Stars in your eyes!

It is the time of year when we notice the stars in the night's sky. The star represents a beacon of HOPE - a shining light that guides the way. Some would even say a star conveys divine guidance and protection. As it twinkles in the sky it lights the hope in the darkness, so you could say it's a symbol of positivity, happiness or renewal. 

So I decided to put stars in my window this season. This is a sequinned tulle.

This embroidery has stars and sparkle with a scroll in an ornate heart shape. 

Bridal design trends and ideas for 2024 brides

Sometimes I stop and realise how quick time flies and here we are nearly at the end of another year and looking forward to what's in store for 2024. When my head is down sewing I just don't see where the time flies. One thing about my work is I cannot ever miss a deadline so this time of year I feel I have to do my best to stop take stock of projects I want to do and how I want to best present them to you. 

I am quite a shy person and I much prefer to meet you in person to firstly put you at ease and then to get to know how I can help you. Trying to put into words or to present what I try to do for brides and customers seems really difficult for me. People often ask me outside of my shop what I do for a living and I never know how best to answer. This year one of my clients described me as a creative problem solver, which I thought was kind of apt. I am constantly creating but in that process you have to problem solve as fabric and people need you to adapt to their needs.

Sometimes I feel like I have my "back against the wall" as I have to work out what a bride wants and how I can give it to her for the price she wants, so I have to do my best to quickly come up with the perfect solution. Other times I feel a girl was meant to come to me and the whole experience just falls into the perfect scenario.

Keeping up with the latest fashion trends is easier now than ever. I actually find it nearly too much information. There are ideas and inspiration all around. One of the reasons I like working for a client is that it keeps me focused and stops me getting too many ideas and not knowing which one to start. However I also like to create “off the peg” dresses when I get ideas that I want to put into reality. 

So instead of being split I stay focused on what is desired and required. Hopefully from my 

inserted pictures you are being feed the trends for 2024. That is what our smart phones do today, they feed us with trends they want us to inspired by. However much they want to tell us what to wear, we have our own unique style and personality and we want to feel special.

The wedding dress is perhaps the most important aspect of any bride's big day. It's a symbol of love, beauty, and tradition. Recently, wedding dress trends have evolved to reflect the changing tastes and styles of modern brides. 2024 is all about personalisation and that extends to wedding fashion. Couples are opting for bespoke wedding attire, ensuring their outfits are as unique as their love story. Discover the world of custom wedding gowns, jumpsuits and accessories that reflect your individual style. 

One trend that has taken the bridal world by storm is the rise of the non-traditional wedding dress - and this trend is here to stay. Many brides are opting for dresses in colours other than white, such as blush, champagne, or even bold shades and details. These unconventional colours allow brides to express their unique personalities and stand out from the crowd.

Bridal seperates are a popular choice for brides in 2024. With the growing trend of having multiple looks throughout your wedding day, we're seeing a lot more brides opting for a two-piece or three-piece bridal ensemble for their wedding day. This look is seriously stylish and you can put it together however you like.

Oversized bows are making a real impact on bridal catwalks. In addition to adding drama and elegance to bridal attire, they create a striking focal point, drawing attention to the back of a gown or the neckline, which elevates the overall look. With bows available in different fabrics, colours, and styles, brides can experiment and find one that complements their dress and vision.

Bridal Fashion Week featured fresh, modern twists on traditional bridal styles. Designers aren't abandoning tradition, they're just updating it, from detachable trains to opera-length embellished gloves. A trend that we're loving is shorter veils - they aren't too formal, but still very elegant.

I find veils are a personal choice and I tend to find my personal choice is a long veil and because I know this when a bride is deciding what she wants I know to hold back and let her decide what she likes. So one trend so will promote is choose what makes you smile. 

More on finding your style for your wedding, this time its about bridal shoes

The one thing I will admit I can't make are shoes, and they

are really important for your Big Day. We all love our shoes, 

for me they make or break an outfit.

   

   

       

When I make an outfit for myself and also for my clients I 

 can be inspired by the shoe as to what details I might add. 

 I remember on occasions people asking me how I got the 

 shoes to match the embroidery, but I had bought the shoes 

 first and then embroidered my outfit!

 I have sold shoes from my shop for years. I always tried 

 my best to support local firms. In N Ireland we had are own

 Dana Shoes but sadly they died and my main supplier

 has been Rainbow Club shoes who I still deal with. 

 

 

Once I meet the characters in a firm I have a personal 
connection
with them I like to support them.

