Better late than never!

I've been using my facebook pages and seemingly the 'newsblog' on my Weebly website, but here's 'testing'  this Blogger blog, as there's something mysterious going on. I'm trying to get all my blogs - Atelier Classes, Atelier Wedding Dresses, and the new Bobbies Artwork - accessible from the same place i.e. ONE google account..... :-/

My resident expert, Jonny, will attend to this asap, somewhere in his busy schedule!

The black wedding dress

Lovely photos, I hope you agree, of the black wedding dress, and although I made this 6 months ago, I only got the photos a couple of weeks ago!

Some of the best photos of any of the dresses I've made - these are by Daniele Lanci. The wedding was in Florence, Italy at the City Hall. Really romantic setting - and yes - these were taken in December, and even in Italy it was pretty cold - brave Sarah!

I've just joined Google + !

I've just joined Google +......why? Well, for business and networking purposes I suppose.
Looking at it, I think one of the best things is that, unlike Facebook, you don't have to 'belong' as such, just have to have an emaiI address, and hey presto! I can communicate....and I promise, I'll try not to bore you silly with trivia!
So now I hopefully won't have to email certain people connected with my business who don't use Facebook,  separately from those that I do contact on Facebook, so it's more inclusive, which must be a good thing....
So anything newsworthy connected with my business www.bobbiesroom.co.uk such as Atelier Classes, Atelier Bespoke Wedding Dresses, or Atelier Natural History can be broadcast on google + as well as facebook and this blog. (Anyone would think that I worked for them, the way I'm pushing it here!) But on the surface it seems good. I'll let you know in a month or two how it goes. Anyone else out there use it - comments??

Latest wonderful find for those just setting up home together/getting married is http://www.athomemodern.com They are in the US, but say they will ship anywhere in the world, plus she is another Bobbie who runs it, so I'm slightly biased!

Speak soon,

Bobbie

New Year, new logo!

Hi Everyone,

Just to let you know that my revamped website is up with a new logo for the business, and lots of 'optimisation' having gone on! (That's where you do things to make the business name come up quicker in google searches, if you're interested!) Don't blame you if you're not - it's very technical!! 
My resident tec expert (my husband, Jonny), does all that, and whew, what a lot of work it's been. I only touch that kind of thing under his direction, but did design the new logo ALL by myself in photoshop, with only one or two questions asked along the way.... of which I am humbly proud (if there is such a thing! And I don't mean proud of the questions). 

Anyway, this is the new logo, below, and please have a look at the website if you have a moment.  Any comments gratefully received! Speak soon and a belated Happy New Year! Bobbie

Hi Everyone....

Well, at long last I've got round to putting a new post on my blog! It's been almost non stop the whole summer, except we did actually have a holiday (Rhodes!) the first in 9 years.

Just thought that I'd let you all see my latest commission, an 'Elizabethan' inspired wedding dress which was worn by the bride last Monday for the wedding which took place in a castle in Scotland.....don't have the official photos yet, but here are some taken in the studio before the dress departed. You can see more photos and read details of the construction on my website: www.bobbiesroom.co.uk
See below....

A new website is now being planned as well, with hopefully a lot of new and interesting content, including my vintage clothing collection, (great for customers style inspiration), and pages for other strands of the business including  my 'Natural History' range. These are designs using Scottish and English (Yorkshire) pure wool and cashmere tweeds and checks with nappa leather trims and top quality leather buttons.  Designed and made  to be totally functional (robust, warm and hard wearing), lined and with double stitched seams for the trousers. The fabrics are an inspiration in themselves....

PLUS expansion into another room here! This will give loads more space for fittings of big dresses, and for my teaching of pattern cutting. My studio was never designed with my current business in mind, but will still be great for a workroom, and I will have a lovely place for my students and customers.

Hope you all have a great Christmas, and every wish for good fortune in the New Year

Bobbie

Midsummer blog

Hi Everyone,

Midsummer blog, and it's done nothing but rain for about 2 months....well, here in the U.K., that is, if you're reading this from across the water!

