New Style: One Of A Kind Black And White Cotton Kimono Women's Dress

I recently created this Black and White Cotton Kimono Dress. It is a one of a kind design, and its the first of many new Penelope Red fashion designs for this Spring and Summer!

This 2013-14 Spring and Summer I am intending on using up a lot of my vintage fabrics. There are so many special fabrics I have collected over the years! Since all of the fabrics have very limited meterage there will be plenty of one of a kind designs!

The Black and White Cotton Kimono Dress pictured here has been handmade using a vintage cotton twill that is lightweight and has a slight sheen to it. The black print looks kind of like a splash of a paint brush in a circular motion.

I decided to add black rik rak braid (also vintage) down the front, to go with the black shoulder yoke and black cuff. Then I happened to have the white beaded flowers and they make the design look even more special I think!

Check it out: The One of a Kind Handmade Black and White Cotton Kimono Dress is available in my Penelope Red etsy shop online here.

The Penelope Red Purple Floral Corset Dress

I added the Penelope Red Purple Floral Corset Dress to my etsy shop today.

I wanted to show you what goes into the inside of this dress, as the inside is just as important as the outside when it comes to a corset dress!



First, I make the corset. To see the making of one of my corsets, look at The Making Of a Penelope Red Corset blog posting. It is slightly different- as I don't need to decorate the outside of the corset for the dress, but otherwise as much care and time goes into it!

I make the corset out of a tan coloured fabric, as you don't want it to show through the white background.


I place an invisible zip, and a lovely pearl-like button at the centre back. All seams are matched!


The entire dress is fully lined with a white cotton/poly- I chose the cotton as this dress will be worn in the warmer months (no doubt), and I thought cotton would be the most comfortable to wear, and the poly blend would allow for less ironing needed!


The corset, with a lace-up back allows for you to tie at as tight or as loose as you want (within reason). It means that the corset will hold the dress in place, and there will be no need for adjusting the dress- you can wear this and be comfortable knowing the dress will stay where it is meant to!


It is always nice to see a few extra images of the photo shoot. These photos were taken in Sydney, at The Domain, by Anna Leschinskaya of Fotografika


The large purple floral design, on top of the white background really is an eye-catching print! The fabric is a cotton/elastane which means that it is quite durable, easy to clean and hardly creases. It has a soft, and slightly sheen feel to it.


I love the top photo, where the leaves are up in the air. We saw these beautiful autumn leaves, and we just had an idea and ran with it. It only took two shots to get that great photo!

The Purple Floral Corset Dress is available now in my etsy shop. If you have any questions, just email me at: designer@penelopered.com.au or start a conversation with me on etsy.

The Penelope Red Emerald Kimono

Introducing the Penelope Red Emerald Kimono. It really is a very striking design- it has been made from a border print, and I have placed the dark border panel going down the front to create length and a dramatic look!


Part of the border pieces have been used across the yoke- this helps the shoulders to look wider. The paler pieces of fabric have been used on the sleeves and the back (with darker edges towards the side seams- again creating a very flattering line).



The photos don't really do the print justice- it looks so much more alluring in real life- but they will have to do!




There is actually a seam running down the centre back- but as you can see from this photo, I have matched up the print beautifully!



The inside of every Penelope Red garment is always as neat as the outside. In this design I have used white overlocking to finish off the seam edges.





A great style with jeans, pants or a fitted skirt. The Emerald Kimono is now available for purchase in the Penelope Red etsy store.

The Penelope Red Noir Bow Top

Introducing the Penelope Red Noir Bow Top...a black and white version of the Penelope Red Paris Bow Top.



As the Paris Bow Top has been quite a popular style, I thought it would make sense to create this design in a classic black and white colour-way.



The exaggerated bow at the front still makes it a little quirky and fun, and the colour palette might make it easier to wear to the office/work.



The hem on this top sits at your hip area. The sleeve cuffs are made from knit fabric, and are not constricting at all.



As with all Penelope Red designs, this design has been designed, and created by myself.



You can purchase this online through the Penelope Red etsy shop, or visit the Penelope Red stall at The Rocks Markets.

The Penelope Red Bohemian Kurti

This is the latest style that I have been working on... The Penelope Red Bohemian Kurti. I call it a "Kurti" as part of this style was inspired by the traditional Indian Kurti.

I was mainly inspired by the beautiful braid which has been sewn to the centre front and sleeves- this is a vintage braid which I have had for a number of years, just waiting for the right moment to use it!



As the braid is vintage, it is very hard for me to tell what exactly it is made from. It is metallic, and can be hand washed. I have pre-washed the braid before attaching it to the fabric, to help prevent the dye from running.


The garment shown in these photos is the first I have made of this style, and I love it! I might change the sleeve though... I will keep the width and length of the sleeve the same, but the braid will either be placed on top of the sleeve (rather than at the under seam) so you can see it better, or I will simply attach it all around the hem of the sleeve.


The white fabric is a very soft and light cotton sateen. It has a slight sheen to it; a polished cotton.


You can wear this style with or without a belt. The choice is yours! I am personally more inclined to have a fitted waist on most of my outfits, but for some reason, this style seems to look good either way!




I think this is a great style to wear with jeans to go shopping. You could wear it to the beach with a skirt, or out to a restaurant with an elegant pair of pants. The possibilities are endless!





The below photos were taken at The Rocks Markets, last weekend.





I will be making this style in two sizes. This is the small size- which fits a size 8, 10 or 12- and the large size, which will fit a size 14, 16 and 18.

If you are interested in this style or any other Penelope Red style, please email me at:
designer@penelopered.com.au

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New Penelope Red Scarf Design: Chinese Flowers

I have posted a new scarf design in my Etsy shop. The Penelope Red Chinese Flowers scarf has been made from various beautiful fabrics, including silk, cotton, and linen blends.


I love mixing colours, textures and prints together, in unusual combinations- my friend's say it is my trademark. Making these scarves gives me the opportunity to play around with this even more.


I usually use one of the fabrics in the scarf to inspire the rest. So, for instance, in this scarf, I used the red Chinese-style printed cotton, to help determine the other fabrics and colours to use. The print has beige, cream and blue included in it.



A few other scarf designs can be seen here.

All Penelope Red scarves are one-of-a-kind. No scarf is exactly the same as the next.



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