 

 

For my own wedding day I chose to wear a London designer called 

Diane Hassall. I had meet Di and stocked her shoes so it was an easy

choice. They were soooo comfy and of course I still have them today.

I always thought I would dye them as I do dye all my shoes for clients

but these ones still match my wedding dress. The details and 

embroidery work on Di's shoes naturally intrigue me.

 

 

It always amazes me but these days more and more brides order 

their bridal shoes online. It does mean that for a shop that sells 

shoes sometimes we can spend a considerable time letting the 

client try on shoes for her to then go order them online. So it has

made me more reluctant to stock many shoes, as a bride can return

a pair of shoes that she orders online that don't quite fit where I 

have to stock all the sizes for my clients to try. Different styles 

can be a different fit even though they are the same make.

This week I listened to the story of Emmy London as I was hand

beading. I sometimes listen to music to make me sew faster but I 

also love to learn, so if I can find a good podcast that I think is of

interest to me I'll listen. I loved the conversation on "The Love My

Dress"podcast with Emmy Scarterfield of Emmy London. Annabel's

soothing voice makes you stay tuned and Emmy's enthusiasm, 

passion for shoes and the honesty of her life story was compelling

listening. Annabel wore a pair of Emmy shoe's on her wedding day 

and sung high praises for her high heels, descibing them as 

"unbelievably comfortable to wear for hours and hours" one of the 

secret ingredients of even the Emmy London high heels.

 ( brides, take note!)

Finding your style for your Big Day.

 

"Going out to find Your Bridal Dress should be one of your 

happiness memories"

Before we go any further, this is a very tricky topic. If you’re

 not in the headspace

 to read about body image/size then feel free to come back 

another day, but this is

 an area that we  have to navigate every day.

And it’s complicated.

As women, we have to work so hard to stay centred and 

secure in the face of constant messaging about the way 

we look. How we style our hair, our make up, 

our weight, the shape of our bodies… It goes on and on. 

Beauty standards are constantly changing and, here’s the

thing, your body is not a trend! It doesn’t have to be a size 

whatever to be beautiful. That’s a lie we’ve been fed for years 

and it’s amazing to now see women rejecting it.

Beauty has nothing at all to do with dress size or body shape, 

neither does feeling good about yourself. I’m pleased we’ve 

made great strides towards body diversity in the past few years

but those feelings of inadequacy can be deep rooted and 

difficult to unlearn. When I was growing up, I didn’t fit the

beauty standards of the time. I was the girl who tied knitwear 

around my waist to hide a round bottom - a bottom I was ashamed 

of! - only for big bums to become en vogue later in my life. 

I’m a curvy woman and it took me years to accept myself as I am, 

shed the hangover from those societal expectations, and be happy 

with myself. Clothes helped me do that. Finding my own style and 

my tribe of amazing women who are all so different, and so confident

being (and dressing) for themselves set me free. That’s what we do 

every day at Joanne Ferguson Bridal to give you confidence. 

Trying on wedding dresses is an incredible experience, but it can

also throw up some unexpected emotions. If that sounds familiar, 

I’m here to give you permission to let it all go.

Truly, you are beautiful exactly as you are.

I’ve talked a lot about the moment when a bride steps into the 

perfect dress and sees herself for the first time. Despite what you

see from popular media, not everyone bursts into happy tears. 

Some do, but some simply stand a little straighter, walk 

a little taller, smile a little wider. Whatever the reaction, 

it’s obvious to myself and those with you, and what a moment 

it is to be a part of! I want every One of my bride’s to feel that 

confidence during her appointment, then that feeling will continue to grow 

for her wedding day, and beyond.

My calling in life is to craft clothes to empower women to feel 

amazing on one of the most important days of their lives and, 

let me tell you, you’ve given me as much joy and confidence as

I’ve given you these past (almost!) three decades. Watching you, 

wonderful women of all different shapes and sizes, blossom when

we discover your perfect outfit has been a revelation for me, 

because what could have possibly changed in those moments it took 

to pop a dress on? Your body certainly didn’t change from one moment

to the next. You are physically exactly the same, yet everything about 

you seems different. 

That’s the power of a great outfit.

Love Xx Jo💓

Building a Fashion brand

 "I don't want to be a big fashion designer. 

I want to build a house for other people to do that."

She envisions it as a space of collaboration, a kind of cultural centre meets 

design workshop that combines tailoring and up-cycling services with a 

gallery space for local artisans and a café run in partnership with refugee

organisations.

After proving herself a successful actress and entrepreneur, 

she is now experimenting with fashion.

