Every month or so I send out an e-news letter with previews of new designs & Liberty prints as well as special offers and sample sales. Click here to read previous letters or email me to sign up.
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One of the most rewarding things about this job is the lovely letters and emails I get from customers with pictures of their little boys and girls wearing my clothes. You'll also find my latest press coverage and my blog postings here. You can also follow me on facebook or twitter @peakprincess.
To receive my enews letter with sample sales & preview offers just send me an email with 'newsletter' in the message box. I won't overwhelm you - I try and send one every month or so.
Check out this wonderful applique work that one of my lovely customers Sarah made using my Liberty offcuts for her little girl Cosmo! Love the blanket stitch. See some of the handmade Liberty print clothes I've made for Cosmo over the past few years on my Happy Customers pages.
Our local tourist board Visit Peak District and Derbyshire have teamed up with X Factor contestant Chelsea Redfern and musicians from Lady Manners school in Bakewell to produce this 2 minute film about the Peak District. Gorgeous.
Oh dear - one of those weeks. Royal Mail lost of parcel of 5 handmade Liberty tops that Millie sent back to me all beautifully finished. So I remade them all! And now they've just been delivered safe & sound.
So if you are looking for a last minute present I've just uploaded them. 15% off discount code is PPENEWS. Can deliver right up to 22nd.
Liberty print pinafore tops (6-12m) - £29.74 each incl discount
Millie print
Mitsi print
Liberty Phoebe blue £25.49 (2-3y)
Liberty Paulies Parrots £33.99 (new size 9-10y)
Liberty Plum dog £25.49 (2-3y)
Also, I can't promise these will be back in stock in time for Christmas but I have 3 Bella Luella knee length puff sleeve dresses handmade in Liberty tana lawn being sent back to me that were photographed for a magazine summer feature for summer 2012 (product only, so have not been worn) that I'll be putting on the site at 25% off (£48.75 each, normally £64.99). Email me if you'd like to reserve one.
Bella Luella in Tatum blue with pink rose garlands is size 6-12m Bella Luella Wiltshire red berries is size 12-18m Bella Luella Betsy green is size 18-24m
Feeling a bit tearfully overwhelmed as I've had a series of sweet emails from customers delighted with the clothes I've sent them with gorgeous pics and comments. This is why I love this job.
I'm terribly grateful to Ginnie for sending this adorable photo of her daughter Ava wearing a Bella Luella style bridesmaid dress with velvet trim I made for her to wear at their wedding in October.
Ginnie very kindly says: "Ava's dress is absolutely perfect! It fits her beautifully, is just the right length and she looks really lovely in it. Thank you so, so much. I am delighted. The service you've provided has been first rate all the way through and I can't believe the speed at which you turned this around. I couldn't recommend you highly enough"
15% OFF CHRISTMAS STOCK OFFER + WIN A HELLO KITTY BLOUSE
My order book for Christmas delivery is very nearly full. Please email me if you'd like me to pencil you in, or order online for clothes made-to-order in your choice of style, size and Liberty print.
But like Squirrels Nutkin, Millie and I have been making up a small collection of stock of clothes that I can post out straight away for Christmas gifts and parties. We have everything from a little Baby Belle romper and romper dress, to my best selling Freya Bean blouses and Bella Luella dresses as well as some preview sample bargains. Kate's also been busy making her adorable hair clips, grips & bobbles which with 15% off will be just £3.39 a pair - perfect stocking fillers.
Newsletter subscribers can use the discount code PPENEWS to get 15% off all in-stock clothes in the Ready to Wear department of the website. (As in Peak Princess email newsletter - not as in Politics, Philosophy and Economics News - though I can recommend the Freakonomics podcast which I've become addicted to!).
Last UK Christmas post is 20th December. Last Europe post is 12th December (rest of world is 5th so you'd need to be quick!).
Examples of in-stock items with 15% discount applied.
