Inspiration

I guess vaguely like this, but in Yellow,
different check and different chains. But you get the Vague idea.

I finally have my inspiration for my dress for my interview! and now I'm raring to go! I found this gorgeous yellow lumberjack type material with grey sort of check in with it, and so I've based my dress on that material and built up around it! It's going to be sort of a punk rock lumberjack! with lots of antique silver chains with little crosses and stuff on, with a glamorous edge as well! I've still got to draw it but it's all up there in my head for definite! I've been driving my mum mad with the idea, and I'm going to start on the beginning pages today after lesson!

I've just got to sort out the dress, and then I'm going to start on the shirt! I'm really quite excited for it! But I'll do a mock drawing of it today and post that so you can all give me a little bit of feed back on it! But as I keep saying, I'm really excited about it! Which is quite good as the other one I think would of been really difficult to actually do but this one does look a little easier to actually put in to practice. I'm also really looking forward to styling it as well! My friend, loves styling too, so I think between us we can get some amazing shots of it! 

I'm also almost done on my night course, last week next monday, and I'm getting really excited! I'm just doing a simple grey a-line skirt, but I think I've enough material to do it again, so I might make another once the course is finished and I might add some little jewels and stuff on to it and make it a little bit more glam! I'm really glad I took up the night course since I really do enjoy it, and I'm looking forward to enrolling in the next one! I've also seen some of the finished articles at the college for the Fashion Design course, and I'm actually not minding so much if I have to go and do a foundation year there or something, since the work they produced their is Uni quality or just below I think and the pictures etc. do look really good. 

What a sad Friday night...

I've a party sunday, so what am I spending my Friday night doing... Coursework, Portfolio work, and nothing fun!

Also Gossip girl and Vampire Diaries aren't airing till the 2nd... I am dying! Literally.... It's not good! Whatever will I do without the beautiful dresses, and the Blair Waldorf take downs?! And little J is back in it?! Get out already! I thought the season wasn't meant to have so much of her, she really bugs me now. Her and Serena mostly... I just don't understand it.. I lost track, is it still over Nate? So Confused! Someone explain!?

Here's the Canadian sneak peak of Gossip girl, season 4, episode 10! Because there's are always better somehow... Eurgh, I couldn't find the Canadian one, but here's one that's just as good!

Also here's one for the Vampire Diaries. Who honestly, wouldn't mind having both?! Stefan's so sweet and protective.. but Damien's... just Bad! Eek!

Throw me over you're shoulder! She's undeserving! 

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

The Risk...

Take a Risk. Write down 5 things that you're taking a risk doing! Then next to that write down if you're loving doing it anyway! If you aren't doing at least 10! Then you need to believe in you're dreams more and follow you're heart! I've decided that taking risks is good, and that it's what makes life interesting. One day someone will write my auto-biography and I want to make it as much of an interesting read as I can!

1) Applying to uni... all 5... for Fashion Design... despite that fact that I haven't done the right courses to get onto it and hoping that my sheer determination will get me in.

2) Wearing bright red lipstick and being as fashionable as I can in my little town, that is full of more rude and brightly neoned people than there are normal people.

Follow your Dream, until the sun gives up.
 (sourced from lookbook.nu)

3) Putting my entire future on the line for a dream... I will design.

4) Giving up trying to please people and hoping that my happiness in trying to achieve my dream will please them, since it's no fun pleasing people and getting amazing grades and knowing what the next step is, if you don't want the step. Believe in the unknown.

5) Having the guts to stand out your surroundings, in my case from my family, wearing beautiful rings, all at once on my hands, wearing high shoes where it's not appropriate and looking like I should be in the city. Something I would never have done last year.

If you can't think of minimum 5 things! Take something new up... totally new! If you do art, maybe take up a writing course. If you like art but think you're really bad, take up an art course! If you work on computers, taking up something outdoorsy! Do something unexpected! Even if it is just wearing a bright lipstick that you're a little unsure of, it might just grow on you! Nothing wrong with a little bit of war paint! 

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!

Braided Shirt Reconstruction!

Had a good day, managed to do some work, started again as a bad day but it's gotten really good!

I braided a t-shirt which I've been meaning to do for a while since I saw this video on ThreadBanger.

So I created my own shirt, I don't think I did the cuts big enough which I think is why my braid has pulled my shirt in on itself a little, but I'm going to try again once I've tie-dyed a shirt white and a red color. I'm trying to harass my mum into doing that with me, but we're waiting on the weather really. But at least I managed to design a little bit without destroying the shirt, and I think it would look 

 really nice with a chain ran through as well, or
 something along those lines, and a really
 pretty jewel at the bottom where it finishes

offf.

I also went and did some painting for my portfolio for my work of a tulip, to reflect Dior's dresses that were based on Tulips. Since I think they were really well designed. Some times when designers base the items on nature they can either have really yucky colors or can loose the shape and style of the actual plant and not really have much of a connection to it's original form, but these managed to look beautiful and keep the shape. So I'm doing a design copy of that dress and some life drawing etc. and then I want to attempt my own dress that will be inspired from nature hopefully. A daffodil maybe or something like that. Flowers seem a nice one to do because they often have nice shapes or maybe a shell, one of those curved ones. They would be interesting to design from or some shape 

along those lines. Something with lots of color

though like Dior's has, perhaps with a little bit more of a punk rock edge, a few chains and studs? I've also been trying to get an idea together for my Interviews but nothing so far.

xoxo!

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