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

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

DIY: Flower Crown

Flower Crown

Back view

This is another Rookie-inspired DIY project that has been on my to-do list for FAR TOO LONG. And now, it's done. And now, I'm happy. And now, I am itching to make more.

Crochet roses

I made this flower crown using crochet roses that I made in various sizes, felt, a plain headband, and ... lots of glue. Perhaps next time I will make one using really big, plastic flowers.  Now let me put on this flower crown and a white tutu, and then leave for an imaginary afternoon tea in my imaginary secret garden. x

P.S.: The photos were taken before I dyed my hair pink. My hair tips are still pink!
P.P.S.: Someone asked me about how I achieved the original black and blond ombre look in a comment on my original ombre hair post. I can't help you at all because a friend did it for me! I simply provided the dye and the hair. :P

DIY: Bejewelled clutch

Bejewelled Clutch

No secrets inside

This is the perfect type of DIY-with-your-TV project. I promise that you will not even notice the hours fly by. Just make sure that you don't get too close to the project because the smell of the superglue might get to you.

Materials:
1 x sunglasses case
1 x cosmetic bottle cap
Gold nail polish (or another colour of your choice)
Lots of tiny rhinestones
Superglue

The cap

I got the tiny rhinestones from eBay and if I remember correctly, they cost me less than $10 in total. And the sunglasses case was $2 from a dollar shop. The cap was literally free because it came from a beauty product sample.

Steps:
1. Glue the rhinestones all over.
2. Paint the cap with gold nail polish.

3. Glue the cap on the top of the clutch.
4. Put on red lipstick and your favourite pair of heels. Go out and party. Take this clutch with you.

Now all I need is an occasion to use take this clutch out. xx

Candy

// Pom Pom Cardigan, DIY / Arm party (see below for details) / Flashback Fuchsia nail polish, Ulta //

I have found that the way to feel good about my ombre hair is to dress in the right colours. I think green is one of them.

Also, let me use this opportunity to show some bracelets that I have made many months ago but haven't got around to blogging. Ok, I will write a post on the full range of bracelets I've made... soooooon. 

From left to right: Kid's watch from Kmart, bracelet from Rubi, DIY woven bracelet, DIY friendship bracelet

From left to right: DIY friendship bracelet, DIY bracelet made from wooden beads painted with neon yellow and white nail polish, thrifted bracelet that reads, 'GOODNESS'

Later. x

FO: Just a pair of yellow mittens

So, I did it. I made a pair of yellow mittens to go with the yellow beanie that I haverecently knitted. To be honest, I’m surprised that I actually went ahead with making a pair of yellow mittens despite my dissatisfaction with my yellow beanie. Perhaps it’s partially due to the fact that the remainder of the yellow yarn and a few crochet hooks are the only craft-related items that I have with me in Albury at the moment. I miss my Elna.

I digress.

Behold, a pair of yellow mittens that are technically not a pair because there are slight differences between the mittens. Maybe you can spot them in the photos, maybe you can’t.

These mittens are based on the pattern found here. Mind you, my mittens are a modified version. I originally planned on knitting a pair of mittens with a cable pattern so that it matches the pattern of the beanie better. But I decided that crochet hooks are easier to transport and a much quicker way to churn out a pair of mittens. Regardless, I think the fact that mittens are made from the same yellow yarn makes them look like they belong to the beanie. So, the mittens and the beanie are a set in my opinion and here’s a family photo just to prove it.