Freya Bean blouse in Mitsi (18-24m) now £25.49
Baby Belle Romper dress (3-6m) in Nina now £33.99
Freya Bean long sl blouse in Betsy (6-12m) now £29.74
I love the idea of passing down sewing knowledge. Mum (who was a couture designer in the 60s) taught me to sew as a little girl. I grew up making cushions & bags and even won our local Young Enterprise competition at school selling drawstring bags. I'd made the odd dress and pair of trousers for myself but never really gone further. I never had the time with a busy, full-time job as a radio producer. So the very best thing about starting Peak Princess has been sitting down with Mum and learning the art of pattern cutting, design and pattern making, and, of course, beautiful sewing.
Last year I taught Chinley 1st Guides to make hair scrunchies. Though they were great I'd advise that they are actually quite fiddly and possibly a better project one on one that trying to teach twenty odd girls at once how to work out that fiddly bit of sewing the closure. So this year, I took inspiration from Cloth Magazine's pattern for making drawstring shoe bags. Super simple, near instant results and very pretty and customisable with different fabrics, ribbons and decorations.
Thankfully - with 26 girls - I had a couple of Mums as well as local fabric designer Kate Yorke (from Emily Pickle who makes my hair accessories) on hand to help with cutting, ironing and learning to use the sewing machine. We split the group with half making cards wtih local linocut artist Jill Kerr and bead badges with another local bedding linen designer Rachel Child.
Many of the girls were genuinely fearful of the machine*, never having used one before. My approach is to acknowledge machines can be dangerous but with a bit of respect they are easy to master and you are always in control. Most of them took to it like ducks to water and the look of amazement on their faces when they turned the bags inside out and realised they'd made something was priceless.
(*It was also interesting to get to use the John Lewis mini sewing machine (£49). It's great value and the speed is nice and slow but personally I think the horizontal bobbin deck made threading very fussy and it seemed to come unthreaded and lose tension quicker than the grown-up machines. That said, I'm a massive John Lewis fan and do all my Peak Princess sewing on their basic Janome machines).
I'm not sure they believed me when I told them that now they'd mastered the drawstring bag they had learnt all the basic skills you need to make cushions, curtains and even a halterneck dress. Perhaps that's next year's class!
PS I'd really recommend buying any child who shows a creative streak a subscription to Cloth magazine (just £12 a year) or go on their website's project page.
Lucy's just sent me a lovely email and gorgeous pics of her wedding day: "I wanted to send you some photo's of my niece Celia in the beautiful dress you made for her to wear at our wedding! She looked amazing and so many people commented on her dress."
The dress is a full length Bella Luella handmade in Liberty's limited edition Paulie's Parrots print. I have just a couple of metres left. It's divine but I have to admit I'd never have thought of it as bridesmaid dress material but Lucy's judgment was obviously spot on.
It brings an understated, playful touch to the formal occasion and what's more it suits Celia's colouring perfectly and I adore her choice of a Liberty purple bow to match the groom's tie. (I also love Lucy's dress with its sophisticated little bolero).
I've been absolutely inundated with orders for Hello Kitty print blouses and dresses over the past couple of months - Millie and I are dreaming about kittens! There was just the tiniest bit of Wonderland left - enough for me to squeeze out a baby size Freya Bean smock blouse (6-12m).
If you don't already subscribe, I'd heartily recommend it. The fashion is gorgeous and it's packed with ideas to keep your little ones amused in the big smoke. Even if you don't live in London it's a great read - editors Annie and Emily are always trying out new products and services and it's packed with interesting articles. And if you can't wait for the quarterly issues, sign up to Claire's weekly email newsletter. It's the most beautifully presented, easy-to-read guide to what's on and where and what's hot and what's not.
They've been incredibly supportive since I set Peak Princess up three years ago and dared pick up the phone to Annie to see if she might have time to look at my designs and have featured me several times. So a big thank you.
Wow! It's been Hello Kitty-tastic at Peak Princess since last month's newsletter. Thanks to everyone who ordered. I sold out in 3 hours. Millie and I have been sewing like demons and the orders are nearly complete. I have a little more fabric so if you're on the reserve list and there's enough left, I promise I'll be in touch. I'm keeping a Hello Kitty photo album on facebook if you'd like to see how my designs look covered in kittens.
Meanwhile, Kate's been busy at work making super cute Hello Kitty hair clips and bobbles from my offcuts - perfect little stocking fillers. There's a limited number in stock for £5.99 a pair or you can order in the print of your choice for £6.99. (Delivery 1-2 weeks).
