community midwife at Homerton Hospital in East London, Rachel says her fascination for pregnancy and birth started early when she witnessed her grandparents doing lambing season every year on their farm.

Speaking to Vogue she said: "Every week is different. I could be doing night shifts in the birth centre, antenatal clinics seeing women throughout their pregnancies, or postnatal home visits – checking in on couples who have recently left the labour ward with their newborns. I also do on-calls for the home birth team which last 24 hours (from 8am to 8am the following day). I just love being with the women in this really special time in their lives.

"One of the hardest moments for me during the pandemic was when I had my bike stolen. If you’ve ever watched Call the Midwife, you’ll know the importance of two wheels to an east London midwife, especially when we’re desperately trying to avoid public transport.

"Having to carry on working for the rest of the week, maintain good morale, and be that reassuring voice to worried parents was made slightly more difficult.

But, within a few hours, a friend who also works at Homerton Hospital had raised over £500 online to help get me back on the road. Another colleague tweeted the story and within an hour, a local company had donated a brand new electric bike.

"It’s just one example of the community support and kindness that I’ve seen over the past few months, and what initially drew me to work in Homerton Hospital and the surrounding area. To say that I’m proud of my work family, and my wider community’s response to this pandemic, is an understatement.

I have had several brides that are midwives and nurses over the years and I think of them all at this time. Last month three of my past brides had babies in the middle of this crisis and I'm happy to say All Mum's and babies are doing fine, thanks to our NHS staff.

Coronavirus weddings, 'hoping against HOPE to tie the knot in 2020

What's the future hold for weddings in Northern Ireland?
Faith, Hope and Love, so often part of the speech on wedding days.
There was heart ache and joy and the recognition that the N Ireland politicians do have hearts when a terminally-ill bride-to-be's cousin Vivienne persuaded the authorities to grant the couple their wishes and let them marry with six people  attending ( including the bride and groom and registrar) and a video-link to allow other members of their family participate. Restores our Faith in humanity.


As more retailers are being allowed to open what will it mean for bridal shops?
Can we all work together to make things feasible? Before lockdown I asked a bride to use the hand sanitizer on entering my premises and she refused, I still can't believe it!! For my bridal shop to survive will I have to sell off the peg wedding dresses without brides-to-be trying on? Or will I have to have 72 hours between try ons so that no covid-19 still is on the fabric? I have plenty of space and could use different areas to let brides-to-be try on and then leave the dresses sitting for at least 72 hours. I could wear PPE so that I could fit a dress!!

While some brides are happy to re-arrange for later in the year, others are still holding out hope for a summer wedding. "Many brides don't want to change their wedding plans too soon in case lockdown is lifted. But no one knows how long this is going to last."

And brides are feeling the strain too. "Usually when I meet a bride, they are beaming and jumping for joy but having these conversations now is very different. Some of them are very upset and crying, others are very despondent," Hang in there girls we must have HOPE

If fact already Northern Ireland aims to allow small outdoor weddings from 8th June, with fewer than ten people attending. I have already had one of my brides mothers phone me to say they are going to have a smaller wedding and so now they want the bride to have the dress of her dreams and they would like me to be the one to make her her special dress.

With churches, hotels and beauty spots closed down due to the government-imposed restrictions, brides are struggling to find a suitable new venue for a summer wedding should the cermonies be allowed by say the end of August.

Meanwhile, wedding venues, wedding décor businesses, cake makers, musicians and florists - all of which were shut down as non-essential - are having mixed fortunes due to the pandemic.

Will more couples reduce their wedding numbers for them to be allowed to go ahead with a smaller more intimate wedding, the wedding industry is in chaos, can LOVE see us through?

