What are you doing here?

"Why are you still here!?"

Hey you.

Did you just started following my blog less than a month ago? Stop it. 

I will no longer be posting on this blog. 

But do check out my new blog here!

Trust me, the new blog is better than this one.

SPANKING NEW BLOG RIGHT HERE.

Same old brand new me

Life has changed a lot since I first started this blog in 2008. Wow, 2008. That was 5 years ago.

Since then, I have grown quite a bit and the original purpose of the blog no longer seems to match what I enjoy writing about and doing now. Just look at that name - 'because she started knitting'. Sure, I still like to knit, but it really isn't what I spend most of my time on anymore.

And so, it's time to start a new blog. A new blog with a new name, a new layout and a new direction.

But hey, it's still me. 

Expect more posts related to my personal style and pursuit of vintage. And of course, there will still be sewing, knitting and DIY-ing.

So hop over here and join me in my new adventures. Till then.... xxx

Happy Chinese New Year!

I've been back in Singapore for more than a month now but I still haven't really settled in. All of my boxes have been unpacked but there are bits and pieces of things scattered around my room still. I can't wait to get my room done up so I could show everyone here what it looks like!

Meanwhile, I just celebrated Chinese New Year so I thought I should just post a couple of photos for now - lest people start forgetting that I even exist. 

I still have a few sewing projects from last year which I have not written about. Till then!

Wearing: River Island shift dress, ASOS heels, Glomesh look-alike bag, cheap folding fan

x gwen

I will be back

Wait, how long has it been since I last wrote? Damn. Time just quietly slips by all the time.

I had been busy with finishing my thesis, packing all my junk for shipping, enjoying a short break in Shanghai and making the most out of my final days in Sydney. Now, I am back in Singapore. Unfortunately, settling in is going to take a while because of various reasons. Don't be sad. I *will* be back.

This is also why I haven't been able to answer the questions that have been posted under various posts in the comments section. I am truly sorry.

Meanwhile, check out that awesome photo of the bubblegum flavoured ice-cream I had at Luna Park in Sydney - because everyone loves ice-cream. Are you happy again?

x

P.S.: I finally have a smartphone! Perhaps I should revive my Twitter account and start tweeting more often...

And now look here

Greenlight Rockabilly Night at Torque Grill and Bar, Sydney

Wearing: DIY Knitted Turban, DIY necklace, jeans in Hawaiian print, plain old cardi and tank top
Holding: Tequila Sunrise

So, I know I've been pretty quiet lately. I haven't been writing a lot of posts. Well, if you must know, I have a thesis due next week. NEXT WEDNESDAY, to be exact.

And so, since I am only given 24 hours a day like everyone else and I need 10 hours of sleep every day, blogging has taken a backseat. But don't worry, my thesis is due NEXT WEDNESDAY. 

Oh, and that photo? It's just what I do when I'm not writing a thesis. Hey, life goes on right?

xx g

Black Cat

Of course, I let down my hair and took off my jacket when I hit the dance floor

I had great plans for the Halloween. I really did. But uni work creeped in and before I knew it, Halloween was over. I never got the chance to dress up as Leela (and have a whole head of purple hair). 

Oh well.

But when another opportunity for dress-up casually passes you by, you grab it by the neck and never let go. And so, when the moon rose high in the sky last night, I transformed into... a black cat. 

The whole look took me less than an hour to get together. I made the kitty ears headband in less than 30 minutes the day before and only spent 15 minutes on the make-up. I even had some spare time to make a bracelet.

Rock and roll

Kitty ears made from black, velvet-like fabric

I dressed up as a cat for the regular Shake, Rattle and Roll dance night at Bedlam Bar in Sydney last night. Oh wait, it was Shake, Rattle and Ghoul last night. My friend and I got there a little late but I had the time to squeeze in a couple of dances before we left the joint at 12 midnight just like Cinderella. 

And so here I am, sitting at home on a Sunday night typing up a blog post. I stayed home today to work on my thesis. However, I'm not bitter about it because I got to dance last night. 

