Exams, Pattern Discount, and a Curtain Skirt

Exams have started and I'm afraid my posts may become sporadic until the end of August. I'm rather busy studying for exams and getting ready to move (again).

Since I won't have much time for posting I thought I would offer a 20% discount code for the knitting patterns in my Etsy shop for my readers. Just use the code VINTAGEINAMODERNWORLD to get 20% until the end of August. I have a lot more designs in the works but I'm afraid it may be another month or two before I get a chance to finish them.

I haven't had much of a chance to do anything lately but here is an outfit shot from a few weeks ago. The skirt is actually two curtain panels I sewed together. I just used a ribbon threaded through the holes to cinch the waist. An elastic would have been better but this way I still have the option of easily turning it back into curtains if I wish in the future.

 (Please ignore the fact I have no shoes on. I didn't want to get the carpet dirty)

Outfit Details:

Skirt: Made by me from 2 curtain panels and some ribbon

Top: Giant Tiger

Hair Bow: Also made by me using the same ribbon as the skirt

Earrings: Made by me

That's All.

It's been a rough couple of weeks....

Thank goodness for retail therapy! Pretty things may not solve life's problems but they sure help ;)

(I should add this shopping trip was my first time out of the house, other than to campus, in almost 3 weeks! How is it that I can do so much work and still not get enough done?!)

Anyone know anything about "topper" dresses? I couldn't find any info about this lovely "new" dress I bought.   My best guess would be it's late 40s/ early 50s. 

That's All.

DIY Secret Lampshade

Remember in my last post when I said I craft when I can't sleep? Well it's 1:40am and I'm wide awake. While I was browsing the internet I found this cute idea for a lampshade. I loved the concept but I don't really have money to throw away on a new lampshade. So instead I created my own (removable) version using my existing bedside light.

The shapes appear when the light is turned on and disappear when it's turned off!

Materials:

• A light-coloured lampshade (mine is from Ikea)
• Some black card-stock
• Some invisible tape

Step 1) Cut out your desired shape(s) from the card-stock. I went with some simple hearts I cut freehand, but you could get fancier and use an x-acto knife to cut out a more elaborate design.
Step 2) Decide where you want to place you shapes and tape them to the inside of the lampshade. You shouldn't need very much tape per shape.
Step 3) Turn on your light and admire your new "secret" lampshade.

Award Time

Paigey from A Vintage Girls World was kind enough to pass the Stylish Blogger Award to me! I`m supposed to list 7 facts about myself then pass it on to 7 other bloggers so here it goes:

1) I'm addicted to lattes. They are perfect for a relaxing afternoon or a hardcore study session. The caffeine in regular lattes tends to make me overly jittery though, so I normally end up with a chai latte instead.

2) I love old-fashioned detective stories! I can think of nothing better than curling up with an Agatha Christie novel or sitting in front of the TV watching the latest Mystery on PBS. I have to admit I have always had a MAJOR crush on Sherlock Holmes (aka the sexiest fictional character of all time...) and one of my goals in life is to become Miss Marple.

3) Old mechanical things fascinate me. I think that's part of the reason I am so drawn to old typewriters and telephones.

4) My favourite smell in the entire world is the smell of old books. I love that almost sweet smell old books get. (I would say I like the smell of old paper in general but most of my magazines smell more musty/slightly moldy rather than sweet haha)

5) I'm terribly nosy! I love reading old postcards and letters from the 1900's and 1910's, although sometimes I feel rather guilty about reading someone else's mail! I have a couple diary's from the 1920's on my wishlist at the moment that I'm hoping to buy when I have a bit more money.

6) Although I'm working towards getting a degree in Math I have realized that it's not really what I want to do with my life. I only have a year left so I will finish my degree, but I would love to run my own business of some sort instead of working an office job somewhere. I highly doubt my ability to earn a living with my own business so I will likely need to tutor part time or something though...

7) I craft obsessively, especially when I can't sleep. Seriously, I've been having problems sleeping lately and I end up crafting at 3am.... I just realized I haven't done a DIY post since May! Anyone have any suggestions of something they would like to see? I can normally figure out how to make something at least similar to an item if I'm given a picture :)

Well there are 7 random facts. And now for 7 blogs:

The Little Red Squirrel

Jade

Lauren Hairston

Vintage Chic

Autumn, Coffee, and Inspiration 

A Harem of Peacocks

The Chronicles of an Eccentric

Pass if on if you want to, or don't if awards aren't your thing :) 

And before I go I must mention that I just discovered how much fun making Treasury lists on Etsy is!! So far I've made two. The first one I made was A Trip Back in Time which was inspired by the 1920s and 30s. Then yesterday I took a break from studying to make And All That Jazz which is inspired by 1920's flappers and the prohibition.

That's All

Blog Award (and maybe some hats?)

First off I would like to thank Nabby for giving me a Liebster Blog award a few days (weeks?) ago. Thank you so much! 

I'm supposed to pass it onto blogs with fewer than 300 followers, so I'm giving it to the following blogs (I tried to pick blogs I haven't given awards to lately). Don't feel you have to pass it on if awards aren't your thing. 
Flair in a Lady's Boudoir
Grandmothers Pearl's
A Vintage Girls World
Bright Young Twins 
TeaCup Allie
Caitlin Rose

In other news, I have been considering making a few of hats (based on my designs) to sell on Etsy. I would likely make them on a made-to-order basis. This won't be until after exams are finished (mid-August) but I wondered if there was any interest out there? I also wondered what people would be willing to pay for them? I'm still not sure if I am confident enough in my knitting skills to actually sell my products but feedback is very much appreciated!!


And just so this post isn't completely pictureless:

That's All.

Outfits for College and Boarding-School (1910)

In my last post, I shared a photo of what I wear to university on an average day. After posting that I was flipping through some magazine pieces I had bought a while ago and discovered an article about college/boarding-school style from 1910. Wow, I'm rather jealous now! I wish I could wear clothes like this to school, but even I have some limits... (not many though, as I tend to just wear whatever takes my fancy).

Here are the pictures from the article (the article itself is mainly just a description of the outfits so I omitted posting it too).  I love the simpleness of many of the dresses and skirts. I may have to figure out a way to incorporate some of the details into my wardrobe.