NEW DESIGNS NOW ONLINE
There are several new designs now available on the website including the Kate Charlotte dress (from £39.99) - inspired by Millie's little girls who adore being able to dress themselves. It's pretty and practical but a little less formal than the fitted bodice & button down back of my best-selling Bella Luella. Options include puff or angel sleeves and one or two tier ruffle skirts.
The Rose Ursula cord dress (from £39.99) and blouse (from £39.99) is a response to the demand for a cord version of my Freya Bean/Megan Jane tana lawn smocks - it's slightly less gathered to suit the soft and snug, thicker Liberty cords.
And I'm delighted that my Matilda May slouchy pocket dress was a hit with its namesake. Product testing revealed each pocket comfortably held 14 conkers! (Huge thanks also to Tilly's talented Mum Hannah who's designed my new logo. Check out Tilly's Mum and Dad's fab graphic design agency Design Everything).
Coming soon is the Popinjay baby romper which pops open to lay flat for super easy dressing and has an elasticated bottom for easy out-and-about nappy checks and changes. It's named in honour of our friends' Anna and Ian's baby boy Jay. This is him modelling.
£20 PREVIEW OFFERS
I'd also be super grateful for 2 or 3 product testers for a couple of new designs I have in mind. One is a skirt version of the Matilda May slouchy pocket dress and another is Millie's inspired idea for a romper version of my Freya Bean blouse with an elasticated bottom, similar to the Popinjay design. I've put 3 of each on the website at £20 each in the print of your choice, subject to availability. (As ever it's strictly first come, first served).
Meanwhile, the gentleman's shirt experiment continues - launch date's been put back to the New Year because of the huge Hello Kitty demand. (Photos available on request).
CHRISTMAS MADE-TO-ORDER DELIVERIES & NEW READY-TO-POST-NOW SHOP
I hate to use the C word in November but if you'd like to order for delivery in time for Christmas, I'd really recommend doing so in the next couple of weeks. Millie and I are trying our best to build up clothes and accessories that are ready to post now (though it keeps selling so this is proving difficult!). But if you'd like made-to-order, I'd really recommend booking a slot now to avoid disappointment. Feel free to drop me an email to reserve time in my diary so you have time to make up your mind on styles & prints.
The best days are the days that pictures of little girls and boys wearing my dresses pop into my inbox...and today was a real treat. Elaine kindly sent me these pics of her bridesmaid Maddie wearing my Lily May twirl pinafore bridesmaid dress made in a limited edition Liberty print called Plum Dog (now sadly out of stock). (There's more about how I designed this dress on an earlier blog post).
I adore Elaine's dress - turns out it's from Abigail's Vintage Bridal, described by Elaine as "a fabulous, very clever girl in Rutland who does vintage dresses from home".
You simply have to check out her website - it's vintage heaven. Abigail sources the finest original and unique vintage gowns from around the world from the turn of the century to the early 70s and meticulously cleans and restores them to their full glory. Dresses are available from the turn of the 20th Century to as late as the early 1970's. And what's even better is that she offers an in-house alteration service. What more could a girl want?
When my friend Hayley asked me if I'd help her daughter (and original Peak Princess model), Caitlin, to make a Tudor ruff for her Elizabethan themed school day next week I said no problem, imaginining I could concertina up a bit of the lining fabric I use for my dresses.
Then I started doing my research and started getting anxious. The marvellously ego boosting thing about children is that the have total faith in your skills. But there's nothing more crushing than a child's disappointment.
Various internet blogs suggested it was a 4 to 8 hour job & required some pretty specialist skills, not to mention materials like lace and horse hair.
Fortunately I stumbled upon Dawn's Costume Guide. I didn't have wired ribbon but I do use a lot of net which has the stiffness of starched lace.
I adapted Dawn's idea combining it with other patterns. Using my mannequin as a guide Caitlin decided she wanted a ruff that was 8 cm wide and stands 4cm tall - just fitting under her chin. My netting is 150cm wide. To give extra bulk and a smooth edge we cut 16cm strips and folded them lengthways. We made a 4cm piece of card as a folding guide...
