Every February Napier goes back in time to the 1930s and plays host to one of the worlds biggest vintage festivals: the Napier Art Deco Festival. This year the theme was fashion, and I am so proud to have put together my first ever runway collection. Local and national designers were asked to create ‘Art … Continue reading 2019 Runway
I’m sitting at home with a cold dreaming of spring, the daffodils know it isn’t far away but it still feels more appropriate to be sewing woolly coats than silk dresses. Napier has proper seasonal changes, snow on the mountains in winter and hot rainless summer days. We celebrate both extremes here with the Art … Continue reading Napier Art Deco Festivals 2019
I specialize in made to measure Art Deco reproduction fashion, keeping old designs and techniques alive. Even just having something custom made can be a vintage experience, as these days most of us are more likely to buy ready-to-wear. But if you have an original garment too delicate to wear which you want copied, or … Continue reading Custom orders: what’s involved?
In February I was asked to sew two 1920's slips for the Napier Art Deco Festival and launched into a frantic couple of days of research on fabrics, length, cut and finish details. Slips were generally made of silk or 'art silk' (rayon/viscose) and tended to be soft pastel colours with peachy tones … Continue reading A Tale of Two Slips
It's not every day that you are offered a gorgeous 1930's silk chiffon Dressing gown to borrow, and even rarer to be allowed to take a pattern. But in February I took the opportunity very gratefully, knowing a reproduction of it would be a striking addition to my newly launched Etsy Store! This is the … Continue reading 1930’s Lounging Robe
Taking a break from the travel posts, here is the first garment finished in 2017; a men’s double-breasted waistcoat circa 1937. This has been made on a sewing machine of no fixed abode, from Auckland to Algies Bay to Napier - the trusty domestic sewing machine has come into its own while we holiday and … Continue reading The Prototype Men’s Waistcoat of 1937
Art Deco Festival is the highlight of my year. For a week I live in an idealised version of the 1920s/30s where every day is sunny, every night is filled with music and dancing, the drinks flow, and a small NZ city is completely transformed. The streets fill with vintage cars, vintage planes perform over … Continue reading Discovering Deco
Last weekend was a perfect practice for the next two. I finished three dresses (none of them for me!), had great fun swing dancing, and went on a mini road trip! Hamilton Gardens was the road trip destination; for the Katherine Mansfield Garden Party, after seeing the gardens I can't believe I had never been … Continue reading Two Deco Dresses for the Emma!
Tammy Twinkletoes 