because she started knitting

DIY: Knitted Sequined Collar

2012-01-29T20:27:00.008+11:00

Right side

Wrong side

It's here, it's here!!! The pattern for my latest knitted creation is finally here:

THE KNITTED SEQUINED COLLAR

Yarn: 1 ball of Moda Vera Ballroom yarn
Needles: 5.0mm
Gauge: I do not make swatches

Pattern:
(Please read the pattern very carefully before casting on! This is not a conventional written knitting pattern. If possible, try knitting the pattern using another yarn of a similar weight first. Believe me, frogging sequined yarn is a real pain in the arse.)

The picture above represents the knitted collar.

The numbers represents the number of stitches and the lines represents where markers should be placed. For example, count 2 stitches from the beginning and place a marker.

The dots represents where a decrease should be made. For example, decreases should always be made AFTER the stitch marker on the left of the collar and BEFORE the stitch marker on the right of the collar. One dot represents 1 decrease and each decrease should be made as follows:

LEFT of the pattern: sl1, knit 1, psso
RIGHT of the pattern: knit, return, pass, return

Video examples of these decreases can be found here.

Summary:
1 x Line = 1 x stitch marker

1 x Dot = 1 x decrease

1 x decrease on the left of the pattern = sl1, knit 1, psso

1 x decrease on the right of the pattern = knit, return, pass, return

Not all decreases occur at the same time, so read the pattern carefully! Ready? Here we go!
Cast on 180

Place stitch markers

Row 1 – 4: Knit

Row 5: Purl

Row 6: Knit all and decrease the RED dots.

Row 7: Purl

Repeat Rows 6 & 7 until the collar measures 5 cm from the beginning. End this repeat pattern with a purl row (i.e. Row 7)

Row 8: Knit all and decrease the RED & BLUE dots

Row 9: Purl

Repeat Rows 8 & 9 until the collar measures 6.5 cm from the beginning. End this repeat pattern with a purl row (i.e. Row 8)

Row 10: Knit all and decrease the RED, BLUE & GREEN dots

Row 11: Purl

Repeat Rows 10 & 11 until the collar fits your neck. I stopped when my collar measured 9cm from the beginning, but my neck is probably different from yours!

Cast off loosely. I used the cast off technique shown in this video.

It is important that your cast off is loose! If not, the collar will fit very tightly around your neck!

Push all the sequins at the back to the front.

Block by pinning it in place and then hovering a steam iron over it for several minutes
Sew hooks.

You’re done! (n_n)

♥

Coming soon: Knitted collar

2012-01-26T14:53:00.000+11:00

Knitted collar

Hi everyone! I'm awfully sorry that I haven't written a post for a while. I've been really busy with my uni placement. It's been really exhausting, but I'm starting to feel more settled down. So, here's just a quick update on what's coming up. This is the sequin collar that I knitted a few months ago. I have the pattern written and saved... somewhere on my computer... and I will be posting it very soon! ^_^

DIY: Felt flower brooch (and also other presents I bought for my friends)

2012-01-07T14:33:00.001+11:00

In addition to the tiny little embroidered ornaments that I made, I also made (and bought) several other presents for my friends who came over to Sydney just a while ago. Here's the felt flower brooch that I made for one of my friends.

I made this felt flower brooch via the tutorial found on this blog here. I thought of making a brooch for her because she is often wearing cardigans and a simple flower brooch is the easiest way to dress up a plain cardigan!

I also bought several other things during the post Xmas sale for my friends as belated birthday presents. This bright pink cambridge satchel is from Dotti and it was on sale at 50% off! What a steal. I couldn't resist it and bought one for myself too. I think my life is ALMOST complete. FINALLY!! I OWN A CAMBRIDGE SATCHEL (albeit a look-alike, not the real thing). A while ago, I was very very tempted to buy a bright yellow el cheapo one from eBay. Thank goodness I didn't, because it's likely that the quality would not have been as great.

This is an eyeshadow palette from Sportsgirl. I like the variety of colours in this single palette. I think the beige (bottom row, centre) and grey-ish palette (middle row, extreme right) are great for a natural look. There's also black (top row, extreme left) and silver (top row, extreme right) for creating smokey eyes and bright colours for a more playful look. More importantly, there's a glittery gold (top row, centre) to enhance all looks! Dammit, the more I think of it, the more I think that I should have bought one for myself. But I really really shouldn't because I have a whole bunch of beauty products and make-up waiting to grow stale... T_T

Ok, that's all for now. My friends have left Sydney. I'm waiting for them to send me all the wonderful pictures that we took during their trip here. I'll write more about our trip around Sydney when I've sorted out the photos and stuff!

xx gwenstella

One word to define 2012: Graduation

2012-01-02T00:05:00.002+11:00

// Oversized salmon top, Supre, $5 / Denim shorts, Cotton On, $10 / Necklace, Mum's / Sunglasses, random shop, $10 / Grey plimsolls, Kmart, $8 //

The new year has finally come and I can't wait to see what this year has in store for me. 2011 was kind to me and I hope that 2012 will be just as great. 2012 is really important and significant to me as this is the year that I will graduate. I will be starting another uni placement in a few days' time. But right now, I'm just spending my time frolicking under the Australian summer sun with my friends.

I hope everyone is also having fun! :)

The start of something good

2011-12-28T23:24:00.001+11:00

My friends are finally here in Sydney! They are here for a short holiday and I will be travelling around Sydney with them for the next few days. It's gonna be a blast!

I just came back from the airport just a while ago. I've had a long day! I met my uni friends for lunch in the afternoon in Newtown and went to the airport to meet my friends in the evening.

Here's the outfit that I wore today and the things I bought in Newtown!

// Cropped lace top, Supre / Skinny jeans, Kmart / Doc Martens Wannabe, Rubi Shoes / Snakeskin clutch, DIY / Necklace, eBay //

I had lunch at this gourmet burger place and ordered a duck and bacon burger. It was deee-li-cious! I took a picture of it but then it sort of mysteriously disappeared while I was transferring the files to my computer, which is really annoying. So, no photo of the yummy burger. :(

Cheap rings from a thrift store at just 50c each

Vinyl records

I got the Bill Haley record for a friend and the Buddy Holly record for myself. I'm not quite sure what I feel about my growing collection of vinyl records. I do not own a player... yet. But I will definitely get one when I complete my degree. My records are mostly just sitting on the shelf, smiling at me. They are very patient and kind. However, transporting them when I leave Sydney will definitely be a headache.

I also tried a couple of vintage stuff in the thrift shop and other shops along the street but they were either too damaged (i.e. torn), too outrageous (i.e. extra large padded shoulders that can only be worn at a costume party) or... just not pretty enough for me to spend my money for them (i.e. meh). Oh well, perhaps better luck next time. The next time I go back to Newtown, I'll be buying a Ritchie Valens record. :)

So, that's all for now! Tomorrow is the start of my new adventure! ^_^

Have a happy holiday

2011-12-25T00:33:00.000+11:00

The next few weeks (or rather, the next 2 months) are going to be a crazy one. My beloved friends are coming over to visit me in Sydney and I'll be having lots and lots of fun with them for a week. Then, I will be starting another placement for uni which will last 6 weeks. It's going to be really intensive. I hope everyone is having fun this holiday season.

Here are some embroidery that I have done as little xmas presents for my friends. I didn't take pictures for all 6 designs because I've already given some away. Also, I didn't add the lace as the instructions asked because I think they look better without the lace.

Even after making these tiny embroidery thingamabobs, I'm still not quite sure what I feel about. They are so time consuming and the end products are usually just a tiny 'ah' or some sort. And they are SO taxing on my eyes!

Oh well, that's all for now. I really should stop screwing up my own body clock and just go to bed.

Happy holiday! I will definitely write another post again before the new year comes. :)

DIY: Chanel-inspired ballet flats

2011-12-19T14:00:00.001+11:00

This DIY project really makes me want to LOL. I don't usually type LOL on the internet, but this time, I really have to because it's exactly what I was doing while working on this DIY project.

I bought this pair of nude/beige ballet flats at an outlet shop for just $2 yesterday. Yes, $2, just $2! I was really lucky because this was the last pair for my size! But, when I tried it on, it was TOO PLAIN for my liking and I decided to do a DIY with it. For some reason, the image of the classic Chanel two-tone ballet flats immediately came to my mind. So, I grabbed some sticky tape and my trusty black Sharpie, and this baby was completed in less than half an hour.

I wouldn't normally DIY a pair of shoes because, let's face it - they wear out and they are NOT CHEAP. But hey, this pair of flats only cost me $2 and the DIY is as easy as doing 'Colour By Numbers'. So, with nothing to lose, I took a leap of faith and got on to put my idea into action (which, by the way, is something I should do a lot more often).

I'm not sure if it's the (shameless) idea of the project itself, my courage to do something like this, or the smell from my black Sharpie, but I was literally giggling to myself while making this. So, I hope you'll have fun too!

Materials:
1 pair of beige/nude flats
Black Sharpie
Sticky tape
Nude/beige ribbon (optional)

Steps:

1. First and foremost, test an area of the shoe with the black Sharpie. I know Sharpie is supposed to work on virtually all surfaces, but it's better to play it safe. I tested my Sharpie on the under side of the flats to make sure that the ink comes out really black and stays permanent when dried!

