Try Handmade

Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

Miss Malaprop

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Of course you know Mallory from her blog, but have you seen her clothing line?

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MissMalaprop.com is where modern handmade meets sustainable design. On my website, I spotlight the best in independent designers & artists, eco-friendly and sustainable products, New Orleans & Gulf Coast based businesses and issues, and people & organizations who are working to make the world a better place.

My own creations reflect those same principals. I began selling my creations under the name “dismantled designs” in 2004, after arriving home from a study abroad program in London where I saw the amazing artists at Portobello Market and where I was inspired to begin selling my own reconstructed clothing & accessories.

My designs are all one-of-a-kind, handmade and original. Most are made from used or vintage clothing, or remnant fabrics and trims. Each piece is meant to have a slightly unfinished, rough-hewn, well-loved look about it. I hope you enjoy!

Graphically bold pillow covers

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Hitomi Kimura is the designer and screen printer of kalla Design, textile and surface design studio based in Ibaraki, Japan.

In 2007, after studying graphic design and working for a publisher in London, England, Hitomi started her own small business in Japan, selling her screen printed matters.

All the printed products are hand screen printed with water-based eco-friendly inks and then some of them are carefully machine sewed by the designer herself.

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Halfpenny London

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I have resisted until now writing about what I think is the most exciting purchase in planning your wedding. The Dress. This is the one day you get the chance to wear something truly magnificent that makes you feel like a million dollars. In this month’s Cosmopolitan Bride there are some fabulous dresses featured from the catwalks in New York for the 2011 bridal shows earlier this year. Whilst there are some aspects of the dresses available off the rails of bridal shops that you may like, there are probably some that you really dislike. Another option is to have a dress designed and made just for you, either by a family friend or a member of your family or you can seek out a designer to work with to produce ‘your dress’.

Kate Halfpenny is a wedding dress designer based in London. Also with many years experience as a celebrity stylist and an impressive academic portfolio in textiles and design, including a BA Honours in Fashion Marketing and Manufacturing and holds a prestigious MA in Design for Textiles Futures from Central St. Martins College, London.

As a child Kate Halfpenny grew up in a creative environment, her mother was a talented knitwear designer and her father was qualified graphics and craft designer. This led her to try many arts and craft mediums including pottery, printing, jewellery design and fine art before following her passion in textiles.

By 2000 Kate Halfpenny’s knowledge and passion for the history of fashion and her ability to turn an idea into reality meant she was in demand as a costume designer for many brands, including Pepsi, Honda, Ghost and Hugo Boss among others. Kate has also styled many celebrities including Twiggy, Shirley Bassey, Daisy Lowe and Pixie Lott and Emilia Fox has even modeled dresses on Kate’s website. Kate Halfpenny has also made a dress for Kate Moss to wear for her 35th birthday celebrations.

Yet even with celebrity credentials Kate Halfpenny can design and create a beautiful dress for you. From her London studio Kate offers a bespoke dress making service so that you really can have the dress that your heart desires.

All images are taken from Kate Halfpennys website www.halfpennylondon.com with her full permission.

London, England

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[hTara]

the make lounge - workshops
the make lounge

It’s no surprise that London has its fair share of fantastic crafters! A real stand-out spot, however, is The Make Lounge. A former magazine journalist, Jennifer Pirtle created The Make Lounge for the modern woman:

Some wanted to make things but didn’t know how. Others simply wanted something different to do on their own or with friends. For each of them, she created The Make Lounge, a stylish, welcoming space featuring short-term, project-oriented craft workshops.

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