Hello hello, 

Anna here and I’m very excited to be introducing my new range of Sewing Patterns For Children’s Clothing!

They’ve been a long time coming…..I’ve been working with Millie Moon for over a year now and I’ve often been asked when people see my little dresses in the shops ‘Do you have a pattern for that?’ or during workshops ‘Can I buy a pattern?’ and the answer is now YES!!

My mission was to create an easy to follow, multi sized range that was simple to sew at home and that you can buy all the lovely materials you need to make at Millie Moon. There’s 3 styles to fit ages 1-5 to start with - a very cute Party Dress with a full skirt, a versatile sleeveless Pinafore Dress and an A-line T Shirt Dress with built in sleeves.

They’ve been a challenge to put together, I had to use my, somewhat rusty and self taught, CAD experience and call upon some of my lovely friends for their help - huge thanks to Chris at Wing’s Art and Design Studio and Aran at Latitude Photography for their skills, and everyone at Millie Moon for their        enthusiasm and patience.

I hope you enjoy making the patterns as much as I’ve enjoyed putting them together - all feedback would be much appreciated, I’d love to see photos of your finished dresses and hear your suggestions for the next additions to the range.

Please note…….All my patterns are clearly marked Not For Commercial Use, this means they are for home use only by Mummys, Aunties, Nannys etc making for their friends and family NOT for business or any other monetary gains/sale. As simple as the patterns and instructions look they have taken me a long time to develop and I also design and sell handmade ready to wear dresses. Copyright law exists to protect designers who risk sharing their ideas and I hope people understand and respect this. Thanks x

GIVE AWAY TIME

So, 3 styles, 3 samples, 3 Millie Moon shops, I thought what better excuse for a little introductory giveaway! There’s 1 free pattern up for grabs at each Millie Moon store - simply pop in as soon as possible, have a look at the sample dress and enquire:

 ‘Do you have ANNA's pattern for that?‘ 

to claim the hot off the press 1^st editions…… 

remember - Just one pattern per shop - first come first served

 I’m also aiming to cover making all the little dresses as workshops at Millie Moon, starting with the Pinafore Dress on 9th February in Keynsham and 27^th April in Frome - these workshops include all materials too, bargain.

Invitation to the opening of Millie Moon in Keynsham, Bristol

On Saturday 7th September at 11am we will open the doors of our 3rd Millie Moon Haberdashery Boutique in Keynsham, Nr Bristol. Its so exciting! (if not just a little scary). 

Over the last month we have roped in family and friends to help with the painting, decorating and little extras in the new shop. We love the way it looks and we hope you do to. A very big thank you to everyone for their continued help and support, especially local designers; Make me a Dress, Ooh la la Lampshades, Gingergirl, Angela Lai Yen, Fromemaid, Little Fuzzkits, Jo Lucksted Ceramics, Edamay and Unicorn Shoes.

A special mention to John and Julie, Mum and Dad, Jamie, Sam and all the kids who have had to put up with us running around, writing lists and giving out jobs. 

We thought you might like a little sneaky peak of the new shop before we open officially... 

Lamp by 'ooh la la lampshades' in the fabric room

button bowls, fat quarters,  haberdashery

threads by Gutterman, Dresses by 'Make me a dress'

ribbons, toy stuffing and haberdashery

christmas!

Moda pre-cuts

embroidery threads

We would love to see you all for the opening on Saturday, please come along... there may even be cake!

love

Rachel and Becki

xx

our cute new sign

Sewing Sisters

Eliza M Ruby Dress Pattern 

Well we finally had 5 minutes to do a bit of sewing. We both decided to make a dress for our 5th birthday, so we went for the Eliza M Vintage sewing patterns.  Becki chose the Daisy dress and I chose the Ruby dress. 

Eliza M Daisy Dress Pattern

That was the easy part as we have both chosen patterns that flatter our shapes, the hard part was choosing the fabric. 


