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.

New Vintage Fabrics

When people have seen my designs at The Rocks Markets, or when I am wearing my Penelope Red designs out, most will ask me the same question, "Where do you get your fabrics from?". I know that my interesting fabrics and prints is what sets me apart from a lot of the other designers out there, so while I won't give away all of my secrets, I will share something with you...

I come from a long line of dressmaker's, and now that my Aunt's are getting past the stage of wanting to sew, they have decided to pass on their collection of fabrics to me! It only means great news for me and for my Penelope Red designs.

I have always loved vintage fabrics and prints- and they add an exclusive touch to my designs as no one else will have that fabric. Even when in was in TAFE, studying fashion design, I would visit the local op-shops and vintage stores, and collect beautiful pieces of fabric. Vintage fabrics is part of the Penelope Red aesthetic now, and around 50% of my fabrics and trims are vintage- especially after the latest editions.

The above photo and the below two photos are of fabrics collected from my Aunt Christine.
1. two cotton prints, and a beaded and sequinned trim.
2. printed linen, printed polyester and more beaded trims.
3. a black and blue jacquard and a printed cotton.



If you know anyone who likes to sew, you'll probably find out that we like to collect and hoard! Some people call it, "insulating the walls", other's call it, "fabric-holic". So when I meet a dressmaker who is giving up the trade, I always ask if they would like to sell their stash to me. The fabrics in the next image are from a recent "stash-buy". I love the printed wool (left), and the linen has come in handy (middle). The lace is probably my absolute favourite thing I acquired from this lady.



The fabrics above and below are from another aunt of mine, Aunt Patricia. All of these are cotton prints, and they will come in handy for the coming Spring/Summer- I can't wait to use them!

Photos from the Summer Fashion Showcase Parade

In September, The Rocks Markets held a Spring and Summer Fashion Showcase parade, and some Penelope Red designs were featured. You can watch the video from the Summer fashion showcase here and the following photos are from this event.


The first two photos show the Cosmopolitan Red Bow Tie Pants, and Martini Bright Stripe Blouse. More on the Martini Bright Stripe blouse can be viewed on the blog here.


How to feel instantly like a million dollars: wear the Manhattan Bright Satin Catsuit. It looks like so much fun on the catwalk! Every time I try on a catsuit, I feel like cranking up the dance music and going to a club with my friends!



The Tokyo/Sydney Catsuit is a crowd favourite- a design that I am very proud of, and it was also used in all of the advertisement for this parade event. You may recognise it from the posters, flyers etc, and it was even on the 'Grazia' website!



I love this outfit! It suits the model so well, and is such a fun outfit- The Tequila Sunrise Spot Halter Top, and Pina Colada Green Shorts.



The Pink Singapore Sling Kimono is such a versatile top, and made from a beautiful printed cotton. A very stunning print! It is worn with the Mojito Metallic Mini Skirt.





The Purple Floral Corset Dress is a very feminine and elegant style- perfect for many occasions.


I will be adding the rest of my latest spring/summer designs to the Penelope Red etsy shop over the next few weeks.

Creating "The Red Hour" New Summer Collection Part 2

Last week, I mentioned my new summer collection, "The Red Hour" and a few photos showing the creative process. So here is Part 2 of that...


Above and below, creating the mini skirt...



Above: cutting out the flared pants, from a gorgeous bright red rayon!


Above: sewing the red polka dot satin fabric- this is to make a really cute top!


And altering the pattern for the flared pants.

Today I am creating the new catsuit style, and the fabric for this is going to be amazing! This will be a design that will stand out!

Meanwhile, take a look at some of my other designs in the Penelope Red etsy shop:

Penelope Red at The Rocks Market: 4th & 5th September 2010

I will be trading at The Rocks Markets, this coming weekend, the 4th and 5th of September, 2010. I will be showing off my latest Penelope Red designs, including the Aqua Wrap Around Halter Top, and other new designs from my Spring and Summer Collections!



