Author Archives: Vanessa

About Vanessa

Sewing and assorted nonsense. For reasons that escape me, I left the sunshine and beaches of Australia for the crisps and glitter of London in 2001. I now live in the middle of some kind of feline drop-in centre in East London battling for space to make costumes and clothes. Over on twitter and instagram as @smittenness Email over here ------> smittenness@gmail.com

Calm Your Tits – and let’s be done with it.

Posted on January 13, 2018 by Vanessa

I have a scar on the top of my head. At five years old, I split my head open and ended up with six stitches right on the top of  my head. It still makes me wince if it gets … Continue reading →

Posted in A bit of chat. | 2 Comments

Sewing the Sink the Pink Summer Ball 2015, a retrospective in lycra foil.

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Vanessa

Back to lycra again and I’m not complaining. These are from way back December 2015 and the Heroes and Villains Ball for Sink the Pink. I was really into this shiny lycra foil back then it seems. That, and for … Continue reading →

Posted in Costumes, Sink the Pink | 2 Comments

Shirts and why I can now identify people by their laundry powder.

Posted on December 26, 2017 by Vanessa

In some ways I’ll remember 2016 as The Year I Learned What Other People’s Laundry Powder Smells Like. I’m pretty confident I can recognise a number of people by their laundry powder smell, give me a shirt to sniff, I’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in Sewing | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

A quick retrospective

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Vanessa

My poor neglected blog. I’ve really missed writing these posts and I’ve got so much I want to catch up on. Like…. The looks I made for the December Sink the Pink Ball. I think there were 20 costumes in … Continue reading →

Posted in A bit of chat. | 6 Comments

Sewing for Raven Mandella. Death drop and high-kick proof leotards

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Vanessa

Last year’s Valentine’s Day was fairly unconventional (yet worked out as rubbish as everyone else’s so, solidarity) and I pretty much skipped it. Much like I skipped the queue for Heaven when I delivered these leotards to Raven Mandella. Sometimes … Continue reading →

Posted in A bit of chat., Costumes, Sewing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Sewing the Sink the Pink Summer Ball 2016 Part 3. Freakshow, red paint and circle skirts.

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Vanessa

It seems contradictory given how messy some stages were but this is one of the cleanest costumes I’ve ever made (in terms of design and construction). This is a custom-made two-piece costume for Glyn to wear whilst hosting the Sink … Continue reading →

Posted in Costumes, Sewing, Sink the Pink | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Margiela on a budget. Sewing the Sink the Pink Summer Ball 2016 Part 2

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Vanessa

I think I ended up refering to this as “Conceptual Muppet Show”. I wasn’t entirely sold when Glyn sent me the original reference but when am I ever going to turn him down? Especially when it’s this level of batshit. … Continue reading →

Posted in Costumes, Sewing, Sink the Pink | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Sewing the Sink the Pink Summer Ball 2016, Freakshow Part 1 (Clown warning)

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Vanessa

Sending in the clowns. Continue reading →

Posted in Costumes, Sewing, Sink the Pink | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Catwoman wishes she could move like this (and look this good)

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Vanessa

Another look from 2015. It’s going to take me a while to catch up with all these costumes. This was Chester’s look for both The Secret Garden Party as well as the Sink the Pink Heroes and Villains Ball.  I’m … Continue reading →

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Sewing the Sink the Pink Winter Ball 2015 -Tank Girl (with bonus Bryan Adams anecdote)

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Vanessa

I’ve a bit of catching up to do on the last few months. Here’s a Tank Girl look I made earlier. A lot earlier, for the December 2015 Sink the Pink Heroes and Villains Ball. This routine had some fairly … Continue reading →

Posted in Costumes, Sewing, Sink the Pink | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments