And then there were 7

Seven is an important number:
- There are 7 spots on a ladybird
- There are 7 days in the week
- There are 7 wonders in the ancient world
- There are Seven Heavenly Sisters in Greek Mythology
- And there are the 7 days of creation

And now there are 7 ladies looking after you at Silver Lining Sewing Rooms:

Rachel – Owner, designer and top dog seamstress. Degree qualified with 7 years (there it is again) time served specialising in weddings. Just loves to zone out with some heavy beading and I’ve not yet found something Rachel can’t do!

Tracy – Time served seamstress and silversmith. Highly organised and super efficient – unless someone’s ’borrowed’ her scissors or tape measure; then she’s like a lost child.

Marcail – Degree qualified with a keen eye for detail and an unhealthy obsession for beautiful fabrics. Marcail will most likely be the one helping you into your dress on a Saturday.

Denny – Time served seamstress. She’s a little beaver in the workroom.

Kim – Currently studying for her degree. Kim’s another little trooper and is keeping us in fits of giggles with her university twang, like ‘it’s too orangey for you’… what?

Amy – The latest Silver Lining recruit; Amy is doing fashion and textiles at college and is very quickly shaping up to be a talented addition to the team.

Charlotte – that’s me. I’m here in front of the computer, or there in front of the sewing machine, but it’s extremely rare that you’ll meet me because I’m a bit pin happy… which doesn’t go down well when you’re getting people into dresses.

We might look like a motley crew but we’re a well oiled machine. What we lack in conformity we make up for in creativity and that is what you need to make your occasion special.

So, 7 sounds like a good number to me! Hopefully, with such numerical associations, we can’t help but succeed in making you all look and feel spectacular.

Nearly a year since Silver Lining Sewing Rooms began!

The last blog post was quite an epic, and quite some time ago now. Thinking back over the intervening months I can make a list a mile long of all the changes that have been made, all the people we have met and events we have helped them get ready for.

One of the changes has been that Rachel has delegated the upkeep of the Silver Lining Sewing Rooms blog to me, Charlotte. It’s now my job to keep you all informed of what’s going on for us at Silver Lining; share with you the joys of helping brides prepare for their fairytale weddings, letting you know of any exciting new lines or collaborations with artists to make the perfect accessories or ensembles; helping you get to know a little bit about us and how we work and what to expect when you come here and to let you know of a few practicalities like changes to opening times etc.

Where to start? So much has happened.

The one man band that started at the end of September last year has blossomed into a 6 woman team; Rachel being the first to marvel at quite how that’s happened and how, even with all these extra hands we’re all still putting in extra long days to get everything done. At times we can be right up to the bone with the deadlines but none of us are shy of staying till midnight on Friday if that is what is needed to make everything perfect.

This last week has been manic as August bank holiday is the most popular weekend of the year to get married. Our diary has been chocka, the phone has been off the hook and I’m sure there was smoke rising from the sewing machines with all the activity.

Looking at the diary this week the picture is much the same, but don’t let that put you off, the shop opening times can be found on the right along with our contact details. If you have a general enquiry your best option is probably to email Rachel or you can leave a message here and I’ll make sure to get back to you A.S.A.P. If you want to discuss the possibilities or any ideas you might have I advise you to book yourself a free consultation with Rachel.
I'll keep it short and sweet for now, but be sure... I will be back in the next few days!

it's about time...

Talk about feast or famine! I have been so busy I just haven’t had space to write my blog for ages........and now here’s a really long one. Well loads has happened so there’s lots to tell.

Since opening in October last year, Silver Lining Sewing Rooms has gone from strength to strength. I have been busier in the first seven months of trading than I could ever have imagined. It has been a wonderful and exciting rollercoaster ride. I have met so many lovely people and had the pleasure of working with them to make them feel great for their special day . I have carried out dozens and dozens of alterations from minor adjustments through to complete redesigning and reworking of gowns. I’ve had a great time designing and creating wedding gowns, bridesmaids, formal dresses, a wedding coat (of which I’m particularly proud), as well as numerous smaller but no less important garments.

Having listened to my valued customers’ needs and after running myself ragged trying to be in two places at once, I’m changing my opening hours. The shop will be open from 11 until 7 Tuesday to Friday, and Saturdays from 9 to 5. Many of you need to come for fittings in the evening, after your day’s work, or on a Saturday. This move means that I will have Mondays and early mornings to work without the interruption of drop-in customers or the demands of the telephone. Whilst I love being in the shop and discussing all your exciting ideas and fitting your garments to you, I really need this protected space to do the more detailed and intricate work of beading, etc., which demands all of my attention.

