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11th August 2017

{ Review } Dinner and a Drive-In with Lindy Bop

Every now and then two items come together that were clearly made for each other. Today, those two things are the Lindy Bop Audrey Drive-In Dress and The Diner Box Bag from Vendula London.

See? Made. For. Each. Other.

Over the last few months, I’ve become somewhat obsessed with the border prints from Lindy Bop, and I was lucky to be asked to choose one to review for you guys!

The Audrey is their signature silhouette with a gathered skirt that flares from the natural waist. Based on the size guide on their website and previously-ordered Audrey sizes, I got the 22 in this style.

I will say off the bat, this dress is actually on the tight side especially across the bust for me, so I would suggest sizing up unless you have a really small bust – maybe even two for you busty gals out there!

Pro-tip; don’t try on a dress when drunk, overlook the tight bust and take the tags off straight away. Silly idea!

The print has bright red, yellow and blue balloons flying throughout the top of the skirt and the bodice. And then of course, the border print of brightly-coloured Chevrolet’s driving on through the theatre!

I know the one question I always get asked about Lindy Bop items is because of their price point (This dress was originally £35 full price!) people are sceptical of the quality of the items – I’m going to put it out there that you’re going to be so pleasantly surprised. The fabric is a nice medium-weight cotton with a little stretch and a hint of a sheen, making it soft against the skin and fall nicely.

It also features my favourite thing ever – POCKETS in the side seam!

Fitting issues aside, as that was mostly my fault for not ordering a larger size before I ripped the tags off (thank you wine), I actually love this dress. Not only is the quality great, but the colours are so wonderful and it really makes the print and wearing a red cardigan and accessories really made the whole thing pop! It does come with a belt, but I swapped it for my own.

And of course, I had to add the Diner Box Bag to the outfit – the colours were so on point with the dress, it would have been a shame not to!

Hair Flowers; Lady Luck’s Boutique | Necklace; Vintage
Bangles; Splendette | Earrings; Bow and Crossbones
Brooch; Luxulite | Dress; C/O Lindy Bop (Disclaimer)
Bolero; Collectif | Bag; Vendula London (Disclaimer)
Shoes; Rocket Originals

8th August 2017

{ Style } Sakura Season

Whilst in Tokyo recently, I spent the morning wandering around the beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen. It’s a gorgeous public garden which has traditional Japanese landscaping and two tea houses. I was even so lucky to see the first signs of cherry blossoms, which made me somewhat emotional. This Japanese print skirt was perfect for the setting.

Naturally, I had to get some photos in front of the blossoms because I’m that sort of person. Less naturally, I had to drag a tripod to the other side of the world with me. This was not an easy task because of other people walking into the shot. Also using my phone as a remote meant a wonderful delay that often caught me off guard.

I won this Adalene skirt from Lindy Bop‘s daily Facebook competitions last year, and it really couldn’t be much more perfect for this setting! With a border print of Japanese pagodas and Torii gates, cherry blossoms and even Mount Fuji. Such a beautiful skirt that I couldn’t wait to wear whilst I was in Tokyo!

I’m not really into pink as I always imagined it would either wash me out or clash horrendously with my hair, and boy am I glad I was wrong! The colour is subtle and sweet but looks striking against black, and I’m a big fan of the button-down front.

Lindy Bop’s sizing is notoriously disastrous, but I took a 22 in this based on the measurements of the size guide, and it was the perfect size for me, not too tight to cut me up, not too loose to fall off me – but the cotton does have a bit of give!

It also has pockets, and if you’ve followed me for long enough you might know I have a bit of a thing for them. Anything without pockets is a useless garment to me!

Away from the blossoms and into the shade, I’m wearing my well-loved Rachel coat from Collectif from years ago – and of course, a Vendula London Chocolatiers Grab Bag!

The bag is more of a Parisian feel than the skirt, a little shopfront of a patisserie with cakes and chocolates, which is actually incredibly popular in Japan, which clearly means it was a set meant to be, right? Right.

Hair Flower: Lady Luck’s Boutique
Earrings: Bow and Crossbones
Top: Primark
Brooch: Luxulite
Skirt: Lindy Bop
Shoes: Melissa

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7th August 2017

{ Style } Strawberry Sundae With Florence Carousel Photography

My last post was showcasing the amazing photos Florence Carousel Photography took of me in September. I’d mentioned we managed to squeeze two shoots into one evening, and this was the first of the two. It was also my favourite. I can’t even explain just how much I absolutely adore these images.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Florence is such a talented photographer. You need to check out her main website and her other site, The Street Style Carousel to see just how wonderful she is at capturing style and beauty.