...It was too springy and Caitlin was worried about the itchiness factor on the cut side so I ran the long side through the overlocker, though you could just using a running stitch on the machine or hand baste.
We folded up one (while turning fishfingers and trying not to let Otso the dog eat either the fish or pins). Rather than trying to do complicated maths, we measured it against my mannequin.
The inside of the ruff measured about 5 or 6cm. So we reckoned with Caitlin's neck measuring 30cm round that we needed about 5 lots of 150cm sewn together. I used a big darning needle that I use for sewing knitted seams and some strong linen thread to sew the overlocked edges of the pleats together.
Our guess-timate was right and even if we'd have been wrong we could have just added an extra one in.
According to Drea Lead's guide to making an Elizabethan ruff, authentic closed collar ruffs like those worn by Queen Elizabeth, were lined with starched linen. I improvised with the ivory double satin that I use for my Patty's Petticoats (named after Caitlin's grandma). It's soft and I have plenty of it and ties easily. Caitlin was still worried about itchiness so we actually ended up using 2 widths of 25cm one hand sewn to the top edge with trailing ribbons to tie the ruff plus an extra band sewn to the bottom edge. I basted them together in the middle.
Proud of our achivements, we were keen to show them off. My other half Nikalas Cook was down at our local pub, The Old Hall Inn, having a pint after an afternoon bike ride with our friend Paul Barton (one half of the talented graphic design Design Everything - his other half, Hannah, designed my new logo).
The 16th century Minstrel's Gallery provided the perfect backdrop for an impromptu photo shoot.
Spot the difference?
Queen Caitlin Can't wait to see the ruff with period costume dress next week.
...which is rather unusual as here at Peak Princess Palace it's usually girls clothes which make up the bulk of my business. I started off only making girlswear, then responding to demand I designed a limited capsule collection of little boys' clothes. This is my friend Jane's little boy looking super cool in New York in an Eliza's Owls print short sleeve shirt -->
But over the past couple of months I've branched out into handmade Liberty print men's ties and most recently have started experimenting with patterns for handmade Liberty print men's shirts. (More on the shirts in a future post).
A month or so ago I got a last minute request from a bridegroom who needed ties and waistcoats to go with tweed suits for a glamping wedding being held in a Welsh field. Sounded fun and the gentleman in question was very charming*.
Now, last minute in my books is anything under a month. I normally like to make for weddings with at least 6 to 8 weeks to go in case exchanges are needed. This was really cutting it fine...but as a former Radio 4 news producer I'm a sucker for a the adrenaline hit of a deadline.
By the time the fabric (Liberty Glenjade with plain biscuit lining) arrived we had two weeks and the order by this time had increased to 6 junior ushers waistcoats and 5 adult ushers, plus a handmade tie (narrower cut than my usual pattern) and 6 hankies. All told about 2 weeks' work that I'd scheduled in 2 days for. There were quite a few frantic calls between the said gentleman standing in Liberty's Regent Street store and me in my sewing room and a few sleepless nights but I think you'll agree, this preview snap sent from honeymoon has made it all worth it.
*I got a delightful thank you note from his then fiancee, now wife, explaining that this is why her betrothed is known as 'Captain Chaos'!
REALLY SORRY - I SOLD OUT OF ALL OF THE PRINTS WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF PUTTING OUT MY NEWSLETTER. If you'd like to go on my reserve list, please email me. I'll see how things go when I start cutting. best wishes, Lissa ****
I adored Hello Kitty when I was a little girl and now my god-daughter Mia has fallen for the charms of little Japanese kitten. So I was terribly excited when I saw Liberty was bringing out a range of 5 new Hello Kitty prints.
Kitty Town print features all Kitty’s family and friends in the setting of a quaint English village.
Kitty Wonderland depicts Kitty's fantasy land with all her favourite toys.
Karenkubo is a new adaptation of a floral from 1933, which has been given a special Hello Kitty twist. I'm afraid I can't order wholesale direct from Liberty fabrics as I usually do as these exclusive prints are only being sold at retail from Liberty of London's Regent Street store. So I've bought just two or three metres of 3 prints - Hello Kitty Town in orange and blue; Hello Kitty Wonderland and Hello Kitty Karenkubo in blue/red and pink/green. Looking at Liberty's website, they went on sale today and most are already out of stock.
