peakprincess.co.uk Blog

Kate Charlotte dress in Brides - July August 2012

Mon, 28 May 2012 08:52:00 +0100

Thanks to Brides magazine for featuring our 'Kate Charlotte' ruffle top dress in their feature 'Step-by-step styling for DIY brides'. Being Liberty lovers we can't get enough of floral prints so love the idea of creating your own photo backdrop by suspending fabric from a curtain pole. Other clever ideas include flower combs and handkerchief favour bags. This dress is one of Millie's creations - her little girls love it because the ela...

Tilly and the Buttons - A Day in My Life

Fri, 25 May 2012 07:39:00 +0100

One of my all time favourite bloggers is Tilly Walnes - who by day works for the Independent Cinema Office and by night (well more probably in the evenings and at weekends) is a seamstress. What I love about her blog Tilly and the Buttons is that Tilly only learnt to sew recently - in fact she only learnt to thread a sewing machine 2 and a half years ago. Living proof of what my Mum's mantra - "sewing's not magic". I'm terribly flattered to have been asked ...

Handmade men's ties

Sat, 19 May 2012 07:52:00 +0100

I was over the moon earlier this week when Jim and Amy sent me pics of their wedding which was featured on the wedding blog Love My Dress. I admit I shed a tear or two over my morning coffee. I made six ties in various Liberty prints for groom Jim and his ushers. Photographer Andrew JR Squires has kindly given me permission to reproduce them here. Photography courtesy of Andrew JR Squires (copyright) - please do not copy or reproduce without permission Of...

Tallulah in Bella Luella handmade in Liberty Wiltshire

Sun, 13 May 2012 23:21:00 +0100

Carol's just kindly sent me these pics of Tallulah wearing one of my handmade Liberty print frocks she bought for her 1st birthday. It's a Bella Luella puff sleeve dress handmade in one of my original and favourite prints Wiltshire. ...

1/3 off Spring sale - May newsletter

Thu, 10 May 2012 21:57:00 +0100

It's been raining too long - bring a little colour into your life with my spring sale. There's 1/3 off everything in my ready-to-wear shop including Hello Kitty limited edition print clips, bobbles and grips. For an extra 10% extra off, sign up to my monthly e-news letter.Here's a small selection of what's on offer - starting from just £2. Baby Belle Dress (3-6m)£49.99 made to orderNow £33.49or £30.14 for newsletter subscriber...

April newsletter - preview sample bridesmaid dress offer

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:01:00 +0100

Just a quick one for April. Huge thanks to Conde Nast Brides magazine for featuring three of my bridesmaid dresses in their May/June issue which is out now. Handmade Bella Luella puff sleeve bridesmaid dresses in Liberty Wiltshire berries and Betsy green and Grace Kelly pleat shirtwaister in Liberty Lou Lou Isabella - all avaiable handmade to order in print of your choice Handmade Ophelia Rose puff sleeve bri...

Living Yorkshire, Spring 2012 - Rachel and Nick Porter

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:04:00 +0000

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Country wedding in Phoebe blue

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:37:00 +0000

Huge thanks to Rachel for sharing these pics of her gorgeous wedding. I made her a Grace Kelly pleat pinafore, a Bella Luella puff sleeve dress and a Finley Oskar Shirt (see below for sewing room pics). Rachel kindly writes: "Dear Lissa thank you so much for the beautiful flower girl dresses and little best man shirt you made for our wedding. We wanted to create a vintage themed country fete at our rustic wedd...

March newsletter - new spring Liberty prints

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:41:00 +0000

Many of you know that I had the idea for Peak Princess during a picnic in the park with my god-daughter, Tilly, nearly four years ago, and that I'm a radio journalist by trade. Well, I had no idea what a phenomenal success my little dresses would prove to be with orders from all around the world. (The record so far is Tasmania!).   I've had wonderful press coverage in magazines as fabulous as Sunday Times Style, Brides, Country Living and The Lady to nam...

Cosmo's tshirt

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:39:00 +0000

Check out this wonderful applique work that one of my lovely customers Sarah made using my Liberty offcuts for her little girl Cosmo! Love the blanket stitch. See some of the handmade Liberty print clothes I've made for Cosmo over the past few years on my Happy Customers pages. ...

Visit the Peak District

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:59:00 +0000

Our local tourist board Visit Peak District and Derbyshire have teamed up with X Factor contestant Chelsea Redfern and musicians from Lady Manners school in Bakewell to produce this 2 minute film about the Peak District. Gorgeous. ...

Last minute gifts - ready to post for Christmas

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Oh dear - one of those weeks. Royal Mail lost of parcel of 5 handmade Liberty tops that Millie sent back to me all beautifully finished. So I remade them all! And now they've just been delivered safe & sound. So if you are looking for a last minute present I've just uploaded them. 15% off discount code is PPENEWS. Can deliver right up to 22nd.Liberty print pinafore tops (6-12m) - £29.74 each incl discount Millie print Mitsi print Libe...

Baby Belle romper and Beatrix Brigid hat combo in Liberty mark

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:24:00 +0000

Sitting here in my little cottage in the Peak District it seems rather marvellous to send dresses all over the world. Mum Shaikha's just sent me this divine photo of little Fatma wearing one of my Baby Belle rompers with a matching Beatrix Brigid hat in Dubai. (Handmade in Liberty's Mark - the hat is lined in pink Milo). ...