This outfit is possibly one of my absolute bests because it’s so matchymatchy and delicious.

This skirt is another dirndl that was made around the same time as the All Hail The Gingham Queen Skirt. just my favourite cotton gingham from Rolls and Rems in Holloway pleated onto a waistband. This one is lined in white cotton, has a centre-back zipper and gigantic patch pockets with ricrac trim.

It may be a simple skirt, but its effective!

Teamed with my original 60’s cross-stitch bag with strawberries and strawberry accents on my Miss L Fire Sundae shoes (from 2013) and a handmade strawberry necklace – I will happily say I’m horrendously matchy-matchy, but god, doesn’t it just WORK?

Hair Flowers: Lady Lucks Boutique
Earrings: Bow and Crossbones
Necklace: Handmade
Brooch: Luxulite
Top: Collectif
Skirt: Handmade

Bangles: Splendette and vintage
Bag: Vintage
Shoes: Miss L Fire

All photos are taken by and belong to Florence Carousel.

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2nd August 2017

{ Style } All My Royal Subjects With Florence Carousel Photography

Back in September I was lucky enough to do a little shoot with the wonderful Florence Carousel Photography! On a warm day after work I posed for her in Hyde Park. I wanted to take a moment to show you the photos, because they are AMAZING.

I technically haven’t finished the dress I’m wearing. Currently it’s strapless, since I need to put the straps on and I also need to add pockets in. I’ve been dreaming of a bright green sundress for a while now, and it worked with the tropical theme!

I’d been given vouchers for Fabric.com for my birthday (thanks again, Kristina!) which is where the fabric is from. It’s a nice lightweight cotton – nothing too exciting, but the plan for finishing it will have many more pom poms!

The pattern is the No Cock Nor Tails bodice and a pleated dirndl, of which there’s really no more to say than the other dresses featuring the same components, because I have this habit of making the same two dresses.

I’m not very natural at modelling as I can’t take myself seriously enough to not pull faces between every shot! However, Florence knew what she wanted and made me very comfortable She literally has so much talent at portraiture and I love every photo!

Plus she chose a perfect background, this is the fountain outside Buckingham Palace, of which many jokes about me looking over my royal subjects/peasants ensued – because I’m basically The Queen. Right? RIGHT?

Hair flowers: Lady Lucks Boutique and handmade
Earrings: Bow and Crossbones
Brooch: Luxulite
Bolero and Belt: Collectif
Bangles: Splendette and Lady Lucks Boutique
Shoes: Miss L Fire

All photos are taken by and belong to Florence Carousel.

2nd August 2017

{ Sewing } All Hail The Gingham Queen!

I’ve said before and I’ll say it again – I bloody love gingham. And this time, I’ve made a gingham midi skirt that I’m head over heels for!

This is the second in three items I’ve made recently in gingham, and yes, it’s exactly the same gingham from Rolls and Rems in Holloway as every other bloody gingham item on this blog.

But hell, when something works for you, it works for you, right?

Guess what idiot had her bag the wrong way around? THIS IDIOT!

I’ve got a bit of a gap in my wardrobe for skirts, which have become my favourite thing. I especially have gaps for items that dress up slightly more casual outfits. So I pleated up a length of gingham and made a skirt!

There’s so little to say about this skirt, it’s fully lined and has gigantic pockets I keep trying to fit the dog in – with a bit of tiny pompom trim across to make it a little bit more exciting than it really is. It’s a simple dirndl skirt, with three-inch box pleats instead of the traditional gathering.

It just so happens that the day I planned to shoot this skirt, the amazing Katy from Luxulite sent me the most amazing brooch and earring set – IT’S BLOODY GINGHAM. Can you think of any accessory better suited to my severe obsession than this? They’re absolutely gorgeous, and I can’t recommend Luxulite any higher than I already do.

Hair Flowers; Lady Luck’s Boutique
Necklace; Vintage
Brooch and Earrings; Luxulite
Top; Boohoo
Bag; Vendula London
Bangles; Splendette and Vintage

27th July 2017

{ Sewing } Sunshine Through The Clouds

This yellow gingham 50s dress was the last thing I made in my last house before I moved. It gives me a little bit of an emotional attachment to it. It’s also pretty lucky that it’s my best project to date, and quickly becoming a favourite dress!

So I’ve gone a bit colour-crazy! I got myself down to Rolls and Rems to scout out my trusty 1-inch cotton gingham (you can see everything I’ve made with it under the gingham tag) in a slightly offensively bright shade of yellow.

