This Festive Wiltshire Dress is the last of the series of projects by the lovely Lewes Sewing Bees. Gill Nicholls has made this gorgeous dress using one of my exclusive Wiltshire fabrics.
The dress has a really full skirt so uses a lot of fabric but this makes it perfect for the party season. It can be worn with a pair of trainers to dress it down slightly or with a pair of heels for an evening out.
Gill told me a little bit about herself and the Bees. She says “I began sewing at the age of 5. I used a handle sewing machine when I went with my mum to some of her sewing classes whilst she was training to become a needlework teacher. That same teacher subsequently taught me for A level dress. It was a very comprehensive course including block making with pattern cutting and adaptation. It was more like a city and guilds training. I went to Goldsmiths university and did Art and Education and subsequently became a primary school teacher. I joined an amateur dramatics group, designed and made all of their costumes for a few years. I also did some private tailoring work for clients. I’ve continued to sew and knit making nearly all my children’s clothes when they were small. My daughter went on to study fashion at university having been taught as I was very young (with her brother) by their grandmother. I took up quiltmaking about 4 years ago and then met the bees when we all attended the same course together.”
Sarah from the studio has also been modelling this gorgeous dress.
The collar looks especially great in the picture below. It gives the dress quite a classic feel.
I have loved working with the Lewes Sewing Bees on this summer series of blog posts and projects. To have such talented ladies sewing with my Liberty exclusive fabrics has been wonderful. I hope that it has given you some sewing inspiration. Thank you Gill for this gorgeous dress and thank you Bees for a summer series of inspiring projects.
Alice x
