SEPTEMBER'S COMPETITON

WIN! a Katie Mullally large silver wishbone necklace on a 32 inch silver chain...

Katie Mullally's hallmarked vintage KMM jewellery is not only enjoyable to wear; each piece is sent to the London Assay Office and tested for the level of silver, only then is it stamped with the London Assay Office marks and the KMM mark- Katie's stamp. It is a legal requirement in the UK and Ireland that any silver weighing over 7.78 grams has to be hallmarked. Katie's history working in her grandmother's antique business means she knows that a hallmark is a quality assurance for the customer and therefore all KMM pieces are hallmarked. 


Katie's inspiration for the design comes from her love of antique markets and also her Irish heritage. The designs are vintage inspired with a quirky modern twist and Katie believes they will be collectible heirlooms.

KMM pieces have featured in The New York Times, The Irish Times, Mail, Irish Mail, Vogue, Grazia, OK! and many more publications. The charms have been worn by many bloggers and celebrities including Laura Whitmore, Ellie Goulding, Vogue Williams and Calum Best. Currently the designs are charm based, most of the pieces have large bails and can therefore be stacked together creating your own charm necklace; Katie is soon to be adding a charm bracelet to her collection. They are worn by men and women and appeal to all ages. 

Katie is a local designer and her studio is based in Tunbridge Wells. Her charms are sold in many stockists including Fenwick Tunbridge Wells and Fenwick Bond Street. Katie is also very much looking forward to having a stand again at this November's Wealden Times Midwinter Fair at Bedgebury Pinetum. www.katiemullally.co.uk

For your chance to win a Katie Mullally large silver wishbone necklace on a 32 inch silver chain, just answer this question:

'Which fair at Bedgebury Pinetum will Katie Mullally be attending this November?' 

Enter your answer with your contact details* in the online form at www.wealdentimes.co.uk, post your answer on this blog post, or post to: The Katie Mullally Competition, Wealden Times, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF by18 September 2015. 

There is no cash alternative and the prize must be taken before the end of 2015. *All entrants' details will be passed on to Katie Mullally and Wealden Times Events. Please let us know if you do not wish your details to be passed on. 



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The March Issue

  Meet the Maker  

Designer Frances Tobin decided to combine her love for fabric and fashion to create some of the most stylish dress making patterns available, and The Maker's Atelier was born. She now runs dressmaking courses, day workshops and unique making experiences from her Brighton studio. We were lucky enough to interview her and discover how she built the brand.

How did The Maker’s Atelier evolve?  

I’ve been making clothes since I was young and always knew I would work with fabric and fashion. I trained as a fashion textile designer specializing in knitwear at Brighton and then the Royal College of Art. This led to a career working as a fashion and knitwear designer for brands in Italy, the US and here in the UK – including Les Copains, Gucci, French Connection, Esprit, Warehouse and the Arcadia Group brands. But throughout my career I have always continued to make my own clothes; the making process inspires the designer in me and vice versa. Over the years lots of people have commented and asked me about my clothes but it hadn’t occurred to me to publish my own patterns. Then one day I was buying fabric in Ditto, Brighton, when Gill the owner suggested it to me. I thought here’s an opportunity to combine my making knowledge with everything I’ve learnt from the fashion industry, to create the most stylish patterns.

Where do you draw your inspiration from and how do you come up with your design concepts?

I’m influenced by lots of things especially films, exhibitions and travel. I also follow all the catwalk shows, some key fashion bloggers and I buy a ridiculous amount of style magazines. From all of these influences I edit ruthlessly, creating an ever-changing mood board. This is how I’ve always worked.

What type of fabrics do you like to work with? 

I like to keep a very open mind when looking for fabrics, as I’ve found that when I’m looking for something too specific I can miss out on something unexpected and more interesting. I love fabrics with a great handle – how a fabric feels and falls is really important to me; it defines what I’m going to make. I buy a lot of jerseys, stretch fabrics and modern technical fabrics. For this spring / summer I’m also using different weights of linen.
 
Where do you source them? 

