We're on the BBC!

I was approached by Jolene last year about the possibility of taking part in a project for the BBC online. I was super excited but slightly nervous about the prospect of being filmed but also hearing the sound of my voice in the finished piece!
When I eventually found out that I'd been chosen as one of the films for the project we had made the move to our new HQ. The date was set for filming and both Jolene and Rich came to Dumfries for the day.
Thrilled that the film is now live on the BBC , take a peek inside my home, studio & shop. I love the end result, although I had to watch it with the sound down initially!

I love buttons, one of my treasured possessions is the button drawer inherited from my granny. It sits in our hall so I can see it every day. The drawers are still full of the original buttons and each drawer is a different colour.

As part of the project a tutorial was created so that you too can make a pretty button heart with your stash of buttons. Happy making!

About time too!

I have come to realise that I'm not that great at this blogging malarkey!!! Its a sad affair when I look to see that my last post was back in October last year. So I thought it was abut time I posted what I have been up to recently. If you do want to keep up to date with our going's on, both work and play then the best way really is to either become a friend or fan on facebook. Just search Leah Halliday or So Sew Pretty and you should find us.

Its been a busy year and at long last my wish to open a shop and move my work out of the house has happened. The perfect property came up for rent and although a very big step, I thought it was time to make the leap. We have moved , way back in March, to a beautiful Georgian town house in the centre of town in Dumfries. Our new Hq is spread over the 1st and 2nd floor. So we have a shop and two spacious workshops rooms with my studio and storage upstairs.

Here are a few before photographs when we'd signed the paperwork and collected the keys!

So after a month of hard work, which I couldn't have dome without Mr.P we officially opened our doors on the 13th March. And what better way to celebrate with a tea party of course. My collection of pressed glass cake stand were laden with cakes and tasty treats, and we served up fizz and cups of tea.

Its a wonderful feeling to leave home every morning, and when it's sunny, cycle to work. A feeling I am getting used to at last. 

Selling & Stitching!

We packed our bags and headed up to Glasgow last weekend to take part in the first Supermercado. Taking place in the city's most famous marketplace, The Barras, Supermercado is the only weekly indie market in Glasgow offering the best pick of thrift, vintage, craft, homestyle, design, fashion, food, art, music, books & lifestyle and more!

Having found our way and at last got ourselves parked we started to unload my wares from the car. Then disaster.........Mr P managed to lose control of the sack bearer and my vintage finds tumbled to the ground, falling out their boxes and spread out across the car park. To make matters worse it had been raining so they landed in puddles too. I lost loads of my stock..... now all smashed and broken. As you can imagine I was rather upset and devastated to be honest, and didn't feel up to taking part.

Still can't believe what pretty things I have lost. I feel a little connection with all my vintage wares and still get a thrill when finding something I can sell. So the day could only get better, it couldn't get any bloomin worse! I decided to soldier on, wipe away the tears and set up shop.

Its was a great day, eventually, the cake and hot chocolate helped. I think this new venture by the MITS gals, Carrie and Clare, can only get better and better. Head on over to their Flickr and take a peek at some photos taken on the day. The market is on every Saturday in the undercover courtyard of the newly refurbished Barras Centre, 54 Calton Entry, Glasgow, G40 2SB. Take a trip out east and discover the market and what it has to offer, their is an ever-changing selection of vendors. We shall be back on the 6th November then the 4th and the 11th December. Keep your peepers peeled for news of their official launch too.

I headed back up to Glasgow on Monday to teach my very first Oh Sew Basic Workshop at the Made in the Shade HQ. I was nervous and excited all at the same time and chuffed to bits that my first class had sold out in a couple of days. I had been up early getting everything prepared, hand stamping notebooks and sewing my crafty aprons for the guests. With my fabric stash packed, all the tools of the trade and supplies in the bag, I was good to go.

I had a wonderful night and all our happy stitcher's were as pleased as punch with their handmade cushions. The MITS gals have written a rather lovely post on their Blog. You can take a look at some other photos from the night on Flickr.

We are pleased to announce that due to popular demand, we will be re-running our Oh-Sew-Basic beginners workshop at the MITS HQ, Glasgow on Monday 18th October.

You too could make a pretty handmade cushion and learn to love the sewing machine! For more info and booking details email: madeintheshadebookings@gmail.com.

Happy stitching!

Leahx

Fond Farewell

Well it's official, my last wedding dress is now finished and was collected last weekend, which was a very weird feeling indeed. As some of you may already know, I have made the hard decision and will no longer be taking on any further bespoke bridal commissions for the foreseeable future.

As you may know I launched my handcrafted gifts & vintage finds late last year. I have been spending more and more of my life working. As much as I 'd love to claim to be a superwoman and do it all, unfortunately somethings got to give. Trying to juggle both my gifts and bridalwear has proven to be more and more difficult. I have been unable to dedicate enough time and energy to either of them.

My decision has also been heavily influenced by the decision to try and move to France, which was my initial reason for launching my handcrafted gifts range, so that I could sell online. I realise that trying to predict the future or planning way too much is a complete waste of time, because you never know what is going to happen. But I am willing to take the chance! So perhaps this will only be a break from designing wedding dresses and not a permanent goodbye.

What I do know for sure is that you can't give up on your dreams. So at last the dream to move to France might actually be possible. So from now on I will be concentrating time on my handcrafted gifts and vintage finds. There are many new ideas in my head and can't wait to start making them. I will also be exhibiting at the Country Living Christmas fair. There are of course some new projects I am planning, which is all very exciting and promise to reveal all very soon. And of course there is a house to sell, packing, moving and organising our move to France.

Designing wedding dresses has allowed me to indulge in my passion for attention to detail and my love of vintage clothing, especially the fifties. It's been an amazing experience and I have had the pleasure of working with some wonderful bridal suppliers and lovely clients over the years, some have even remained friends. I have been lucky enough to to be part of the special day. I have even been privy to secrets of unborn babies, working my magic to conceal the bumps!






But it's not all been easy, it's had it's ups and it's downs and many a late night working. So although I'm a little sad to say farewell to making wedding dresses. I'm so looking forward to getting a bit of my life back, spending some time with my family and starting this next adventure!

A big thank you for all the support, interest and enthusiasm over the years.
Leahx

Springtime Jamboree!

We were out and about last weekend to take part in the Made in the Shade Springtime Jamboree. We got up bright and early to pack all my handmade lovelies and vintage finds into the car. Here are some photos of my stall. I didn't get a chance to snap some photo's of the other stalls, but if you head over to Made in the Shades flickr page you'll see some more photos from the day. It was a great event and lovely to meet some facebook fans, familiar faces and some new customers face to face.

I was trying so hard to save my pennies, which is always so so hard as there are such lovely things for sale. I was tempted by a lovely fabric rose brooch by Angharad Jefferson. I also bought my mum this lovely book mark by Susie Maroon. It's a little something for her birthday next month. If you were there on the day would love to hear what tempted you???

I also managed to sneak off, P watched the stall, to pop into the new Cath Kidston pop in shop which is now in Glasgow. No P&P to pay, whoop whoop. I was trying to contain myself as we had to be quick and get back to my stall, I was suppose to be working after all. I had been lusting after the pretty flower plimsolls, and what luck the last pair in stock were a size 5, it was meant to be, my size. Also bought Lauren, my daughter, another bag to add to her collection, she takes after her mother!!!!. It was a thank you for helping me on the stall all day.

We then had to get back as we had an hour left till the end of the day. After our drive back down the road, we cycled round to tesco for rose wine and some ice cream, a perfect end to the day!!!!