3 DAYS!

A childishly excited quick post, but! LITTLE VROOMVROOM N 3 DAYS! yeah I'm actually counting down the days till I get my car. I think my friends will be pleased when I get it just so that I shut up about it! But yeah that was my childishly excited post, and I'll do some auto-posts tonight, so that I'll definitely be posting every 2 days again!

On the Fifth day of Christmas....

I Love these bags, I don't mean this particular only one, though this is one of my favorites I've seen so far. But satchels, I just suddenly love, despite having hated them during primary school, perhaps cause it was a red colour with a big yellow logo on it for the school... But I think they are so sophisticated and practical, but almost fun in a way that you expect some people to have them and not others i.e. business people... I just love them! This one is from Topshop for £50.00

Save my hair week!

I'm having a "save my hair week". I feel very bad for it since I straighten it every day, so since it's the last couple of weeks of school, I'm just going to tie it up during the week in a little bun and let it get some strength up for the party season! Cause I do hate it when my hair starts to look not nearly as good, since my hair is my crowning feature.

Pretty happy as well since I've not heard anymore from the Uni's which means I can get my 2 projects sorted before I deal with any others... in theory. And I am definitely starting that today! I am considering getting a completely new book to be honest to start my projects in but I'm not sure if it's worth it... It's a pain to decide. I have a portfolio full of drawings and that, but they just aren't that good, and I really want to show them the best. I might try and save the book and do what I can to help it. Actually, yes that will be my small project for the day... save my portfolio...

I've still got my samples to mount in my book as well, even though they aren't the best.... But I'll just write next to them that they are the very first attempts, there fore they should really leave a bigger room for error, and it's not like they are awful, the lines just aren't sewn straight...But yes, it's not that bad.

Also if you're a little new to blogging, or reading blogs. If you want somewhere really good to store them, so that you don't get some weird RSS feed text weird stuff... I don't know what it was but it wasn't helpful at all! Then use BlogLovin! Lots of blogs use it, so you can go on there pages and just click add to bloglovin', but when you sign in to bloglovin it will show all the new posts up! Picture and description and all! It's lovely!

I think I might also write a list of upcoming articles for you all, so that you don't have to listen to my boring rants! But as far as i'm aware of coming up is:

- My jewellery collection (might be interesting to show)

- Favourite lookbook.nu look's 

- Some make-up reviews

- possibly a hair tutorial... possibly....

So lot's to look forward to! and there'll be fewer posts during the week up to christmas, due to work, but I might pre-write some stuff so that I just need to post it for you all, they'll be more stuff like interviews and things like that!

xoxo

Interview with.... Minna from Vietto.

This is another interview for handmade clothing! with Minna from Vietto at Etsy!

How long have you handmade things?

I have made things with my hands almost all my life, my great grandma, grandma and my mum taught me the very basic skills when I was little. 

How did you get into hand making stuff?

I think it's kind of family thing, my great grandma, my granny and my mum have all been crafting as long as I can remember, so I got interested in it too! I have also been really keen on fashion for a long time, so my very first handmade creations were fashion orientated. I used to make clothes for my Barbie dolls,but quite soon I started make clothes also for myself.

What when you were little were you're favorite things to make?

It must have been knitted dresses for my dolls or crocheted jewelry pouches.

Where do you work from? Office space, the lounge, outside?
I have my little studio at my home; it’s really nice to work at home. Only problem is that my projects start to invade to every room we have...

Do you mind you're projects invading into other rooms, or does spreading it out a little help?
Not really, such a waste of time bothering something you can't help... ;)

How do you get you’re inspiration for new products?
Its continuous process, I get new ideas almost all the time. I draw/write them down in my sketch book (or any paper if I don't have my sketch book with me), so I can come back for them later. I use my sketch book as a catalogue, some of the ideas I'll keep working with, some of the ideas need still more thinking. 

What is your most favorite item of clothing you've ever made?
It could be one nice fitting coat made of old black and white graphic curtain fabric I made for myself few years ago, the convertible cape shirt of my latest collection or the craziest neckwarmer of this season, the pom pom cowl. 

