A few pictures from Paris!

Taken on my Grandad's old Olympus OM1 manual SLR :)

Unfortunately my roll of film with the best pictures on (Eiffel Tower at night!) got stuck in my camera and became detached from the film casing... I tried taking it out in a completely darkened room, but it is seeming tricky to get somewhere that will develop it! If only I had my own dark room...

Buy anyhow, here's Paris!

My sister & I wandering a Parisian street

...and yes, I bought the cat print dress! :)

The Sacre Coeur... It was such a sunny day!

Got to love a bit of the Paris Metro :)

A very busy street with lots of French shops!

Notre Dame in the sun!

One of the many lovely street stalls selling vintage and antique magazines, newspapers and artwork.

A very colourful flower stall,

and some VERY fluffy chickens at the animal market just down the road. They're so pretty and funny looking :)

Will share the rest if and when I manage to get them developed!

I made a dress for a wedding party last weekend that I have yet to put up on here, I just need to take some pictures of it first! But for now, I will get back to making my sister's prom dress :)

x

The finished bag!

Hello! Long time no blogging, but I have been enjoying my new found freedom after finally finishing university for the summer :)

To celebrate my parent's 25th wedding anniversary and my sister's 16th birthday, my family and I spent the weekend in Paris, the most beautiful city I have ever seen! I definitely didn't want to leave, and I need to go back to wandering the Parisian streets, munching on delicious macaroons, and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

I have many pictures, but I took them on my little Holga and my OM1 Olympus manual camera, and have yet to get the films developed! I'll share them soon if any come out successfully :)

But anyway, bag to my bag!

This is the finished product for my latest university Design and Realisation project, where we had to make a top, bag and accessory (pictures of bag and top will follow!)

I based my research and inspiration on Marie Antoinette & The Sex Pistols and had a running theme of 'pretty things and destruction'- where I would take something classically pretty and girly and destroy it to capture the essence of both.

Here is the clutch bag that I made, with cameo embroidery detailing (that I showed you in my previous post!). I made the metal frame in the workshop at uni, and spray painted it. I also lined it, and attached 3 ribbon roses which I had 'destroyed' using a blowtorch!

Below is an inside view- not the neatest job though!

Here's a close up of the snap clutch at the top:

I'll have the top and accessory to show you soon, along with Paris pictures!

I hope you're all enjoying the British sunshine :)

x

Up-cycle Project: Lining a Vintage Suitcase!

I managed to get this beauty (along with 3 other large vintage suitcases) on ebay for just £1!

I also got the red floral corduroy fabric from an offcut bin at my local fabric shop for free, because I bought so much fabric in there, = cost for this project, about 25p :)

Here's the before picture...

I measured the bottom square of the suitcase, and measured the area of each side panel

and then cut out a piece of fabric for each area with 1cm seam allowance added.

I then glued the fabric into the suitcase, using pegs all around the outside to allow the fabric to stick properly and to hold it in place.

Once dry, I took off the pegs and had a pretty inside to my suitcase!

I'm planning to do this to the other 3 suitcases that I bought oh so cheaply,

but that will have to wait until I have finished uni for the summer.

I only have a week left!

:D

My new friend

Hello little singer sewing machine, nice to meet you :)

Picked up this beauty at a car boot sale for just £10!

It's built into a table, so I have a little flap down area to work on beside. In perfect working condition, just needed a little bit of oiling due to her old age, aww.

I would have taken pictures of the whole thing, but my room's messy!

:)

I need these in my life

Oh,

Why are amazing things like this always sold out on ASOS when I want them?

and this Miu Miu inspired (well, copied nearly!) kitty cat print dress, from Zara...

:)

Car boot finds...

Below: a lovely leather satchel, with a paisley print lining- £4

Below: A pair of black leather vintage pixie ankle boots - £1

Below: Straw boater (£3 Primark) and Cameo brooch- 50p

Below: Sweet little antique picture- £2

:)

I'm off to another one this weekend, hopefully I'll get some more pretty things!

Also, nearly finished making my clutch today,

(including the embroidery from the post below)

but unfortunately my gluing abilities are slightly hap hazard and it is now a slight mess.

Never mind, it all adds to the character of being handmade right?

:)

I'm currently...

...doing a bit of embroidery for my current design & realisation project.

I'm making a clutch bag, with an embroidered cameo embroidered on each side :)

Here it is in progress!

There'll be more pictures of the bag when its done!

:)