big kid

Taking a day off from revision, I went to what is becoming my favourite charity shop, the location of which is top secret hehe. But it's the same one I got my sewing box and all the patterns and ASOS pencil skirt and other things. I'm somewhat a fan of kids clothes, one the nicest, best-fitting pair of jeans I have are from the kids department, and my ladybird top which got me so many compliments from the glamourous grannies is from the kids department. So I picked up these two kids dresses to try on.

The black one (£2) I kept, it's like a big smock top on me, the cuffs are a little tight, but I've got a trick up my sleeve to fix that. But I had to admit defeat with the yellow one and resign myself to that fact that I'm not age 6. It was so cute tho! The white over layer you could detach and wear over something else.
I also got these patterned tights, Dior darling, for 50p. They turned out to be stockings (well yes, it does say that on the packet) so I'm not quite sure whether they're supposed to stay up by themselves or what yet.
It's funny how you see things that previously you never would have worn, being worn by other people, and suddenly you discover their appeal. I kept seeing so many bloggers wearing really high wedges, or just really big heels in general, and wondering, how can they bear to wear that all day, and run around and be comfortable.
Time to play spot your feet girls.

So curiosity led me to try these on. That and the fact I'm getting drawn to all things leather and strappy, which I suppose is the gladiator effect, or the reverse gladiator effect.
I found them so be surprisingly comfy-ish, and after wearing them all day, and walking quite a lot, my feet were sore and tired, but way less painful than pointier non-wedge heels. So I'm kinda pleasantly surprised.

We had such a nice afternoon, skipping about in the sun along the southbank...
they were setting up the space outside the national theatre for these free summer shows and dances etc...I love the giant grass lamp!

and also setting up these images of the front of tate modern, for the upcoming street art exhibition. They've never altered the outside appearance of the tate, and I really like it
.

We also stopped off in my beloved Leon hehe, these are the stools which have been on my "to-do" making list, since about 5 years, when I first saw them in this Africa Remix exhibition. Watch this space, hopefully over summer, my take on them will come to life.

this almost never happens

Yesterday when I was walking home, I spotted this box being thrown out, outsides someone's house. I'd been looking around for ages, to find one exactly like this, cheaply. They go for about a tenner on ebay, but I wanted much cheaper than that naturally. After knocking on the door to check if they were actually chucking it out, a group of boys in their late teens, games consoles in hand gathered at the door and watched with bemusement as this stangely dressed girl pounced on the rubbish in their yard.
I have somewhat fallen for my sewing box I got a few weeks back, despite the overly floral granny chitz, so I wont be using this wooden one for my sewing stuff, but it will definately be very useful.

I think I'll paint it, and perhaps stencil/freehand some design on it, then replace the existing handles with some pretty ceramic ones like this.

Any ideas for colours/patterns? I am eternally indecisive after all.

to-do list

Ok so this week is 'reading week' meaning a week off uni to read loads and study and do work etc etc. Uhhh yeah. I always get so excited before any break from uni, thinking I'm gonna do so much stuff, finally get time to make this, do this project etc etc, and then the time flies by and nothing gets done. This time I'm feeling kinda evil and thinking I should devote my time entirely to my makings rather than uni work...or rather cram everything I absolutely have to do into the sunday before I go back.
Who wins, you decide.

Anyways I've always got loads of mental and post-it lists of things I want to make but since I'm so forgetful and theres like 8 million other things to do aswell, I tend to forget them. So I decided to keep a list here and hopefully actually get some done. This is the week I'm making the costumes for eric's film so I'm not sure if I'll actually do any of these but it's so great to actually be making rather than studying. Here is a sneak-peak, the sleeve of the witch's costume.


First up, I've been meaning to make something out of this old jumper of my mum's for aaages.
Looks pretty dull huh. Well I wanna combine it with this pillow cover fabric (charity shop),

which I also used ages ago to cover my desk chair...I just noticed the saw on the floor on the left...lol...I'm not sure why thats there...can't remember what I was using it for..

Anyhow, I did plan to cut off the sleeves, take it in, use the sleeve fabric to make a collar, add the pillow fabric to the bottom to make it longer, and make it into a side opening jumper-dress with nice brown buttons. Since then I've been thinking to make into something a bit....simpler I guess...more vestatile..with a different shape. These bad scribbles kinda illustrate what I mean, ish.


Next, I wanna (get the marks out and then) take in this dress of my grandma's so it'll fit me. (Actually I got quite a few of my grandma's dresses I want to alter but this is top of the list for now)


I've also got an abundance of ties waiting to be made into tie-belts.

And I've still got the shirts and the dresses from Traid to alter.

Tights. I'm getting really excited and inspired with everyones tights experimentation here here and here and elsewhere which I can't think of right now. I particularly like the ones inspired by these and since I'm love with tights after suddenly getting over being uncomfortable wearing skirts, I so wanna get doodling on the tights. But I can't decide what!! Any thoughts anyone? I was thinking to ask my friend Jen to draw some of her designs on some for me which would look fab I reckon. But I also wana have a go myself...so heres thinking...


I really gotta burn a cd for my friend Shadi, I've been meaning to do it for aaages since the last one I made got lost in the post. Stupid post. Will deffo get around to this one tc.

Oh and I've been dreaming in a skirt resembling something like these. Massively. Yum yum yum. Want want want. So IF I get any time I think this'll be top of the list.


Lastly, I'd just like to share with you this insanely large dessert I ate today. I was getting lunch with my dad and bro, and they decided to have dessert so I thought I will too, and I thought, No, I won't get this dark and white chocolate truffle cheescake on a chocolate cookie base, no that will just be super rich and way too over indulgent. No, I'll get this Italian apple crumble, fruity and not so over the top right?
Uhhh wrong! It's the size of a frying pan!! Needless to say I didn't eat it all yet I'm still feeling super full. Groan.