Do you remember the first person you ever made something else for? and what was it?
I think I made something like a beanie or a knitted scarf for my mum when I was little, but the first real piece of clothing probably was loose hip-hop style jeans for my little sister.. ;)

Have you got a project in you're head that you've always wanted to do but is maybe a little impractical or something so you've never made it?
I have planned to make a dress of silk and upcycled leather, I have so strong vision of it! It may not be the most practical dress ever but surely gorgeous! :D And I will make it, sooner or later!

Were you brilliant first off, or did it take a few attempts?
I wasn't brilliant in a start, but my dolls didn't complain, haha! Of course it took a very long to get to the level, I dared to make anything for anyone else than myself...

What led you to creating your own business?
It must be the fact that I just have to make things with my hands, I can't help it! A voice in my head forced me to! Seriously, I have a day job with computers, so I have to use my creative energy in something.

Do you think it’s been worth it?
Yeah, absolutely! Of course I still have much work to do for marketing my label, I'm not really good at it at all...

Is there anything you would change?
I would like to have more hours in days... Sometimes I'm just too busy because having two jobs. That's probably one reason for lousy marketing...

Do you get many difficult customers, and if so how do you manage not to yell at them?
I haven't had any difficult customers, and if I had I think I wouldn't yell at them because I'm just too kind person.

Is there any particular reason you started your online shop, apart from you love it?
I have few retailers for my stuff here in Finland, but I thought that it would be a good idea to sell them online; Finland is such a small country! 

What country would you sell in, if you could sell in any country?
UK!

What are the things that you most enjoy about owning your own business?
Creative work! To see my idea turning into a piece of clothing, I always keep my mind open for incidents in my designing process, sometimes garments change from my original idea, they may turn out to be even better!

An Interview with... Alexandra from Makemeadress

Today, from the wonderful world of Handmade and Vintage! I've interviewed for your pleasure Alexandra from the online Etsy store Makemeadress. She was wonderful to interview so thank you for letting me!

Makemeadress Shop!

How long have you handmade things?
Since I was a little girl playing with my mum’s fabric box and my grandmother’s huge array of clothes, shoes and just about anything else you could wear.

Black Lace Cocktail Dress - $210.00

Did your grandmother and mother ever encourage you as such or was it more self-driven the need to create?
I wasn't actively encouraged to create but was actively taken to dance classes nearly every day. My grandmother was a dance hostess in the 50's and thought I should be taught properly. I was more interested in the costumes and was eventually told I would be better off designing the costumes than dancing in them! My mother is very creative and is a wonderful support.

Where do you work from? Office space, the lounge, outside?
I'm lucky enough to have a studio where I live.

Do your surroundings reflect how you design?
Not so much, I'm sure if I lived in the city my designs could be a little different but out here in the country I'm able to run away with my imagination. 

Do you sell in the countryside, or go into London etc. for ideas occasionally?
We always take holidays in cities which are great for ideas and to be around a buzz. Our nearest city Bristol is only a short drive away and is an amazing hub of creativity. 

Little Black Organic Cotton Dress - $190.00

How do you get you’re inspiration for new products? I am constantly watching old movies, pouring through books on the golden age of design and have an unhealthy addiction to vintage clothing and fabrics. I find inspiration in just about everything and live and breathe dresses all day long.

Is there anything special you do when stuck for an idea or on an item? i.e. walk?
I usually get to a point with each dress where need to step away and not look at it for a few hours. When you have been staring at the same dress for sometimes twelve hours a day, you need to get some perspective. 
I take trips out, we'll go to exhibitions, and there is an excellent fashion museum only an hour away. I watch a lot of films and visit flea markets and vintage shops as much as I can. I love people watching and seeing how people style themselves which is always inspiring.

How did you get into hand making stuff?
I started with textiles at school and went on to study fashion design at university.

Were you brilliant first off, or did it take a few attempts? It’s taken 27years to be good at what I do; making dresses is a very long and endless process of learning. Every dress is different and there is always a new way to cut a dress. I hope to be brilliant when I'm 90!

Black Lace Peter Pan Dress Collar -$35.00

What led you to creating your own business?
Since graduating I had the option to move to London to work or stay living in the countryside; I chose to stay and as there aren’t many fashion jobs in the countryside I decided to set up my own business.

Do you think it’s been worth it?
Yes! Its hard work but I love every day that I get to work on new commissions and am happiest creating dresses all day long.

