Fashion Fix 1st Birthday: Revisiting the Burberry Aztec Beaded Yoke

It's time to have a look back at some of my favourite summer fashion fixes of the past year. I've now been working on this blog for a year and as my readership has grown continually through the years, I know some of your newer FashionFixers won't have seen some of the gems that lie in the early end of this blog. 

Photo Amanda Thomas

One of my favourite trends of 2012 was Burberry's tribal inspired beaded yoke adornment on their Spring/Summer Collection. I really think this is a unique addition and surprisingly wearable in the everyday as the gorgeous Eva Lazarus models for us below. 

You will need:

• pattern paper
• 3/4 metre cotton fabric
• 3/4 metre lining fabric
• sewing machine and matching thread
• 1/2 metre matching ribbon
• dressmaking pins
• dressmaking scissors
• fimo in assorted colours
• oven
• needle and thread

How to do it:

1. Measure you collar size and add 5 cm, draw this circle on pattern paper. Measure out 17 cm from this line and draw a larger circle, fold in half, press and unfold again. Above the neck opening on the inner edge, measure out 2 cm either side of the centre fold and cut out a segment of the pattern. Cut down the centre fold below the neck opening  leaving you with half the pattern.  Lay onto the fold of the fabric, pin in place and cut out two collar pieces, making sure you include a 1cm seam allowance with both.
2. Sew ribbon onto both sides of one collar piece.
3. place the collar pieces right sides together, tucking the ribbons inside. pin in place
4. using a running stitch sew all the way around, 1cm from the edge, leave a gap at one end to pull through.
5. Pull the collar through, hand sew the opening closed.
6. Draw a template of your yoke on pattern paper and mark out your bead design. use this as a reference to make your beads out of Fimo. Make sure to score holes in the beads before you bake them. hand sew them on in thread that matches the yoke fabric

In the studio, working out the pattern after a night of Fimo baking!

Eva Lazarus modelling the yoke, shot by Amanda Thomas, Makeup Jo Williams, Styling Harriet de Winton

Fashion Fix: Ruffle skirt

photo Amanda Thomas

Inspired by Burberry's Autumn Winter collection from a few years back, the ruffle is a brilliant, feminine and flattering addition to any garment, breaking up harsh lines and adding a bit of romance.

You will need:

1. 1 metre peplum fabric
2. 1 metre lining fabric
3. dressmaking pins
4. dressmaking scissors
5. pattern paper
6. paper scissors
7. masking tape

How to do it:

1. Measure from the top of the side seam diagonally across to about 5” from the bottom of the skirt at the other side seam. 
2. Using pattern paper, cut out a rectangle this length and 6” wide. Slice along even 3cm and fan out onto another picec of pattern paper. Leaving 3cm gaps between each slice.
3. Draw round and cut out to create the pattern for your frill
4. Cut out one piece from your choosen fabric and one piece from your lining fabric.
5. Pin right sides facing and sew around the edge leaving one end open to pull through. Cut off the corners before pulling through
6. Pull through and press. Sew up the still opened end.
7. Pin the curved edge along the originally measured straight line.  This will cause the panel to ruffle. Sew in place.

Like my shirt? find out how to transform a big bulky sleeved shirt, into a chic sleeveless summer top, but neatly removing sleeves and binding the edges with a cool, contrasting colour...blog post coming soon!

Fashion Fix: How to add Liberty Print Lining to a trench coat collar

 

 

The Trench Coat has been a home land staple for many, many years. It's success has been down to it's brilliant design and resilience, taking our soldiers through the wars and now adorning the likes of Moss and co. What better way to update a classic than with another stalwart of British design and manufacturing, Liberty.  The lovely people at www.sewbox.co.uk provided me with some luscious liberty print silk to line the underside of my collar.

You will need:

• coat with a collar
• 1/2 metre silk
• pattern paper
• dressmaking pins
• iron
• sewing machine

How to do it:

1. Iron the collar of your coat and lay the coat out on a flat surface. Find the centre point of the coat collar and trace of one half of the collar onto the calico.  This can be slightly fiddly but pin the calico onto the collar and trim the calico down to size until it matches the shape of the collar.
2. Once you have calico pattern piece for the collar, fold your silk in half (right sides facing). Pin and trace the calico collar onto the silk leaving a 2.5cm seam allowance all the way round. Cut out.
3. Working from the centre of the collar out, pin the silk collar to the underside of the coat collar. Fold the seam allowance in on itself so that it’s tucked neatly in-between the silk and coat collar.
4. Machine a running stitch 2mm from the edge of the collar all the way around in a cotton thread that matched the coat fabric.

Liberty Print Silk from www.sewbox.co.uk/‎