2. Put sticky tape at the back of the flats as shown in the picture and colour the strip at the back with your black Sharpie. Do this for both flats.

3. Put sticky tape across the front of the flats, and make sure that both left and right side matches!! Then, colour the top of the flats with black Sharpie.

4. If your flats didn't come with a nude/beige bow, you can make one of your own and then stick it to the flats to complete the Chanel look. I was lucky that my shoes already came with the nude bows! :)

There you go. That's all. Wasn't that simple???

Also, I'm not sure about what you think, but my friend thought the shoes turned out looking like a Malayan Tapir...............................

P.S.: I wanted to post this later this week, but Polyvore stuffed my blog posts up when I was creating the inspiration poster on the website last night. So, bah, I decided to post it up today because I think some people might have seen the inspiration poster last night...

Image of the Chanel flats from here
Inspiration board created using my Polyvore account here
Image of the Malayan Tapir, which, by the way, is in the danger of extinction, is from here

Sewn: Vintage 'Country Road' Dress

2011-12-18T20:55:00.001+11:00

All right, ladies and gentlemen! I present to you... *drum roll* the 4th clothing item that I've sewn from scratch! I actually completed this dress a while ago but haven't had the time to take the pictures for a blog post.

Left: Front view, Right: Back view

Left: Dress with belt; Right: Dress without belt

Pattern: New Look 6824 (A+H+J)
Fabric: Green and purple gingham cotton

New Look 6824

I made this dress using the vintage-inspired New Look 6824 pattern. I bought the pattern because I felt that the dresses really reminded me of the 60s. When I first saw the pattern, I even thought that lady on the cover was Betty Draper from Mad Men!

Dress with belt

Dress without belt

The version of the dress I made comes with a sash that is supposed to be worn as a belt. But I think the belt looks better wrapped around my head as a headband rather than around my waist as a belt. What do you think?

The seam between the bodice and the skirt

The zipper and button closure

The skirt hem

I decided to call this dress the "'Country Road' Dress" because wearing it really really makes me want to pack my bare essentials into an old leather suitcase, hop on a bus and sing "Country Road" by John Denver while I stare out in the vast empty lands on my way to a quiet countryside. But alas, I don't have an old leather suitcase and I certainly do not have the country to go to a countryside on my own. I also do not have the ability to hold a tune, unfortunately.

Before long

2011-12-13T23:28:00.001+11:00

Hey everyone, I know that I haven't been posting very frequently this December. I have just been really tired from uni stuff. I am also currently suffering from a severe case of Hong Kong sloth*. But if you are following my Tumblr blog, you will know that I have been knitting a collar thingy using a yarn with sequins. It's now finished but I just need time to take pictures and write the pattern that I will be sharing with everyone!

So, this is just a post to say a quick hi to everyone. Also, check out my new sunglasses from ASOS! They just arrived today! (^_^)

*If you didn't get the joke about the Hong Kong sloth, then you probably have never watched Boy Meets World... (Check out 1.36 of the video below)

FO: Knitted Cowl

2011-12-04T15:59:00.002+11:00

The cowl/shawl/scarf thing I knitted has finally reached my friend in Germany! Woah, I posted it on 31st Oct and it only just reached her this week. This is definitely wayyyy more than the 3 - 10 days that the post office staff said. Oh well, it doesn't matter now because it has reached her!

I made this cowl using the Noble Cowl pattern by Emily, which is available for free on Ravelry. It's a really really popular pattern amongst knitters on Ravelry, with a total of 1640 projects (and counting!)

Knitting this cowl was quite a joy because I have not knitted lace stitches for quite a while. The only thing that I was not pleased about was the loose stitches at the beginning of the round. It's my own fault, really. I think my tension were too loose at the beginning.

Loose stitches at the beginning of the round :(

The right tension

Unblocked FO

This is how the cowl looked right after casting them off the needles. It's obvious that it needed blocking, so I blocked it using a steam iron. Steam iron worked in this cause because I used a wool-blend yarn. I like using a steam iron to block my knitting project because it makes the knitted FO really smooth and flat. More importantly, it's quick and immediate!! I love watching a bunched up knitting project transform into a real finished product after blocking.

Blocked! :) THIS IS WHY BLOCKING IS SO IMPORTANT!

All right, that's all for now! I have been doing some embroidery as Christmas presents. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish them up and show them to everyone soon! Has everyone started on making Christmas presents?

P.S.: If you ask a question as Anonymous, please please leave an email so that I can contact you directly!

DIY: Friendship Bracelet

2011-11-27T14:34:00.001+11:00

I'm sorry that I haven't been posting a lot for the past few weeks. It's officially the summer break but I'm still on a clinical placement for Uni. There's this dress that I made which needs a little alteration and another dress that I made which was destroyed in the washing machine. I shall tell these stories about my 2 dresses another time. Oh, and there's this shawl/scarf thing that I knitted for my friend which has yet to reach Germany!!! Oh bugger. So right now, I'll just show you guys this really simple friendship bracelet that I made a while ago...

This is really really simple and everyone can make it! I made this using a pack of $1 embroidery threads and a silver bracelet that I never wore.

I didn't take pictures of the steps to tying the embroidery threads because you can easily find really good tutorials on the Internet. What I thought was more important for me to show was how to start and finish the bracelet. So.... here it goes!

Starting

Finishing

All right, that's all for now! I'm going to work on my dresses!! xx

EDIT: Yikes... I think I forgot to mention that I used some fabric glue at the ends before cutting the strings. The fabric glue prevents the strings from becoming loose after cutting!!

LOOKBOOK: Hipster Girl

2011-11-14T00:44:00.003+11:00

So, the scarf/shawl has not arrived at my friend's doorstep in Germany. I have been a fool believing the post office's staff who said that it would take 3 - 10 days for the parcel to reach the address...

HIPSTER GIRL LOOKBOOK FALL/WINTER 2011

HIPSTER GIRL LOOKBOOK SPRING/SUMMER 2012

This Hipster Girl dress-up game is seriously addictive. I wish there was a game like this that features all the clothes in my closet. I could spend the entire just sitting there and trying out different outfit combinations.

Capsule Wardrobe NUMBER 1 - Part 4 of 4

2011-11-09T15:45:00.001+11:00

NUMBER THIRTY!!

This post is long overdue! As I mentioned in one of the posts before this, I have completed my Capsule Wardrobe project. Yes, I did it. I wore 30 different outfits in 30 different days with just 5 tops, 5 bottoms and 3 jackets. My very happy face above is a testament to how glad I am to be able to finally move on with my life... and wear something different.

For my very final outfit (i.e. Number Thirty), I thought I should do something different. So... I wore my tartan shirt as a tube top with a bow tied at the front. Yayy!

And here, for your viewing pleasure, are all 30 outfits that I've worn over the span of the last few weeks. I know I haven't posted individual photos of Number 27, 28 and 29, but I guess there's no need because they are nothing special anyway.

Click on the picture for a larger view

That's all for now folks! I really got to go back to studying for my exams. The next post *should* be on my recent knitting project. I'll write a post on it as soon as it has reached my friend's doorstep in Germany! ^_^

DIY: Floral Bib Necklace

2011-10-26T17:40:00.000+11:00

A few weeks ago, I bought a huge pack of coloured felt and cut up some felt flowers for an activity with the children at a playgroup. There were several felt scraps and felt flower left over from the activity, so I decided to make a bib necklace!

I'm really happy with what I came up with. The colours and style are really refreshing. For some reason, I always get reminded of Carmen Miranda when I look at the necklace.

(via)

Here are some pictures of the materials I used and steps to arranging the flowers. Hopefully, they'll give you a better idea about how to make a similar one!

Felt of different shapes and colours, Wooden beads, Black felt, Black scrap cotton fabric, some yarn, needle to sew or hot glue gun!

Add green leaves to the triangular fabric/felt base

Add blue flowers

Add red flowers

Add yellow flowers

You can either choose to sew the flowers in place or use a hot glue gun if you're a lazy arse (like me). Also, you can cut several identical triangular bases using black felt, stack them and then glue them together to make a bib necklace with a sturdy base!

That's all for now! My exams are coming in a few weeks' time and I have other assessments going on, so updates may not be as regular. But I'll definitely try my best to post at least once a week! ^_^

DIY: Personalised Tote

2011-10-16T18:47:00.003+11:00

DIY tote + Dress (recent buy from Valleygirl, $14.95)

I have been wanting to get a new bag to bring to uni because the current one that I am using is practically falling apart. So, I decided to whip out my fabric crayons and personalise a tote that I got for free from a random event. I didn't want to use the bag as it is, because I don't like using things that are identical to what more than 10 people have...hahaha. Moreover, personalising a tote bag with fabric crayon is fun!

I decided on using the sentence "Are we there yet?" as it reflects what I currently feel about uni in general. I really really really just can't wait to graduate.

How I made it: I simply printed the words on an A4 size paper, put it in the tote and traced the words using a black fabric crayon. It initially looked a little too plain, so I added a red border by tracing around the edge A4 paper.

