The Black and Purple Cairo Skirt

The Black Silk Emilie Blouse is worn with the Black and Purple Cairo Skirt in each of these photos. I really LOVE this outfit!


When creating the skirt, I decided to include two lines of embroidery that highlighted the centre front panel.



I wanted the embroidery in black to still have an eastern feel to it, so I used a more geometric design.



The Penelope Red Cairo Skirt has been handmade from a black linen and purple silk/cotton blend. The draped black body creates a feminine line, the contrasting T-bar in purple around the waist and centre front, makes an elegant impact.



This design is part of the Red Queen Collection, inspired by Gustav Klimt paintings and Ancient Egyptian Costume. The one-shoulder look of the Black Silk Emilie Blouse, and the pleating on the skirt, reminds me of something an Egyptian Queen would wear. The vintage metallic braid and black embroidery help to convey a feel of eastern design, but they also remind me of Gustav Klimt paintings as well.

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!

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....