My favourite fabric shops are listed on my website, I particularly love Cloth House in London’s Berwick Street. But I find fabrics all over the place, including vintage finds from shops and fairs.

Do you have a favourite pattern and why? 

I wear all of my styles but my favourite has to be the stretch version of The Maker’s Atelier Ultimate Pencil Skirt – it’s a great fit and I always feel good in it.


What’s your signature style? 

I think it’s quite pared back and unfussy, but co-ordinated. I like the fabric to do the work and tend to wear only one colour at a time. I’ll often accessorize with lots of big bangles, or statement shoes.
 
How important has it been for you to create a ‘brand’? 

It has been really important – I wanted The Maker’s Atelier to be a memorable and pleasurable experience for my customers – a luxury brand where every purchase is special. So I spent a lot of time visualizing the look of the brand and making sure that every element, even down to the woven labels that come in each pattern are true to that vision.

Is there a designer that you particularly admire?  

Alber Elbaz at Lanvin for his beautiful use of fabric and enduring style.

What’s next for The Maker’s Atelier? 

The next set of patterns is in development and hopefully they will be ready in the next two months or so.

Do you attend other courses? If so, what’s been your favourite? 

I often attend courses to update my IT skills but the most inspirational course was spending two weeks with Carreducker in London making bespoke handmade leather shoes – this took my making skills to another level, I couldn’t believe that I could make my own bespoke shoes in two weeks, it gave me a real sense of achievement. It also inspired me in the creation of my courses that everyone should enjoy their experience and create a beautiful garment beyond their expectations.

For more information on The Maker’s Atelier courses, and to buy patterns call 

0844 414 8718 and see www.themakersatelier.com.

  Paper Pattern  

WT's editorial team Helen and Lucy spent a crafty afternoon sewing The Maker's Atelier Unlined Raw- Edged Coat and Drawstring- Neck Dress and loved the results...

It arrived beautifully packaged and after buying the fabric and finishings, we couldn't wait to get to work.

 

The instructions were clear and concise, making the pattern so easy to follow and construct.

Lucy decided on a light grey jersey, giving the dress a beautiful drape, and a vibrant yellow felt was Helen's choice, with matching buttons. 

After the last finishing touches, we were done!

We loved making these fabulous garments up, so a huge thank you to The Maker's Atelier for the opportunity. If you fancy a new dress making project then just pop to their website above!

To keep up to date with what we're doing here at the Wealden Times follow us on Bloglovin and our Social Media sites!

December's Interior Inspiration

  Simple Paper Christmas Decorations  

Christmas is a busy and expensive time of year. We all want the perfectly decorated house, perfect food, perfect gifts, but it can be tricky to keep up with it all whilst staying level headed. So here are 3 simple, affordable and beautiful decoration tutorials to give you a helping hand...

1. Two Tone Origami Bauble

Start with two squares of paper, plain, patterned, coloured, whatever takes your fancy. We used pearled for a subtle festive feel. Fold the paper diagonally both ways and top to bottom both ways. Bring the corners into the centre. 

Fold the corners up to be in line with the centre crease. Do this to all the corners  and cut off the tops.

With the opening facing you, unfold one corner, open it up and flatten it out. Repeat this on the other sides.

With the opening still facing you, making sure there are an even amount of folds on either side of the triangle shape, fold up these little corners and repeat this all the way round, ensuring each fold is crisp.

Unfold it carefully and crease the corners so they end up facing inside. Repeat the whole process for your other piece of paper and glue them together.

2. Easy Peasy Pompom

Start with a few sheets of tissue paper. This can be as big or as small as you like. Go wild! Fold them together alternately, length ways to create a concertina, tie round the middle and trim off the edges into points or curves. 

Gently pull apart the layers of tissue paper and pop them on the tree!

3. Spiral Snowflake

With a square of card, a pencil and ruler, mark out lines, working towards the centre, about 1 cm apart. Using a craft knife, cut along your lines, leaving a gap at two opposing corners.

 

Gently curl the other two opposing corners to meet each other and fix with glue or tape. Repeat this process for each of the corners, alternating which side they meet. 

Voila!