Hide and Seek boutique

I've been up north on the Wirral this week and popped by Emma Embery's new boutique and workshop, Hide and Seek, in Irby Village. If you've been an avid reader of this blog you may remember Emma's pretty studio space and the beautiful vintage-inspired hairpin she made for my wedding, as well as her gorgeous knits for Milo (see below post for the cardigan that seems to grow with him!)

Emma's shop is a magpie's dream inside - with every nook and cranny filled with things to treasure: her own lace and jewel embroidered shawls and dresses, jewellery made with antique pearls and gems, lampshades up-cycled with vintage fabric appliques, hand-knitted and vintage children's clothes, and a few bits and pieces from other local makers. She also hosts creative workshops such as vintage-inspired jewellery making and embroidery where you can wile away a couple of hours drinking tea, eating cake and brushing up on your crafting skills.

Handmade wedding show

Here’s a date for your wedding-planning diary - the Handmade Wedding Collective is hosting an exhibition in London selling handmade wedding products from UK creators. Running March 15-20th at Craft Central in Farringdon, it looks like there’ll be a good range of products from accessories and jewellery, to stationery, decorations and favours.

Stationery by Marby and Elm

Garter by A Alicia

Jewellery by Blue Eyed Girl

Hat making at Atelier Millinery

It’s so quickly that I forget how satisfying making something can be – not just making but really crafting something and seeing the finished result. Yesterday I spent five hours cutting, steaming, sewing and moulding and the time went in a flash. I was at the gorgeous new Atelier Millinery just off Carnaby Street – at an afternoon’s millinery course, a birthday present from my very thoughtful friends (they know me SO well!).

I was booked in for the Sinamay Headpiece course. I had no idea what Sinamay was, but I soon learnt that it’s the by-product of banknote production in Thailand, and its original form is banana leaf. The stiff, woven fabric-like material can be cut, folded and moulded to make elaborate headpieces. So there I found myself, at the back of the Atelier drinking tea and eating biscuits, learning how to create a black-and-pink oversized bow headpiece that involved cutting, folding and steaming the fabric into stiff ribbons, stretching and moulding them into the desired shape and then painstakingly sewing the whole thing together.

From this….

To this….

I’d highly recommend one of the Atelier’s courses –they offer everything from how to craft panamas, cloche hats and 50s scull caps to classic fascinators and floral corsages. The boutique is also perfect for anyone looking for a vintage-style wedding hat or headpiece to buy – they have a great range of high-quality hats; plus ribbons, buttons and corsages if you’re making your own.

Vintage wedding dress hunting: Clerkenwell vintage fair

I cut my Sunday morning lie-in short today and peddled down to Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair - a newcomer on the London vintage fair calendar, and not as big as the likes of Hammersmith and Battersea - which makes it all the more appealing if you’re feeling a bit bleary eyed!

It’s a good place to start if you’re looking for initial wedding or bridesmaid dress ideas or for hunting down old lace, textiles, jewellery or divine pillbox hats with net trims. Pieces range from 1800s to the 80s and are well-priced compared with buying in the shops (it also has a tea room and handy alterations booth.)

A Vintage Wedding's stand

Elaine Bernstein's stand

A few stands caught my eye: A Vintage Wedding had a range of frou-frou net and lace bridal dresses, while I loved the adorable bridesmaid dress at Elaine Bernstein’s stand. I couldn’t resist going a bit snap-happy at Fola Solanke’s beautifully styled stall (she’s a Friday regular at Portobello) – honeymoon inspiration perhaps? I just need to track down the perfect 1950s swimsuit…

Fola Solanke's stand