Becki settled on a Moda print  'Beacon Cove'  with Lobsters. Bright and summery and perfect for this weather we are having at the moment. Using approx 3metres of fabric for the full skirt the dress cost £44.50 (plus pattern) Not bad for a summer frock.

Becki in the lobster Daisy dress 

I decided to go for a simple denim which will be a great staple in the wardrobe all year, but also an inexpensive way to test the pattern out. But, now I've made it successfully, which fabric next?? I added a red polka dot bias to trim the armholes and the neck. In total my dress cost me £12.30! (plus pattern) what a bargain. 

Rachel in the Denim Ruby dress

The patterns were easy to follow and simple to put together. We worked on the separately, and everything was going well until we got to the fitting. Then the text messages started to flow and a conversation on how to alter the shoulders began. It turns out that we both have strange shoulders and short bodies (blame the parents!) so we had to make similar alterations to the patterns. This was nice and simple and the dresses were finished in a day! 

We are both really pleased with them and had so many comments about them that we thought you might like to take a look. Its so nice to be able to say "I made that!" 

love
Rachel x

The Eliza M vintage sewing patterns are available to buy on our website www.milliemoonshop.co.uk £14 each and free postage. 

Celebrating our 5th Birthday

Its been 5 years since we opened the door of the shop, in Catherine Hill, Frome, Somerset. Its been such a fab 5 years, we have seen so many fabrics come and go through the doors, and made some great friends along the way.  

We decided that as it was our birthday the Frome shop needed a good spring clean and we got a bit carried away and gave it a whole new look.

The Fabric Room

The black shelves and Chandeliers give the fabric room a boudoir feel, the tea chests are perfect for holding the many different interfacings and vilenes and the tin bath is great for storing the bulky poly waddings and cotton battings.

The Pre-cuts

We have managed to find a perfect little home for all the lovely Moda pre-cuts. Layer cakes, Jelly rolls and charm packs. Which do you prefer? 

The Button Tower

This is our beautiful button tower. Just like a tiered wedding cake and So many new buttons!

These beautiful dresses have been made from Millie Moon fabrics by the fabulous 'Make me a dress' by Alexandra King and Anna Vickery  http://www.makemeadress.blogspot.co.uk 

Habby Wall

                                                                

Even the habby has a new home, 

everything you need for all those sewing projects                      

Geekly chic 

looks great sitting on the enormous wooden cotton 

reel in the window.

  

A big thank you to all our creative customers, our very talented tutors and our amazing team for supporting us over the last 5 years. We hope you like the new look, pop in and say HI soon. 

BIG love 

Rachel and Becki x

PS watch this space...exciting news coming soon!

Great British Sewing Bee

Okay hands up who was a little hooked on BBC 2's The Great British Sewing Bee and is missing it??

Those of you who know me, know I'm not much of a dressmaker  - that's Anna and Lucy's forte and boy they do create some lovely pieces. Have you seen Anna's beautiful tulip skirt in store? She will be teaching this as a class - perfect for those summery days, yes I know what you're thinking but positive thinking will bring the sun out I'm sure. Sorry I'm wittering on again mmmmmm....where was I, yes the Sewing Bee - as a non dressmaker but a lover of sewing I found the series inspiring and I was somewhat in awe of these amateur dressmakers (the judges words not mine!) Getting the perfect finish is tricky to achieve at the best of times as you and I both know, so under such tight deadlines and conditions I was very impressed with what they were creating. My favourite piece was in the first episode when Mark (the male contestant with the long hair) made a beautiful monochrome spotty dress - very elegant.

I like how all contestants varied in age, ability and sewing background - it just goes to show that
anyone with a little patience and passion for creativity can give sewing a go. You never know where it may lead.

If you're like me -  a little inspired and itching to learn a little dressmaking we have classes to caterer for beginners and those at a more intermediate level. I spent a day with Lucy Litchfield on her Beginner's Dressmaking class, to learn a little more....

