A Peek in my Wardrobe: Beaded Cardigans

Quite a few of you expressed some love for the beaded cardigan I was wearing in my Brighton Adventures post, so I thought I dedicate a post to my little collection of them. Beaded cardigans are definitely one of my biggest loves at the moment!

Because I knit most (if not all!) of my sweaters, if I'm ever going to buy one they have to seriously impress me, they have to have that special something. And I have to be honest, cashmere beaded cardigans don't have to do all that much to impress me, they make me swoon! :)

I bought my lovely powder blue cardigan at a Vintage Fair in London and I can't get enough of it! It's only when you own a piece of vintage cashmere that you really appreciate the quality of good knitwear! It's so warm and fluffy, and I love the unusual colour combination :)

This little cream number I found on my recent trip to Brighton at Beyond Retro. It was actually on one of the display mannequins, but there was no way that I was going to leave this beauty behind! It's covered in iridescent sequins as well as white and pearl beads, adding that extra bit of sparkle.

This pink beauty came all the way from America to be with me, and it's the most recent addition to my collection. I fell in love with it when I saw it on etsy and so I decided to treat myself. And it was worth it, because the beading is flawless, something really special for this kind of sweater!

I love these cardigans, because even on a grey day I can throw on of these over a skirt or dress and feel pretty. They add a bit of girlie glamour to even the most bleak of times!

I hope you've enjoyed this little peek into my wardrobe, perhaps you'll now feel the need to invest in some beaded cashmere. I warn you though, it's very addictive! Proceed with caution!

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #56

Hello and welcome to a special Valentine's Day addition of the Wednesday Wonderfuls!

First up, thank you so much for all your comments on my Perfectly Personal Valentine DIY Tutorial, I hope that many of you can use it! And as it was my first ever tutorial I'm extra happy that it went down so well :)

Sources, Clockwise from Top Left:
1. Egg in a basket from Petite Kitchenesse, 2. Sandwiches from Rattlebridge Farm,
3. Scrabble Valentine from 320 Sycamore, 4. Heart Pies from Martha Stewart,
5. Cupcake from Creature Comforts, 6. Heart Wreath from Cassie Stephens.

Can you tell from my pictures that the way to my heart is through my stomach?! Take note my Sweetheart! :)

There have been tons of great Valentine's Day inspired posts recently, here are my picks of the bunch:

• The lovely Maxine of Little Miss Delicious has released a gorgeous collection of Valentine's jewellery, subtle enough with it's theme to be able to be worn all year round. What lovely gifts they would make!
• These business card sized Valentines from Scathingly Brilliant are adorable! Download them for yourself and maybe send them to all your gal pals :)
• Cassie shows us how to make Valentine's Day decorations, I included her gorgeous heart wreath in the pictures above.
• If you're looking for something sweet to wear on Valentine's Day then look no further than this embellished sweater DIY from Casey, it's so pretty and looks quite simple to do too!
• I love these sparkling heart pins over at Pretty Little Things. Make your own, I'd wear one everyday :)

I hope those Wonderfuls have left you feeling inspired for Valentine's Day, I can't wait to spend a lovely day with my Sweetheart :) Have some fun showing that special someone that you care, even if it is all a bit lovey dovey and silly!

Katie xxx

DIY Tutorial - A Perfectly Personal Valentine

I know that some people don't like Valentine's Day and how commercial it has become, but personally I have always been a sucker for this holiday, I can't help it! As it's only one week to go until Valentine's Day, I'm going to show you how to make a really personal Valentine for your special someone. Go on, avoid the commercial side of this holiday by giving something handmade and heartfelt to the one you love!

What you will need for this project:

I also used a pencil, pins, an embroidery needle, scissors and pinking shears. This really is such a simple project, so let's get started...

1. Cover your chosen photograph with the tracing paper and trace the main details using a pencil (you can tape the paper down if you wish but I prefer to leave it loose so I can easily view the picture underneath for reference!)

2. Secure some scrap fabric tightly in your embroidery hoop and pin your traced reference on top of it.

3. Using three strands of embroidery floss thread your needle and sew along the lines of your tracing paper reference. I mostly used split stitch, but get creative, there are heaps of different embroidery stitches you can try!

4. Once you have finished your stitchery gentling tear away the tracing paper from behind your design. Go carefully so as not to disturb the stitches!

To finish I pinked the edges of my embroidery in the shape of a heart before sewing it to a larger felt heart with a simple running stitch. I also added a felt pocket on the back of the heart to hold a handwritten Valentine message.

And there you have it, a Perfectly Personal Valentine to be treasured forever! And wouldn't this make a sweet gift outside of Valentine's Day? Maybe using the portrait of a pet or a friend? The possibilities are endless!