My Lockdown Birthday

Another birthday, time goes in so fast, I don't really do birthdays as it reminds us that we have less time left to do all the things we want to. I remember when I had just finished my degree show and the NI Embroidery Guild asked me to talk at one of their meetings saying there were just not enough hours to my day, I'm still saying the same. You would think with this world pandemic and lockdown I would have managed to do at least some of the things I had never found time to do, but there is always something that happens. I thought my March, April, May would be filled with all the wedding work that was on my to do list but as weddings were cancelled my Dad took ill and passed. Now I have more time to reflect and more time to think about what I do to make good use of my time. Time is precious and we don't always stop and take time to think that none of us know how long we have got on this earth.

Take nature, we watch the dandelions in our garden and the grow and bloom and blossom and with one blow of wind they fly away. Flowers never last long, yet they are so beautiful and amazing how they grow.

Birds seem to chirp and dart around the sky more so during this crisis as we have time to look and listen.

This little picture I have, inspired by nature, is something I have from Mum. The flowers in the foreground are tiny stitches and knots , a representation of our gardens in full bloom. A joy to look at to remind us of summer in the long dark winter nights and be past from generation to generation.

Health and Happiness have to be our wealth.

This is the first birthday I have had since my Mum and Dad have both passed. Things that you have of theirs and memories you have have more significance. This little bag, hand sewed by my Mum is so worn and used that to someone else it might seem of little importance, makes me realise something I embroider now might be kept for years to come with real meaning.

I used toi making wedding dresses which are special for one day maybe its time I did some embroidery pieces that can be enjoyed everyday for far longer.

Virtual Tour of my Shop

With the shutters shut and my shop empty times are strange!!

The Fitting Room

Normally this time of year I'm busy with fittings for my weddings for the year but that's noit happening May 2020.
With the nation anticipating Boris Johnson’s economic road to recovery strategy later this week, I thought it was a good time to discuss how the new normal might look once I can open the shop again.

Brides haven’t stopped searching for their dress or thinking about their weddings.

There are currently three type of brides:

• Brides who are already your customer – these include brides who have postponed their weddings/fittings and brides whose gowns have arrived or been ordered
• Brides who have visited your store and tried on dresses, but not purchased
• Brides who are unaware of your brand

I understand your fears/concerns and I am putting in place the correct measures to guarantee that you are safe when you come to collecting/buying their gown.

While I cannot predict the future, or the ’right’ way to do things, I can be sure that we won’t return to business as usual.

Side entrance

HYGIENE- I want to encourage everyone to be as healthy and safe as possible so I have dispensers at the entrances and exits. I want to encourage everyone to limit interactions with door handles and cash. I hope when you have an appointment that you will be happy to use the hand sanitizers on arrival and that I can only allow "ONE STAR GUEST". As I only have one appointment at a time in my shop so this should reassure you that you will not come into contact with another bride. I will stagger appointments and allow enough time at the end of each visit to clean all soft furnishings, floors and gowns.

Plenty of room for fittings

Maybe I should think about Virtual Experiences, like a Virtual Bridal Appointment, where you might see dresses that I have in my shop. Maybe we could discuss over the phone what it is that you think you are interested in and I then could show you examples.

To start I thought why not take you on a tour of my shop.

"Bee the reason someone smiled today"

"Be the reason someone smiled today" was on the notice board as I sat beside my Dad in AandE at the Ulster Hospital on 4th March 2020 this year. I remember the next day coming into work and doing a post on my Instagram page as it resonated with me. I am always inspired by nature and I remember hearing somewhere that there is a bee that is unique to the Ards Peninsula where I come from that is called the Black Bee. More and more I have been embroidering bees in my work as you can probably see on my posts on social media.

Everytime I embroider an outfit of my own a bee seems to appear on it some where.

For bees the flower is the fountain of life. For flowers the bee is the messenger of love. 

A couple from" God's own country",Valentine & Chris Hodges keep more than 100 hives on the Ards Peninsula. They became increasingly aware of the threats from imported bees and the spread of the varroa mite which was effecting the native black bee, which had almost gone extinct. They have made a haven for the black bee.

