DIY Gold Collar & Bow

I'm really getting into the whole DIY thing, if you haven't noticed! For today's DIY I bring you this golden collar and golden bow that I made up using fabric from a poncho my Dad made for me in my first year of Primary School, when I went to a disco dressed as an alien (needless to say, the poncho no longer fits, otherwise I would be wearing THAT baby every day!), and 50 year old pure vintage cotton that my Grandma gifted me a couple of days ago! So I guess you could say that this is a proper Vintage DIY!

Wearing:

Golden Collar - DIY
Golden Bow - DIY
Cardigan - Forever 21
Lace Singlet - No idea
Petticoat/Skirt - wholesale-dress.net
White Tights - wholesale-dress.net
Shoes - yesstyle.com

How to make a collar.....
Using a detachable collar I already owned (or you could use a collar off any shirt as a pattern), I traced around the collar onto my golden fabric, (adding about an inch on each side), then cut it out.

So, the collar looked like this...

 So the pattern that I drew onto the fabric looked like this...

and I added those little bits to the bottom to give the collar a nicer look. You don't have to do this though, it'll look fine either way :)

Cut the collar out from the fabric!

Then I folded the rectangle part of the collar together like this

and hemmed along the middle of this, sewing the rectangle to itself. I then added hidden button on the tabs there, on the inside of the collar, so it can do up around my neck but you can't see the button.

And that's how I made myself a lovely golden collar from an old golden poncho!

Have a lovely day, everyone!

Annika xxx

Comptine D'un Autre Ete

Wearing:
Dress - wholesale-dress.net
Collar - Actually a vintage dress from Japan
Key Pocketwatch - wholesale-dress.net
Belt - actually a bag strap
Tights - actually wearing two pairs, both from wholesale-dress.net
Shoes - wholesale-dress.net
Hat - From markets in Osaka

Sometimes my outfit is a little bit of a faker. My belt here, it’s actually a bag strap I detached from an ugly red bag, and my collar is not attached to the blue dress; it’s a collar of a red polka-dot dress which is hidden underneath, flipped out on top of the blue dress (check out the photos of the original dress below). But I didn’t have a red belt to go with this outfit, and I wanted THAT collar but a different dress – so I improvised! And no one has to be the wiser ;) (except for you guys, because I love you!)

 (Also, what do you guys think of the beehive hairdo? My hair is at a very awkward length as I am attempting to grow it long, so I've been putting it up in larger and larger beehives every day.)

And here's photos of the original dress that I stole the collar from.

Collar jacked!

Dresses that already have collars are great to layer because they can make a whole bunch of other dresses look prettier :) However, when you look at how long this red dress is, you can realise how much extra fabric I had to hide up in that blue dress. Not so great if you don't want to look a little bulgier than usual. I tucked it up in a petticoat though, and that seemed to work out.

And just because you're all so super lovely, you can also hype this look on lookbook, or vote for it on chictopia! :)

Much love!

Annika xxx

Black & White

 

I love these new shoes from yesstyle.com!!! They're so completely amazing. I've wanted contrast black and white bowler style oxfords for so so so so so long, but could never find a good pair anywhere. I had planned to buy some in Japan, but unfortunately my feet are *just* too large for any shoes in Japan!

They're probably my favourite kind of shoes ever. Although I am also keeping an eye out for some amazing black mary-jane platform shoes, like these:

Here are some photos of what I was wearing yesterday. The light was really poor :( so my skin looks a little creepy and grey, and the photos didn't turn out well. But I wanted to show you all the little heart shaped blue sequins I added to my black detachable collar. I think they're cute :)

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

Annika xxx

Set Sail // Sometimes you just want to wear a dress backwards

Sometimes when you buy a dress, you wear it for ages around the right way.

That seems like a pretty obvious statement. Bear with me.

One day, you accidently put it on backwards - and you have a little moment like - Oh my god! I have a new dress! I'm a magician! This looks totally nice wearing it around this way too! And then you wear it around backwards, feeling super chuffed with yourself, because you basically just created a whole new dress from a dress you already had.

Well that's what happened with this cute little boat print dress here. Picked up vintage in Japan, I wore it for ages with the buttons at the front. Then I got bored with it. I thought I had exhausted the possibilities of the dress. I spied it again today at the bottom of my clothes pile, put it on the wrong way in a rush, and was pleasantly surprised that it looked nice, and the buttons going down the back of the dress also worked really well. The last pictures in this post were taken in Japan, showing the dress around the right way too, just so you can get the idea.

Wearing:

Dress - Vintage from Tokyo
Shoes - Yesstyle.com
Lace Socks - Vintage
Cardigan - Wholesale-dress.net
Velvet Bow - DIY
Hair Bow - DIY

I miss Japan! Look at the lovely sunshine! Ahhh....