Silver Lining Sewing Rooms has seen other changes too, as I have taken on and experienced seamstress to help me keep on top of my workload. Her skill and ability are proving invaluable to me, freeing me up to concentrate on designing, cutting and all the intricate detailed work.

Another exciting development is working in collaboration with a local artist and seamstress. One strand of her work is hand making pieces in fine silver which are embellished with pearls and other semi-precious beads to create bridal jewellery, bridesmaids’ gifts and other pieces that may just take your fancy. The other aspect of her work is creating beautiful wedding and evening bags and wraps and stoles for your wedding or evening function. These she creates from luxurious fabrics, often ruffled with taffeta, tulle or silk organza. We have lovingly named these “truffles”. The range develops continually. Here is where the collaboration comes in... she can make any of her creations in the fabric of the bridal gown or prom dress to complete that extra special outfit. She works under her own label: Dreams in Indigo, but exclusively for Silver Lining Sewing Rooms. (Go to the link to learn the inspiration behind the label and to see some examples of her work.)

Just this week I have taken on someone to assist in the shop on Saturdays. She will be there to greet you, help you into your dress and help you browse through all the new lines available through Silver Lining Sewing Rooms. This will free me to give more time to the actual fitting of your gown and listening to your needs and wishes.

And as if all that isn’t enough, I have been designing and developing a whole collection of unusual and alternative wedding gowns and embroidered, beaded and embellished corsets for showing and selling at the Whitby Goth Weekend at the end of this month. These are made in deep, vibrant colours... dark teal, embellished with tulle and organza, rich amethyst with black pearls, and how about black satin, smothered in rich bright red poppies, each with a mass of black seed beads at its centre. Each wedding gown has bridesmaids, a wrap or bolero, bags, ties and cravats galore! All of these can be recreated in your colours, with masses of choice of decoration and themes. I am particularly delighted with the wide selection in both size and adornment of my range of black satin, sprung steel boned corsets. I have spent hours working on these and am getting rather excited about the forthcoming event. So, from 24^th to 28^th of this month you will find me in the leisure centre bazarre at Whitby. (Photo’s coming after Whitby so watch this space)

Both collections are available to view and to buy from Silver Lining Sewing Rooms from 1^st May. Of course I am still giving lots of attention, time and energy to all the white, ivory, gold, cream and natural shades of a more traditional wedding.

I look forward to seeing you soon at Silver Lining Sewing Rooms. Just give me a call to make an appointment, and then I can be free to give you all of my attention.

:)

Photo's of my finished shop :)

I finally got some good pictures of the finished shop to show the world how proud I am :)

I just want to say how grateful I am to the people who've done a lot of work helping and supporting me in the process of getting things ready. The shop looks great, even if I do say so myself. Everyone here has been working so hard and I think it shows. I'm really happy with the way everything has turned out after all the hours put into stripping the floor, restoring the fireplace, re-upholstering the chairs, lime-waxing the furniture and the mirrors, making the privacy screen, making the curtains, hanging a new door, and basically decorating the rooms so beautifully. The jobs seemed endless! Everyone's worked like troopers around me so that I've been able to keep on top of the sewing! My family are diamonds, and my husband a treasure.

On top of all that, my mum and dad have given me an absolutely beautiful gift of a personalised visitor guest book, which I cant wait to see fill up with comments over time. I'm sure that will be something I can cherish when I grow old, and look back on this whole project with fond memories. I have added a link to the bookmakers on my site by the way as they seem like a fabulous, friendly little company and could be very useful to anyone looking for a personalised guest book for their wedding!

Rachel Behan
x

Update; My doors are open :)

Yes!

Silver Lining Sewing Rooms is now open!

The only thing that we're waiting for is the signage. I'll take some photo's in the morning and publish them on here tomorrow evening for you all to see...

...Until then, here's a few pics taken a couple of weeks back. The rooms weren't quite ready in these photo's, but you can see how they look!
:)

Renovating-update 14th October 2008

Here's another update on the renovation of my reception and fitting rooms.

The floor is finally finished! Well, scraped clean of adhesive and sanded down to clean wood. We still need to stain and varnish it. So far, It looks fantastic!

A lot more has been done since then. Sadly, I've been a little too busy to take photo's.. I'll get that sorted tomorrow.

All skirting, boxing, door frames and window frames were primed and glossed today! It was a long day for us all :)

Once all this decorating is complete and we're all a little less busy, this blog will focus more on the work I do at Silver Lining!

Progress on the floor

Here's a few pics to show you how we're getting on with the floor of the reception room. It's a long process, but will be worth it when it's finished!

...a quick update =)

Good evening! Here's a quick update on the decorating.
I'm tired, so I'll let the photo's do the talking! They're certainly getting there :)

Thanks again for everyones help! Love you!!!
Rachel
:)