fleamarket finds

so i went to the fleamarket again yesterday. i thought there would be a big one at the other end of the town and a friend of mine wanted to follow. she didn't have time before 10 or 10.30, so i thought i'd check the smaller one which was close to her place until she was ready. it was lucky i decided to do that, because, as we biked through town we realized that there was a nazi-demonstration right around the area where the big fleamarket was supposed to be. nice! so we had this bad feeling that the market probably wouldn't happen, and right we were. all we saw was hundreds of green cars and police men, but no fleamarket, so we decided to go and have coffee and cake instead.

nevertheless i had scored a few finds during the morning at the small market:

























pretty flowery fabric (to be a summer dress..), three 50s porcelain eggcups, a missmatched teacup and saucer, also from the 50s (maybe 60s or 40s), a round picture frame and, the absolutely best find: a tapestry bag in green, cream and red. perfect in size and shape, fake green leather and for 5 euroninos only. i had been looking for a tapestry bag for at least half a year, so guess how happy i was!!!
here is a close-up on the eggcups and teacup, i just love the graphic pattern!

























i also found some clothes: a retro diners-waitress blouse in white with a print with small red coke-bottles which i will show you some other time, and a costume jacket in grey and light blue:




















the jacket still has the original price-tag on, and i got it for 2€! still, it looks a little too proper granny for my taste, so i plan to adjust it a little by changing the buttons, taking out the horrible shoulder pads (my shoulders are large enough by themselves) and adding some studs, inspired by this jacket from the h&m divided exclusives fall collection:

























(picture from nitrolicious)
The only question remaining is: does anybody know where i can get black pyramid studs? i found silver ones on ebay, so an alternative would be to buy those and spraypaint them black. but that would be such a hassle! so if you got any idea, please tell me! i also thought about just using silver/steel studs, but i think black would go so much better with the jacket's black trimming...

diy: lacey scarf

some time back i found this wonderful diy-idea (here) about what to do with vintage doilies: a lightweight, romantic scarf. so i set out to buy doilies, some i found at a thrift store and some i found at a fleamarket, and i started sewing. i'm still not done yet, only half way through, but i thought i'd share it with you for the diy-blogparade.

you need:



















a bunch of doilies (you'll need, depending on the size, between 8 and 15), a needle, some thread



















sort the doilies by size and lay them next to each other in the order you'd like to have them in your scarf.



















pin them to each other and sew them together (either like me, by hand, or, if you're handy, with a sewing machine.. i didn't dare to subject these gentle doilies to my not so perfect skills on my sewing machine, so i stuck with handsewing) - done!

of course i'll post a picture of the finished scarf as soon as i am done..

the lacey dress

today was not much more successful than yesterday, and equally as slow. must be the weather. i worked a little on my tax declaration (want to hand it in this week), shortened a skirt (well, now i still have to shorten the lining..) and ate chocolate.

in a few minutes i'll be off to my friend rana's in hamburg for dinner, and as i did not take a picture fo today's outfit, here is, as promised yesterday, the new stripey dress with the new lacey hemline. it also laces up at the back, which is why i bought it in the first place.

diy blogparade

fashion diary by anna frost called for diy-projects for a blogparade (info here), and as i have some projects lying around, waiting to get finished, i thought i'd use the opportunity...













are you also bored by all those simple, plain t-shirts lying around in your wardrobe? or want to give away a personalized t-shirt? well, i thought, printing or painting is nice, but everybody does that, so when i wanted to give my brother a t-shirt for his birthday i decided on something different and dug up the good old method of cross-stitching. it really is simple, and above all, very relaxing.

to make a pattern, you draw the outline of the motif on checkered paper and fill the checkers within the outline with small crosses.
then, you need a needle, thread in any colour you like to use and, to make it a little easier and keep the fabric in place, an embroidery hoop. with all this in hand, take your time and stich one cross after the other until your embroidery is done:

























this pattern i used i got from the swedish page "fuldesign", where they offer free patterns (a dancing michael jackson, a girl with balloons...) for cross-stitching as downloads. if you'd like to use words, here is a bunch of cross-stitching alphabets to be found which you may use privately but not for stuff you want to sell.

of course this is far from perfect embroidery, but that was not what i aimed for either. i think the pistol gives the rather oldfashioned method a nice twist..

pyssel

i love crafting, but i never take enough time for it, and often i'm really uninspired. but. this is to change, at least i will do my very best, and so i ordered these two great swedish crafting books:



















pyssel deluxe by josefin ekman (who, by the way, runs the fantastic blog "dear martha" (in english!!) with even more crafty ideas!) features fun ideas such as felt slippers and self made coffee-cup candles, plus some great recipes for cupcakes and macarons.