If you haven't got the hint, I LOVE Rock & Roll and Rockabilly dancing. 

x g

DIY: Tie-dye stockings / Halloween Zombie stockings

DIY Tie-dye Zombie Stockings

A few weeks ago, my friends and I had a Crafternoon party where we fiddled with food dye and stockings. Our plan was to make ombre stockings and tie-dye stockings. The ombre stockings didn't turn out great, but the tie-dye stockings turned out AMAZING. Well, at least in my opinion. So here's the how-to! 

Materials:
Nude nylon stockings
Food dyes and various colours (my advice is to get primary colours and then mix these colours to create more colours!)
Vinegar
A pot of boiling water
Gloves (if you don't want to end up with funky fingertips like I did)
Rubber bands

Steps:

1. Twist your stockings lengthwise until you end up with a ball-like mess. Secure the ball-like mess with a rubber band. Or you could think up more interesting ways to twist your stockings for a more unique tie-dye look. 

2. Add vinegar to your pot of boiling water. This helps to ensure that your stockings remain colourfast. I didn't follow a formula for the ratio of water to vinegar. To me, this is creative craft, not a science experiment. 

3. Bring the water down to a simmer.

4. Add the desired coloured dye(s) into your pot of boiling water. (P.S.: It is highly recommended that you mix 2 different colours if you want the tie-dye effect like the one I have done. My friends and I started out with a pot of pink dye, then added blue to create purple. I popped my stockings into the pot of purple dye thinking that it would only give a purple tie-dye effect. But woah, surprise surprise! It turned out with an amazing diffused red and blue look.)

5. Leave the stockings in the pot for about 5 minutes (or longer if you want more colours to seep into the twisted bits). Sing a song while the stockings simmer in the pot. Alternatively, you can chant "Double, double toil and trouble. Fire burn, and cauldron bubble."

6. Remove the stockings from the pot. Let it cool off for a bit, unravel it, then rinse it with water until the water runs clear.

Drying out our products

7. Lay it out to dry.

8. Wear it with pride.

Like a zombie

That's how simple it is! Honestly, I can't guarantee the same results, but do let me know how your stockings turn out if you do end up trying this.

x g

Sewn: 70s floral dirndl skirt

This is another project that I completed many months ago. I think I finished this in autumn (around May) but never got around to wearing it, taking photos of it or blogging about it. But here it is! I wore it the first time to the Priceline Pout Day which I talked about a while ago.

Butterick 5935 (via)

Floral print which, according to my friend, seems Laura Ashley-inspired

Pattern: Butterick 5935, option B (pictured on the right)
Fabric: Polycotton, Laura Ashley-inspired floral print
Modification(s): I shortened the hem (as usual).
What I dislike about this pattern: I think a dirndl skirt is meant to be a full skirt. But for some reason, my dirndl skirt simply isn't as full as the ones shown on the front of the sewing pattern. I am definitely unable to stretch my legs out and run quickly when wearing this skirt. But I guess it doesn't really matter that much. 
What I love about this pattern: The mere fact that the pattern is from the 70s makes my heart sing. Oh, also, THERE ARE POCKETS!

That's all for now folks! I've wasted 343264735 hours on the computer trying to fix a problem that I have been having with the system. Now that I have (sort of) fixed it and written a blog post, it's time I continue working on my thesis........................

xx g

Tips: DIY Dolce & Gabanna inspired floral sunglasses

Dolce & Gabbana inspired DIY floral embellished sunglasses

It is a well-known fact that tutorials for the Dolce & Gabbana inspired DIY floral sunglasses have been done to death all over the Internet. So, instead of doing re-inventing the wheel, I thought of sharing some tips and some of the ideas that I have for this DIY project.

Tip #1: Pick a pair of sunglasses with thicker frame so that there is ample area for you to glue the flowers. A cat-eye frame is a plus because placing the flowers on the top tips of a cat-eye frame gives emphasis on the flowers.

Tip #2: Play around with placement of the flowers on the sunglasses using Blu-Tack to have a good idea of what the end-product will look like. This also allows you to wear the sunnies and decide if you actually like the look!

