Quote of the Day

"Anything too stupid to be said is sung."
Voltaire
(or written in poetry)

Hi everyone. I'm sorry for the lack of posts with any value and I regret to inform you that this lack with carry on for the next few days. I'm currently trying to find a place to live in the area that I will be moving to in September to start my new job, which is, on balance, kind of more important than blogging. x

Quote of the Day

"In all large corporations, there is a pervasive fear that someone, somewhere is having fun with a computer on company time. Networks help alleviate that fear."
John C. Dvorak

More Inspiration

I do have another sewing project to show you soon, promise. I finally worked up the nerve to cut into one of the fabrics that I bought in Kazakhstan, but since I decided to make the most of my summer I have been spending too much time out with my friends rather than sitting alone with my sewing machine, lol!

Can you guess what it might become?

In the mean time here's some more pics from my inspiration folder.

Image from ASOS.com

Cute shift dress with pleats around the hem. Thinking that in the right colour this could be a good dress for the office.

Image from ASOS.com

Been dying to make a cap sleeved, full skirted dress in navy polka dots for ages. The bow makes it even cuter.

Image from ASOS.com

Jersey dress with stretch mesh wrapped around. A refashion project for a pair of old black tights?

Image of Karla Spectic A/W10 collection via Vivta Veritas

Loving cut out details at the moment. Plus I love anything with a tight bodice and full skirt. The shape suits me.

Image from Vivta Veritas

I intend to sew up a version of this cut out back dress from Vivta Veritas which I have seen many versions of on Burdastyle. Just a question of getting round to it. I foresee a lot of material coming with me when I move.

Demin Skirt

Shirt Arthritis Research Charity Shop, originally Next
Skirt Warehouse
Shoes New Look
Bag So old I can't remember
Silver Necklace Gift

When I bought this shirt in my charity shopping spree I said that I wanted to make a high wasited demin skirt or pair of shorts to wear with it. Well I still hadn't got round to that so when I saw this skirt on sale in Warehouse I had to have it. At under £15 I probably couldn't have bought all the fabric and notions I would have needed to make anything anyway. I finally have an outfit, yay!

Blue Shoes

My latest obsession is shoes, incase you hadn't noticed. It's a rather more expensive obsessionthan my last one with tights and socks. To keep costs down I've been doing my best to see what I can find in charity shops.

T-Shirt Dorothy Perkins
Jeans very old Dorothy Perkins
Shoes Sue Ryder Charity Shop

I bought these blue shoes, originally New Look, for £3 from Sue Ryder then when I got them home realised that they didn't match anything in my wardrobe. Then the other day I decided to use them to add a pop of colour to a grey tee and jeans.

Ring Dorothy Perkins
Angel Wing Necklace Made by Me, Charm from Cards & Craft UK
Religious Charm I don't remember getting this but my mother says that I took a fancy to it in a shop in Ely when I was younger.

I bought this chunky ring in the sale from Dorothy Perkins (seem to be shopping there a lot recently since I feel that the quality of some other high street shops in the UK has declined) for £2. It is meant to be the start of me wearing more jewellery other than necklaces.

New Shorts

Picked up these shorts at the Sue Ryder charity shop for just £1. They are originally M&S.

I'm wearing them rolled up in both these photos, might iron the turn ups in as currently they are held up by a number of safety pins, and I think they are much more flattering rolled up. Unrolled they come to about 3" above my knee.

I don't often wear them with a top tucked in like the first photo. Though I love the high waist, the fabric is quite see through and anything other than a nude colour top shows through. So I just pull the top over them like in this photo. Love how I am doing almost exactly the same pose here.

PJs Take Two

After using Burdastyle's free Pete t-shirt pattern in the smallest size for my last attempt at making pajamas I went to the opposite extreme for my second attempt, cutting the largest size. It turned out more of a night dress than a pajama top but I'm still pleased with it. Managed to get the pattern to print out with the test box more or less the right size and had no problems with the sleeves this time. The print is the right way round too! I also added a large pocket to the front (can't really be seen in the photo) for carrying around stuff like my glasses.

I had some fabric left over so I decided to make a matching little drawstring bag to carry my PJ set around in. It comes in very useful for sleepovers and travelling.

I Love Tights But We Don't Get On.

I ripped my bow tights taking them off after the first time I wore them, back in high school there was an awful incident involving a thin pair of tights and a coat which had velcro, and now this! I bought these tights a couple of weeks ago from New Look.

Image from New Look

I was trying them on for the first time and a massive hole appears in the ankle and ladders up the leg. I hadn't even got them on properly! I've convinced myself there must have been a fault with them as I didn't feel them catch or anything but there's no way I could prove it. Part of me wonders whether it is worth spending more on tights as they might be better quality, I haven't damaged my Henry Holland tights yet, but it will be all the more upsetting if I ladder an expensive pair of tights. Sheer tights can be so pretty but I think for economys sake I should stick to my trusty 60 deniers.