Whilst spending the day with Lucy I soon began to realise the Beginner's Dressmaking class is perfect for those, like me, who can already machine sew but are new to dressmaking and know next to nothing about patterns. With Lucy's help and guidance the ladies made a simple A-line skirt from a fabric of your choice. The class began with everyone taking their own measurements which were then transferred to the pattern paper to draw out a simple skirt shape. The pattern was then used to draft a simple skirt in calico. Making the pattern in calico may seem like double work but it allowed Lucy and the ladies to tweak and make adjustments to their skirt if needed.

Once the adjustments are made and the calico pattern fitted nicely, the choosing of fabric and constructing of the skirt began. A waist band and a zip was put in - a little fiddly but all the ladies managed it beautifully.

A little more sewing and perfecting and before we knew it the day was coming to an end and the ladies had completed their a perfectly fitted skirt. It was a jammed packed day but very satisfying to see the ladies so amazed at their own capabilities and the finished articles were lovely.  Final thing  - I asked the ladies to try on their skirts' and to show then off! They were only too happy to oblige.

If you are interested in dressmaking beginners or the next stage on we do have a range of dressmaking classes with different projects. The one I have my eye on is the two-day 50's Vintage Dress with Anna. Visit our website for further details or do pop into store for more details.....we may even have a sample of what you can make in store.

Bye for now and happy making,
Angela

Introducing Dressmaker Anna Vickery

We are really pleased to welcome the lovely and very talented Anna Vickery to our team. Anna has been teaching workshops with us in Wells for about a year now, but is now joining the team working in the Wells shop. Anna is developing workshops in dressmaking, working with paper patterns, teens workshops and many more and we hope to offer a wide range in both Frome and Wells. 

Here is a little bit about Anna by Anna.

"I studied Fashion Design at The University of the West of England in Bristol, and graduated with a Ba(hons) in 2005. During my time at university I was selected to exhibit at Graduate Fashion week in London and at The Royal West of England Academy in Bristol. My Fashion Design degree covered many areas including design, pattern cutting and sample development, garment construction, illustration, technical drawing, styling, business, visual culture and contextual studies.

After university I started my career as a Junior Designer for a specialist company which design and produce heavy duty leather and textile products, mainly for the Police and Armed Forces. It was very much ‘in at the deep end’ but great experience - if I could work with leather on heavy machinery I can sew anything….

Along the way I have also worked for a luxury leather brand and a floral designer - I always seem to pick nice/tempting products to work with, and now I’m at Millie Moon, trying to resist new fabric every week!

I also currently work with amazing Womenswear and Bridal designer Alexandra King. I met Alexandra at university and now help her create handmade clothing and accessories for women worldwide from her Somerset studio. We design and make every garment, mainly dresses, in house and strongly believe in traditional craftsmanship and service. I am mainly involved with the actual making of the dresses, it may surprise you to know that despite my background in ‘design’ I hate drawing, so we work well together - Alexandra is an inspiration and truly lovely friend. www.alexandra-king.com

Since school/college/university and beyond my influences have come from twentieth century art, media and design. Current projects I am working on include making a Wedding Dress for an old school friend who is getting married in June, working on a new Chilrenswear/Flowergirl mini collection ready for a Wedding Fair at Bristol Zoo we are exhibiting at in March, oh and i’m about to move house so i’m collecting ideas for new interiors projects, starting with re-upholstering 6 dining chairs….

I’ve been leading workshops for Millie Moon for nearly a year and have just started doing a few days in the Wells shop - it’s great to be able to share skills in such a colourful and creative environment. I’m also looking forward to my first Millie Moon Hen Party soon. My next workshops include Teen Dressmaking, How to make a Childs Dress, How to make a Clutch Bag and How to use a paper pattern. I am also available for 1-1 sewing/dressmaking tuition.