So, having just put up a post on Facebook (my Atelier business page) about some amazing fabrics which had come to my notice in the last couple of days, I just thought I'd let you, my mailing list people, see the text in case you don't do facebook, and I know that many of you don't.

Here it is:
 Although this is not strictly wedding dress related (but could easily be!)..... I received yesterday the fabric swatch books from Harrisons of Edinburgh, which include some of the softest, silkiest most beautiful cashmere fabrics I have ever seen. This is a British company, and I know the Italians are hard to beat when it comes to fabric of certain types, but we should thank somebody/something, that this company is still going despite economic bad times. I guess it's true that the upper echelons of business aren't affected so much in recessions, (and this is fabric of the upper echelon!), but it's good to know that stuff of this quality is still produced here.
Abraham Moon's are also scoring massively in my book today, as their fabulous swatch books also arrived (know as 'bunches'), full of amazing tweeds in every subtle mix of colours, plus 5 rolls of fabric from them has just been delivered for a current project, which are a total joy to behold! Imagine lying in field of long grass, and looking through the stems to a purple moor in the distance, with the sun sparkling down, and you'll get a bit of an idea!!
I can't help being a fabric freak, so sorry if I seem a bit crazy!
 
Consequently, I am now planning a revolutionary draped wedding dress in softest, shimmering, herringbone weave cashmere, which has to be seen to be believed! Just need another winter wedding dress commission to come along.....

Bobbie 

P.S. I know it's a bit after the event, but kept meaning to do this about 6 weeks ago.  Here's little video of my Artweeks show, for those who couldn't  make the show itself can be seen here: 

 

Music: Moilike from B sO glObal's self titled album, by my husband Jon Seagroatt 


AND, photos of some amazing, locally hand made lace, made by the mother of a woman who came to the show: (again, contact me if you, or anyone else you know would like this uncommon skill featured in a wedding dress design, using  almost any motif you could imagine - floral, animal, insect, geometric etc., etc.)

Spring! March newsblog

Hi everyone,

Well it is officially the first day of spring today, and things are looking pretty good so far for Atelier wedding dresses, and the Atelier classes.

I have two commissions on at the moment, both very different, which is a fantastic position to be in, and one of these is a winter wedding, (December in Scotland!), which I have been yearning to do since I relaunched the business 18 months ago.
We are going for luxury woollen fabrics for this one, cashmere or wool venetian, and the dress, I'm very happy to say is incorporating some items and extracts from the woman's life in the design, that have significant personal meaning. So this fits into the 'Atelier Redolent' side of things. A historical, quite regal theme influences the design, so this will be really different, and very exciting for me to make.

My other commission is for a woman who's daughter is soon to be married. I hesitate to say 'Mother of the bride', as this has such bad connotations - somebody trussed up in shiny fabric, looking and feeling uncomfortable, and after the event, being glad that she will never have to wear that particular outfit again!
Well, this current commission will NOT be like that! Not wishing to give too much away, the fabrics are the softest British wool, soft and fluid silk tweed, combined with some fabric from the woman's own wedding dress.

Suffice to say that it's very busy at the moment (!), but I'm loving the challenges, working with the ladies concerned, and using such gorgeous fabrics.

Some quick updates:

• I was in last month's (February) 'Four Shires' magazine - local monthly glossy.
  
• Another 'daughter's wedding' outfit elicited this comment from the wearer: " I felt like a million dollars!"
• My artweeks exhibition for Atelier Redolent, more details to follow - happens in May (5th - 13th), and you are all invited to the private view, at the Dovecote Studio right next to the Atelier studio at OX17 1PF
• Preview of the above at the Jam Factory in Oxford city centre from the beginning of April, exact dates to follow
  
• My latest Atelier Redolent sample, a short black wedding dress , will be photographed soon, studio and location shots - so hugely looking forward to that.
• I am investing in a Fridja steamer! Sure they don't need me to advertise for them, but they look so cute, and I know will be extremely useful - hoping to avoid lugging a BIG wedding dress around the ironing board.
  
• Invitation/flyer for the Artweeks exhibition above.