The pattern to this dress is another variation on the No Cock Nor Tails pattern I drafted a good few years back – with the baggy nipples of the Big Ol’ Black dress rectified somewhat unsuccessfully as it’s still just a touch tight on the bust.

With a pleated dirndl skirt, it’s basically a copy of the Check, Please dress in yellow instead of red. But once I like a pattern I really do stick to it!

To keep a bit of a differentiate between the Check, Please dress and this one I added my new favourite trim in the world – POM POMS! from Frumble Fabrics onto the neckline, hem and pockets. I always find it amusing how such a small amount of trim can really make a garment pop – and I find people seem to go a little nuts for pom pom trim.

Other than the fitting issues of the failed FBA adjustment from my last version from this dress, I think this self-drafted pattern is really teaching me about my body – how my shoulders slope and why the straps don’t stay in one place, where my waist actually sits and the way thing such as belts sit on them, and how the top of my back slopes and why I always have a gape in the back of my dresses.

However, my hair looks pretty amazing though, so we can focus on that instead of fit issues, right? Thanks to my wide back, it’s so difficult to get the back of dresses to fit correctly. In the photo above it looks fine, but once I move I could probably fit a small dog in it! I love small dogs, but that’s not exactly my preferred method of doggy transport.

But I love this dress! It’ll be perfect once the sun actually decides to shine in this crappy excuse for a summer!

Hair Flowers; Lady Lucks Boutique
Necklace; Handmade
Brooch; Luxulite
Bangles; Splendette
Bag; Vendula London
Shoes; Miss L Fire

11th July 2017

{ Sewing } Big Ol’ Black Dress

The Little Black Dress (LBD) has been considered a wardrobe staple for every woman since the days of Coco Chanel – chances are, if you wear dresses, you’ve got a LBD hanging in a wardrobe right this moment. Especially a black 50s dress.

I, however, don’t really do little. Go big or go home, right?

In comes the Big Ol’ Black Dress (BOBD is much more amusing than LBD).

I wear black dresses a lot. And since I’m running out of variety in my BOBD wardrobe, I thought I’d knock this Big Ol’ lady out with just some plain cotton (possibly a pique) that I got from my friends over at Rolls And Rems on Holloway Road.

It’s a really lovely quality cotton, but the issue I have with anything 100% cotton is that it just absolutely has to crease at every bloody opportunity it can. Infuriating but so lovely to work with.

The pattern used is my self-drafted No Cock Nor Tails pattern, but with an added full bust adjustment because the original didn’t really accommodate my larger-than-I-think-it-is bust.

However my first ever FBA didn’t go so well, and I ended up with some weird bagging right on the bust apex. AKA baggy nipples. No one wants baggy nipples. Plus, some extra fabric in the arm scythe. The former isn’t that noticeable, but you can definitely see where it doesn’t fit right in the arm holes in this picture;

So this dress has inseam pockets in the box pleated dirndl skirt, a lined bodice, and a centre back zip. I screwed up with the insertion so there’s a gap in the top, as you can see in the photo below. I’d say I’ll put in a hook and eye, but since becoming single, there’s no way I can undo that sort of fiddly thing myself.

But you know what? It looks pretty good, it feels pretty good, and it’s a great BOBD.

Now. I’m going to stop talking about the dress and take a moment out to TALK ABOUT MY HANDBAG.

This is The George pub bag from Vendula London and it’s quite frankly the greatest handbag ever.

One, it’s a fucking pub. Two, you can take the handle off and use the long strap to wear it as a cross body bag. Two handbags in one, yes please! Three – THE LITTLE SIGN OPENS UP.

If you’re in London, pop into our shop to see this beauteous thing in the flesh, because it is just so amazing.

Hair Flowers; Lady Luck’s Boutique
Earrings; Bow and Crossbones
Brooch; Luxulite
Shoes; Miss L Fire
Bag; Vendula London

10th July 2017

{ Sewing } Planten Un Blomen

I made this Japanese inspired dress the day before I was flying to Germany. I’d decided I had absolutely nothing to wear for the wedding we were going to. This really isn’t the case, but they don’t call me Last-Minute-Melody for nothing!

I needed a tried-and-tested pattern to make this as quickly as possible. Without even thinking, I grabbed my trusty B5880 pattern and got to business with my fabric.

This fabric is a great medium-weight cotton in navy blue with a non-specific Oriental theme. I like to think it’s a Japanese print, but you can correct me if I’m wrong! I’ve had this fabric sitting around since my last trip to Goldhawk Road – and I won’t do that again in a hurry. Does anyone else come out of every shop getting nearer and nearer to panic attacks, or is that just me?

