A couple of weeks ago me and Phil spent a weekend in Brighton. Phil’s dad has recently started running a hotel in Brighton so we got to stay for free (yippee!).
Having not visited Brighton before we did the sights: Brighton Pavilion, the electric railway, the museum and art gallery, the pier, a walk into Hove, etc.
The small fashion section of the Museum & Art Galley is worth a trip. The highlights of their collection are a one-piece bathing suit with bloomer-style bottoms (1920), silk camiknickers with appliquéd ballet dancers (1940), a Schiaparelli dress in a gorgeous printed silk (1936), and a lovely Ossie Clark yellow shirt dress (1969-74). Very nice indeed.
Brighton is amazing for shopping. As sewing bloggers who have visited Brighton will know, there are a number of sewing and fabric shops.
There are also loads of other great vintage (check out Snoopers Paradise), comic, homeware (Utility, Tiger), and charity shops.
In an Oxfam shop I bought a great handmade dress. It’s in an amazing silky pink fabric, with a pencil shaving design. I love the thought of having a dress handmade by someone else. I’d love to know who made it.
However, the best find of the weekend was a couple of pieces of fabric which I picked up at a car boot sale which we stumbled upon in the car park of Brighton Marina. A stall at the far end of the sale had a huge pile of fabrics on the ground, with everything £1. I picked out a piece of patterned polyester (I think) which should work for a blouse.
Even better was a great old curtain panel in a purple floral pattern. I’m planning to make some peg bags & other items for an upcoming craft fair, but if there’s enough fabric left I’ll also be making a skirt for myself from it.
Phil was horrified when I picked up the curtain, which, admittedly, was truly filthy and smelt pretty bad but it’s washed up pretty well and I love it!
P.S. Me And Phil realised one day that we’d unintentionally dressed rocker and mod style, which seemed very suitable for Brighton.