Is there anything you would change?
Being more confident to make contacts and network - but I'm working on this.

Do you get many difficult customers, and if so how do you manage not to yell at them?
There is no such thing as a difficult customer just a great challenge!
Of course there have been times but they generally just need some reassurance and everything is fine.

Is there any particular reason you started your online shop, apart from you love it?
Selling on-line has been the best way to reach lots of customers interested in the same vintage look as me. My perfect customers are rarely found walking down the dirt track to our house in the middle of nowhere.

Blue Red Cosmic Print rockabilly Dress Sample -$80.00

If you didn't make dresses what else would you of done?
I would have been a terrible dancer, singer or a very mediocre actress maybe?! I nearly went into fine art but was still sculpting dresses. I like the idea of teaching one day. 

What are the things that you most enjoy about owning your own business? 
I get to work with wonderful customers on their ideas and get to work on dresses every day.

What is your next step for your business or is selling online it?
I'm working on a new collection of bridal gowns which will launch early next year and I will be working with local boutiques selling one of a kind dresses.

Thank you for reading the interview, and be sure to pop along and have a look at what other items they have, there are also the most wonderful clutch bags as well! 

xoxo

Cambridge!

So went to Cambridge today and almost froze! I've brought a Jacket from H&M that I saw in Vogue that morning, so I'm really pleased I read Vogue before I went! It's a really pretty classic shape!

Sorry for the appalling lay out something is really funny with the editing on blogger, I'm not too sure why but it's gone all old style! Which has totally thrown me.

But I got that and that was it really.

I have given into the jegging thing though. I was utterly against them but I've brought a pair just to throw on in the morning when I'm running late, and they'd be more suitable for some footwear but under all circumstances will long tops be worn with them! That's it for now because the old way of doing this has totally thrown me till tomorrow morning!

xoxo!

Christmas Shopping & Travel

Christmas shopping on Saturday in Cambridge tomorrow, so there'll be lots of photo's and drawing for the portfolio. But there won't be much spending since still attempting to save for a car.

I also want a blackberry storm, but I somehow doubt I'll be getting one before my 18th birthday, which is a shame... But I'd rather a car. I've been paid today and of course can now afford everything that I wanted, but am very aware of my want of a car, and so I'm slowly struggling to not spend it. I've already rejected £35.00 worth of Fashion books, which is a shame cause they were really nice. 

Also thank you for who ever viewed my site on Tuesday, I had 40 views in one day which was quite impressive. If you liked the post that was made on the 16th, you need to tell me why so you can all have more! more! more!

There is another interview in the works, it's just being fine tuned and a few more details are being added! I'm also trying to line some more people up for you, and will be trying to get more designers to give feed back as well. I'm also still looking forward to fashion week. It will be quite interested to see the NY one since for the first time it will be held at the Lincoln Centre. Which means hopefully that different things will happen, and will be a nice change for the people that normally attend it. I will definitely be watching, and am hoping to maybe manage to actually get to London Fashion week for a day if I can pull it off. Far as I remember Vogue and Top shop cover it on line, so you can watch it as it happens and up date there websites with pictures of other things that are going on as well. 

xoxo

Party! Dinner! Birthday! Friends!

So I went to my friend's party last night, and I'll see if there's a passable picture to show you all what I was wearing since I actually forgot to take one. So I'll talk more about that later, but it was a great night.

But I've my nans dinner today, so I'll take a picture of my outfit before I go and report more when I'm back!

and I've also to go see my best friend since it's her birthday today as well and to give her her present. Novembers an expensive month! Least I get to go shopping next Saturday! (:

That's all for now really so I'll post tonight 

Bother!

I've my free day and I've still! managed to not do anything, apart from tidy out my underwear draw and walk up to the post office....Oh brilliant. 

I've somehow, I'm not sure how and why, planned my day so that I need to go into school... Painting, printing(my printer likes putting lines in all the pictures horizontally that are not there.. -.-) and to finish my hat... which I've failed to start... Botherrr!

On the upside....I'll think of one later.

I'm also swimming later with a cold, but least I've someone to go with me to the art gallery in town so that will get my Art teacher off my back I guess. But it's still bothersome.