Teens PJ Shorts workshop Sunday 24th March - Wells shop

Anna will be in the Frome shop on Friday 15th February 2013 with a teens workshop - "Up-cycle your clothes" come along with your own garment that you would like to change, update or customise. Make it fit your own individual style! ages 11+ involves some use of the sewing machine and hand sewing techniques. Great for those who have an interest in fashion design.


Pop in and see Anna in the wells shop for a chat or book a workshop. Anna is also available for 1-1 sessions should you need specific help or advice.

New workshops with Anna coming in the spring: 

• Beginners Embellishments
• Step by Step by tulip skirt without a pattern 
• Make your own Pyjama shorts
• up-cycle your clothing
• Simple Sun top
• Girls simple summer dress

www.milliemoonshop.co.uk

Its our birthday!

This week we celebrate our  Birthday at Millie Moon.  It has been 4 years since we opened the doors to our little fabric heaven to share with the world. Looking back at early pictures we had very little stock but a lot of enthusiasm and ideas. Although I don't think either of us realised quite how much the business would grow in such a short space of time. After opening in 2008 we started the Sewing school in 2009. In 2010 we moved to bigger premises and in 2011 we opened our 2nd shop in Wells. What will 2012 bring...?

Millie Moon in Frome

Millie Moon Wells

  

We have seen our range of stock grow to include, Moda, Riley Blake, Michael Miller to name but a few and of course kept the original favourites of Kaffe Fassett, Amy Butler, Tilda and Tanya Whelan, beautiful wool felt, pompom trims and rows of ribbons. Jelly rolls, charm packs and Layer cakes fill the shelves with their stunning mix of colours. Waddings, vilenes and a huge selection of basic haberdashery, may not be so pretty, but a real necessity for all crafts.

   The Millie Moon Sewing School has gone from strength to strength. There was a whole generation that didn't sew and struggled to sew on a button. We set up the sewing school not just to cover the basics but to really inspire and create confidence in people's abilities and choices. Workshops in a wide range of crafts, not just sewing.

We also offer 1-1 tuition, birthday parties, baby showers and hen dos.


Also, our lovely little Sewing club on 1st tuesday of every month, brings together a group of ladies with similar interests to share, inspire and chat about their projects. This club has been going for over 3 years. Come along and join in.

Kids are so creative and keen to learn, that kids workshops were soon added to the schedule, as well as birthday parties. We want to inspire our children to have fun with craft and colour.  So that there isn't a generation that misses out again. (All our kids tutors are CRB checked)

All our Tutors and employees are artists in their own right. Between them their creativity covers a wide range of areas from quilting, dressmaking, ceramics to textile artists. They are bloggers, authors, run etsy/ folksy shops, have studio spaces, websites and are established businesses in their own right. All with a passion for arts crafts and textiles. All truly inspirational people. We are honoured to support them and other local designers by stocking their work in our shops.

Freemotion machine embroidery with Angela Lai Yen

Teach me to sew with Angela

Ceramic button making with Jo Luckstead

Dressmaking workshops with Anne Baillie-Smith

Patchwork and Quilting with Caroline Frances-Payne

"make me a dress" By Alexandra King

Collage with Gaynor Ringland

 

Millie Moon is our love and our passion. We have worked tirelessly together as business partners and believed in each other as sisters to create a business and a brand we adore and are very proud of.


Juggling our young families (5 children between 2-12 years) keeping house and in the beginning with full time jobs, this has been a true labour of love. Working late nights and weekends we couldn't have done it without the support and love of families and friends. 

We would like to take this opportunity to say a big

" THANK YOU"

 to our families, the team, the tutors, our lovely customers, our followers on twitter, facebook and the blog, thank you for all being so enthusiastic, inspirational and supportive.

Here's to another exciting year ahead... what will it bring? 

Watch this space.............

Big love

Rachel and Becki x

Please take a look at our website for products and workshops. The new season schedule for workshops will be available soon.  www.milliemoonshop.co.uk