Featured

Image is a screen shot of the Cut Out + Keep home page

Stop it now or I'm going to get a big head! Another of my projects has been chosen as the featured project on cut out + keep. Seriously though, I am so pleased. My creations wouldn't get recognised like this if people didn't like them and comment on them.

As one user pointed out monoxious.com have also posted a very similar tutorial. I'd already made my piece before I saw their tutorial via OutsaPop and commented that they had beaten me to it with their tutorial. In the end I decided to go ahead and post my tutorial anyway as not everyone might have seen the other one, and obviously they hadn't given this projects' popularity on cut out + keep. So I hope that clears that up. Please check out the monoxious tutorial too. Theirs has pictures.

DIY Body Armour

No I did not spend a very large amount of money, I made it, and yes it is a total rip off inspired by this piece from Armour and at $275 compared to the £5 this cost me in materials who can blame me? The original uses heavier chains which means that it sits better as the smaller chains do not pull the neck piece off to the side but I can live with that.

The back is kinda boring but there are no pictures of the back of the original so I figure it's the same. I conculed that a load of chains down the back would inhibit arm movement and interfere with taking it on and off.

I'm loving this little DIY of mine. It's actually way more wearable than I thought I would be. I wore it out for drinks and dancing with my friends and it didn't slip about and annoy me like I thought it might. I just had to remember to wear my bag on a different arm. My little country hometown remained as fashion ignorant as ever and no one even gave it a second look which was kinda disappointing but if your the kind of person that doesn't like to stand out too much then that's proof that you could still wear this.

Now this isn't really a tutorial because I didn't take any pictures of the process. I got too wrapped up in making it and a lot of making it required the use of two hands, but if you understand the very basics of jewellery making then it is easy to do. In fact even if you don't understand the basics you can do it. All you need to know how to do is how to join two elements of the piece together using jump rings. Which is very simple, check out this and/or this to help you out.

Okay then, you'll need.

• 1 meter of large chain
• 1 to 2 meters of smaller chain depending on how long/how many small chain links you want. I used just over 1 meter.
• one large clasp
• a lot of jump rings
• chain/wire cutters. If you don't have special jewellery ones you may be able to find some around the house in mum/dads/yours/your other halfs tool box.

1. Take the large chain and drape it around you neck to determine what length you want it. Cut to length.
2. Attach the clasp to one end of the neck chain using a jump ring.
3. Drape the remainder of the large chain around your arm and shoulder. Determine length and cut.
4. Attach ends of the arm chain together using a jump ring.
5. For the next steps a dress form or a volunteer would come in very useful but you could keep taking it on and off yourself.
6. Decide how far apart you want your arm chain from your neck chain at the top of your shuoulder. Cut a piece of small chain to length and attach it to the neck and arm chains using jump rings.
7. Next determine the length and drape that you want for the bottom chain at the front of your jewellery. Cut small chain to size and attach with jump rings.
8. Now work your way back up the front of the body from the bottom small chain to the shoulder. Space your small chains evenly (or not if you want) I attached one on every other link of the large chains. Make sure that as you attach them the large chains haven't twisted and that you are always attaching the small chains on the same sides of the large chains.
9. I also added a few lengths of small chain down the back to stop the arm chain sliding off. This is was very trial and error just keep trying it on and moving about until you get it right.
10. Wear with pride. To get it on you put your arm through the arm chain and pull up to your shoulder then do up the neck chain.

I hope that was clear. Sorry for so many words and no pictures. Any qustions please ask.

Inspiration

Okay hands up I have nothing to post so I thought I would share a couple of the inspiration pictures I've been collecting.

Image from ASOS.com
I'm not a fan of harem style trousers but I do like these floral ones from ASOS. I'm hoping to alter the trouser pattern from my PJs to create something similar to these.

Image from Armor
I already have a post coming up showing a piece of body armour style jewellery I've made that was inspired by this brand but I'm also hoping to make something similar to this necklace only with rather shorter chains.

Image from ASOS.com

More inspiration from ASOS undoubtedly inspired in turn by those Burberry skirts. For someone who's something of a pear shape I think trying out these twists on my top half would be a better idea than wacking them round my hips.

Necklaces for Other People

Some more necklaces that I have made as birthday gifts. Sorry I couldn't get any photos of them on but I totally forgot to take any pictures after I made them. Had to steal them back for a moment after they'd been unwrapped to take these snaps.

Old Shirt

My step dad was getting rid of this old shirt, and I mean it is old! It's completely thread bare around the collar and cuffs. I haven't decided what to do with it yet. Refashion it or wear it as is? Rock the double demin look as below? (it's not actually demin, but it looks it) Perhaps I'll do both. Wear it as a shirt until the demin shirt goes back out of fashion and then change it into something else.