I will be there form 10am to 5pm. My location will be announced on the Penelope Red facebook page, closer to the weekend.

Creating "The Red Hour" New Summer Collection

Finally my computer is working!!!! I have not been able to add any new blog postings for 2 weeks now, and I am starting to get withdrawal symptoms. So here I am, back again, and ready to add more and more new posts!

So without further ado, I wanted to show to you the beginnings of my new Penelope Red Summer range, "The Red Hour Collection".

It is called "the RED hour" instead of "the cocktail hour". I began designing this collection by starting off thinking: "what would I love to wear to a cocktail bar or party?"

Then I visited my textile agent, and she had these amazing fabrics! So the ideas just flowed...


The above design is my new Aqua Summer Wrap Around Halter Neck Top. Such a great style, which never dates, paired together with a stunning print- I have a feeling this will sell fast!


The photo above and below is of another cotton print, but you are actually seeing four colourways/swatches of it (2 in each photo). I have so far bought the green/aqua/yellow combination (the top swatch in the photo below), and now, each time I look at these photos I am tempted to buy another, but I am not sure which one... Any suggestions?



From the aqua print fabric, I am also making some flared pants from it. Anyone who knows my style well, knows I love my colourful flared pants!


This next print will be made into a gathered neck blouse, such as the Black and White Nouveau Blouse. This style shape has been very popular in the past 6 months, and as soon as I spotted this fabric, it just screamed Penelope Red!



There will be plenty of other handmade Penelope Red styles to come, and sneak peeks to view. I am hoping to have all the designs made up in the next week, ready for a brilliant photo shoot.

Some of my current styles available to purchase can be found in the Penelope Red etsy shop here:

New Fabrics for Spring and Summer

I have some new and exciting prints to show you, which will feature in my new Spring/Summer designs for 2010 and 2011. I love colour, prints and retro inspirations, so these fabrics simply sang out to me as soon as I saw them!


1st print: a polished cotton. This print I will get in Aqua as well. You can take a look at the other colour-way on the blog here.




2nd print: a gorgeous red with polka dots polyester satin. I may even use a little of this during winter for some cute blouses!




3rd print: My textile agent said that she thought of me the moment they received it- is that saying something about my taste in prints or what? Anyone who knows my style, knows I love vivid and bold prints. I think this will be fabulous in a great dress, or perhaps a halter neck top.

My Summer Mini Skirt

The weather is warming up! Time to start wearing all my summer gear...I love the fabric in this skirt, which I made recently. It is a simple cotton/elastane blend- thick enough to not need lining, casual enough to wear during the day, and the colours and bold print make it HOT to wear at night!



The fit of the skirt, is the same fit as the Penelope Red Ikat Gold Mini Skirt- which I added to my Etsy shop today. The style is different though, as I do not have the contrasting side panels. I plan to make more summer skirts, with the contrasting panel like the Ikat Gold Mini!



I am wearing my summer mini skirt with a crochet top, handmade by my Grandmother.

My Penelope Red Pleated Neck Blouse

Recently, I have had a little spare time to catch up on some sewing for ME! I adore bright prints and colours, and when I saw this fabric, it just screamed out to me!



I decided to make my own version of the Penelope Red Pleated Neck Blouse, as the fabric was so light and soft, and it will be perfect for summer!


Pictured above is the Penelope Red Monet Pleated Neck Blouse, which can be purchased online or at The Rocks Markets. If you would like a copy, please email me at: designer@penelopered.com.au



I bought this fabric from Tessuti Fabrics, a few months ago. It is a beautiful 100% silk twill.






As I had planned to wear this top with some bright red pants, and my favourite colour is red (obviously!), I chose to highlight the underbust seam with a bright red satin binding.




Since the fabric is silk, I wanted a beautiful finish, so I completed all seams as french seams. I then bound the facing edge too, with satin binding- so no over-locking was needed at all.



A great summer top to wear with jeans, or my fabulous red pants (shown in the previous photos), or a mini skirt... I can't wait for summer now!