I can't wait to bring this "new" tote to uni tomorrow! Also, I can finally stop wearing the clothes from the capsule wardrobe to uni tomorrow because I have accomplished 30 outfits! I'll be writing the last installment of the Capsule Wardrobe series soon!

Capsule Wardrobe NUMBER 1 - Part 3 of 4

2011-10-11T21:40:00.000+11:00

In case you missed it: Capsule Wardrobe NUMBER 1 Part 1 & 2
30 outfits from 5 tops, 5 bottoms, and 3 jackets...

Before we get to the pictures... I just want to say... I CAN'T WAIT FOR 30 OUTFITS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED!

SEVENTEEN & EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN & TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE & TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-THREE & TWENTY-FOUR

TWENTY-FIVE & TWENTY-SIX

Favourite of this set: No. 24, because I like big hair and I cannot lie.

Also, I feel like I've worn that DIY chambray skirt soooo many times that I'm ready to chuck it out. Which outfit is your favourite so far?

DIY: Embellished Hair Ties

2011-10-03T22:54:00.001+11:00

All right, one tutorial post before uni starts again tomorrow. (And before I die of heart attack while waiting for the result for my test...) T_T

This is a really easy DIY project. I whipped up 4 of these hair ties in less than 30 mins. I call my hair ties the "Tiger Hair Ties" because of the tiger prints of the scrapbook trimmings I used. Best of all, it's such a cheap and easy way to make a pretty hair tie! I got the scrapbook trimmings from Spotlight in one of those $1 or $2 discount bin.

Materials:
Elastic hair tie
Ribbon/ Yarn/ Scrapbook trimmings
Crochet hook
Black ribbon

Steps:

1. Get a hair tie. You can use any boring black hair tie you have lying around the house.
2. Tie the trimming to the hair tie with a simple overhand knot.
3. Insert the crochet hook through the hair elastic and under the trimming.
4. Hook a loop of the trimming from the under the elastic.

5. Bring the trimming over the crochet hook. This is called a yarn-over stitch (YO).

6. Using the crochet hook, pull the YO stitch through the loop on the hook.
7. Repeat Step 4
8. Make a YO and pull it through the 2 loops on the hook.

9. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 until the entire hair tie has been covered.
10. Cut the trimming and hook it through the loop on the hook. Tie this tail at the end to the tail that was made at the beginning.
11. Glue a bit of black ribbon around the point where the start and end meet for a clean and secure finish.

I like to make my hair tie as big as my wrist because sometimes I like to wear them as if they are bracelets. :) Now, go forth and gather your materials! Go crazy with your choice of trimming/yarn/ribbon! ^_^ I'd love to see your creations!

DIY: Studded Snakeskin Clutch

2011-09-28T19:18:00.000+10:00

All right, enough with the suspense! Here it is! This is the DIY clutch that I have hinting about in the previous 2 posts. I'm so happy that I finally completed this project, after planning it for a year. Maybe I am exaggerating, but I got the idea of making a snakeskin clutch a year ago. That was when I bought the pink snakeskin skirt in a thrift shop for just $4. This year, I finally got down to finalising the design that I want for the clutch and putting my plan into action.

Flaw: Imperfect corner

Flaw: Imperfect closure at the corner

I have to say that I am a little disappointed in the end-product. Firstly, the clutch is smaller than what I initially wanted because I realised that the skirt is not as big as I originally thought. Secondly, there are some flaws here and there due to my amateur sewing skills. Moral of the story: DRAW A CUTTING DRAFT NEXT TIME.

Nevertheless, I am still proud of it (am I contradicting myself?) because it is, after all, my baby. :)

I planned on writing a tutorial but then the sewing process simply got really complicated as I tried to figure out a way to cut the pieces and sew them properly together. So, there's no real tutorial but I took many pictures of the process. Hopefully the pictures will be able to give you an idea of what to do/what I did! :)

Inspiration board (via)

Before: A large skirt!

LOVE THE TEXTURE

Used a Japanese magazine as measurement for the size of the clutch

Cut out the pieces for the clutch (including a lining!)

Close-up of the pieces

After a bit of struggle......... tadaaa!

Added the magnetic clasp and then moved on to adding the studs

Created holes with my seam ripper to insert the studs

Studs :)

So.... that's all I have to say for now. What do you think of the clutch? :D

DIY INSPIRATION: Studs and Skins

2011-09-27T01:45:00.000+10:00

Studs and Skins by gwenstella

Here's the inspiration board for my most recent DIY project. I will be writing a blog post about it soon. Stay tuned! ^_^

Hint: It has something to do with an envelope clutch and shiny studs.

Pretty in Pink

2011-09-22T17:20:00.002+10:00

Yes, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the 80's cult classic by John Hughes. But this post is not about all the pretty clothes worn by Andie (Molly Ringwald), the boyish good looks of Blane (young Andrew McCarthy) or the unforgettable dance moves by the Duck Man (Jon Cryer). Maybe I can talk about all that in another post in the future. But for now, I am just going to talk about how I've been rather 'inspired' by the colour pink lately. Yes, for some reason, the colour pink has creeped into my life...

Lip Smacker Balm (Cotton Candy flavour). I am lip balm junkie because my lips are always dry, regardless of the season. I feel like licking my lips all the time with this, because it's just too tasty. It comes with a lip gloss too (in the background), and that tastes like ... glucose. HAHA. BUT! It's not very moisturising and there's no SPF value. I am not likely to get a Lip Smacker product again...

Rimmel Nail Polish, $2.33, on sale. I don't usually buy nail polish by big brands like Sally Hansen/Maybelline/Rimmel/OPI, but this was on sale and the price was close to the usual cheap $2 ones that I get from the pharmacy. :)

Kids watch, $5, on sale. A good pair of watch for uni. Also, a great addition to any arm party!

Friendship bracelet, DIY. Ok, this is not EXACTLY a bracelet, because it's too short to be one. Well, it might still become one if I attach a long chain or something. I did this on a whim and I haven't really decided what I want to do with it. I may make it into something else! (i.e. NOT a bracelet)

Pink denim, $14.95, on sale. I can't believe how cheap this pair of denim is. I can't believe that they fit me well! I have never really found a good pair of jeans that fit me well because I have bottom-heavy. I wouldn't say that this pair of jeans fit me perfectly, but it's good enough! More importantly, I uploaded this picture on the Westfield shopping page on Facebook and won a $50 gift card! Oh yeah oh yeah~ Lucky~ P.S.: Westfield is a chain of shopping malls in Australia

Salmon skirt, $14.95. I bought this salmon skirt using the $50 gift card. It sits about 1 inch below the waist and does not fit snugly. I wish it sat right on the waist instead. I'll see how it goes. I can always alter it if I want to! :)

And.... last but not least... a set of pink velvet tracksuit. Judge me for all you like, but I think this set of tracksuit is AWESOME. I couldn't help it. The jacket and pants were just $3.50 each (i.e. $7 in total). There were pink, sapphire blue and black. Black is boring. Blue is not my colour. So... I opted for pink. All I need now is a chihuahua in my arms... (P.S.: Of course I'm not going running in this tracksuit. I don't go running at all...)

Oh oh!!! And also, I have been working on something... Here's a sneak preview... It's still not complete. Hopefully I'll be able to write a post about it soon! :D

That's the end of the pink vomit post. So, what colour has been inspiring you lately?

Capsule Wardrobe NUMBER 1 - Part 2 of 4

2011-09-18T16:24:00.000+10:00

In case you missed it: Capsule Wadrobe NUMBER 1 - Part 1 of 4

30 outfits from 5 tops, 5 bottoms, and 3 jackets...

Hi everyone! I'm back with my second part of my first capsule wardrobe. Frankly speaking, I can't wait for this capsule wardrobe to be done. I am actually very very tempted to abandon this project. The clothes for this capsule wardrobe were selected in the final days of winter and I totally forgot to take spring's weather and colours into consideration. So here I am, still dressing in winter's colours and clothes, braving the crazy warm and windy spring in Sydney. :(

On a happier note, I have finally recovered from the horrible cough and flu. Life is good again.

For those who only recently started following my blog/ didn't notice/ completely forgot... that chambray skirt that I wore in ELEVEN, TWELVE, THIRTEEN and SIXTEEN is something I refashioned from a shirt I thrifted. The DIY tutorial for the skirt can be found here.

All right, that's all for now!

P.S.: Uni break week is coming!!!

DIY INSPIRATION: House of Holland's Granny Square Scarf

2011-09-09T17:02:00.001+10:00

(via)

I have never tried making a granny square because I was never able to decide on what I want to create with those granny squares. I thought of making a bag, a vest, a placemat... but oh boy, I never realised how good granny squares look as a scarf. I hate how runway shows and fashion designers make simple and possibly overlooked crochet items/knitwear look so chic.

I did a quick search for patterns to make granny square scarves on Ravelry and found this and this to be highly similar in terms of design. If you have never made a granny square and are not quite sure how to, there's a comprehensive tutorial with videos here.

Now I am itching to make a granny square scarf... What about you?

To view the complete collection by House of Holland, visit their website here.

