Friday, December 2, 2016

Busy, Busy, Busy


Hello everyone! Hope everyone is having a good week. I'm woefully behind on my blog-reading, but I should be able to catch up a bit this week. It's just been super busy here with Christmas preparations under way. I make most of my gifts and decorations, so it's been nose to the grind stone over the last week (especially since I lost most of November to a silly cold!). 

One project I did manage to get done was my second crafting tutorial for Skillshare. Skillshare is a video-based learning site, that has short (10 to 20 minute) classes on a variety of topics such as art, crafting, graphic design, sewing, cooking, etc. My second class was a lot easier to make than my first, and I actually enjoyed making this one quite a lot. This class is all about how to make a Christmas Postcard Pillow:



This tutorial is a premium class, but just for my blog followers I created 25 free spots! If you follow this link http://skl.sh/2g9cn9O it will allow you to sign up for this class without a premium membership! (Of course if you are interested in signing up for a premium membership click the following link http://skl.sh/2gzVpBZ  to receive 3 months for only $0.99!).

The free spots are only available until Christmas, so if you want to watch it sign up while you can!


In other news, my old laptop had to be replaced last week. I was hoping to limp it along a little while longer, but unfortunately the hinge broke and one wrong move could cause the screen to rip off.... So I had to bite the bullet and buy a new one. I'm still getting used to this thing and I've had to upgrade all my software too. Big headache. On the plus side, I decided to splurge on some new editing software since my old beloved Movie Maker 6.0 is no longer available. I'm using Filmora now and so far loving it. Expect to see some fancier Youtube videos in the near future! For now here is my latest video (edited with the old software):
It's a cute little faux bob, similar to Miss Williams' hair on Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries. Hers is curled at the front a little differently, but I may do a proper tutorial for her specific style in the future.

Well I suppose that's everything for now. 
Hope everyone's pre-Christmas season is going well!

That's All.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

This and that

Hey everyone. It's been a rough couple weeks dealing with some health issues. Long story short: I'm fine at the moment, but after 3 years on the medical roller coaster I'm more than a little fed up. I recently developed a new "life-threatening" thyroid problem, but it seems to have magically fixed itself (more-or-less), which has even the specialist confused. 

Anyways, this post will be sort of a random assortment of pictures from the last few weeks. I tried to take some outfit shots in the woods last week, but got there too late in the day. It was much too dark for photos, but here is the best shot I managed to get:
 I was going for a 1930's vibe, with my 3-hour sweater (closed at the top with a brooch), long black skirt, and beret. It was a super cute outfit, and I'm disappointed I wasn't able to capture it better. Oh well, next time I will try to be there a bit earlier...

I also never got around to posting my Halloween costume. I was a Beanie Baby! Actually, I was specifically the "Chip" Beanie Baby, who was a black and brown cat. I even printed out a real tag for accuracy. No one really got it (all the kids were too young to remember Beanie Babies), but I liked it and that's all that really matters.  

And here we have another outfit that I didn't have time to properly take photos of. I seem to be leaning towards a 1930's/1940's look at the moment. 

I also made myself a new pair of pajamas. I used a 1920's pattern for inspiration. Yup, I now have 1920's style pink unicorn pajamas. They are awesome. 

I recently filmed a few more youtube videos, including one for this 1922 perfume. I have a bunch more in the works, so stay tuned. I may also expand my range of videos to include some crafting and cooking tutorials. If anyone has any requests let me know!

Aggie misses the warmer weather and now spends many hours sitting on my cutting table staring out the window. 

Well I suppose that's it for now. I have so much work to get done before Christmas and so little time/energy to do everything! I better get back to work!

That's All. 

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Witchy Weekend


This has been another slow week. I've just been puttering away a little tasks, but despite feeling poorly (combo of my "normal" health issues and a slight cold), I've actually managed to get a fair bit done. I did a photoshoot for the shop a couple weeks ago and am finally getting around to posting the listings. (I am going to be so glad when my friend/model moves back next year and I can use her for photoshoots again. It's just so awkward doing it by myself.) I'm about half done uploading them to Etsy and should have the rest up by the end of the week. 

I've also been working on some other projects and have even started knitting again. It's been a hard year (especially health-wise), so I really needed knitting. I've discovered I can actually do some knitting, despite my hand/wrist issues, if I use square needles and only knit every-other night for less than 30 minutes. I missed knitting so much! Even doing a little bit is helping me deal with life better. I have a Edwardian sweater and a 1950's sweater on the go at the moment. The Edwardian sweater is going to take at least another year (small needles, so many stitches....), but the 1950's one should hopefully be done in a month or two.

After all that productivity, I needed a break and have been relaxing most of the weekend. However, I did get dressed up to go out for a quick coffee. Since Halloween is only a couple days away, I went with a vaguely witch-y themed outfit. I paired a thrifted dress with my What Katie Did corset, Victorian-inspired boots, and some tree earrings.


I tried to take some "flying" photos on my broomstick... Unfortunately gravity was not on my side. I did manage to time one just right, but of course I'm grinning like an idiot. I just can't seem smile nicely and "fly" at the same time.

If you follow me on Youtube you may have already seen this, but here is my lastest video. It's the first one I've been able to create since my hand-injury back in the summer. I just couldn't let Halloween slide by without making a "spooky" episode. It features hair, makeup, and some deadly beauty products of the past.

I hope everyone has a great Halloween!

That's All.

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Hey guys, just a quick post: I just heard Jessica Cangiano's home burned down last week. Jessica is such an amazing person and cherished member of the vintage community. I can't even recall how many times her kind comments on my posts have brightened my day and her blog (Chronically Vintage) has long been one of my favourites. I was terribly saddened by this news, especially as this couldn't have happened to a lovelier person. 
There's a facebook page and a donation site set up for those wanting to help. 

Crepe Paper Costumes (1920)


In my research for what was originally planned as an extensive Halloween collection for my Etsy shop (which unfortunately had to scaled back due to my hand injury), I discovered a lot of the gorgeous costumes in 1920's illustrations were actually meant to be constructed from paper. It makes a lot of sense to use paper instead of costlier fabric to make an outfit that was only meant to be worn once. Although these dresses look so fabulous I would have wanted them to last more than a single party! 

Here is an article from "Dennison's bogie book" (1920) about creating crepe paper costumes. The book is mainly an advertisement for paper products but it has some great ideas in it. Dennison Manufacturing Co. was a paper company founded in 1844. The company still sort of exists, but they no longer make these adorable paper products. (They merged with Avery in 1990 to become the Avery Dennison Corporation, and now mainly sell adhesive labels and related products.)
This article doesn't give you specific instructions for each costume, but gives you an idea of how they were created:
I would think most of these costumes could be recreated with modern materials and a little creativity! Which is your favourite? 

For more party inspiration, here is the entire booklet from 1920. There are some adorable paper decorating ideas and instructions:

My own Halloween plans are far less elaborate and consist of staying home and handing out candy. Anyone doing anything exciting this year?

That's All.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Purples, Leaves, and Acorns

While my heart lies with earlier decades of fashion, I must admit I love diving into 1950's every once and awhile. Fluffy crinolines and poofy skirts are so much fun to swish around in!

This dress, while technically not a true 1950's dress, certainly has the proper silhouette. It came in a bag of saris and garments my grandmothers friend gave me to cut up and use for fabric. This "dress" was actually intended as a tunic and had a matching set of pants, but on my frame it looked much more "1950's dress" than tunic (I'm a bit...uh... "bigger boned" than the tiny lady who owned these before). I added a belt and a vintage crinoline to emphasize the 50's shape. 

The days are still surpisingly warm, but since it is autumn I decided to add some seasonal accessories. The hairpiece is made from a floral pick from a craft store that I glued to a hairclip. I love how the colours work so well with my hennaed hair. My earrings are real acorns. I made them for one of my first tutorials on my blog. and still wear them every autumn. 
This was the first outing for my new shoes, I wanted a pair of vintage-appropriate shoes that were comfortable and without a heel, but that still looked cute with a dress. They were a bit expensive, but I would rather pay more for well-made shoes that will last years instead of buying cheap shoes that will fall apart in a single season. I figure paying more up front will actually save money in the long run. I used to have a LOT of shoes when I was younger, but I've become quite minimal in my shoes choices. I now prefer to own just a couple pairs of neutral shoes (plus a pair or two of colourful heels when I need a bit of "fun"!). 

I'm going to have a busy week sewing new garments for my Etsy shop. Not sure how much I will realistically finish, but I'm aiming to create a bunch of new pieces and use up some of the mountains of fabric I bought before I injured my hand. Luckily my hand is still improving, so hopefully I will be able to resume all my previous activities soon! 

I hope all my fellow Canadians had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and everyone had a great weekend!

That's All. 

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Finally Back

Hello everyone! I feel like I've been away for ages!! I mean, I never technically went anywhere, but I've had to severely limit my computer time lately which has meant no blogs, no blogging, no youtube, and almost no pinterest. I am so glad to be back!!

