Author: Ruth Singer

Just a mention of the Very Hungry Caterpillar at Needlebook made me think about the nature of holes, and indeed spots (which also came up). I wonder if the impact of the caterpillar in my impressionable youth is what has left me with a fixation with making holes in things. In a decorative, not destructive…

Dior’s Maxim dress with lovely pockets cut in one with the skirt fabric. Cutting the skirt and pockets in one makes it hang beaufifully without affecting the flow of the skirt. To do this the pocket inside is cut with the small panel above the pockets that looks like darts. It will only work with…

I’m very pleased to announce that Finely Crafted are stocking my products made from recycled fabrics including suede and kimono silk. This lovely tea cosy is from my Dragon range and I adore it and am sad to part with it. It’s made from felted angora and is beautifully soft and gorgeous.

Just completed this tassel for a private commission. It is made from silk and net fabric with vintage glass beads and sequins. The cord is hand-braided silk.

I picked up this great pattern for 50 pence in a junk shop in Brighton at the weekend, along with some great pre-war rayon. This pink and floral piece will be added to my growing stack of rayon, which I love and cannot quite decide what to make with…Back to the smocking pattern – I…

I have been playing with gathered fabric for some time. One of my products, the Polonaise scarf, is made using hand-gathers. I have a skirt in progress and have been experimenting with using this technique in other ways. This purple sample is the same technique using padding inside each gathered pucker. I love making 3-d…

Following a discussion on A Dress a Day on 13th April about a gorgeous Schiaparelli pattern, I got thinking about one piece cutting. Cutting a garment with the minimum of seams is usually a couture technique as it uses a lot of fabric. As well as this lovely dress pattern, I have been looking at…

I have been working on a trouser pattern for a customer with a non-standard body shape – basically ordinary trousers don’t fit, so I drafted a pattern from scratch using her body measurements and this book.I then checked the finished block against the great article in Threads, January 2006 about body space and trouser fitting,…

Am deeply jealous of Jane’s holiday in Arizona.http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsme_jae/?find=itsme_jaemyself, i had an exciting day out last week in Newhaven, all of 3 miles from home. but I saw a kestrel and some nice twigs and lichen.Textile production has continued, slowly but surely, with a corsage commission cpmpleted and posted and a rather fabulous black silk tassel…

Those that know me will be more than somewhat surprised at me blogging. But the time has come. I’m not really a mantua maker, but I wish I was. Don’t often get chance to make things as lovely as mantuas, but I will in time.