DIY Couture book launch party

Tonight is the launch party for my DIY Couture mega book, which has been published by Laurence King. It's also the launch of a monthly 'open craft night' called The Make Escape, so not only is it a party with a bar and DJs but will have various areas where you can make things and do stuff.

Laurence King have kindly created a DIY Couture paper doll...

... And the launch will see a collage corner where personalised paper dolls can be cut up and created. In true DIY fashion, I spent a sunny afternoon in the back yard with my boyfriend making a 'photo booth' out of cardboard.

Here, you will be able to have a photo of your own face taken, which will be cropped and printed on the spot, so you can add it to your paper doll collage. Operating the Photoshop controls will be two girls called Danielle. One of the Danielle's is a fashion illustrator and paper doll expert. It must be said, her dolls are far more elegant and sophisticated than the DIY Couture one!

We have got various old picture books that you can cut up to create true fantasy fashion collages, such as this one about crop circles...

... and one full of science fiction paintings.

I experimented with my own face on a paper doll. I used a picture from a book called 'The Horse', and gave myself a yellow hoody and a pair of maroon fake-leather trousers. Check out my neon yellow shoes - so on trend.

The best thing about the paper doll collage corner is the prize of a box of biscuits, baked in the shape of the DIY Couture clothing collection. A massive thank you to Helen at the Little Bench Bakery for so carefully creating these. Whoever makes the most creative collage at the launch tonight will walk away with this fashionable delicacy.

We also have a dressing up rail tonight, with the clothes shown in the book available to try on. The idea is that you can try on a piece of clothing and think about what fabric you would make your own version in.

As well as this, the launch party will have a Shoe Design Station run by London's DIY shoe making school, 'I CAN Make Shoes,' a sewing machine corner run by local sewing school Fabrications, and a 3D map showing all the sewing schools in London. 

All this in just one night, and on top of it all my Mum is going to be there. It is almost too much : )