DIY Cape T.Shirt

A week or so ago I said I was going to try and make my own version of this Topshop top.

Well I did it and here it is!

There's a slight pull across the top but I think that is due to the layering of the fabric so I'm going to unpick that side and re-stitch but otherwise I really like it.

I decided to do my own variation of the Topshop one as I used t.shirt fabric for the base and satin for the "cape". The cape is also longer than the Topshop version.

I haven't put the instructions on here but I can if anyone wants to know how to make their own. It was actually pretty easy! Just let me know

Vintage Finds

I went to a vintage fashion and textiles fair in my local village hall this morning (how very English!) and managed to pick up a few great finds.


This vintage silk blazer was the first thing I came across and I snapped it up for £25. It's in near perfect condition and think it would look really great with jeans. Floral patterns seem to be appearing everywhere ready for Spring and my wardrobe was lacking anything remotely floral.

As you can see every inch of the fabric is covered with sequins- fabulous!


My next find was this grey suede and patent leather clutch bag with a gold chain. I love clutch handbags and I was missing a simple grey one so this is perfect!

My final purchase was this cute 50's pinny. It was only a £1 so I couldn't resist! Perfect to wear whilst making muffins.

Anyway I am now off to visit the fabric warehouse to start some of the projects I have in mind. Wish me luck!

Potential Projects....

I have nearly finished my Topshop inspired top from my earlier post (this should be up soon!) but in the meantime I have come across a few things that I want to try and make, some more ambitiuous than others.

 (Rick Owens Drape Skirt)

(Studded Print Tee)

(Drape-Back Vest)

As it's now the weekend I finally have some time to myself to get on with some DIY and I think the first one I want to do is the studded tee. So my mission this weekend will be to buy some studs and a t.shirt to DIY-up.

I'm also at the local vintage clothes fair tomorrow so I should hopefully pick some bargains up from there. I will also be updating you on how I got on with the £10 challenge!

It will be a busy weekend on the blog so don't forget to come back!

Fashion at Sea

As I said when I started this blog it would be about fashion DIY and a lille bit of surfing. Well now my two great loves have come together.

Cynthia Rowley has designed a neoprene collection for Roxy and there is not a splash of black in sight! Gone are the days when girls have to look like blubber seals in the sea, now we can look as stylish in the water as we do out. And I have to say.....I quite like it!

Pretty in Pink

Now I'm not a girl who usually wears pink but I noticed that it seemed to be making an appearance in many forms during London Fashion Week but what caught my eye was the matte pink lipstick the models were wearing.

So I set out to find my own shade of pink lipstick to try out. Considering I have never owned a pink lipstick ever before (I swear by Benetint) this was new to me. I never realised before just how many shades of pink lipstick there are!

After much trying I found The One:

(Sweet Kiss Lipstick by Bourjois: No.46)

It may look coral in the picture but it is actually a really beautiful shade of pink that looks alot like the one in the picture above. i love this lipstick and it has now knocked Benetint into second place in my makeup bag at the moment. Whilst it is a matte finish  it is really moisturing. Even my boyfriend approved!

Jacket Envy

One of my favourite guilty pleasures is to look on Elle Street Chic to get fashion inspiration from across the world.

I was looking today and saw this post.

I am totally in love with this Maje jacket but it is completely out of my price range. The contrast between the soft wool and the harsh leather is something I am really into right now. I have used contrasting fabrics in a lot of the things I have been making recently as it really adds something to the look.

I do however have some wool mix fabric that I have yet to find a use for so maybe I will try to create my own version of this jacket.

Watch this space!

Mmmm....cupcakes

It's been a bit of a slow week on the DIY front. I have lots of things planned and a fair few things started but I have not quite got round to finishing them because I have had such a busy week.


On that basis my boyfriend and I decided to take it easy and visited our favourite cupcakery in Manchester. It's called the Sweet Tooth Cupcakery and it does the most amazing freshly baked cupcakes.


Each cupcake is named after someone famous. I went for the Dame Edna; white chocolate and blueberry. Yum!

Anyway I promise to have some DIY and maybe even a tutorial this week for you and next week I'm going to a vintage fair so I am sure I will have plenty to post about then!