korsstygn på nytt by annika huett is all about updating the old art of cross stitching. i think it's a great and easy way of upgrading boring t-shirts and old skirts and i'm so much looking forward to trying it out!

the butterick wraparound dress

finally it is finished. my first dress. the first one sewn by me, will say. and guess who's proud now!!!

























i chose a retro pattern (butterick 4790) which i had seen around the web quite a few times, and even after reading what a horrible desaster it might turn out to be, i had set my heart at it and did it. it did NOT turn out a total desaster, but it is not perfect either. i was well prepared by reading this post and all the comments, so i altered a few things. as i am not able (yet) to alter pattern sizes so that they will fit my bodyshape perfectly, i didn't do some things which would have made it fit a bit better, such as shortening the bodice at the correct places, deepening the darts and so on. i guess i also might have made the shoulders a bit smaller.

what i did do was shortening the bodice by sewing the shoulderseams 2cm below the actual line, as otherwise i would have lots of air between my shoulders and the dress. which is what i didn't want. thus, the neckline turned more u-boat-shaped than intended, but i like it that way.

what i also did was shorten the skirt-part. i took away about 14cm when i transferred the pattern to the fabric, and took away 3-4cm more after trying it on for the first time. now it is knee-length which is just perfect for a petite girl like me.

last but not least, and i think this actually is very important for the fit of the dress, i put in a large godet to the front of the lower front skirt. originally, it is supposed to be pencil-shaped, and i think it was thought that as it is not sewn together at the back (but held together with a button), there shouldn't be any problems when walking. but, as i read, there are problems when walking, as the knees somehow push up the front part of the dress, which together with the weight of the full circle skirt pulls down the whole thing backwards, making an awkward fit. so i tried to take away some of that risk by flaring the lower front. i think it helped.

























still, i think i wouldn't recommend this pattern for somebody who does not have a somewhat defined waistline. you really need some curves to hold the thing in place, otherwise the above named problem of awkward fit will occur as the full circle skirt needs some support by your curves to sit where it should.

as for the fabric, i used sheets from ikea, called "ofelia skal". it is the prettiest thing in light blue and white with a lovely pattern and a 50s flair to it. it was just perfect for this dress, i think.

skirt inspiration

here comes some more inspiration, this time for skirts...























this first one reminds me a lot of the black one i made this summer with this burdastyle pattern (which you can get for free here). i actually made the skirt a size too big (it fits ok, but not as it's supposed to), so i plan on making one more, this time in dark blue with white polka dots, white piping/trimming and a white bow such as on this skirt. now i'm very excited about this plan!!




















this second is a skirt which has floated through the blogsphere a bit here and there, and now it shows up here as well. what i like is not the colour, but the pockets and the bows on them. this is a very simple idea to piff up an otherwise boring skirt!!

inspiration

i have been looking for inspiration lately, not so much (but even that) on what to wear, but rather on refashioning things or new accessories i might be able to make. i do want to buy a small book to carry with me, something in the way of an inspiriation-book, so that i can write down ideas i have and later, when i am bored, get back to it and see what i'd like to do. i didn't find any nice notebook in town today, so i'll write about some things here.

the first thing i'd like to do is a necklace in the way i saw at "all this happiness", being a pair of simple frames with a chain. this one is a miniature one, but i am thinking about getting a pair of cheap secondhand vintage full-size ones to have as a necklace. i think that might be fun to have!

























the second thing i have had on my mind for some time is refashioning a shirt in the style of this one from topshop:




















i had seen it in moscow this summer and found it way too expensive for a rather simple shirt, and as i do have some gingham ribbon in dark blue, i think i might be able to pull this one off as soon as i find a suitable shirt (sadly enough, the local thrift-stores do not offer much in the way of basic shirts, so i guess it'll be the famous swedish retailer with the two letters). i don't have enough basic shirts. i really don't.

alternatively, one can of course sew all kinds and sorts of other bows on simple shirts:





















such as this one from urban outfitters


















or this one with lace from asos


























this third thing is a little scarfette. i bought suitable knitting needles today but couldn't find any nicely coloured wool, so this'll have to wait as well. here you can find a complete how-to.

the last idea i got is also for refashioning a shirt. i really can't remember on which blog i found it or which brand it is originally from, but i did so much like the idea of a sequined peter pan collar.. i do know that it will be a LOT of work, but i do guess it'll be worth it. and i think it might be something nice to do on a cold autumn evening...


























you see... so much to do, so little time...

autumn coveting

one of the nicest things on the internet is definitely etsy. you can find all kinds of lovely things there, arts, jewelery and other things you never thought of before you saw them there.