                                                  “The busy bee has no time for sorrow”

A lot of my bees in these photos I have worked on black. I have to admit my cashmere jumpers ended up with some bees after a month got in and decided to do some damage!! 

My brides may not all be aware when they see me sporting my ensembles with my bees that the reason the bee is there is because it hides a wee hole!! With me having been in lockdown I have been working on a sampler for the NHS and I have managed to be in my garden and noticed the bees enjoying the April sunshine so yet again a bee has appeared on my work.

This is part on my sampler I am working to raise money for the NHS, please visit my Facebook page (my private page) if you want to be in with your chance of receiving this embroidery sampler to give to someone you would like to say THANK YOU to!!

Why the NHS not NWS

It’s impossible to think of weddings and work when we aren’t even sure what happens next. My life normally consists of brides and wedding dates but all of a sudden that’s gone. These days I think of my brides who are having to go to work and their wedding is the last thing on their mind. 

So much has been going on in my life and my work was part of what kept me going. Maybe as much as work it was actually the people I was working for!! Part of what I do is attention to detail and over the last lot of years with trends, abbreviations have got more prevalent. OMG, GOT, GOH, MOG, TWG, ICU well I never really took to that. Recently a guy text my husband NS and we guessed what he meant until we revivified it to discover it was not actually what we had thought!!

NHS!! Well I know that one and I had no doubt in my mind that I wanted to do whatever I could in anyway to help them and I will explain why. I’m very fortunate I have hardly ever even had to go to the GP.  But with work I get to chat to lots of brides and I learn an awful lot of them. Experience of life, thoughtfulness, modern technology, Iphone APP & some abbreviations, MOB & MOG. My Mum was diagnosed with a horrible illness and the day I was told about it one of my brides, a doctor, was with me. She knew me well, I had made her sisters dress,told me not to Google it! She said it’s a horrible illness and it will not be a nice end so just don’t read up about it. If you know me, and she clearly did, that was what I took out of what she said and I reckon to this day it was the perfect advice. Sometimes people ask for my take on a situation, I probably always have one but I like to think I always say that it is only my take on it and they must do what they feel is right for them. 

Thankfully now this charity is helping NI too.

  I’m not good at abbreviations!! I’m going on a bit!! I read a quote “nursing records must be written without abbreviation”, I wonder could I have been a nurse. Back to my brides, within my former brides I have doctors working in ICU now, doctors in mental health, two midwife’s and lots of nurses!!! If I could say anything to them now it would be those famous three words used at weddings, FAITH, HOPE and LOVE. MY Experience of life has taught me stressing or panicking is wasted energy. My husband has had his battle with the cancer (Big C) for three years, I panicked but hide it as much as possible from him and my brides, however it was a useless emotion! Without the NHS in particular where would he be. 

While my Dad was in hospital recently I talked with ambulance drivers and nurses about work, they all were so calm and caring! Outside people were panic buying and acting like idiots and everytime I went into the Ulster Hospital I found an oasis of calm. Once I wasn’t able to visit Dad I turned to my sewing to fill my days. Shops were shut but The Skip opened for me and gave me the fabric to make scrubs for the Ulster Hospital. I felt it was at least my way of helping. Former brides gave me advice on what was needed and guided me through. When I ran out of fabric social media put me back in contact with a girl who’s Mum & Dad I had worked for years ago. Her Mum was or is a very specialist palliative care nurse. Weirdly my Dad drove for the Wedding Cars the day of their wedding, funny how memories comeback! Thankfully the same car company agreed to drive my Dad home to his beloved house on Good Friday 2020, not quite the goodbye my Dad had wished for. 

So you see Faith, Hope and Love gets you through most things but the NHS were a big big part of that so that is why I will do what I can to help. Any of the people I came in contact with through these times, once we are back in wedding mood must hopefully know I will do anything I can to help them in return. Our NHS are awesome!!