Capsule Wardrobe NUMBER 1 - Part 1 of 4

2011-08-31T20:52:00.002+10:00

I recently moved to a new place with a MUCH BIGGER room. It's so big that I now have 2 tables, 1 for doing uni work and 1 for making crafts. The latter is also where my sewing machine sits. Despite gaining a personal wardrobe and a chest of drawers, I still have difficulty storing all my clothes properly. I can try to fold, stack and squeeze all my clothes into my chest of drawers, but I will most likely end up only wearing the clothes stacked right on top.

I am utterly sick and tired of buying clothes that I only wear once in a long while and wearing the same 20% of my wardrobe. So... things have to change.

Capsule Wardrobe NUMBER ONE (5 tops + 5 bottoms)

So... introducing... my very first capsule wardrobe, which consists of 5 tops, 5 bottoms and 3 outerwear (not included in the picture above) that I selected from current wardrobe. I will create a new set of capsule wardrobe once I have had 30 outfits from this set. I don't go out every day, so I find the time frame (e.g., 1 month) for a capsule wardrobe irrelevant to me.

So, here it is, everyone! My first part of my first ever Capsule Wardrobe...

ONE: Bottom: Fox Grey Pants; Top: I heart Paris Tee; Outerwear: Thrifted Navy Blazer Accessory: DIY scarf

TWO: Bottom: Navy Military Pinafore; Top: All the girls' names Tee; Shoes: Doc Martens Wannabe
THREE: Bottom: Navy Military Pinafore (with straps removed); Top: Plaid shirt with ruffle detail; Shoes: Doc Martens Wannabe

FOUR: Bottom: Grey shorts with woollen texture; Top: Plaid shirt with ruffle detail; Outerwear: Thrifted Blue Navy Blazer; Shoes: Doc Martens Wannabe; Bag: Black Satchel from Kmart $9
FIVE: Bottom: Grey shorts with woollen texture; Top: Plaid shirt with ruffle detail + I heart Paris Tee; Shoes: Grey sneakers with knee-high socks and black tights

SIX: Bottom: Navy Military Pinafore (with straps removed); Top: I heart Paris Tee; Outerwear: Bleached denim jacket; Shoes: Doc Martens Wannabe
SEVEN: Bottom: Black leggings with zip detail; Top: All the girls' names Tee; Outerwear: Khaki Boy's jacket; Shoes: Doc Martens Wannabe

******
My favourite outfit so far is ... FOUR! I just love the preppy look that a plaid shirt and a blazer give!

DIY INSPIRATION: Give your old gloves a brand new look

2011-08-27T16:32:00.004+10:00

All images of gloves from ASOS.com

FO: (Not just) another hat

2011-08-26T17:14:00.001+10:00

So... I knitted another hat as a present for my friend's 21st birthday! I made it using the pattern from here. As usual, I followed the pattern for the first half of it and ditched the pattern after that. Moreover, the pattern didn't really give specific instructions for decreasing the stitches, so I simply did whatever I thought would look good. Also, instead of using the brick-stitch all the way to the top, I used only the pink yarn for the top bit so that it would give better contrast when I add the white pom pom. But I feel that the pom pom I made is just a little too small.

The hat

Cute fabric label

I also added a cute fabric label to the inside of the hat. I bought a whole bunch of these in various sizes and designs off Etsy. I'm really excited about adding these labels to all my future handmade stuff! :)

Work in progress...

Some things that I will do differently if I were to knit the same hat in the future:
- Make a bigger pom pom
- Use needles that are one size smaller when knitting the ribbed edge at the beginning (I can't believe I totally forgot about that... :S)
- Use variegated yarn for the contrasting yarn.... I imagine that the effect would be rather awesome...

All right, that's all for now! I'm off to take a short nap because my medicine is making me really tired. Yes... I've been sick for a week... and I really hope that I will be better soon. T_T

Spot the difference: ASOS Panda Beanie

2011-08-20T23:51:00.001+10:00

(via)

Hey everyone! I'm sorry for disappearing without a trace. I was busy with moving for the past week and right now I'm sick! :(

I promise that I will be back with more DIY posts and FO posts soon! But meanwhile, here's a little something that my friend told me about - Panda Beanie by ASOS! It simply reminded me of the one I made a while ago...

But here are some of the differences that I have noted...

1. The ASOS Panda Beanie is made using chunky yarn, while mine is made using DK yarn
2. The ASOS Panda Beanie is longer, while mine is ... rounder
3. The ASOS Panda Beanie is grey, while mine is white
4. The ASOS Panda Beanie doesn't have the curly smile, while mine do
5. The ASOS model is Caucasian..., while I am Asian =_=

HAHAHA. All right, that's all for now! For people who knit and would like to make your own unique knitted Panda hat, my pattern for the Panda hat can be found on my blog here and on Ravelry here. See you all again real soon! :)

DIY: Flowers in your hair (Part 1)

2011-08-07T23:20:00.003+10:00

DIY INSPIRATION: Flowers in your hair by gwenstella

Hello my lovely readers! :) I've been in a really good mood lately because the weather has been really great over here in Sydney. The winter chills are slowly fading away, and spring is finally in the air! But I guess the majority of you who are reading this is on the other side of the globe, where summer is turning into fall. Well, that's all right, because this DIY project is perfect for spring AND fall! ^_^

So, without further ado, here's the how-to:

Materials:
1 x hair comb
Several mini flowers (You can get these flowers from most craft shops. They sell them in a bunch!)

Steps:

1. Gather your materials

2. Begin from one of the ends of the hair comb. Get one flower and wrap the wire stalk around the bottom of the comb.

3. The back will look like this as you continue to wrap more flowers around the bottom.

4. Continue with more flowers.

5. Continue until the bottom of the comb is completely covered with flowers! :)

So there you go, a simple way to add flowers/floral accents to your everyday outfits. I have ONE SINGLE STALK left from this project, so I'll be writing another post on another way to put flowers in your hair! Stay tuned!

DIY INSPIRATION: Dolce & Gabbana's Crochet Bag with Gold Charms

2011-08-03T22:34:00.019+10:00

DIY INSPIRATION: Dolce & Gabbana's Crochet Bag with Gold Charms by gwenstella

(via)

I saw a picture of this Dolce & Gabbana bag on my Tumblr dashboard a while ago and I have never been able to get it out of my head. I want it so badly, I will make one myself. But that's only AFTER I have made a hat for my friend's very belated birthday present and a cowl for another friend who is going away to Germany for a study exchange. On an additional note, I am moving out of my current place this month and I will be busy with packing. I will probably sound crazy for saying this, but I like it when I get busy. :)

Oh, and I made the collage above (i.e. the first picture) using my Polyvore account. I'm beginning to enjoy using Polyvore to make collages to document my DIY ideas. I guess that's the next best thing since I don't have a good program like Photoshop. Also, that saves me the hassle of linking all the sources to the pictures (because all the sources are listed at the side of the page when you view the collage on Polyvore).

I hope I will be able start making/ finish this bag by the end of the year! All right, that's all for now. I have to prepare my uni classes for tomorrow now! x

It's golden

2011-08-01T01:17:00.003+10:00

I had dinner with some friends on Saturday. It was to celebrate her 21st birthday... which occurred a month ago! I said that I would knit a hat for her, but I have not even casted it on! I told her, "either I'm a very bad friend, or I'm a lazy arse." Hopefully, I'll start the hat very very soon! >_<

Anyway, this is what I wore to the dinner. I think the weather is turning warmer. I didn't even have to wear a coat. :) The baggy sweater that I wore is 2 sizes too big, but I like the oversized look. I feel like I can wear it over almost anything and everything. I was actually wearing it over a dress in these pictures! Also, you probably can't see it from the photos, but it's a sweater with gold, glittery fibres. I had to edit these photos because the lighting of the original photos were awful. >_<

Top (Oversized golden sweater): $10, random shop in Sydney
Bottom (Beige floral dress): Valleygirl
Tights (Grey knitted tights): Sportsgirl
Shoes (Doc Martens Wannabe): Rubi shoes

And here are just some photos from the day.

Polaroid

Mars Bars Cheese Cake

The streets at night

That's all for now! Hope you all had a great weekend. I'm all ready to start my second week of uni tomorrow! I've got a couple of DIY posts coming up, so stay tuned! :)

FO: The Fur-Real Vest

2011-07-29T22:27:00.000+10:00

Uni has started again and even though it's only the first week of the semester, I can already feel the work piling sky-high! And it doesn't help when I'm the kind who tends to shilly-shally.

Shilly-shally. I really like this word a lot. It gives a nice jingle when you say it and it totally describes what I do all the time.

Ok, enough with all that irrelevant talk. First of all, I want to thank all of you for sharing your opinions on my Candyman shorts and suggestions to make the best of it. Hopefully, the weather will turn warmer for me to wear it out soon!

Now let's get back to what this post is about - the Fur-Real vest that I knitted! (Say 'Fur-Real' with a tone of sarcasm.)

I bought the brown, furry yarn a year ago with the plan to knit a fur vest. But as expected, I procrastinated for a long long while. However, the sight of all the pretty 70's inspired fur vests hanging on the racks in the shops here this year substantially increased my desire to own a fur vest of my own (DIY, of course). I finally got my lazy self to start knitting my own fur vest a while ago, and completed the project in about a month. So, I now own a handmade knitted fur vest!