Tip #3: Use flowers of different sizes.

Tip #4: Try using metallic roses for a different look! 

Tip#5: Don't stop at flowers/roses. Think big, think fruits and animals. Think Anna Dello Russo's gold crocodile sunglasses. Now that's another DIY idea!

Half-frame floral look. Not a fan.

Tried a full floral look and decided it was too much for me

Gold roses

So there you go, my tips for creating your very own DIY embellished sunglasses. To be honest, I haven't glued the flowers to my sunnies. Those flowers are stuck to the sunnies with Blu-Tack. It's so hard to decide on the one that I really want! But I have to say that I have deviating towards the one with the gold roses! 

Have fun! xx

Priceline Pout Day

When there is an opportunity to get free make-up, you grab it. So, when I found out about the Priceline Pout Day in Sydney, I dragged my friend along to get the freebies and to become part of the Guinness World Record for the largest makeover class.

Lipstick, blusher, mascara and a mirror

We also had lunch at Bills and desserts thereafter at the Strawberry Cream Continental Patisserie. 

Cordials

Full Aussie Breakfast (and Beef Miso Sandwich in the background). The scrambled eggs was rather disappointing. But my friend was very pleased with her sandwich.

Outside Strawberry Cream Continental Patisserie

Cheesecake, sacha torte, cappuccino and piccolo latte

Most importantly, I finally had the chance to take photos of another skirt that I made (a long while ago)! More to come. Stay tuned! x

Wearing: Brown ankle boots, Valleygirl; 70s style floral skirt, DIY/handmade; brown satchel bag, Sportsgirl; mint green top

Sewn: A dress called Edith

Edith

 Edith is currently my favourite dress at the moment. Yes, I love her so much, I gave her a name. 

She is a vintage-inspired 60s summer dress made using Butterick 6582, a retro reissue of the original pattern that was printed in the 60s. 

Love the print on the fabric

Pattern: Butterick 6582, option C
Fabric: Polycotton, Floral motifs with white and green gingham background
Modification(s): I shortened the hem by 15 cm because I am fun-sized!

Initially, I was quite apprehensive about this pattern because the bodice looked complicated to me with all the various pieces and the ruching at the shoulder. But the instructions were really helpful and the sewing process was a real breeze!

I really love the shoulder detail and the gathering at the sides of the skirt, which makes the skirt looks poofy when I wear it even without any petticoat underneath! (That said, I do still want to get a petticoat...)

Bodice and skirt

Poofy skirt!

This is definitely a pattern that I will use again. I am probably going to make Version A the next time!

More photos of the dress can be found in the previous post here.
xx

Sydney Summer Love Vintage Show (and a dress called Edith)

Edith

This post just cannot wait. As everyone who has been following me will know, I am not very good at keeping up to date with my posts. But this post simply cannot wait. 

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was making a dress to wear to the Sydney Summer Love Vintage Show. I was almost certain that I was NOT going to finish the dress in time as the date of the show drew near. But I did it. I finished the dress 2 days before the show and I think it's most probably the loveliest thing I have ever made. So, behold, my favourite dress at this very moment - Edith. 

Wearing: Handmade vintage-inspired 60s dress, nude Rubi flats, white vintage purse, white ASOS sunnies

Oh, I also made a matching bow

Don't ask me why I'm calling it Edith. The name just popped into my head as I was admiring it. 

Anyway, the Sydney Summer Love Vintage Show was amazing and I loved every minute that I spent there. There was a sign outside which said no photographs of the stalls were allowed, so I didn't take many photos at the show. But I did take a couple at a stall with the permission of the stall vendor. 

Mustang Sallie

And here are the things I got at the show:  

Vintage red luggage bag, $30

Vintage Australian Home Journal (1951), $18

Vintage handmade crochet gloves, $12. My life is now complete.

Vintage dress, $10. What a steal! 

Vintage sunglasses, 2 for $25. My friend bought one too.

The details of this sewing project will be discussed in another post. Stay tuned! x