textiles
portfolio
Explore my collection of textile projects. From embroidery to dressmaking, textiles is a medium I enjoy working with. I express myself through clothing all the time, which means sometimes I find myself creating a new garment just to satisfy that newfound part of myself that my wardrobe doesn't yet articulate.
I embroidered these t-shirts by hand around the age of sixteen. I owe a lot to the simplicity of the designs as they still feel very much wearable to me now.
A couple of years later, I fashioned this strawberry halter tie-back top from scratch. Lined with an old pillow case, this top is french seamed, darted and fit-to-size (at the time).
And fast-forward another year or two I upcycled an old pair of stretchy-denim skinny jeans into a corset top. Following a basic tutorial online, I then hand embroidered the neckline with daisies.
*the dress*
I made this dress entirely from scratch, using some light-wash denim I bought from a lovely local haberdashery and textiles shop. I first shirred the fabric with elastic thread to the desired drop-waist length. Then I sewed up the sides, hemmed the edges and sewed a stronger band of elastic at the top to make the dress more secure. After this I spent a couple days hand embroidering different designs of things I like to personalise it.
I've styled the dress with a knitted jumper I hand embroidered a while back to give it a new life, This is an upcycling hack I'm sure I'll be doing more of into the colder seasons. All you need is an unloved knit, some wool and a wool needle. The design is from a line drawing I'd previously put on a t-shirt.
And finally, a shoulder bag I crafted from scratch to pair with the dress. The perfect use for some old gingham fabric, lined with a t-shirt my mother no longer wears (she definitely won't be wearing it now), I sewed the soft tote shape bag to two long adjustable strips. This gets double the amount of wears from a casual crossbody bag to a big-bow shoulder bag moment: it's all about that self expression over here.