Outfit Glimpses

I didn't have time for a full outfit shot, but here is a glimpse at my 1920's inspired look the other day. 

I have been knitting up a storm lately and just finished this 1930's hat. The pattern is available for free here and my Ravelry project page for this hat is here. 

And this was my outfit on Valentines day. Once again, no time for a proper outfit shot but you get an idea of what it looks like. I wore my hair pinned up but took it down when photographing the hat. I am very much in love with this top and the little blue rose pins which stop it from falling off. I designed it myself! 

That's All.

DIY Faux Kintsugi - Repairing Broken Pottery

A few days ago my grandmother was putting away some plates and accidentally knocked over a glass. This caused an avalanche of glasses, plates, and other assorted items. Luckily no one was hurt but it did cause a lot of breakage. Most of the pieces broken were of little value (either monetary or sentimental) with the exception of an old bowl. It had belonged to "old grandma", who I think was my great, great grandmother. It seemed such a shame to throw it away but then I remembered reading about Kintsugi a few days previously.

Kintsugi is an old Japanese art of repairing broken pottery. It traditionally uses resin and gold dust to fix broken pottery. The finished works often look better than they did before they were broken. Unfortunately the materials used are not easily available outside of Japan. I found a few "new Kintsugi" kits but all were out of my (limited) price range. So I improvised and came up with the following:

Materials:
Pottery Cement (pictured below is the stuff I used. It is clear when dry.)
Liquid Gold Leaf (available at most craft stores, beside the gold leaf)
Broken bowl, plate, etc

Instructions:

1. Arrange the pieces first. You want to make sure everything fits together so treat this part like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
2. Use the cement to glue the pieces together. You will have to wait for a while in between pieces. If you try to glue more than one or two at a time the entire thing will just fall apart (guess how I know that....). I took me about 2 days to get the entire bowl glued together. You have to be very precise or things will not line up. 
3. Once the cement is dry you may wish to go over the cracks and chips again with the cement. This will fill in any gaps and make painting easier. 
4. Once again, wait for everything to dry. Then with a fine paint brush, use the liquid gold leaf to paint the cracks and chips. Do both the top and bottom of the piece, letting it dry between coats. I only did one coat per side but you may wish to do more. 

And that's it! Now just sit back and admire your work. (Please keep in mind the finished piece will not be food safe! It is meant as a display piece only.)

Before painting

The finished piece

My grandmother was so pleased that I was able to repair the bowl. My father didn't think the bowl was worth saving but even he was impressed with the results. While I wouldn't recommend breaking antique pottery, this is a great way to save an old piece that does accidentally break. 

Victorian Inspired and Thrift Shop Finds

I have been very inspired by Victorian fashions lately. I wish I could wear a full-on Victorian costume everyday, but I get enough strange looks as it is. So instead I've been looking on more subtle ways of incorporating Victorian style into my closet. I love this blouse I just finished sewing. It is a stretchy knit material but I based the style off of a Victorian pattern. Worn with a cameo necklace and vest to complete the look. (Ok the vest is a little snug... I need to cut back on chocolate haha)

Britt and I went thrift store shopping the other day and I picked up a few goodies. I am in love with the Sherlock Holmes puzzle. The puzzle itself is a puzzle so I don't know what it is going to look like. Britt spotted it and knew I would love it. I love anything Sherlock (I should clarify I love anything Sherlock based on the original stories. I get rather angry at anything not completely true to the original stories...). I also picked up some more records for my collection.

I also recently went to an antique fair and picked up this darling little book. It is from 1919.

That's All.

Happy Valentines Day

I just adore Valentines day! I think it has a lot to do with the colour scheme and cinnamon hearts. I never go out with anyone on Valentines day but instead spend the day pampering myself. Whether you are single or taken I hope you treat yourself to some "me-time" this Valentines day. Trust me, it feels damn good to spend a bit of time on yourself! 

Swishy Dress

Last week I attended a family birthday party and finally got a chance to wear my new dress. I made it on New Years, as I was bored and wanted something to do. It was originally going to be a Victorian-inspired petticoat but I cut it too long and it morphed into a dress. I quite like it. It is very "swishy" and full. 

Outfit Details: 

Dress - Made by me

Jacket - Thrifted

Boots- ?

Earrings - Made by me

I also discovered it is very easy to get long swishy dresses caught on things. Whoops. (Note to self: never again wear a long swishy dress to a hardware store...).

Hope everyone is having a great week!

That's All.

Dressing a Good Game

I think I would be much more interested in sports if I got to wear such cute outfits!

My Vintage Hat Collection

I have been stumped as to what to blog about these past few weeks. The weather has been too cold for outfit shots outside and none of my inside ones turn out very well. I also haven't been doing much except job hunting, sleeping, and tidying my room. So since I have nothing new to share I thought maybe I should share one of my many collections. I am natural born "collector" *cough* hoarder *cough* and have many different collections. One of my favourites is my hat collection. I have a lot of modern and homemade hats as well, but I thought I would focus on my vintage hat collection. (Overall I have well over 60 hats so I obviously had to narrow the focus of this post!)

I may have forgotten a few, but here they are:

A very frilly white number

This one has the most spectacular feather I have ever seen. The pictures don't do it justice.

This was the first vintage hat I ever purchased. It is from the 1930's. 

And this is the most expensive hat I've ever purchased. When I bought it it was labelled as a Victorian hat. After a bit of research I think it is more likely from the 20s/30s but I love it none the less. 

This one has the most darling pin. 

I just realized this is the only vintage hat of mine that is not white/cream or black. It looks a bit dark in the photos but it is navy with pink flowers. It is going to be my Easter hat this year. 

This hat was in pretty tough shape when I bought it but I have managed to restore its shape more or less. 

This hat is currently awaiting some restoration work (it needs a good blocking for starters!).

This was my latest purchase. It is a Victorian bonnet. The ribbon at the back needs a bit of work but it was a steal! Now I just need a Victorian style dress to go with it!

This last one may not technically count as a "hat" but I had to include it. It is a 1960's nurses cap and came with a matching cape. I love that the original owners name is printed on the inside. It needs a good press though, so apologizes for the wrinkles!

I just adore hats and if you look hard enough at antique stores you can often find them at pretty good prices. Overall most of my hats cost under $20, with the occasional splurge. I keep most of them in boxes with a few on display that I rotate a few times a year. 

That's All.

Latest Sewing Creation

Taking outfit photos is so difficult in the winter! It is much too dark inside and much too cold outside. I did want to get some shots of my new sweater though. I made it out of a very soft knit fabric, with a cotton gingham collar and belt (the buckle and buttons are vintage). This was my inspiration image. I think I came pretty close. I love how it is a vintage style but is still casual enough for everyday wear.

That's All.