Angelina Jolie in an Atelier Jolie dress incorporating deadstock materials. 

Values of ethics, community, collaboration, and sustainability are at the 

heart of Jolie's new project. 

In November, the actor, director, and former UN Refugee Agency Goodwill 

Ambassador and Special Envoy will open the doors on Atelier Jolie, 

a somewhat broadly defined effort to bring her globally minded, 

socially conscious values to the world of fashion.

“Over the last 20 years documenting humanitarian stories, 

I’ve seen the negative impact of Western consumerism on developing

 countries—from child labor, illegal extraction of minerals, pollution 

from the dyeing of fabrics, exploitation of farmers, and much more,” 

she says. “Atelier Jolie can have an incredible positive impact on artisans

 who have often been unrecognized and undervalued—

but we also have an opportunity to start conversations about workforce 

exploitation, pollution, and waste.”

Further more she said,

“I was 26 when I became a mother,” she tells me. “My entire life changed. 

Having children saved me—and taught me to be in this world differently. 

I think, recently, I would’ve gone under in a much darker 

way had I not wanted to live for them. They’re better than me, 

because you want your children to be. Of course I’m the mother, and 

hopefully that safe place for them and that stability. But I’m also the 

one that they laugh at—and I see them taking over so many different 

aspects of our family.”

Though she’s loath to admit it, her approach to fashion has been hugely

influential. Each style move she makes is fastidiously anatomized by fans

on social media, and her seeming reluctance to make a spectacle of herself 

has only contributed to the current yen for all things quiet luxury 

And it’s precisely that power that Jolie is hoping to harness for good.

Best wishes to her, I wish her every success! 

Summer'23

 Wow, it's nearly 30th Sept'23 and I can believe where the time as gone. Do you feel the same that life just goes in too fast or is it as they say the older you get the faster time seems to go.

I have had the pleasure of making dresses for lots of lovely ladies this year. Lots of sentiment and stories, so we have made lots of momentous memories, and very personal experiences. Always learning and always trying new things. Sometimes it seems that there is too much of everything, too much we can listen and learn from, too much to see and be inspired by, so I'm so glad I work for a client. By working with a client I focus on what "She"wants for her special day and what is going to make "Her" happy. "Comfortable" amazingly is a word I often hear, 'I want to be comfortable on my day' 

I sketch and draw in my clients ideas and inspiration.

I follow ideas and inspiration from lots of places all around the world, yet then it all starts in my cutting out room in my studio in wee Northern Ireland. No need to rack up the air miles, no need to waste time running around trying on hundreds of dresses, no need to make do with the one dress closest to all you list of requirements just simply have it made in the fabric, colour of your choice, to fit You and to please You.

People are what make my business, the people that I work for and the people who work with me. They inspire and encourage me to keep doing what I do. 

30th July World Embroidery Day

 In 2011, a local group belonging to Sweden’s Embroidery Guild took the initiative to organise a special day to celebrate Embroidery and it is now celebrated each year on 30th July.

Don’t you just love the thought of Countries all around the world celebrating this amazing art form in all it’s creative  variations? In the manifesto it is stated that embroidery is creative, joyful and peaceful. Who, amongst us obsessive stitchers, is going to argue with that?

Having run a creative embroidery business for the last many years, I agree. The most wonderful thing about my job is – yes, the inspiring creative work that is produced, but more than that- it’s the coming together of like minded souls: I see ladies from 16-85, age is no barrier; people come from all over the country, sometimes even other countries; they have wide and varied interests, jobs and lifestyles, but none of that matters a hoot, if they all love stitching.

 

All around the world this happens on a daily basis- every hour, every minute, every second, there will be a group of stitchers somewhere enjoying the moment. No one looks at a watch, no one wants it to end. Comforting, creative and relaxing. Or in the words of the manifesto- creative, joyful and peaceful.

Embroidery comes in all shapes and sizes- it can be defined as being: “It’s the art of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. … Those stitches remain the fundamental techniques of hand embroidery today”.

I love the whole process of embroidery design.  Drawing patterns, redrawing them, refining them, choosing the colours and tones of the threads, and lastly, playing the “which is the most effective stitch to go where” game. Sometimes I choose to add fabrics, which can often be found lurking behind the stitches- cheeky snippets of organza, lace and netting shyly peeking through.

Sewing is good for the soul. It’s official. In this busy world of digital nick nacks, there is a need to escape back to life’s simple pleasures. I do hear of crafty retreats where everyone turns off their phone- heaven. Hard, but heaven. Only then can we totally relax. Our creativity can be so stifled if we constantly stop to check the phone each time it pings.  So we must learn to be disciplined and to take time out for ourselves. It’s for our own good- our well being. Creativity feeds our souls.