Here are some of the things that inspired my fur vest:

I used the pattern from DROPS design here for the back of my vest. The front pieces that I knitted are heavily modified from the original pattern. Maybe it's just me, but I felt that the original pattern was really WEIRD and it just didn't work out for me at all. I can't even remember the number of times I frogged the front pieces and the amount of yarn I wasted in the process. Instead of normal knit stitches, I also used a loop stitch to create a more fur-like look and feel. Finally, I added a wooden button to complete the vest.

What do you guys think? :)

Sewn: Candyman's culottes

2011-07-24T01:14:00.000+10:00

Ok, this is the 3rd clothing item that I have sewn from scratch. After attending a very short course on dressmaking in 2009, my sewing projects have been progressing at a snail's pace. Also, I am beginning to think that I have an extremely poor taste at choosing fabric. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that my very second sewing attempt did not go very well. The form and fit of the dress was great, but the prints on the fabric made it look like sleepwear.

All the girls look so lovely in their culottes.

I cut the pieces in Feb 2011 and only completed it in Jul 2011.

I am utterly heartbroken and grief-stricken that this pair of culottes has suffered the same fate as the abovementioned dress. This pair of culottes is made using a vintage Simplicity 9686 pattern (design A) that I got from a thrift shop over a year ago. Apparently, vertical red and white stripes aren't a good choice for making culottes. I chose this design because I wanted my shorts to look like something that an ice-cream/candy seller would wear. Of course, not just any ice-cream/candy sellers, but the ones working in fairs where there's fun and laughter everywhere. Doesn't that just sound fantastic? Unfortunately, the plan fell through.

Disappointed.

My friends and brothers said that my culottes look like a pair of boxers. Maybe I am in complete denial, but I think this pair of culottes might just look all right if I wear it with other complementary clothing items. I am quite determined not to let this pair of culottes that I have painstakingly put together become sleepwear that I will only wear at home. In my own opinion, I think they look ok with my 'I HEART PARIS' tee and with the hems folded up (like in the picture below). What do you guys think? Please tell me your most honest opinion!

P.S.: I took these pictures during the height of winter, just for this blog entry! Brrrr....

P.P.S.: Uni starts again tomorrow! I hope I can still continue to write on this blog consistently...

Poncho

2011-07-20T18:18:00.002+10:00

With about a month left for winter, I found myself waking up one morning thinking, "I better start wearing my poncho while the weather allows."

This poncho was sort of a going-away gift from my mother. The moment I saw it, I shrieked, "Mori!" But somehow I can't really pull the Mori look off. Damn. Anyhoo, I wore this poncho when I watched Harry Potter with a friend on Monday (which was overrated) and when I went back to uni to finish some work today.

LOOK ONE

Top (Grey knitted poncho): gift from Mum
Bottom (DIY dip-dye denim): DIY
Shoes (Equestrian boots): Kmart
Bag (White Floral Sling Bag): $5, Factorie, Sydney
Hat (Grey knitted beret): DIY, handmade
Mittens (Multi-coloured convertible mittens): Accessorize

I bought the bag on a sale for just $5, which was really lucky! The strap was initially a little too long for my stature, but I fixed the problem by poking more holes in it. Easy-peasy. This is just one of the many things that one has to learn to deal with in life when one is vertically-challenged.

LOOK TWO

Top (Grey knitted poncho): gift from Mum
Bottom (Ripped&bleached denim shorts): Cotton On
Leggings (Maroon leggings): Taiwan
Socks (Black Thigh-high Socks): eBay
Shoes (Equestrian boots): Kmart
Mittens (Multi-coloured convertible mittens): Accessorize

You will notice that I am only wearing one mitten. The other one is.... missing! >_< And one reader was just telling me about how she lost one of her mittens in a previous comment. I think I either dropped it somewhere in the city when I wore it on Monday or misplaced it in my room. No matter what, I am not too sad about it. Well, nothing lasts forever. Moreover, I think wearing mismatched mittens is rather cute! :)

Which look do you guys prefer?

DIY: Refashioned Straw Bag

2011-07-19T22:30:00.002+10:00

Dear Summer, I miss you so much. Winter has been cold and dreary. I want you back.

I guess you can tell how much I am missing summer right now. I could go crazy trying to keep warm in this cold and thinking about all the fun I had last summer. In preparation for Summer 2011, I made a refashioned straw bag! Whoopieee! I have always been inspired by Japanese fashion and this straw bag is a perfect example of its influences on me. Here are some of the pieces that inspired me:

(via)

I bought my mini straw bag from a thrift shop for just $4 over a year ago with the thought of making it look better, and finally got around to refashioning it this year. Do you like it? You can make a similar one following the steps below, or Google ‘japanese straw bag’ for more inspiration.

Materials:

Straw bag

Bits of different lace trimmings and ribbons

Glue gun

Steps:

1. Use glue gun to glue a thick, ‘holey’ lace all around the middle of the straw bag.

2. Use glue gun to glue another lace fabric slightly above the lace used in the previous step.

3. Tie ribbons and glue them wherever you like.

4. Add extra trimmings around the bag if you like.

I only used white trimmings for my lace bag because I didn’t want the trimmings to overwhelm the entire bag. Also, I was awfully scared of not being able to carry off such a feminine-looking bag.

So, here you are, a very short and simple tutorial for the summer. I can’t wait to use this bag when summer comes!

Sewn: Cath Kidston Bag from Sew! Cath Kidston

2011-07-17T13:48:00.000+10:00

A while ago, I wrote a review on the Sew! Cath Kidston book. The book came with the materials to make this floral Cath Kidston bag! Yes, it came with the fabric, the buttons and even the Cath Kidston label. (Sewing machine not included, haha)

So, here's my very own Cath Kidston bag! It's a really easy project that was completed within 2 days. Sewing it was such a breeze and a joy, such that I feel like making a few more with different fabric prints for my friends!

Where I added the interface

Work in progress

Work in progress, with pocket completed

I didn't exactly follow the original 'recipe' for the bag. I added some interface at the bottom of the bag because I wanted the bag to have a more defined structure. I think some interface at the bottom (rather than for the entire bag) is adequate, because erm, I don't want to make a box out of it! I also added a pink lining, complete with a pocket! Both the interface and the pink cotton fabric for the lining of the bag are additional things that I bought to make the bag because I really wanted this bag to be perfect. And... I think it's ALMOST perfect.

YUM.

The blue markings at the sides of the label are from my fabric pencil. I wanted to make sure that the label is right at the centre!

Why ALMOST? Well, I lost the buttons that were given to make the bag. I'm pretty sure it's somewhere in my pig sty (aka my bedroom), but I thought I should just forget it for now and simply buy similar ones to complete the bag. I'm sure the buttons will resurface sooner or later, and I will then be able to use them to make another of this bag!

Look! Pockets!

Matching lining

But the buttons aren't the big issue here. What I am not fond of is the strap. The strap is of a weird length. It's not short enough to make the bag a handbag, yet not long enough for the bag to be worn as a sling bag. So, this Cath Kidston bag rests awkwardly in the middle of my torso, just slightly above my hip when I put the strap over my shoulder. To think that I was initially worried that I might have to shorten the strap because of my petite frame! Now I wonder how the bag would look when it's worn by taller people! What a shame for an almost perfect bag. Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it. I guess I'll just have to make it work out somehow with a good outfit! ^_^

I WEAR DIY: It's been so cold lately

2011-07-17T02:28:00.000+10:00

Beret (Grey knitted beret): DIY, handmade
Mittens (Multi-coloured striped mittens): Accessorize
Top (Route 66 Navy Hoodie): Taiwan
Bottom (Dip-dye jeans): DIY
Shoes (Equestrain black boots): Kmart

I hate winter. Thank goodness for my convertible mittens.

P.S.: No, I did not knit this pair of mittens. I will never ever knit a pair of convertible mittens because it's too much of a hassle.

Liebster Blog Award

2011-07-13T17:12:00.003+10:00

Woohoo! Robbie from knitxcore awarded me with the Liebster Blog Award back in June this year. I was really shocked and flattered, because I think Robbie only started following me this year!

According to Robbie's blog entry, this is what the Liebster Blog Award is about:

The Liebster Blog Award started in Germany (obvs) and was intended to drive traffic to hidden gems (blogs with less than 300 readers). Upon acceptance of the Liebster award, the recipient is then obligated to "pay it forward" to 3 small blogs that they enjoy.

- Robbie from knitxcore

Since then, I have been mulling over the 3 blogs that I want to present the award to. It was really hard for me because I realised that a number of blogs that I really love have wayyyy more than 300 followers. So, after almost a month of thinking, these are the 3 blogs that I have decided to present the award to:

Sew I Thought

Two words that sum up what makes up Angela's blog: Vintage + sewing. Check out her blog and you'll be amazed at how talented this girl is.

Ali Foster's Blog

Ali Foster has heaps of great ideas for refashioning boring tees and reconstructing doudy, old dresses. Her blog entries never fail to inspire me. :)

???

Right, I can't really think of a third blog to give the award to now. I know that's not the rule but I really want to give the award to blogs that I really like, not just settle for a blog just because I HAVE to give it to 3 different blogs. I swear, I will give the award to the 3rd and last blog once I come across another blog that I love!

I hope you guys will enjoy these blogs as much as I do! That's all for now! (^_^)

DIY+I WEAR DIY: Dip it and bleach it (Dip-dye jeans)

2011-07-11T16:45:00.001+10:00

After my success with bleaching my denim jacket last year, I have been having the hankering to do another bleached denim project. Then this lovely dip-dye jeans design started showing up all over the Internet and WHOWHATWEAR even did a DIY write-up for this look. But seriously, you don't need someone to tell you how to do it, it's really simple. So....... here's my DIY dip-dye jeans.

Well, they are not exactly jeans... It's actually a very sturdy pair jeggings (leggings+jeans) made from denim-like material. The elastic pull-on design makes this pair of jeggings soooo comfortable to wear.

I was actually planning to do a 3-tone spin to it, where the area above the crotch is the darkest and the lightest shade begins at the midpoint of the thigh. Unfortunately, it seems that the bleach that I used was not strong enough to bleach my jeans. So, in the end, I ended up with the normal two-tone jeans. Boohoohoo.

Jacket (Fake leather jacket): random shop in Singapore
T-shirt (You don't mean nothing at all to me T-shirt)
Jeans (DIY dip-dye jeans): Kmart, DIY
Boots (Doc Martens Wannabe): Rubi, $49.95

Oh well, but I am still loving the way it looks. What do you guys think?

By the way, my t-shirt says "You don't mean nothing at all to me". I'm not a big fan of double negatives in English, but hey, it works well for a rebel look. Moreover, it was on sale for just $1. ;)

Sorry about the grainy pictures. I have no idea what went wrong. :(

Where have all the colours gone?

2011-07-02T23:49:00.000+10:00

Oh look, my hair glows in a golden brown colour under the warm sunshine. I just dyed my hair a week ago using L'Oreal's new Sublime Mousse hair colour in Golden Brown. As usual, the do-it-at-home permanent hair dye does not become very obvious on my natually black Asian hair. But I'm still happy enough with the way my hair currently looks under the warm sunshine.

Cardigan (Black, long cardigan): Mum's
Dress ($5 Granny's Floral Dress): Ally, $4.99
Stockings (Grey knitted ribbed stockings): Sportsgirl, $7.95
Accessories (Red ring, Grey ring, Flower ear studs): Diva, Sportsgirl, Target
Boots: Kmart, $29.95

Anyway, this is what I wore for a shopping trip at a factory outlet centre a few days after handing in my last assignment for the semester. I have no idea how my wardrobe ended up so... dark. This dreary weather is really getting into me. I need more colours in my life.

But I am quite pleased with my current ring collection. These are the 2 of the 5 rings that I currently own. I think I will have to come up with a good way to store my growing ring collection soon! I bought the red ring on sale at Diva for just 3AUD and I really adore the ornate designs at the sides. The earrings are one of the 3 pairs in a set that I scored in another sale for just $2. Yes, that means $2 for 3 pairs of earrings ;)

Right now I'm just trying to recall the last time I bought something that was NOT on sale...

Book review: Sew! Cath Kidston

2011-07-01T19:31:00.001+10:00

About a month ago, a friend of mine came over to Sydney with her family for a holiday. She also brought a lot of presents that all my friends back home bought for me! I'm so loved. (o^_^o)v

This Cath Kidston Sew! book is one of the gifts that I received on that day and I thought I should share my thoughts about the book with you guys. I have to say that I am really excited about making the bag on the front cover, but I have no idea when I'll finally have the time to do that. I hope it won't be too long from now. However, I am a little disappointed by the projects featured in the book. I was hoping for it to have more projects on making various bags, but instead, most of the projects in the book are home-related.

There are 41 projects in total, and out of these, there are only 4 bags and 2 totes. The rest of the projects in the book includes 6 cushions, 3 aprons, 2 quilts, 2 washbags, 1 oven glove, 1 lavender bag, 1 peg bag and other miscellaneous items. Seriously!? 6 cushions!? Boo hoo hoo~

Another major flaw of the book is that some of the pages have white words on lime-green pages that make it painful to read. Really!? White words on lime-green pages!? I think I need to put on my sunnies in order to read it in my room, under the white fluorescent light.

Nevertheless, I am still exciting about making the bag featured on the front cover. Oh, did I mention that the fabric pieces required for making the bag have already been cut? That should save me a lot of time! :)

Last but not least, check out the Cath Kidston-inspired fabric that I got from Spotlight just yesterday. It's a piece of fabric remnant that measures about 45x20cm and cost only 1.40AUD. Perhaps I can make a small project from the book using this fabric remnant. ;) Oh gosh... I just realised that this looks really similar to the fabric given together with the book! O_O

UPDATE: I have sewn the bag! The post on the completed bag can be found here.

SPOT the difference

2011-06-25T12:33:00.000+10:00

(via ASOS.com)

Dress: Cotton On, $15
Shoes: ASOS.com
Bag: El-cheapo bag that came free with a magazine

Erm, I recently saw a leopard print dress on ASOS.com and I think I have a highly similar one from Cotton On. And I bought mine on a sale for just $15. Ok, I know, obviously the model wears it better... But when you try to be objective, you will find that both dresses are really similar!

The funny thing about this picture is that, coincidentally, my shoes are from ASOS.com.

P.S.: Please excuse my mum and my maternal grandma. This is the only picture that I have with me wearing the dress...it's not even taken recently!

DIY: Honey, I shrunk my ring!

2011-06-24T01:34:00.001+10:00

My mum has always said that I have the hands of a child. It's true. I reckon my hands are the size of a 12 year old. My fingers aren't exactly slender, but they are definitely not the prescribed 'S' or 'XS' in most commercial accessory shops.

So what happens when I buy rings? Well, I either buy the ones that are adjustable or I clench my fist tightly when I wear the non-adjustable ones out. The latter doesn't always work because sometimes I forget about the ring I am wearing and they fall out as I wave goodbye to my friends after an outing. =_=

A few weeks ago, I bought this ring from Sportsgirl during a sale. It was an 'S' but it was still slightly loose on my finger. I couldn't take it anymore. So, I took a bit of my wire, pulled out my pliers, and began to wrap short lengths of wire around the ring. I guess this looks all right for this design of the ring because it's supposed to look.... grunge? I wouldn't use this method for more feminine designs.

Now this ring fits really snugly on my finger and I LOVE IT! :D

I know there's something called the ring guard, but I'm not very sure if that would be a feasible idea for me. I'm sure I'd lose those tiny little pieces of plastic all the time. Do you guys have any other suggestions or advice? >_<

Must be the season of the witch

2011-06-18T14:45:00.002+10:00

Cardigan (Beige Oversized Chunky Knitted Cardi): thrifted vintage
Dress ($5 Granny's Floral Dress): Ally, $4.99
Shoes: New Look, $19.90
Wishbone Necklace: Louisa, $3
Victorian-inspired Charm Bracelet: Diva, $5

Remember about the Mushroom Pickings bag that I made a short while ago? I said that I was making it for a friend. It was her birthday party last Friday and it was a birthday tea party! Yayy. I love tea parties.

The $5 dress + belt

Anyhoo, this is what I wore to the tea party. I don't usually wear dresses, but I have to confess that I have a couple of them lying in my wardrobe. Yes, I have a couple of dresses that I bought over a year ago which I have NOT worn at all. I'm just waiting for the right occasion to wear them. And guess what, this is a dress that I bought just a few days before the party. :P

As I have mentioned, I remix my wardrobe all the time. (Funny how I have new, unworn dresses in the wardrobe huh?) But I think I forgot to mention that I am also quite a frugal shopper. I love exploring shops with the big "SALE" signs plastered all over the glass windows. Seriously, you never really know what you're going to find. Take this dress for example. It was on sale for just $5 (or rather, $4.99). $5! $5! Can you believe it? I couldn't at all, especially after trying it out in the fitting room. How can such a lovely dress be reduced from $27.99 to $4.99? How can a dress of such incredible marked-down price still be available in my size!? All the forces of the Universe must have come together in an unprecedented event of the millennium on that magical day. Seriously, I don't reckon I'd score such a deal again in the near future.

I felt like a witch that day wearing my magical 'SALE' dress, wishbone necklace and charm bracelet. Come to think of it, I bought ALL of them when they were on sale. I try to be streetwise. :P

My wishbone necklace

1 <3 charm bracelets!

I didn't take a lot of pictures with the people there because I didn't know a lot of people there (at least at the start of the party), and I was stuffing my face with food the whole time. (Also, my hair was in a less-than-ideal state that day)

The birthday 'cake'

Macaroons in autumn colours

Come to think of it... I didn't try this! T_T

Little Teacup sets made from various sweets <3 boy, this was reaaaally sweet.