lately, as autumn comes closer, i have been coveting these beautiful felted scarf-collars from etsy-seller Rudman (i borrowed the pictures from there, thus the watermark):















































they are not cheap (not sooo horribly expensive either, i have to admit), so i have been thinking about making something similar. but, as i do not do felting, i still haven't come across a way how to do it. i will update you as soon as something crosses my mind!

in the meantime, these lovely creations will stay on my i wish i wish-list, and, as we all know, christmas comes probably sooner than we all can say "i wish i wish"...

revisiting your wardrobe

highfashiongirl Grace featured a great link in her last post, leading on to an article titled "10 Cheap, Simple Ways To Up The Eco Fashion Ante". while all of them are definitely important and good advice (read them here), i now picked the top 3 which i felt are most important to me and the relationship to my wardrobe and clothes.

nr.3/4: embrace tailor therapy/befriend a shoe repair shop.
both belong into the same category, namely the fixing/boosting things you already own category. the part of a shoe which usually will die first is the heel, so instead of throwing the shoe away, for not so very much money you can get the heeled up and walk away as if they were new. as well, if you realize after buying that the shoe is a little bit too small, you can get it widened a bit so it will fit better.

the tailor (or your sewing machine) does the same thing for your dresses, jeans, t-shirts, jackets coats... fixing small holes and broken seams does not cost much and will reduce the amount of clothes thrown away (and thus the need for new ones). as well, having taken in a bit of a dress or skirt, shortening jeans or adding some length to them will make them look differently and thus feel like you've just been shopping... this goes especially for favourite pieces which don't fit so well anymore!

while i am quite used to shortening my jeans on my own, there are other things which i cannot do. for example taking in a dress, or shortening the arms of a wintercoat. for these things, i surely will go to the tailor (which i for some reason or other never thought of before) in the future.

nr.5/8: buy refashioned, recycled and repurposed wearables/ revisit the past.
both buying clothes from designers who make lovely new clothes out of not so nice older ones and buying vintage/second hand is another way of reducing waste-production and boosting your wardrobe. plus that you can make sure that you have clothes which nobody else has! and who wants to look like everybody else?

i did think for some time about not buying second hand anymore, but also not buying so much cheap clothes anymore either. instead, my thought was to go for real good quality clothing which then might cost a bit more but would keep a long time. the thing is, this is a strategy which just does not work for me, as i definitely prefer to have more fun special things than less boring basic things. so, as long as the second hand things are in good shape and condition, i sure will go that way.

nr.6: cultivate a collection, not just a closet full of clothes.
Start thinking of your wardrobe as a collection of special pieces and shop accordingly. this will so much reduce the amount of junk lying in your wardrobe, never being worn. just the questions "what will this add to my collection" and "how will it fit in my collection" are really helpful when deciding if or if not to buy. you already got five black cardigans? no need for a sixth. you don't have anything that might go with it? leave it alone.

this one has been the advice i've been looking for for quite some time now. it feels like all my thoughts have been going in that direction, i just never could put my finger on it. so here it is. i will try and make my clothes a collection. of course, each collection evolves around something, some theme or in this case, style. think of yourself as the gallery, and each outfit as a new exhibition. it will be a lot of fun to revisit my wardrobe and decide what will stay and what will have to go. actually, i have started the process already, but i will have to take it this one step further.

the geisha-sash

yesterday, i took up a refashioning-idea from the suburban queen: an "obi-belt" (hello starwars!!), or, for me, a geisha-sash. made out of old ties. it's real easy: take two ties of the same size and sew them together at their thickest area, right sides facing:



















then flap the triangular ends back and stich them onto the corresponding tie (there is a picture of this by the suburban queen here). done!!!

you can either tie it more the obi-way, or, like me, with a little bow at the back (or front, depending on the length of the ties and the size of the bow), which you can see further down on my outfit pictures.

so, today's outfit, a bit geisha-secretary, maybe. or something like that.

























skirt: gina tricot
blouse: zara
tights: lindex
shoes: deichmann
sash: selfmade, vintage-ties

buttons buttons

style is eternal recently featured this cute necklace made of buttons, by Whitestuff.

















And with it, the idea of making one like this yourself, which i really want to adopt. It's simple, pure, fun - and, if you make it youself, one of a kind. The perfect thing to do on a nice summers evening...

50s wrap-dress

i really got into the thought of sewing more again. and not only shortening jeans and trousers, but sewing a dress or a skirt. today, i found a pattern for a pretty pretty wrap-dress by butterick from the 50s. it's not for free, but it really is appealing: