handmade days - ps i made this

via craft:,  ps i made this. i think this is such a great idea for custom vases & bookshelf acoutrement. found object, puffy paint & spray paint. done. there are a ton of ideas & projects over at ps i made this, definitely check the whole blog out.

etsy wednesday - knitty hats

it's time for me to get a new hat or at least pick a style to make (or have made). i love all of the above: pistachio green by stitch shop, $45; milk maid cap by wool & brick, $34; and this cable knit beret from pixie bell, $55.

fashion blitz - 20 hype street snap blogs

inspired mag has a great round up of street fashion blogs. from tokyo to berlin, this looks like days of fun & inspiration. i'm about ready to dive in, what about you?

found blog - lake jane

a friend sent me a link to this great diy idea & i was instantly drawn to the entire lake jane blog. based out of montreal (i want to go to there), lake jane leads us to discover a ton of inspiration & beauty.

last week was craziness as i ramped up for cph 09. i skipped my weekly music to listen to, but will give you this little piece of advice - nino moschella. continue to call will have you aching to shake your assets.

handmade days - braided chain tutorial

while flipping through lucky a couple months back, i stumbled upon this this necklace from guess for $35. it seemed like a reasonable price, but i tore it out anyway - seeing if i could make it happen for myself or find it even cheaper.



then a couple of weeks ago i was looking through etsy and found these fun enamel chains, it seemed that they would make a fun braided necklace like the one i saw in lucky. i still really like the silver & am hoping to make a second or third version out of vintage chains & a more polished one from bulk chain at my local bead shop.

this turned out to be a super simple, 30 minute necklace; one totally worth making. the chains ran me $16 & i had to pick up some beading supplies for the closure (could be done as cheap as $5). with that said, here's how to do it.







what you need
wire cutters
needle nose pliers
7 paper clips
necklace closure
beading wire
15 feet of chain (3 5-feet links, silver, gold, enamel)

instructions

1. double each 5 foot chain and mark each with a paper clip. make sure that each chain is of varying length.
2. combine all 3 paper clips with the fourth paper clip.
3. pair off chains & braid tightly for 7 inches.
4. straighten a paper clip and run through all 6 chains.
5. lay the full necklace out on a flat surface, match up each end up the chains. form the chains into an oval, draping into the ideal shape.
6. keeping the draped section in tact, straighten a paper clip and run through the 6 chains where you'd like to start the second braid.
7. pair off chains and braid loosely until the end of the chains. i left a chain or two hang, skipping some braids.
8. finish off the necklace by threading the chains with a final paper clip.
9. to add a closure i followed directions from an associate at my local bead store, so these might be a little rough.
10. first i cut about 5 inches of 20 gauge wire. using a pencil i shaped a loop in the center of the 5 inches, pulled the loop open & turned on end into a 90 degree angle. i then threaded the end of the chains, and closed the loop. then using needle nose pliers i wrapped the side bent to a 90 degree angle around the other side 3 times.
11. forming another hoop, i then threaded in the clasp.
    
12. wrap back down once or twice, clip each wire tight. use the needle nose fliers to tighten the wrapped wire.
13. repeat 10-12 for the other end of the necklace. i added a medium sized glass bead between the loop for added interest.

clearer instructions for finishing the necklace (steps 10-13): witty living, ehow with kathleen wright, and about.com.

click here for process photos. please feel free to email me or leave comments with any questions or suggestions you might have on this tutorial, i always love to hear from you.

etsy wednesday - umbu

these lampshades from etsy seller umbu seem so perfect - i'm imagining places to put them in my apartment as i type.

fashion blitz - goooo i want these shoes

these chie mihara booties are soooo lovely. i'm swooning & lusting. it's out of control, someone have a couple hundy for me?

found photography - laura flippen

something about laura flippen's work feels like fall. it feels like sweaters & sandals. i'm a nerd.

music to listen to - the xx

thanks to my music man co-worker, i was introduced to the xx this week. i'm loving it & need to just pick up their album xx.

handmade days - jeweled tee tutorial

i've been eyeing the tees at j.crew for weeks now, trying to decide if i can spend $50 on a grey t-shirt. in addition to that, i have the "i could make that" problem; i see something i really like, but seems too expensive & shrug it off saying that if i wanted it i could fashion it for myself. this time, i decided to make it happen. the result is a cozy tee with a little bit of sparkle, perfect for a casual, put together day.

i thought for a while on color scheme & thought that i would get most wear out of something that was a monotone pallette. i considered doing something pink/beige with gold sequins & beading, but ended up using a heather grey tee with grey tule, silver sequins & both silver & white beads. the j.crew tees run between $40 & $50, this project will cost you around $15-20. i chose a tissue tee from h&m, costing around $7.50; my other supplies ran about $8.

after a couple of trials with shape of the design & beading patterns, i have for you a finished product & tutorial to boot.

tips & tricks

1. try to come up through the tule where you want the outside of your sequin to lay, going back down through the center allows you to secure it's placement.
2. this embellishment is made up of 7 patches of sequin/beading. i've provided a pattern for the tule to be cut, but feel free to modify it to your liking. add bigger patches, more patches, less patches, etc. each one that i've shown here is open for change.
   
3. i'm curious about the care of this shirt. i'll let you know what i find out, but for now i may handwash or machine on delicate. i'd definitley recommend line drying.

what you need
1 t-shirt (preferably tissue or thin with a slim cut)
1/4 yard tule for backing the design
2 yards (a little extra) of strung sequins or 1 small pack
20 gram pack of beads (can use more than one kind)
needle
thread
scissors

instructions

1. pre wash your tee to make sure that it doesn't shrink much after the project is finished.
2. unstring 1 yard of your sequins (unstring the rest as needed).
3. print attached pattern and cut tule according to the instructions.
4. layer both a pieces underneath the 3 b pieces.
5. double thread your needle, tying a knot at the end.
   
6. coming up from the bottom of your tule at the edge of the b pile, pull the needle taught.
7. thread one sequin, come back down through the center of the sequin, then the tule.
8. continue step 6-7 for each sequin, forming a series of circles within each other. finish the sequins off by cutting the thread at the needle & tying the two pieces in multiple knots.
   
9. now you'll want to add the beads to the center of each sequin. with a double threaded needle, come up through the center of one sequin.
10. thread the bead, coming back down again through the center of sequin. this adds a nice texture & secures the placement of the sequin.
11. continue steps 9-10 for each sequin. finish the beads off by looping the remaining thread through sequin stitching, then cutting the thread at the needle & tying the two pieces in multiple knots.
12. next, you'll want to fill the empty space with filler beads. i followed this tutorial to add some extra beading between sequins or outline other patches.
13. continue with steps 4-12 until you've added each patch to the entire embellishment. notice that the smaller sequin clusters do not have any tule layers beneath them. here you will simply attach directly to the two a pieces of tule.
14. once you finish the entire embellishment, it's time for the fun part. go ahead & put on the tee. you'll want to line up the full piece to make sure you like the placement. attach the embellishment to the tee with straight pins.
15. hand stitch the embellishment, coming up from underneath & trying to stay underneath each sequin patch (but above the tule). this provides a strong attachment without visible thread.

click here for a picture led tutorial & full size pattern. this project ended up taking a couple of 2 hour sessions, the beginning was especially slow. hopefully this pattern & tutorial will make things a little quicker for you. i'm really happy with how it turned out & am tempted to make a couple more in different colors.

please feel free to email me or leave comments with any questions or suggestions you might have on this tutorial, i always love to hear from you.

etsy wednesday - vintage bags

i need a new purse with a quickness. seriously, it's getting dire. though, i did score a small black satchel at value village for $3.99, it's serving the purpose for now. ideally, the new one will be vintage/secondhand too. i like these: brownie leather buckle handbag, $28 or the navy handbag from brown bag vintage; chain link quilted leather bag, $51 from vintage marmalade; and this "butter soft" leather bag, $30 from fleamart fanny.

fashion blitz - it's freaking cold out

all things i want to keep me warm this fall & winter. spatter & jayne's infinity scarf, wool mukluks with leather bottom (i love these things, i finally threw away the ratty pair from college last winter), and this cozy down jacket from burton.

mukluk photo via silence that is me.

found decor - confetti system

artists & designers nicholas anderson and julie ho are working under the studio, confetti system. they have an amazing portofolio of colorful installations as well as a selection of necklaces, pinatas & blindfolds.

taken from there website, "the system is a collection of objects born from simple materials. tissue paper, cardboard, and silk are transformed into interactive objects that create a point of focus where memories can be made and a spontaneous collaboration between themselves and the viewer is sparked. confetti system occupies the space that exists between the ephemeral and the permanent and aims to evoke a sense of nostalgia and lighthearted fun."

music to listen to - phoenix

one of my favorite songs of the late summer - phoenix's lisztomania. the album wolfgang amadeus phoenix is definitely worth picking up.

handmade days - featuring kate from curiositys

i'm loving the idea of hand embellished goodies this fall, especially tees. i have a tutorial to work on this weekend, as promised. in the meantime, these two from kate at curiositys are so adorable & seem to be pretty straightforward.


this looks so adorable & simple, the neckline detail tutorial via cucumbersome.


and this tank, sigh. so cute. i think i'll give it a try in the next few days.

etsy wednesday - dear golden vintage

i'd love to slide myself into this dress. yummm.

this & much more at dear golden vintage.

fashion blitz - fall wishlist 09

the last few months have involved little to no clothing shopping; the purchases i have made have all been second hand (some killer deals from crossroads trading - 2 sweaters, one tank & some american apparel stretchy black jeans for a whopping total of $40). i've always toyed with the idea of buying only long lasting classic pieces or second hand for a while, but i always get lured into forever 21 or h&m.

last year i had a total freak out, but thought that the list making was well worth it. so what shall it be for fall/winter 09? here's my list thus far...

city sneaks (i destroyed last years in copenhagen rain)
black/grey thin fall jacket
crisp dark ankle skinny jeans (with a little stretchy)
lightweight tan or heather cream waist length cardi
sheath dress - grey or tweed
not black versatile pumps
colorful skinny belts
necklaces of all sorts - chunky to long chains

btw - bart picked up the sartorialist book. gorgeous & well worth the $16.

image via chictopia.

found place - story hotel

if i could do stockholm over (which i hope to some day), i would stay here. the story hotel seems to be the perfect combination of new & vintage, bohemian chic if you will. tucked away in ostermalm, this spot is filled with art, spaces for mingling & dining. i want to go to there.

found via studio g.

music to listen to - the big pink

i heard this last week on kexp & loved it - it's not until today when i find it on iso50 that it's stuck. welcome uk band - the big pink.

handmade days - lace pumpkins

i love these. they aren't new, but i love them. martha stewart's lace pumpkins. go get them, carve them, make them pretty.