All right, stop staring at the sweets! (n_n)

IDEA: Assad Mounser's Rambler Long Necklace

2011-06-18T12:22:00.000+10:00

(via)

Shake, rattle and roll

2011-06-12T12:00:00.001+10:00

I attended a BBQ birthday lunch party thingy a week ago and this is what I wore. Erm, it's supposed to have a 50's rock 'n roll and rebel feel to it, which explains the title of my post.

Shirt (Oversized gingham shirt): from Bangkok
T-shirt (READ T-shirt): random shop from Singapore, $10
Pants (Grey FOX pants): FOX Singapore, can't remember the price
Shoes (Doc Martens Wannabe): Rubi Shoes, $49.95

No idea why she's hugging my bag so tightly... but look, she's wearing the red beret I made! :D

Not sure if you guys remember, but I made a red beret for my friend as a present for her birthday. She really loves it! It was slightly small for her head initially, but I tugged the beret to make the opening bigger. It worked and the beret now fits her rather nicely!

And check out the awesome cake that she had! It's a giant cupcake! So I guess you can call it a cupcake-cake? Hah! Anyway, we didn't even bother to cut it and simple dug in with our forks. Double dip? Of course!

P.S.: Don't worry, I've already washed this READ t-shirt.

FO: Mushroom Pickings

2011-06-11T20:20:00.002+10:00

Yes, so I've made another crochet item, for another friend of mine as a birthday present, once again. Three crochet FOs in a month! I don't think I'm going to crochet a while... and I think these birthdays are going to stop coming for a while... phew!

What do you guys think of this bag? I gave it to my friend at her birthday party today and I think she likes it! :D I was thinking of using a bright yellow for the bag initially, but then I thought my friend would prefer this colour. The pattern is from here. But if you compare my bag to the original version, it's slightly different because I used 8ply yarn instead of the prescribed 10ply. I also worked in rounds and didn't turn my work, except when I was almost finishing at the top. My handles are definitely different too because by the time I got to the handles, I was like, "pattern? schmattern!" and worked it out myself.

Nevertheless, I really like how the bag turned out! It's really surprising to see that it turned out to be sooooo mori-esque! Mori is a japanese style of dressing that I am actually rather into. But I haven't really dressed in that manner... yet... Anyway, I named the bag "Mushroom Pickings" because I imagined that is a bag someone might carry when s/he goes into the forest to pick mushrooms. Heh.

Well, my rambling will stop here. Sorry that I have only have one pathetic picture of the bag to show you guys. It isn't even the actual end product because I haven't weaved the ends in yet when I took this picture. I do have a couple of other WIP pictures, but I decided that they were too awful... >_<

Oh, what the hell (The same coat over and over again)

2011-06-06T19:30:00.006+10:00

Coat on!

Jacket (ICE blue jacket): ICE, $20
Blouse (Grey blouse with pearl and lace accent): from Bangkok

Skirt (Black and white floral skirt with peplum): random shop in Sydney, $7.50

Shoes: New Look, $19.90 (after wearing them for a year, they still give me blisters)

As you guys will come to realise, I remix my wardrobe a lot. By a lot, I mean, really, A LOT. So, why? Well, firstly, I don't have time to do laundry every weekend, so I wear the same coat several times over a span of a few weeks. I guess I probably shouldn't be washing my dirty laundry in public (no, not literally). But hey, it's so cold that I don't even secrete a single bead of sweat and I always smell so good. I think I should start tagging each individual clothing item so that people can see how I try to mix and match the same item over and over and over again. (And over again)

Another reason why I'm wearing this coat again and again is because ... I hate it. I know that doesn't make sense at all. I hate it and I'm wearing it again and again!? Well, I hate it, but I just wanna get all my money's worth before I dump it into one of those donation bins out there. I'm stingy like that. For anyone who's interested, I hate it because it is made of fleece and it looks so cheap. I must have been drunk when I bought it.

Last but not least, I'm a poor student who can't afford to spend my lunch money on materialistic goods all the time. So, I have to remix my wardrobe all the time. It's not a bad thing, really. It's fun.

All right, so that's all for now. Check out my new tags at the bottom of this post.

NEW DIRECTION FOR CRAFT BLOG

2011-06-05T11:49:00.004+10:00

As of today, this blog has become a style and craft blog. I have begun this revolution with a mini outfit post. I will continue to post other outfit posts that I usually post on my personal blog. I know I have been posting 'I WEAR DIY' posts, and some followers have told me that they like them a lot. (>_< thank you!), but the new outfit posts may or may not include clothing items that are DIY.

Perhaps I will also begin to post other more personal posts. I am getting sick and tired of managing 2 blogs. If I lose followers on this blog, then so be it.

I'm sorry that I didn't give any advance notice. This is a decision that I made just this morning. Erm... Does anyone have any comments?

Just the other day...

2011-06-05T11:42:00.009+10:00

My friend said I looked "mature and all grown-up" with the shirt and coat ensemble paired with jeans and boots, and with those tiny sparkly ear studs. My hair was tied up in a bun and topped with a hearts barrette.

Jacket: ICE, $20
T-shirt: random shop in Singapore, $10

FO: The Pur-bo Bag and The Be-red

2011-06-03T18:42:00.003+10:00

For the past 2 weeks, I have been working my crochet hook like MAD because 2 of my friends' birthday are coming up this week and I planned on making something for them as presents. Actually, one of them is celebrating her birthday tonight (Friday) and the other one is having a BBQ lunch tomorrow. I'm only going for the one tomorrow.

Ok, you're probably not interested in that much details. Enough of all that jabber. Now, photos!

First up, the purple hobo bag, aka The Pur-bo bag:

I made a few changes to the original pattern by Stephanie Gage because I was running out of the purple yarn and there was no way that I could get a ball of this yarn from the same colour lot, since I bought the yarn ages ago. So I made a few changes to the pattern in order to accommodate my yarn shortage:

Close-up

18 rows of the dc instead of the 20 in the pattern
4 rows of sc at the top of the bag instead of the 5 in the pattern
1 strap with the width of 7 sc instead of the 2 straps made using 4 sc each as stated in the pattern

I thought it would look ugly with all the changes I have made. But it did not! I even feel like making one for myself now! But I shall not and must not, lest I end up with too many knitted/crochet hobo bags.

WIP

Next up, the red beret aka The Be-red:

This is the first time that I made a crochet hat. All my previous hats were knitted. When I completed this pattern by creativeyarn, I thought, "what!? that's it!?" I was quite disappointed as the opening was really too big and the beret did not have the slouch that I expected from the photos. Am I missing something about crochet hats here? Nevertheless, I continued with 1 more round to make the opening smaller:

Round 19: sc 1, sc2tog, rep to end

Unfortunately, that did not help and I ended up with something that is slightly tight. It's either too loose or too tight... I decided to go with the latter. I guess it's cuter to see a little hat perching on a head? I might be wrong... >_<

So, I'm really not quite sure what I feel about this crochet beret. I have a feeling that it might not fit my friend's head because the crochet ends are quite tight. Maybe it's better to knit hats to give them the ability to stretch rather than to crochet...

But that said, I might still make one for myself...Might...

WIP

What you can get with $100 at Spotlight

2011-05-28T21:42:00.001+10:00

I'm not sure how many of you know this, but I won a $100 gift card from Spotlight a while ago. So, I've made a trip to Spotlight twice in the short span of a single month and have spent all the money in my gift card. (T_T)

You can't blame me for buying stuff at Spotlight today because it was Sewing Saturday and they had great offers in store! So... I thought some of you may be interested in what I got at Spotlight.

60's inspired retro prints fabric and white cotton fabric for lining (I know, the white bit on the left looks like the table, but it's not!)

I love how this print looks like the tiled kitchen floor/wall of the 60's. I'll be wearing kitchen tiles on my body!!! I don't care if people think that I look silly.

Printed pears jersey fabric and white polyester interlock for lining

Yes, I bought linings for both fabrics because they are not very opaque and I already have plans to make dresses out of them! (No, not using the following patterns)

I think I should really start making the dress using the pears fabric soon because I might get too old for such a cute print on a dress.

Hee hee hee, you have no idea how excited I am about using these patterns! I selected dress patterns that highly resemble a lot of ASOS.com dresses that I like. I'll do a blog post on that soon! Also, I'm a sucker for vintage dressmaking patterns. I actually have a number that I thrifted over the past 2 years.

Pinking shears

Other random stuff: zipper for current shorts that I am currently sewing, sequins, embroidery threads and nylon thread

I can't wait to finish the pair of shorts that I am currently sewing. I started making it in February (2011, of course), but have not had the time to continue with it because of uni T_T. Somehow, knitting and crochet just seem to take less time than sewing!

Speaking of crochet, I am currently crocheting this bag for my friend's birthday. I should get it done by next weekend. Well, I HAVE to. So, expect updates again next weekend!

P.S.: Excuse the poorly taken photos. I did this in a rush!