Inspiration.....

I have just come across this beautiful top at Top Shop. I think it would go to well with the boots I posted a few days ago.

I have some fabric lying around that's of a similar colour so I am tempted to try and make my own version of this. I will let you know in a few days how I got on!

The £10 Challenge...March

I've set myself a challenge! The idea came from this beautiful vintage satchel I bought last summer for £10 at vintage shop in South Manchester.

The satchel is by HiDesign- a branch of the Radley brand- and is worth at least £150. Apart from just a little wear on the bottom corners of the bag it is in perfect condition. It looks barely used as it is in such a beautiful condition. Even the leather is unmarked. 

So what is this challenge?

The challenge is to each month try and buy either an amazing vintage piece (like my satchel) or create a fantastic new outfit by buying only second hand or vintage.

The idea is to show that you do not needs lots of money to look fabulous and fashionable; you just need a bit of time and a good eye!

So I will let you know in a couple of weeks how I have got on and show you my finds.

Why don't you take part in the challenge and show me what you can find?

Sunday Sewing....

As promised here is my picture tutorial on how to make a jacket like I posted a picture of yesterday.

It's really easy and you can probably make it in about 2 hours. You can use any fabric you want but I have opted for a printed cotton that I had lying around after making my clutch bag.

1. Take your fabric and fold it in half and then in half again.

2. You now need to draw a half t-shape on the fabric. To work out the size measure from the centre of the base of your neck to how far down your arm you want the sleeve to fall. Add about 2cm for hemming on the sleeve. The wider you make it, the more drape it will have.

3. Now draw the half t-shape on the fabric using tailor's chalk or something similar. Depending on how you want the sleeve to fall will determine how sharp the angle is where the sleeve connects to the body. In the above I have drawn it as a curve - this gives it more of a drape. When I made the one a previous post I drew it with a bat sleeve to make it drape a lot.

4. Next cut down the fold one one of the layers. This is to make the opening for the front of the jacket. Then sew the side seams together and press them open.

5. Keepin it inside out, pin back the flaps on the opening as above. The flaps will come in wide at the top and narrower to the bottom as the top needs to accommodate your neck.

6. Once pinned sew along the flap close to the fold. Trim the excess.

7. You need to hem the back of the neck of the jacket. I rolled the hem and hand stitched it but you can use a machine.

8. Finally you need to hem the bottom of the jacket and the sleeves. I rolled the hem again to keep it neat.

10. Press the hems and there it is- your finished item! Good luck and let me know how you get on.

Latest Lust

These wedges from River Island are beautiful! Come pay day they will be mine.......

Step into Spring

This is currently the most worn item in my wardrobe. I have a few of these now but this one is my favourite. It goes with so much and even better- I made it myself!

Tomorrow I will show you how to make your own.

My Little Helper

(Dylan)

Ok so not really fashion or DIY but it was too cute not to post, don't you agree? He usually helps me at the weekend by bringing me reels of thread but I think he was too tired today!

A Work In Progress

So I said I would share with you some of the things I have made so far........

This one is nearly finished. I need to finish the neckline on it but otherwise it's pretty much done.

The arms are made from a super soft grey towelling fabric- it's so cosy! The body is black chiffon. I thought the two fabrics were such a contrast it looked cool.

 This is the clutch bag that I made. I haven't quite finished this yet either as I need a fastener for the bag but I love it! The fabric was incredibly flimsy so I had to use alot of interfacing to make it sturdy- and a bit of card! But it works.

This is the first time I've ever made a bag so I was quite pleased with the result.

This is me

Welcome to my blog!

This is the first time I have done anything like this, but I have so many creative ideas buzzing around my head I wanted a place to share them and someone to share them with.

Whilst I am an avid surfer, and will happily spend hours in the cold English sea, I also love to sew I can also be found happily hunched over my old Singer machine on many a lazy afternoon.

Basically, the purpose of this blog is to show you some of the things I like to make, how I make them and hopefully inspire some creativity in you too.

This weekend I'll share with you some of my recent projects, to give you an idea of what I like to do, and most likely start a new one or two!

Until then........