Hope you're all having a lovely 2012!!

Annika xxxx

Totally made this

I would like to introduce you to my brand new love:

It was an inevitability that my deep love of cheap clothing and my endless searching for unique garments would eventually culminate in this: making my own clothes. Thanks to my loooovely parents for buying me a sewing machine for Christmas, and discovering that I have a hidden housewife gene and can actually sew, that has now become a possibility. In fact, it's even become a reality. I worked out last night how to sew a skirt, got all excited and sewed a collar to match, then some bows, then another collar.

Skirt

 Matching collar

 Some bows

 Another collar

And I even went and took some outfit photos for ya'll.

Outfit 1:

Outfit 1 : 

Handmade skirt and collar

Dress (worn as top) from wholesale-dress.net

Petticoats (two of them worn layered here) from wholesale-dress.net

Shoes from here and thrifted white lace socks

Outfit 2:

Outfit 2:

Handmade collar

Skirt from wholesale-dress.net

I even worked out how to sew everything using my own pattern (secret housewife gene has well and truly taken over!) This I will eventually upload as a pdf (once I work out how to do that) for you all so that you can make your own if you're feeling creative :)

I'll be away and without a computer for new years, so I hope that you all have lovely, fun and stylish times bringing in twenty-twelve! I also wanted to say thanks to everyone reading this (especially those two awesome ladies and frequent blog commenters Kirsten (Elissiam) and Miss Tallulah Porkchop, your comments always make me smile), and thank you to everyone in the fashion blogging world for being such an amazing, lovely and supportive community, and welcoming this new face into blog world this year. I am really looking forward to blogging in 2012!

See you all next year!

Annika xxx

My Ugly Christmas Sweater

I actually don't think it's ugly - I love it. "Ugly Christmas Sweater" is just the name of the Chictopia competition that I've entered this in! I picked up this glorious jumper vintage up from a 390 yen store in Japan (equivalent to a $2 store) and have never regretted the purchase. It's such an interesting multi-patterened jumper - and check out the other photos too, because the back is even crazier than the front!

New Years Shopping - Glitter, Gold and Lace!

 

A little wishlist for New Years

(from the top)

Studded & Suede Taupe oxfords from Ashbury Skies

Lace & Black Bow dress from Modcloth

Spotted White Lace sheers from Romwe

Cutout & Metallic Sequins dress from Modcloth

Creamy Lace blouse with Blue Bow from Modcloth

Creamy White Petticoat Tulle skirt from Chicwish

Yellow and Black Pleated Maxi skirt from Modcloth

Beige Bow platforms from Opening Ceremony

I really want to buy that cutout dress from Modcloth. I may just even. Or I'll perhaps attempt to sew something in the same way from an old dress (I got a sewing machine for Christmas!! Super excited!).

Anyway, the point of this post was to let you all lay your tired post-Christmas eyes on these lovely things, and look forward to bringing in the new year with some sparkles and glitter!

Lovvvvee to you all!

Annika xxx

Happy Christmas

I had two Christmasses this year: one with my family and another with my boyfriend's family. So, it was required of me to put together two Christmas outfits. Here's some quick snaps of my second Christmas outfit :)

I hope you are all having/had a most lovely day!

xxxx Annika

DIY Skirt & Bowtie makes a very Merry Christmas

Red velvet – an essential item to get you into the Christmas spirit.

Velvet – a very annoying, easily frayed fabric, providing much fun for the family and visiting relatives as you stress about hand sewing the hem all “shrumpy” and lament that you don’t have a sewing machine.
A sewing machine – a lovely surprise present which is given to you by your parents a day before christmas because they can’t let you suffer with hand sewing any longer.
Annika – a very happy girl.
A finished DIY velvet skirt – a half hand-sewn, half machine-sewn little velvety bundle of happy and christmas spirit!

Also, the story with the balloon - my uncle is a professional magician (seriously, probably one of the coolest jobs you could have + make money from) and whenever we have a family gathering, he is forced into doing a magic show for us all. Hence making balloon animals, and balloons that look like love hearts. So I thought it would be nice to incorporate it into my Christmassy outfit.

I even went so far as to paint my nails in Christmas colours! Haha. Vote for me on lookbook :)

I really hope that everyone has a lovely Christmas time!

Thanks so much for all your lovely comments as always!

xxx Annika

Little Daisy Dress #2

I was about to sell this dress as I've had it for years and haven't worn it in forever, then decided it's actually really cute and put together an outfit around it.

So bad at getting rid of clothes.

Still, enjoy the photos! Maybe I'll be able to part with my clothes one day... but today is not one of those days.

Annika xxxx