More on that in a minute, but first: today's outfit. While we have finally had a bit of autumn weather, today's has been a last glimpse of summer. It seemed like my last chance for straw hats for a while, so I donned this adorable vintage chapeaux. I paired it with this lightweight "dress" (it's technically an old skirt I cut armholes into), homemade belt, and Buster Keaton necklace. 


(Necklace close-up, since it's hard to make out Buster in the other pictures)

The reason for my absence from the ol' interwebs? I hurt my right hand. 

I managed to lie on it funny while sleeping, and strained a tendon in my hand. It's been almost 2 months of curtailed activity now and it's just starting to get back to normal. I still need to be careful, but at least I can do a little bit.

As I've been unable to do much of anything lately, I haven't much to report for the last 2 months. My Halloween collection for my Etsy shop has only just launched. It was supposed to be up in August, but had to be delayed for obvious reasons. Anyways, if anyone is still looking for a Halloween costume, Halloween themed garments, or wants to get a jump start on next year, I've listed several new items. It's not the extensive collection I had planned, but *sigh* maybe next year. 


The only other project of interest was these fox gloves I made for Britt's birthday last week. They fought me every inch of the way, but I'm pleased with how they turned out in the end. 

I hope everyone has been doing well lately. I will be trying to catch up on my blog reading over the next week or two, but there is a lot to catch up on! If my hand continues to improve, I will hopefully get back to Youtube as well. Video editing takes a lot of computer work though, and my poor lil' hand just can't quite handle that yet.


That's All.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Too Darn Hot

Blah, I do not like heat waves! I have enough energy problems, without the weather making even a smallest chore a huge effort. I haven't even been wearing fun clothes, because it's too hot to get dressed up (and most of my time has been spent at home in the air conditioning!). 

This outfit is actually from a couple weeks ago. It was still hot then, but slightly more bearable. I was supposed to attend an explorer themed escape room with some friends, but in the end the room was unavailable when we needed it. However, I still dressed up even though we just went for lunch instead. I decided on a 1930's style dress and a scarab necklace, and set my hair with some 1930s wave clips. Sorry if the photos are a bit washed out, but there has just been too much sun! 
 Still loving the henna! My hair has darkened a bit from the original shade, but I love it more and more each time I have it coloured.

In other news: while I haven't been up to a whole lot lately due to my health, I have managed to get a few projects done between naps:
My cousin and his wife just had a new baby boy, so I made him this cute little bunny. I love sewing stuffed animals so it's great to have an excuse to make one! He's not my best work (the woven fabric buckled awkwardly along a few of the seams when stuffed), but I thought he turned out alright and the baby isn't likely to know the difference,

I painted my nails with polka dots (which just happens to match some new fabric I bought for the shop):

Speaking of the shop, tutoring has slowed down for the summer, so I've been trying to spend my precious few hours of energy getting a few new garments ready. I've already brought back the spiderweb garments from last year, and have started on a couple other "halloween" items. Here is a sneak peak at one of the dresses (you can also see my new giant spiderweb shawl on the hanger, also coming soon). 

Aggie hasn't been allowed outside due to the heat, which means she has been bouncing off the walls. Luckily by afternoon she settles down for a nap. She only goes outside on a leash, but it's just waaayyyy too hot for her to go for her usual walks at the moment. Hopefully the weather breaks soon so she can wear off some of that energy!
I did a quick sketch of her while she was in the window (so I could actually see her facial features which are almost invisible without direct light!) using ink and watercolour pencils. It's not my best work, since I was racing to get it done before she moved (start-to-finish in under 10 minutes!), but I still quite like it. 

Between the heat and my lack of energy, I've been feeling rather cranky lately. To cheer myself up, I treated myself to some new art supplies. While drawing Aggie, I realised I didn't have a proper set of regular watercolours anymore so I bought this cute stackable set. I also treated myself to some new inks (black, gold, and silver). I am dying to try drawing an Edward Gorey-style flapper with the inks (maybe using the gold/silver on her dress). It's been a long time since I played with inks, so I'm excited to give it a go!


Also, an update on my Skillshare class: I have created 20 free spots in my class available to my blog followers. I didn't actually know how to do that before, but once I figured it out I saved 20 spots just for all of you! Click here to sign up. As I mentioned in my last post, my class goes into detail about how to use a serger/overlocker to make scarves (the same ones I sell in my shop). With the link you can watch my premium class for free, plus when you sign up there are a bunch of great free lessons/tutorials you can access by other creators. There are only a limited number of spots, so if you are interested please sign up! 

I hope everyone is having a great week!

That's All.