A GROWING revival of sewing, dressmaking and craftworking in Dublin was celebrated last week at an exhibition marking the first anniversary of a family partnership in fabrics.
Sinéad Martin and mum Deirdre Noonan opened the doors of The Cloth Shop on South William Street in Dublin 2 on June 6 last year and their carefully sourced quality fabrics have been attracting widespread attention from the city’s creative community ever since.
They have watched astounded as customers, inspired by the fabrics on offer, have turned budding ideas into fully bloomed creations and decided to mark their anniversary by providing them with a space to display their work.
“Customers frequently comment that they had given up sewing because they couldn’t get good quality fabric and have taken it up again since The Cloth Shop opened,
? said Sinéad.
The mother and daughter team like to compare dressmaking to cooking: you can only make a delicious meal if you start with the best ingredients. And there was certainly some mouth-watering creations on display at last week’s celebration.
Costume designer Mary Sheehan showcased a dress made for the Wexford Opera Company that used 12 metres of gold upholstery velvet. Mary got the fabric from The Cloth Shop after unsuccessfully searching for it in London.
Also on display were Monika Gleeson’s haute couture clutch bags that previously featured in The Irish Times. Monika uses high end embroidered silks and unusual linen prints that are difficult to find in Dublin and is a regular customer at The Cloth Shop.
Also featured in the exhibition were home sewer Sarah O’Connell’s baby accessories and her own garments, children’s clothes made by Elaine Chapman for 2-6-year-olds and beautifully crafted wallets by Cahir made from soft nappa leather in greens and blues.
Dublin cosplay fans, Emily Neenan and Catherine Lamb, were also there to enjoy the live music, wine and refreshments and display their talents for making and dressing-up in amazing costumes based on sci-fi and fantasy characters.