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| Mouna Stone, 1940s singer at the launch |
On June 6th on a cold, wet and very misty day in the Blue Mountains I launched my Miss Page 1940s pattern range, clothes worn by Australian women throughout the war years.
In The Paragon Cafe in Katoomba it was warm and cosy, music of the era filled the air, champagne flowed and trays of canapes circled throughout the crowd carried by youthful helpers.
After two long years of hard, but very enjoyable work, the launch day had arrived!
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| Me celebrating with champagne! |
The Parragon was the perfect place for the launch as Miss Page, dressmaker in the Blue Mountains between the 20s to 70s, worked here during the war. It was here that she met Ian, formed a friendship that lasted the war years, through his capture by the Japanese and hard labour on the Thai Burma Railway and out the other side to freedom. She wrote to him every week, letters mostly returned by the Australian War Office.
Miss Page's dressmaking business collection came my way three years ago through an antique dealer friend, Peter Staton, and it is from this that my patterns were born. You can read more about Violet and Ian and what happened to them on my website, The
Tailor's Apprentice and you can buy the patterns there as well.
But let's enjoy the glow of the launch with these fabulous photos taken by
Over The Moon Photography, Ann and I often work together at weddings, me as Marriage Celebrant and she as photographer and she is also a fashion photographer extraordinaire! My beautiful models, all good friends, are
Lillian Starr, an internationally acclaimed burlesque star,
Mouna Stone, singer of early 20th century music and Sam Miller, seamstress of vintage and historical clothing and like me, a member of the
Australian Costumers Guild.
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| Oliver O'Reilly, tinkling the ivories, brilliant playing throughout! |
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| This simple suit is part of my online course, learn to sew like your grandmother did during the war years |
And here are the splendid guests, all who dressed up for the occasion in vintage style!
That's it folks! If you have scrolled down this far, please visit The
Tailor's Apprentice website where you will find all the above patterns, information about my studio and online classes, videos of me chatting about my classes and more information on Miss Violet Florence Page.
