Saturday 19 May 2012

Personal Networking



Whilst it's great to sit at your laptop and figure out all the little ways of networking back and forth between yourself and others trying to get ahead, the personal touch is sometimes lacking.

By doing a stall at Lougborough Fair last Saturday via 'The Vintage Fair', I met  Susan Guy who was photographing for the fair. That evening when I got home she'd tagged me in the photographs she'd taken of my  stall, which were beautiful, and shared them on my facebook page for all to see. But what was lovely was that I'd met the person behind the art and it really made it more personal way to network.
 


I also got to hear from Janey Green who had brought one of my vintage cakestands at the fair, when she phoned me the next day to say that she's doing a Jubilee blog on her 'slice of slim' page, and would it be ok to include my cakestand? Again, it was really lovely to chat to Janey and it really makes a difference to then blog and network back and forth with someone you've actually met and spoken to!


So here's to chance meetings, and to picking up the phone in order to create a more personalised version of 21st Century networking!!!

Saturday 7 April 2012

Vintage Weddings

With Vintage style weddings steadily making their way to the front seat over the last few years, 2012 is definitely going to be the year  for Vintage weddings to steal the limelight. 

There is a wealth of inspiration online, and an ever increasing number of Vintage events across the nation to help couples realise their ideas. Rock My Wedding is a website set up in 2009 which provides a frequently up-dated online resource to couples planning their day. It surpasses it's aim of providing ideas through fresh and innovative contect, with the images on the front page along speaking for themselves. It's really lovely to see such creatively becoming widely publicised and promoted as achievable, and I could personally spend all day admiring the site.


Vintage fairs across the nation are providing specific events for Vintage Weddings in recognition of it's ever increasing popularity. This is providing a large footprint for all those couples looking to complete their day with all the little touches. The Vintage Fair held a successful 'SomethingOld' Vintage Wedding Fair in Sheffield last November and have lots planned for the coming year, with the wedding website being launched in the near future. In the meantime their wedding page can be found on Facebook


Dress companies can provide women with the ability to buy either a newly tailored Vintage dress, or a completely original dress made in the era they reflect. The Vintage Wedding Dress Company is a beautiful website which incorporates both original Vintage dresses, and bespoke re-created Vintage dresses designed with expertise and sympathy.

NFF03

Original 1920s

It's definitely an exciting time for Vintage lovers, with weddings taking the lead and showing the way. So congratulation to all couples having a Vintage 'Big Day' , and thank you to all the beautiful companies providing a piece of history.

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Out With the Baby Denim

Out with the baby denim, and in with the vintage patterns.
       
After having noticed the lack of simple, beautiful clothing for babies and young children, I went on an online hunt to find what I think babies look the most beautiful in: clothes that are soft, allow them to move, and don’t make them look like mini copies of their parents. To me simple white cotton should be celebrated, not deemed ‘uncool’. Of course, Etsy never seizes to fail and scrolling through their sellers’ array of handmade gems made my heart light up a little again. But what is scary is that most high street shops these days go for the latest fashions only, and don’t allow for the traditional patterns to remain, making it hard choose the simple and classic options of clothing. Where have all the romper suits, frilly knickers, buttons and bows, and booties gone? And that does not include those with ‘I’m a cheeky monkey’ plastered across an area of the outfit.


Baby Diaper cover set - pink gingham & rose floral






After buying a set of vintage baby patterns from ‘Dollymix’ in Leicester, I thought I’d be adventurous and have a go. Once certain instructions like ‘trim interlining’ and ‘whip lace’ had been Googled, I was away. And within the hour I had made a simple slip dress that could be adapted in lots of different creative ways to make a personal, easy and affordable outfit for a young baby.





This might have to be a new venture for me, but if not at least I know when my own children come along I can rely on my sewing machine and the internet for some beautiful clothing. So please help me celebrate the Vintage patterns and spread the word that designer hoodie are meant for teenagers, not infants!!