The Making of The Penelope Red Jade Winter Coat

I am so excited! I wanted to introduce my very latest style to my Penelope Red range. This is the Penelope Red Jade Winter Coat, and I absolutely love it! This is a one-off, completely unique garment, and the lady who will eventually own this will truly have something special!

The photos included here with me as the model, have been taken today... they are, of course, not professional photos, but I couldn't wait for the real photos before I revealed this to you, so for now... these will have to do.

I am so happy with the colours, styling, finish and fit of the coat- I am really starting to see that tailoring and suiting is truly where my passion lies...

I decided on this style through many ways. I wanted a glamorous, classic silhouette, so I created a fuller hem. The subtle pleating in the arms, bust and waist area, tied together with the fuller hem also allows for comfort and ease.

The contrasting jade panels were created for two reasons. I always like to try to balance out a woman's body. So If I have a wide hem, I like to create the optical illusion of wider shoulders too.

The second; both of these fabrics are recycled, I only had very small amounts in each, so I needed to divide the fabric anyway.

I have spent over a week creating this coat, and for those of you who have no idea how much work goes into creating something as special as this, I will share with you some photos to illustrate exactly how much work is involved.

I have added a 100% cotton interlining to this coat. The main outer fabric is a beautiful bouclé, and I wanted to stabilise it with an interlining. It gives more body to the garment, keeps it warmer and soft.
Each and every seam has been layered as well as pressed.


Above is the lining, once I had attached the black faux fur.The lining is 100% black silk. To create a bit of interest to the inside of the garment, I decided to place a jade detailed stitching around the facings- even the inside is beautiful!


I love it when coats have welt button holes- it just finishes off the coat perfectly. It is quite a fiddly procedure, and takes many steps, but it is always worth it!



When I am creating a beautiful garment such as this, I like to use interfacing, rather than fusing. This means the garment will be more durable, will hold its shape for longer, and will look better than any fused garment..... It also means more work, but again, it's worth it!


I tried to match the check lines as much as possible.


As mentioned before, I like to place subtle pleats around the bust/waist and arms. This is a photo of one.


There are two side pockets included.

Some of the seams have been hand stitched down to make sure they stay completely flat.




Well, I hope this has helped to give you a clearer picture of how I create my designs, and the kind of work involved.

Below are a few photos of the coat on the dummy.





The Penelope Red Jade Winter Coat will not be available to purchase until September 09. Meanwhile, please take a look at the Penelope Red Etsy shop, or the Penelope Red official website for more information.

The Penelope Red Kaleidoscope Mini Skirt

The picture above, of me, was taken with the help of my hubbie- so it isn't poffessional, but atleast you can see it properly on a body.



Today I finished a new design- The Penelope Red Kaleidoscope Mini Skirt. I am loving the colour/fabric combination! While I understand that the combination is not for everyone's taste, sometimes it isn't about pleasing the masses... I like to keep it fresh and sometimes create items just for the love of doing it! This is what keeps me coming back!


I wanted to create a mini skirt that wasn't too mini. I wanted a length that was still classic and sophisticated, so this skirt is short- but not sky high.

I decided to place a curved panel down each side, as this creates an optical illusion, as well as it is my signature look- I love my panels! The curved panel means that the darker fabric (the plain Emerald Green Silk) is detracting from the thighs. The peach satin binding is creating a longer line, and draws your eye up and down the length.



When I make straight skirts or fitted skirts, I like to try and curve them around the hips and butt- we want to show off the curves! Not hide them in excess fabric!

This skirt was made from two beautiful 100% Silk fabrics. Together, they have such a luxurious feel, and the satin binding just lifts it even further!


I also managed to match the check where possible.


Of course, it is fully lined as well, with an invisible zip.

I only have enough fabric for two of these skirts- so this skirt is 1 out of 2. I hope whoever decides to buy it, loves it! This will be available in the Penelope Red Etsy store, in September 09.

The Penelope Red Hooded Coat: The Making Of

The above photo, of me, was taken with the help of my hubbie. So it isn't a professional photo, but atleast you can see the hood!


Recently I finished a gorgeous Hooded Coat, that will go on sale late September in the Penelope Red Etsy store.

I was inspired by the loose fitting coats of the 50's, as well as the fabrication, a beautiful, soft and bright coloured bouclé. The fabric is actually a recycled fabric, which I bought recently, and it captured my attention straight away! I wanted a more fun feel with this coat, and I thought the hood added something unusual and striking, that you wouldn't get elsewhere.

I wanted to share with you some of the detail and effort I have put into the making of this coat....

First, I decided to interline this coat. The bouclé' is a very loose weave, and the cotton interlining adds stability, as well as warmth, and durability.

I placed interfacing in all of the areas where it was needed- no cheap fusing here! I have also hand sewn the interfacing down the front, as shown below.
All seams were clipped and trimmed, to reduce the bulkiness of the layers, where possible as well.

Shoulder pads were added to create a very tailored look. It is amazing the difference a good shoulder pad does to the look of a coat, as well as to your figure!


I have added a sleeve head roll to the shoulder seam- this creates a very soft roll-like effect that the sleeve falls over, so you don't get the top of the sleeve collapsing, or a sharp edge from your shoulder pad. It is just something extra which may not seem like much, buts adds to the overall look!So that is some of the inside details, now for the outside details.

I love, love full sleeves at the moment! I especially love full sleeves with added detailing, so I created a pleated sleeve, and it gets narrower towards the wrist.

The front and back panels have been made to be very loose from the bust area down, so I have added pleats that fall loose from just above the bust.
Where possible, all checked lines are matched up to each other in corresponding seams. This itself is quite a challenge, as you not only have to get the sewing right, but the cutting has to be spot-on too!
All of my coats and jackets are always fully lined, and this is no exception. I like to try and make the inside as beautiful as the outside, so each person who wears my designs feels like they have something special and beautifully crafted.
The buttons on the outside ofthis coat are vintage buttons, that I have collected. They were the perfect colour.
The actual fastening is positioned on the inside, so I have the buttonholes on the inside, along with other buttons that fasten .

This is a picture of the hood- well, the best I could do on a dummy. It looks so much better on a body, these photos don't do the coat justice! I can't wait to take some good photos of this design, and others that I am currently working on, but for now, this will have to do!
Hopefully I will have some good photos to share with you, of this coat, ASAP! Some of the Penelope Red Autumn/Winter designs can be viewed here....