So on July 30th,  why don’t you organise a  get together with your stitchy friends – turn off your device,  and take time to master a few new stitches. thinking of you, wherever you are, and raise a needle to you and your sisters-

Happy Stitching, Happy sharing and Happy Embroidering

Threads July '23

 Wow, took a while to get sorted so I could do a post. Where do the days fly? It's that time of year for some craziness.

On top of it all we get another social media platform "Threads". For the first week I thought leave it Jo you have enough to sew!!

Always working on design ideas

Then I thought well Twitter is my sad place where I follow the news especially in Ukraine. I have found it hard to post happy things on FB, Instagram and twitter while Ukrainians fight for our freedom. 500+days!

You can buy a War coffee on Twitter to help the Ukrainians.

As an Irish person I'm embraced at our neutral stance, as a United Kingdom citizen I'm proud to supply weapons and as a European I don't expect thanks from Ukrainians instead i think i should be very grateful to evry brave Ukrainian for standing up to russian aggression for All Europeans ❣

I told myself I wouldn't watch sport, especially Wimbledon as the russians and belarusians were being allow to compete. I know it may seem harsh but it doesn't seem fair. It amazes me the strength, heart and character of the Ukrainians. Brave beyond belief.

Then I decided I had to cheer on Elina, well that was just joy for my heart💓

The world seems to be going crazy, wars, globel warming, climate crisis, strikes and the cost of living. In the middle of it all we have people eating strawberries and cream, sipping on champagne. Weddings still happening , brides of mine now having babies.

Did you know that Elina only had a baby 6 months ago after marrying the love of her life.

So here's a photo of Elina's wedding ensemble.

Got to love it, it's a bit different and she can wear it again!

Environmentally and eco friendly!

Detachable train

A bit of colour

Sparkle

Sleeves

So let me just get my work head on and go do some more sewing for my bride's to be and hopefully I will be able to keep an eye on how the ladies final is going today while I work.

May the minister of happiness do the business and go win Wimbledon for all the Tunisian's. 

Good luck Ons Jabeur ☘

Spread some love, follow me on Threads for my personal opinion.

Makes me thankful that I can just turn the music on and sew, when the world weird.

"Hope" to come.

 Without Hope what would be the outcome?

Today news came from the Ulster University campus, where in 1985 I graduated with a degree in fashion and Textiles. When I started there it was the Art & design centre and then it became the UU before I finished with my Hons Degree. When I remember back to the summer of 1985 and my final year degree show was on exhibition I think of a missed opportunity. The visitor that summer was Lady Diana Spencer. As my Mum watched the news she ran to tell me that I was missing the chance to see Lady Di!! Suddenly I remembered I was meant to go in that day, the only day I had been absent but it was our summer holidays!! Worse news was to come!! I had been choosen by the tutors to meet Her, my exhibition was very feminine and romantic well suited to someone who was about to be married as the embroidery work was perfect inspiration for something special. Oh dear was I ever going to be allowed to forget that disappointment.

I was reminded of my time there as I watched the news today.
But I have long since released that there is no point crying over spelt milk.
Hopefully I would learn to try and never miss an opportunity again.

I was again fortunate to get chosen after that to do an exhibition of my work in London, and I was advised that if I wanted to make a career in fashion I would need to move to London. Well I wasn't ready for that move!! I decided it would be better to get experience working for my local clients to gain experience before I took that leap of faith. You can have ambition, you can have confidence but you need to gain knowledge and experience so you don't waste an opportunity.

Today Joe Kennedy made a wonderful speech, well worth the listen to and in it he told the tale of an American who needed help so that he could make a good impression. He got that help from a kind, generous, ambitious and opportunist Northern Irish person. Without spoiling the story it involved a stitch or two! This was and is Northern Ireland's USP, Ulster's Special People, Hope.

Then we heard a speech from Joe Biden, our 6th US president that I can remember visiting our little province. In it he made another sewing reference about "mending by connection"!

It was a fleeting visit but hopefully it will have a positive influence, for future peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland.

May this new state of the Art building now, more university facilities mean that students are inspired to better things to come. I heard an impressive statistic that 94% of the University of Ulster students get a job within 12 months of leaving university.

Clear skies, sun shining 25yrs from The Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland's economy has doubled! May the next 25yrs be full of opportunity, ambition, hope, confidence and belief that we can improve even more.

"Dare to Dream"