30th October 2019 ~ Ladies Night Event at Warwick Racecourse

As we are based in Warwick, Warp and Woof Designs were thrilled to be asked to be a sponsor for the Ladies Night Event at Warwick Racecourse, and of course, we jumped at the chance (excuse the pun!) 😊

As this was a new event for @WarwickRacecourse, they were looking to promote it and they asked us to showcase some of our designs by way of a fashion show during the evening’s proceedings. We were positioned on the concourse in front of the members enclosure within a marquee which housed a catwalk. This consequently was used for inviting members of the visiting public to enter the Best Dressed Competition and strut their stuff.

So for us as sponsors, our role was to design and create a silk dress for the winner, and that’s how we met Vicki Carroll (nee Gordon) @vickigordon26

On meeting the ‘winning lady’ after the event, who incidentally is a talented singer and presenter on the Sky Channel @SewingQuarter, we were absolutely blown away by her personality. With her infectious enthusiasm at having won the prize firstly, and secondly having a bespoke garment made, her excitement proved as contagious ans uplifting for us as it was for Vicki!

Getting down to discussing what styles would best suit her and what would accentuate her figure, the fabric she would like, the colour palette and importantly her take on how the dress should feel, is one of the most satisfying parts of making a bespoke garment.

So out came the silk swatches from one of our favourite suppliers @BeckfordSilk. This company is based in the UK, which to us, in our on-going support and enthusiasm for British companies is vital. Not only that, their range is extensive in colour and the quality second to none.

But we wanted to make this dress stand out, and look ‘Bespoke’, so we decided to team it with a chiffon from @LibertyLondon. The iconic feather fabric with matching blue allowed us to design something unique and individual, which is just what Vicki wanted… So, if you’ve won the ‘Best dressed Lady’ before why not give it another go!!

It’s always imperative to ensure that both us and the client are ‘singing from the same hymn sheet’, so putting together a mood board displaying all the ideas we had discussed with swatches helped.

When we met up with Vicki again we were able to finalise the design, and this is probably the most exciting part for us as designers!!

Design is about complimenting the shape of each and every individual client, working out what suits their frame best. Different techniques are used such as pleating from the shoulder or below the bust which adds more material, a dart from the side or from waistline to shape the fabric for smaller cup sizes. Highlighting the waist, lengthening or shortening the hem line, back darting, all options we consider for achieving the best fit and look. Sleeves are also an important factor for the overall appearance and they can be floaty, fitted or capped, and for Vicki she preferred the floaty option.

Obviously wearing good supportive undergarments helps to give a smooth line and provides a streamline base beneath dresses, skirts or trousers @RetroRosie

Being at the stage where everything has been discussed, drawn up, pattern made, fabric ordered, we are
ready to make the magic happen…

One important fact about silk and chiffon is that they are slippery customers, so we need to stabilise the
fabric and secure down with tissue paper and tape onto the cutting board, this will prevent the slip and slide
and ensures no wonky lines are in sight.

Another is when cutting out the fabric we need to make sure that the iconic feathered pattern on the chiffon (@LibertyLondon) is central throughout and therefore pattern placing is one of the most important parts of producing a garment. Now we can start assembling by tacking the individual pieces together and getting Vicki over for a fitting.

At this stage we will be able to make all the necessary adjustments. Mannequins are great as a clothes horse but, we are not all standard sizes and therefore fittings for a bespoke dress are a vital part to achieve a great final look.

So once we have made the adjustments and the pattern is altered, we begin. It’s got to be said that making a bespoke garment is like a jigsaw puzzle, working out what pieces go where and in which order, so with our 19 individual pieces cut we are now ready to sew!!

There is no doubt we face challenges with bespoke garments… there is an element of trial and error in the construction, but this is all part of the magic, from an initial drawing to the finished garment, but one thing for sure, it was worth it!!

Now the day has arrived for Vicki to collect her bespoke dress, it wouldn’t be normal if there wasn’t a degree of nervous anticipation especially as she had so much input into this design, but to our joy Vicki loved it and when she put it on, she looked stunning and it is simply electrifying.

Make sure you look out for her as she promises she will soon be wearing the dress while presenting her TV show in the not too distant future!!

If you would like to be part of the process to design your own bespoke outfit, please get in touch, we would love to help you create your dream outfit.

lisaandjulie@warpandwoofdesigns.co.uk

Paws For Thought

All these pheasants I see on my walks are keeping me very fit! Not sure they like the hide and seek game but i’m having fun, however my mum keeps yelling at me to come back?! …Such a spoilsport!!

Mabel

Dog Quote

“A well trained dog will make no attempt to share your lunch. He will just make you feel so guilty that you cannot enjoy it” – Helen Thomson