Ava in Bella Luella in Liberty Wiltshire

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:14:00 +0000

Feeling a bit tearfully overwhelmed as I've had a series of sweet emails from customers delighted with the clothes I've sent them with gorgeous pics and comments. This is why I love this job. I'm terribly grateful to Ginnie for sending this adorable photo of her daughter Ava wearing a Bella Luella style bridesmaid dress with velvet trim I made for her to wear at their wedding in October. Ginnie very kindly says: "Ava's dre...

December news - 15% OFF CHRISTMAS STOCK OFFER

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:14:00 +0000

15% OFF CHRISTMAS STOCK OFFER + WIN A HELLO KITTY BLOUSEMy order book for Christmas delivery is very nearly full. Please email me if you'd like me to pencil you in, or order online for clothes made-to-order in your choice of style, size and Liberty print.But like Squirrels Nutkin, Millie and I have been making up a small collection of stock of clothes that I can post out straight away for Christmas gifts and parties. We have everything from a little Baby Belle romper and rompe...

Teaching Chinley Guides to sew

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:05:00 +0000

I love the idea of passing down sewing knowledge. Mum (who was a couture designer in the 60s) taught me to sew as a little girl. I grew up making cushions & bags and even won our local Young Enterprise competition at school selling drawstring bags. I'd made the odd dress and pair of trousers for myself but never really gone further. I never had the time with a busy, full-time job as a radio producer. So the very best thing about starting Peak Princess has...

Love birds

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:15:00 +0000

Lucy's just sent me a lovely email and gorgeous pics of her wedding day: "I wanted to send you some photo's of my niece Celia in the beautiful dress you made for her to wear at our wedding! She looked amazing and so many people commented on her dress." The dress is a full length Bella Luella handmade in Liberty's limited edition Paulie's Parrots print. I have just a couple of metres left. It's divine but I have to admit I'd never have...

WIN Hello Kitty baby blouse

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:49:00 +0000

I've been absolutely inundated with orders for Hello Kitty print blouses and dresses over the past couple of months - Millie and I are dreaming about kittens! There was just the tiniest bit of Wonderland left - enough for me to squeeze out a baby size Freya Bean smock blouse (6-12m). I've teamed up with the lovely people at Angels & Urchins magazine (London's indispensable parents' guide) to give it away in a competition in their weekly A&U email newsle...

November news - Hello Kitty hair accessories, new designs and preview offers

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:43:00 +0000

HELLO KITTY Wow! It's been Hello Kitty-tastic at Peak Princess since last month's newsletter. Thanks to everyone who ordered. I sold out in 3 hours. Millie and I have been sewing like demons and the orders are nearly complete. I have a little more fabric so if you're on the reserve list and there's enough left, I promise I'll be in touch. I'm keeping a Hello Kitty photo album on facebook if you'd like to see how my designs...

Vintage heaven

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:16:00 +0000

The best days are the days that pictures of little girls and boys wearing my dresses pop into my inbox...and today was a real treat. Elaine kindly sent me these pics of her bridesmaid Maddie wearing my Lily May twirl pinafore bridesmaid dress made in a limited edition Liberty print called Plum Dog (now sadly out of stock). (There's more about how I designed this dress on an earlier blog post).I adore Elaine's...

How to make a Tudor ruff

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:22:00 +0100

When my friend Hayley asked me if I'd help her daughter (and original Peak Princess model), Caitlin, to make a Tudor ruff for her Elizabethan themed school day next week I said no problem, imaginining I could concertina up a bit of the lining fabric I use for my dresses. Then I started doing my research and started getting anxious. The marvellously ego boosting thing about children is that the have total faith in your skills. But there's nothing more crushing than a child'...

It's all about the boys...

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:19:00 +0100

...which is rather unusual as here at Peak Princess Palace it's usually girls clothes which make up the bulk of my business. I started off only making girlswear, then responding to demand I designed a limited capsule collection of little boys' clothes. This is my friend Jane's little boy looking super cool in New York in an Eliza's Owls print short sleeve shirt --> But over the past couple of months I've branched out into handmade Liberty...

Betsy is Elegant and Wild

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:51:00 +0100

This is why I love my job! Fabric, buttons & ribbons brought to life... A huge thank you to Olivia for letting me share the photos of her wedding day. And to Victoria Dawe at Elegant and Wild wedding photography for giving me permission to publish the beautiful photos she took. Bella Luella puff sleeve dresses, Samuel L short sleeve shirt and new waistcoats, handmade in Liberty Betsy print.Browse & order online from my bridal boutique. ...

October newsletter - Hello Kitty

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:30:00 +0100

REALLY SORRY - I SOLD OUT OF ALL OF THE PRINTS WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF PUTTING OUT MY NEWSLETTER.If you'd like to go on my reserve list, please email me. I'll see how things go when I start cutting. best wishes, Lissa****I adored Hello Kitty when I was a little girl and now my god-daughter Mia has fallen for the charms of little Japanese kitten. So I was terribly excited when I saw Liberty was bringing out a range of 5 new Hello Kitty prints. &nb...

Clemmie in Clemmie

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:44:00 +0100

It's always lovely (flattering) to get a word of mouth recommendation, so I was delighted when my god-daughter's Mum, Jo, recommended me to her friend & colleague, Lisa Even lovelier is when a picture pops into my inbox of one of my little dresses being worn and loved. Clemmie's Mum Lisa says: "It has turned into her favourite little dress and she wears it to all her special occasions." (By the way, this gorgeous Liberty print is also called 'Clemmie&#...