DIY: Knitted Panda Hat

2011-05-21T18:20:00.007+10:00

This is it. This is one of the most amazing things that I have knitted so far. Well, I started this about a month ago. Unfortunately, I started it on a whim after seeing soooo many knitted panda hats in shops like Sportsgirl and equip in Sydney, and also on ASOS.com. As a result, I didn't consider some things thoroughly. For example, I didn't think about choosing between intarsia and fair isle method. I didn't even think about what I would do for the ears when I started this. And if you follow my blog, you should know that one of my plastic DPNs broke while I was knitting the hat. Thankfully, things didn't get any worse than that and I was able to replace the broken DPN with another metal DPN (of unknown but possibly similar size >_<). Right, I should also add that the DPNs that I used were not of the same size... because I am a poor uni student who thrifts for DPNs and other knitting needles... Boo...

Although everything came out all right, I'm still a little peeved about how the inside of the hat looks.

This is every knitter's nightmare. But I've tidied it up.

And now it looks like this on the inside...

Enough ranting. Here comes the pattern!!! I'm really nervous about this because this is the ~~first~~ second time that I am writing a knitting pattern. I will try to be as descriptive wherever I can.

For more advanced knitters, you simply need the chart and insert the face into your favourite beanie pattern. But for knitters who've only just begun to learn how to knit, I've got the pattern written out for you :)

Please be kind to me. If you find any errors, just email me!

THE KNITTED PANDA HAT!

(why buy one from the shops when you can knit one yourself?)

Note: A lot of people have been telling me that this panda is too big for them. Please try measuring your head and calculating the number of stitches to cast on!

Needles: 3.5mm DPNs

Yarn: 1 ball of 8 ply white acrylic yarn (MC), 1 ball of 8 ply black 100% wool yarn (CC)

Gauge: What? I don't have time to do swatches. I am an average knitter; I don't knit too tightly or loosely.

Size: 63 cm in circumference unstretched. It fits my head loosely, which measures about 52cm with the tape across the middle of my forehead. I like a loose beanie because my face/head looks weird in one that fits snugly.

Pattern:

MC: White

CC: Black (stitches that are to be knitted in CC are BOLDED)

CO 152 using MC

Place a stitch marker before you begin to indicate the beginning of a round!

Row 1: K1, P1 (repeat to end)

Row 2: P1, K1 (repeat to end)

Repeat Rounds 1 & 2 until you have a 1x1 ribbed edge of about 1 inch long.

Round 3: Knit all in MC

Round 4: Knit all in MC

Nose and curly smile:

Round 5: K20, K2, K6, K2, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 6: K19, K1, K2, K1, K4, K1, K2, K1, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 7: K18, K1, K4, K1, K2, K1, K4, K1, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 8: K24, K2, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 9: K23, K4, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 10: K22, K6, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 11: K21, K8, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 12: K20, K10, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 13: K19, K12, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 14: K19, K12, knit the remaining sts in MC

Eyes:

Round 15: K7, K7, K22, K7, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 16: K6, K9, K20, K9, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 17: K5, K11, K18, K11, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 18: K4, K13, K16, K13, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 19: K4, K14, K14, K14, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 20: K4, K14, K14, K14, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 21: K4, K15, K12, K15, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 22: K4, K15, K12, K15, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 23: K4, K8, K3, K4, K12, K4, K3, K8, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 24: K4, K8, K3, K4, K12, K4, K3, K8, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 25: K5, K7, K3, K4, K12, K4, K3, K7, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 26: K6, K13, K12, K13, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 27: K7, K11, K14, K11, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 28: K9, K8, K16, K8, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 29: K10, K6, K18, K6, knit the remaining sts in MC

Knit in MC for 8 rounds

Begin decrease:

Round 30: K17, K2tog (repeat to end)

Round 31: K16, K2tog (repeat to end)

Round 32: K15, K2tog (repeat to end)

... continue in a similar fashion until you have 8 stitches left on your needles.

Then, cut the yarn from the ball. Draw the remaining yarn through the 8 stitches and pull tight.

Weave all ends in.

Ears:

Make 2 black pom poms and use hot glue gun to glue them to the sides.

That's all for now. I'm going back to my cave. I'll emerge again... but my next blog post should NOT be a knitting post...

And I shall try to figure out how to post my pattern on Ravelry... hmm...

Hat trick

2011-04-29T22:50:00.001+10:00

Oversized knitted beret originally made for a friend. She rejected it and said I looked better in it, so I should wear it instead. This was my second time wearing it.

Oversized knitted beret made for me by the same abovementioned friend. She gave it to me before I went over to Sydney for my studies. This was my first time wearing it!

Knitted Panda Beanie. I still need to knit 2 ears for this.

The days are getting colder here in Sydney, but I have plenty of knitted hats to keep me warm.

P.S.: I have more knitted head gear! >_<

question answered:
Sarah asked: "what pattern did you use for the first beret?"
I modified an original pattern by Claire Crompton from 'The Knitter's Bible'. More details in my Ravelry account here.

It's official: I hate plastic knitting needles!!!

2011-04-25T14:27:00.000+10:00

This is the second time that I've broken a plastic knitting needle. I'm not even a tight knitter!!! >_<
So, now I'm working on my panda hat using double-pointed needles of 3 different sizes. Good work.

P.S.: I'm knitting as fast as I can! (That's when I have the time...)

WIP: Panda Hat

2011-04-17T00:45:00.000+10:00

I started this on a whim and obviously did not think the pattern through. You can't see it but it's a real mess on the wrong side of the work because I didn't think about whether to use fair isle or intarsia knitting. This is also the very first time that I'm using double-pointed needles!!!

I started this last weekend and haven't been working on it since I took this picture. Uni work is consuming me at the moment! Hope to finish this soon so that I can write up the proper pattern and share it with everyone. *GASP yes, I came up with the pattern on my own! :D

That's all for now! I need to get back to uni work!

DIY: Oversized chambray shirt to skirt! (Sportsgirl DIY Project Competition)

2011-04-11T20:03:00.001+10:00

Hey guys! I know I’ve posted this before. But this is an entry for a competition and I’ve made some changes to comply with the terms and conditions!

I made this skirt from an oversized ZARA chambray shirt that I thrifted last year.

Materials

Oversized shirt
A length of elastic
Sewing machine/ sewing thread and needles
Lace (optional)

Steps:

1. Cut the top and bottom of the oversized shirt to get a large rectangular piece of fabric.

2. Fold the top of the fabric down by 0.5 – 1 cm and iron.

3. Fold the top of the fabric down again to form a casing wide enough fit the elastic in. Iron the folds in place.

4. Sew around the bottom of the fold to form a casing while leaving a small opening for the elastic to go through. P.S.: I didn’t have to leave an opening because I used a buttoned-down shirt. There was an opening where left of the shirt meets the right.

5. Insert one end of the elastic through the opening and pull it all through the casing using a safety pin.

6. Pull the elastic through the opening again and join it to the other end of the elastic.

7. Try wearing the ‘skirt’ and see how tight you want the skirt to be. Also consider where you want the skirt to sit (ie. at the waist or on the hips)

8. Sew the ends of the elastic together according to your considerations in Step 7.

9. Sew the opening of the casing (if any) together.

10. Hem the bottom.

11. Sew some lace around the hem. I added lace because chambray goes really well with lace!

12. Wear your new skirt proudly!

WISH ME LUCK! :)

bowed down

2011-04-08T01:48:00.002+10:00

Doing nail art is fast becoming a quick and easy for me to relax and de-stress. With a bottle of nail polish at an affordable $2 and a mere 5-minute walk from home, I am not surprised that this is the second bottle of nail polish that I've bought in a short span of 2 weeks.

I need help.

Materials:
Nude nail polish
Clear nail polish
Permanent market

Steps:
1. Apply appropriate layers of nude nail polish.
2. Draw cute little bows using permanent marker. Wait for it to dry.
3. Apply a layer of clear nail polish to seal the ink from the marker.

Oh wait. There's just one problem: I can't draw neat little bows on the nails on my right hand. >_<

DIY: Embroidered/Cross-stitch Pencil Case

2011-03-25T00:19:00.000+11:00

My oh my. I really can't believe that I'm actually writing a blog post here. I would have never thought that I would have the time to write here twice in a month! Enough of that usual blog post opening, it's time to talk about my embroidered pencil case.

I made this a while ago before school started and my craft plans were thrown in complete disarray (or rather, completely obliterated). You should have seen my old pencil case. I should have made this new pencil case ages ago.

Oh right, I was also enjoying a small serving of frozen grapes...

It started out as this mini vintage embroidery/cross-stitch project that my friend passed to me a few years back. I did plan to create the oblong pouch that it was meant to be. But then I was too lazy to read the instructions in detail. So, I decided to screw the original project and make myself a badly needed pencil case instead.

You should have noticed that I keep typing 'embroidery/cross stitch'. I just can't decide which category this project belongs to. What are the differences between those 2 types of needlecraft anyway? No matter what it is, it sure is a lot of fun. I got the entire thing done in 2 afternoons while watching american drama on my computer.

Added interface to hide my messy work

Used a leftover fabric from another project for the lining

Sewed the 2 pieces of fabric, right side together, and then turned it out to get this

Folded it into half and then sewed the sides together

Turned it out to get an open pouch

The zip was painstakingly sewn on by my very own hands. That's all for now. No witty ending for this post because I am really tired now.

The sea, the sea

2011-03-06T01:33:00.000+11:00

As school has started, I won't be painting my nails for a long time.