As always (you can check out my other B5880’s here.), my B5880 is now very different to the original, without the neckline notches, an altered neckline and this version has a circle skirt instead of the original sarong-style.

The alterations on each dress seems to change with every new version, regardless of how big or small. This dress is the same, with the side zip moved to the centre back and some neckline differences. Seams are all finished with the trusty overlocker, but the hem and arm holes are bias-bound and catch-stitched.

Since time was not on my side (my own fault!) I didn’t line this dress. Luckily the fabric itself is not see-through, so lining wasn’t so important – no worries of flashing here! The saddest point – I didn’t have time to put in pockets! The shaaaaaame!

Now I won’t lie – I don’t actually like this dress. I loved it in my head, I loved it once it was off the machine but once I wore it? Really wasn’t a fan. And I haven’t worn it since – do you ever get like that?

Hair Flower; Lady Luck’s Boutique
Earrings; Bow and Crossbones
Brooch: Luxulite
Necklace; Vintage
Bangles; Vintage
Shoes; Miss L Fire

29th June 2017

{ Style } Toucan Play At That Game

Notice anything different? Yes, my hair is PINK! I’m going pink for a little bit for a super secret reason – and although it’s not my first colour of choice, I kinda love it! And if there was one outfit that need pink hair, this Collectif Toucan Set is it!

This is the Toucan print that Collectif ran for their Spring/Summer 2014 collection (now out of stock). It was one of those prints that I adored as soon as it came out! But as someone who doesn’t wear fitted clothes or shorts, the sarong styles were so far out of my comfort zone.

By the end of the season, peer pressure and a hefty discount persuaded me into buying. I bought the Kiki Crop top and Sarong Skirt… And promptly left it in my wardrobe untouched. It stayed there for a year until I decided ‘Fuck it, why not?’ and here we are!

I’ve spent so long in flared dresses that I’ve actually forgotten that I have a body under all those petticoats! Now. I won’t lie, a sarong skirt is still so far out of my comfort zone that looking at myself in it makes me slightly uncomfortable.

I gave up on pencil/fitted skirts a while back because I just didn’t like how they look on me. It’s probably been about three years since I last wore something this fitted!

It makes me wonder – is there a certain style of clothing that you never wear? And if you do, how do you feel when you do wear it?

Hair Flowers: Lady Luck’s Boutique
Necklace: Primark
Brooch: Luxulite
Crop Top, Skirt, Cardigan: Collectif
Bangles: Lady Luck’s Boutique ; Splendette
Shoes: Miss L Fire Aloha (SS13)

28th June 2017

{ Sewing } Platform Closed – A Gingham Swirl Dress

So. We’ve established by now that I’m useless at sticking to deadlines, right? Right.
This gingham swirl dress was made for Sew Retro Rose’s Swirlalong… which finished in NOVEMBER.

Yes, a whole seven months after the deadline closed I’m showing you my dress! I finished this in March, actually, and was left aside for so long because it went so wrong. I’m not sure about you guys, but once things start going wrong I have to walk away. Especially before I cut the damn thing to pieces – and sometimes it just takes months to come back to it!

The pattern for this dress was McCall’s 5411 – Which Beccie (Sew Retro Rose) turned into a PDF for those joining the sewalong. I love a Swirl, and it’s one of those vintage dress styles I knew would get on well with my shape and style, so why would I not give it a go? I set off to Rolls and Rems in Holloway Road to grab my favourite gingham fabric and set down to make this up.

However there were a few issues – the bodice ended up five or so inches short, and when I lengthened the pattern back, I forgot to true up the backseam so it hit the right side seam, which caused serious gaping issues, length issues (it screwed up the back bodice so that it was suddenly 5 inches too long. Nightmare) and screwed up the whole fit of the dress.

So like the slapdash sewist I am, I hacked off the excess fabric and added in a series of buttons down the back to keep it closed without gaping. “It’s not a mistake, it’s a design element” I chanted to myself whilst rocking back and forth.

And to add to my further dismay – I somehow managed to cut the neckline so wide it shows my bra straps (which you can see above and below) which bothers me to no end.

But despite all that? This is the dress I wear most often. It’s fully lined in a lightweight cotton so it’s good for sunnier days, but with correct undergarments can easily be worn in the winter for a pop of summer memories when it’s grey and dark.

And the thing I love about this swirl dress? I look so put together regardless of how my hair looks or if I’m wearing makeup, and I love that!

Hair Flower; Lady Lucks Boutique
Necklace; Vintage
Brooch; Luxulite
Bangles; Splendette
Shoes; Miss L Fire