The day started well. I rolled over in bed and gave a big, fat kiss to my dog’s small, furry belly. When I die and go to heaven, nirvana will smell of Ella.
A quick photo shoot later, the dog walker came to pick up Ella and I skipped to the Victoria and Albert museum for House of Pinheiro‘s #NYLon2014 Meet Up Of Extraordinary Brilliance. As per usual, Rachel didn’t let us down and neither did the weather. Here we are, gathering for the now traditional group shot:
A gallon of gals
There were visitors from Canada, Europe, and some friendly faces from America:
I wore a new dress, sewn from cotton bought last year on the Isle of Wight. I wasn’t the only one who’d embraced the navy and red colour scheme…
I’d even taken the nautical theme to the buttons, thanks to eBay:
Not loads to say about McCalls 4769, that hasn’t already been said about my previous shirt dress. It’s a great pattern!
A massive thank you to House of Pinheiro for her kindness and energy – and to all the people who today asked me, ‘How ARE you?’. It never fails to amaze me how we have collectively built this international sewing community from the ground up, on a voluntary basis, making our marks in mainstream publishing and journalism, forging lifelong friendships, all because of… Well, what exactly? I tell ya, multi million dollar corporations would love to bottle our secret.
Fortunately for us, it can’t be distilled.
Hiya, it was nice meeting you earlier! (I’m the trouser girl) here’s a link to the pattern http://republiqueduchiffon.com/store/product/15/ I think I may have been telling people the wrong name all day…oops! I did add 12cm to the hem to roll up the trouser leg how I like it, add about 4cm into the pleats by slashing the pattern and made one big pleat on each side instead of the 2 little ones on the pattern (just so you know!). Don’t forget about the overlooking too with different colour for the needle thread! Did go fabric shopping in the end and thoroughly enjoyed it 😉
Aw, did you come to Goldhawk Road? I didn’t see you there. Wonderful to meet you and thanks for the link!
Yes, I got persuaded to make the trip and spent far too much on fabric I didn’t need, but don’t regret it one bit!!! Enjoy the rest of the sunny-shine this weekend x
I love a good short dress! Great print for it 🙂
Faye | freckles-and-all.blogspot.co.uk
Looking great! And cute buttons 🙂
How fun your dress is for Summer! I’ve been seeing lots of nautical prints with tiny anchors etc but love the stripe with larger nautical details. Karen after going back and reading your 1st make of this dress it made giggle to see your buttonholes. Its very cute. I have a trip planned for July wish they had done their gathering a little later. Looks like it was very fun.😀tputsche
So glad you all had sunshine for your get together! Lovely dress!
I love your dress! Fantastic! Is your dog a Kerry Blue? I love Kerries and have one currently (and one recently passed). Pam (pammieandtheps.blogspot.com)
Mightily miffed I couldn’t be there, but jolly glad the weather bucked up for you all. Love the dress..what great fabric!
It looks like it was a super occasion. What a great collection of sewists and what a lot of gorgeous looking outfits I decided with the sun today that I need to stitch something summery so went off to my local Walthamstow market in search of supplies – imagine the shock – TMOS was not there!!
I was also at Walthamstow market on Saturday – someone said they thought he had retired – wonder if Karen knows anything
Looks like so much fun! Wish I lived in London.
What fun!! Great dress.
It sounds there were so much fun and love in the air on the day. Thank you for sharing it. I’m glad you had a wonderful day! You are so beautiful in the dress, as always.
You London bloggers are so lucky to have a great meet up this this….it looks so fun! Perhaps I should visit London for nylon 2015! I love your dress…great colours.
What a super fun meet-up! Love your dress and nautical oh perfect.
I agree, puppies have a delightful smell!
Ah! What a wonderful time you must have spent together! But don’t forget our community is much bigger than that. It is difficult to attend the meetings if you live far away, and most of us are not famous, but here we are, behind the screen and needle in hand, jejeje… I see you’ve gonne vertical regarding your buttonholes… so I see it is vertical for shirt dresses… well for me is horizontal, specailly if the dress is tight, since the vertical hole would gap at the possible tension??? We need a buttonhole authority!
Exactly why I said WE built this community!
Yay, I’m glad you alp had a great time. Sweet dress too – perfect for summer. Rachel ☺
It is indeed amazing how a common interest can make friends out of people who have never met before. This was the first meet up I ever attended and I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I had a wonderful time and met lovely people, I absolutely loved it 😊
Love the dress and always feel slightly miffed that I live somewhere where I can’t every attend a meet up!
Oh, how fun! One of these years I’m going to make it to the Meet-up – every year it looks like it attracts a larger group and every year I feel like I MISS OUT on an opportunity to meet all the amazing people in our on-line community. I love your dress – a perfect outfit for what sounds like a perfect day. 🙂
Wow! it looks like you all had an incredible day – and fancy having perfect weather TOO! Love the nautical picture – especially with my beautiful daughter next to you on the left. I am well jealous; as they say in the North; and wish I was able to take part someday. 🙂
Good morning from the Shuswap in BC, Canada! I’ve recently discovered your blog and I love it! I haven’t sewn a piece of clothing in nearly 30 years. Your blog has inspired me and I am now working up the courage to sew McCalls 6959 only I am scared the wrap bodice is not going to be tall enough to cover the girls. Maybe I will chicken out and start with that shirt dress instead. Anyway, I hope you find some time to PLAY today!
Love that dress, it looks wonderful on you, all nice and summery. Congratulations
Well said. We do have a thing going on! I’m sorry I didn’t get to talk to anyone nearly enough.
Looks like fun and great dress! I think I just bought a pattern for a shirt dress, I wonder if it’s the same one.
Like Jan above I looked for TMOS on Saturday- gutted to find !!!!!! He was not there!!!! A lady in in one of the shops said she thought he had retired a couple of months ago but you got the sequinned sphinx from him only the other week!! Hope he was just on holiday. I will try again when next in the Capital glad you all had a great day – lovely weather ☀️
He was there the week before – I don’t think he has retired – at least I hope not!!! That would be disaster!
Thanks for coming. I always feel I don’t spend enough time with everyone.
I love your dress! That’s super cute.
Those are some tremendous buttons paired with a tremendous dress! Lovely to see you briefly
Hi Karen
Just wanted to say it was jolly lovely meeting you at NYLon2014! I probably pounced on you when I saw the fabric your dress was in but it was fab to chat and meet so many lovely ladies! Loving our nautical shot, by the way! It really is a fab look!
Louise
Karen, it was so fun to meet you in London!! I had the best time at the meetup. Want to hop back over to London soon.