Prices will be £5 extra for blouses and £10 extra for dresses above my usual prices. I'll take orders on a first come first served basis by email or phone (not via the website). My next order slots are already for the beginning of November so please do think about ordering now for Christmas.
lissa at peakprincess dot co dot uk or 01663 751 126 / 07818 411 791
It's always lovely (flattering) to get a word of mouth recommendation, so I was delighted when my god-daughter's Mum, Jo, recommended me to her friend & colleague, Lisa Even lovelier is when a picture pops into my inbox of one of my little dresses being worn and loved. Clemmie's Mum Lisa says: "It has turned into her favourite little dress and she wears it to all her special occasions." (By the way, this gorgeous Liberty print is also called 'Clemmie'. This style is my 'Bella Luella' puff sleeve, button down back dress).
I just love the casual yet sophisticated binoculars over the shoulder ready for a day at the races!
a) Welcome back from holiday to Millie. We're both busy sewing up your made-to-order requests as well as building up a small collection of in-stock ready-to-buy clothes for those last-minute presents and parties. (Have a peek - there's some bargains to be had including sample Chloe Sophia ballet wraps in sizes 6-12m and 8-9y).
c) And last but not least - thanks to my Mum who's been experimenting with hand-making Liberty print eye-masks. I'm a total Princess & The Pea and love her design using black-out material. Perfect for anyone who works shifts, travels, has streetlights near a bedroom window or just wants to look pretty while they powernap. She's been trialling different bias bindings so we're selling these at half price for £7.49.
d) Oh and a big thank you to my trial men's long-sleeve shirt guinea pigs Julian, Gyles and Ben. More news soon.
e) Honestly - this is the last thing - NEW POSTAL RATES. My new website's allowed me to offer fairer postage banding starting from just £1.95. I've had to ditch the free p&p on offers over £100 simply because I have to send anything over £100 by next day delivery to insure against loss. I hope you understand. The good news is it means fast next day delivery for bigger orders.
My favourite days are when my customers are kind enough to send me pictures of my dresses. In my little sewing room here in the Peak District I try my best to imagine who'll be wearing them but it's always wonderful to see them being worn and loved.
Caroline sweetly shared these adorable photos from her recent wedding in France. I made two Grace Kelly pleated shirt-waisters for her little bridesmaids in a limited edition Liberty print called Lou Lou Isabella.
Caroline generously writes: "An email just to say thanks!! The dresses were perfect on the girls and they loved them!!! I have attached a few pictures for you to see. I only have one of the two of them and its a bit blurry cos the little one was a bit excited but hope you find it pretty anyways!! Thanks again, the dresses were exactly what I had hoped for, they made the day just that little bit more special!!"
Friends and family know my other half and I love our Finnish Lapphunds, Moses* and Otso**, so I was delighted to be asked if I could make a neckerchief for Zephyr the Whippet. Mum Emma wanted Zephyr to coordinate with her daughter Tilly's Liberty Betsy print bridesmaid dress at their friends' wedding. It's my first foray into pet couture. What do you think?
* This is my imaginatively named 'Doggy'*** modelling on behalf of Zephyr. I didn't think a distinguished whippet would like our furry Lapphunds to try on his neckerchief.
* We rehomed Moses so didn't name him.
** Otso is named after the Finnish Bear Spirit but often gets called Oxo and will answer to anyone with a dog treat.
*** In my defence, I was given Doggy by my Tante Jans when I was 5.
I know brides get nervous - I was a wreck on the morning of my wedding and I won't embarrass my sister by telling tales, but do spare a thought for those helping make your big day special.
I used to edit live radio programmes so I've suffered many a sleepless night wondering if a guest would turn up or whether a satellite dish signal would hold out or a big story would break just as I was about to go on air.
But nowadays my anxieties are fabric-centred. I've had a nerve-wracking week with two customers. Not because they are bride-zillas - far from it - but because one had reserved the very last two metres of a limited edition Liberty print called Plum Dog pink that I can't reorder and the other had asked for bespoke sashes and ribbons to sew onto divine ivory satin dresses.
Normally cutting is an almost meditative activity. You have to be methodical to get the most out of each metre and careful so as not to spoil the fit but worst comes to worst you can start over - that is unless you are at the dreaded end of a roll. The nightmare for me is nicking the fabric with my scissors or even worse, ruining everthing at the last minute with a careless chop of my button holer.
Added to this I've had four ivory satin beaded dresses covered in net hanging in my little sewing room all week. As my Mum will tell you, I don't wear white or cream for a reason. I'm clumsy. I was terrified. If I spoil my own fabric I can wash it or in the worst case scenario start over. Ivory satin is a whole different kettle of fish. I couldn't pop these on a quick spin cycle and imagine if my iron had caught on the netting and melted it! (It's happened to me and I've just cut another length).
Apparently, the dress-makers who sewed the Duchess of Cambridge's dress washed their hands every 30 minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours, to keep them sharp and clean! I know why.
But all's well that end's well. Well almost. Now I just have the jitters I have once the relief of posting subsides. Will they fit? Is the length right? Will they like them? etc. etc.
So total relief never comes until a few weeks after the big day when often as not my lovely customers are kind enough to send me pictures.
The ultimate test of how much a little girl loves a dress is whether she twirls in it. As a customer recently wrote: "When my daughter put hers [bridesmaid dress] on she spent about 10 minutes spinning in circles around the living room." With this in mind I designed the Lily May twirl skirt which later became a pinafore bridesmaid dress. I've always struggled with still photos to show how it flares out and have never managed to successfully photograph it during a modelling shoot.
Today as I was adjusting my mannequin to take a pic of a Lily May dress in Liberty Plum Dog that I've just finished for a wedding inspiration struck. (I'm a radio producer by trade so forgive my rather clumsy efforts with iMovie!)
For those who aren't lucky enough to still be away on summer hols, why not take a peek at my new selection of Liberty prints? The new range includes 'Dora' and 'Emma and Georgina' both Greatest Hits from Liberty's autumn/winter 2011 Rock & Roll collection - each available in silky soft tana lawn and snug-as-a bug cords.
New Liberty Tana Lawns
New Liberty Rossmore Cords
Before school broke up I started work on a new website which I've launched today. It's all my own handiwork but a big thank-you to the team at Create for their support. There's lots more product information, as well as lots more images. Hopefully you'll find it easier to browse and buy. Millie and I are experimenting with a small Ready-to-Wear collection to complement the Made-to-Order range. We hope to be able to build up a small stock of clothes in each size for those last minute parties and gifts. I do hope you like it. (Sincere apologies to fellow Mac lovers as the Flash slideshows don't work with iPhone or iPad for the moment but Create are working on it).
Also new for autumn/winter are Liberty cord versions of my best selling Bella Luella puff sleeve dress and Harper Jane dress & blouse. Coming soon, Millie and I are working on a new cord blouse named after her little girl Rose Ursula and a new tana lawn dress after her sister, Kate Charlotte.
And for all of you who value sleep as much as I do, you might like to know that my terribly talented mother (former couture dress-maker, designer and my patient sewing teacher) has started to make Liberty eyemasks. I love them and I hope you do too.
Just one more word of house-keeping before I leave you in peace to enjoy the rest of the holidays, I have a new, less impersonal email address lissa@peakprincess.co.uk, though the old mail@peakprincess.co.uk address still works.
Best wishes,
Lissa
PS I've had a couple of enquiries about making men's full-length sleeve shirts. If you're interested I'm thinking of trialling a handful of previews at around half price each for £60 + p&p.
The first ever nationwide sizing survey is out today and it shows children are significantly taller and fatter than their parents were at the same age. Both typical waist-lines and height have increased over the last 30 years. Girls are typically 2cm taller, with waist measurements up by 8cm, and boys are 4cm taller, with waists up by 7cm. I was asked what I thought by reporter Tamsin Smith for BBC Breakfast TV. It's a sensitive issue and I'm sympathetic to parents with children who are larger than average as I was definitely a 'bonny' baby.
...It was too springy and Caitlin was worried about the itchiness factor on the cut side so I ran the long side through the overlocker, though you could just using a running stitch on the machine or hand baste.
Queen Caitlin