I hope you've enjoyed this DIY tutorial, if you have any questions then please get in touch!

Katie xxx

What's on my sewing table...

Hello blogosphere! What a productive couple of days I've had!

I want to share my UFO/Stash Busting sewing with you, but first up I just want to say a huge thank you for all of the comments on my last "I'd just like to say..." post, "...growing up is optional". It was obviously a topic that affects a lot of you and it was so lovely to read all your thoughts on the subject. Thank you, I loved writing the article so I'm really happy that so many of you liked reading it :)

The last couple of days have been packed full of sewing, mostly because I have been away from my sewing machine for two weeks (shock horror!) and was suffering major withdrawal, and also we have been inundated with snow so staying indoors seemed like a good idea! And I'm happy to be able to announce that one of my longest UFOs is almost completely finished!

My Swing Dress!

I started this Swing Dress as a part of the marvellous Casey's Swing Dress Sew Along which began in January 2011, so this dress has been a work in progress for over a year! I started well with the dress but I stumbled when it came to sewing the shoulder yokes, and I just couldn't get past them, they were the banes of my life! I couldn't get my head around the construction of these shoulder yokes, it felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall, so it was easier for this dress to end up on the UFO pile.

The shoulder yokes that nearly beat me. Not so tricky now!

However, when I started this project again the shoulder yokes seemed so much more simple than before, I could't believe I had struggled with them so much! Maybe it's because I now have a year's worth of sewing under my belt, but everything with this dress has come together beautifully this time around, I cannot wait for it to be fully finished :)

This dress was the inspiration for my UFO/Stash Busting Project, I needed the incentive to finally finish it, and now I have it! All that's left to do is sew in the zipper and complete the hem, then I can finally swing about in my Swing Dress.

Don't worry, as soon as it's finished I'll post some pictures :)

Katie xxx

I'd Just Like To Say...

... growing up is optional.

Some of the prettiness I love (Clockwise from Top Left)
1. My Pin Up Embroidery Skirt, 2. Bunny Slippers, 3. Petticoats,
4. Pink Bowling Shoes, 5. Adorable Pyjama Pattern

I like pretty things. 

I really do.

Anyone who knows me well will know that I don't really go in for the whole jeans and t-shirt look. I enjoy dressing up, wearing pretty dresses and feeling fancy, and I'm pretty much always overdressed for events. I can't help it, I just love pretty things and I love to wear them. One of the reasons that I love reading blogs so much is that I get to experience the worlds of other people who like pretty things as much as I do, it makes me feel like I'm not the only overdressed and slightly out of place person in the world!

Sometimes as I wander through a world of people wearing beige and black I wonder whether one day I will suddenly change and conform. I throughly admire the style of Georgia Rose of the Velevettes, she is so secure in her look and what she loves to wear, but I totally understand how she feels when she asks:

" I wonder, when will it get weird that my favourite outfit is a giraffe-print minidress with patent t-bar flats? ...What is the half-life of rainbow glittery oxfords?"

Georgia Rose's Kitten Around Dress from the Velvettes

I sometimes feel, and I'm sure I'm not the only one, that one day it may be quite hard for me to be taken seriously because of the way I dress. At the moment, working as a performer, the way I look is important but I'm not judged by what I wear off stage as long as I look right on stage. However, I know that one day I may decide that the hectic, uncertain, forever-travelling-around-and-never-settling actor's life isn't right for me anymore, and what will happen to my wardrobe then? Will I be taken seriously as a business woman, as a wife and mother (one day!) or just a grown up if I continue my love affair with pretty dresses bows and glitter?

But do you know what happens when I start to worry about these things? I stop. And do you know why? Because I am constantly inspired by the amount of individual and stylish women that choose to share their beautiful lives with me everyday. I just have to take a peak at my feed reader and my worries just disappear.

Solanah from Vixen Vintage and Cassie from Cassie Stephens

You ladies are incredible. You are mothers, wives, business women, strong women and above all beautiful, inspiring women. You make me realise that there isn't an age that I'll reach and then I'll suddenly lose my love of beautiful things and wearing them. You show me that whatever labels we may collect in life (wife/mother/grown-up etc.) we never stop being ourselves and there's no reason to stop showing that to the world.

Twila Jean from twilajean.com and Brittany from Va Voom Vintage

Of course our preferences change as we grow older - I no longer want to wear the hot pink parachute pants I lived in when I was eleven, and one day I may no longer have a fondness for beaded cardigans - but my point is that whatever I wear, however I change and grow, I'm still going to be me and I'm still going to like pretty things. And if one day I decide that my carefully selected, loved and cared for wardrobe is no longer for me, I know that there will be others who will gladly take it off my hands and love it just as much as I did. 

Elsie from A Beautiful Mess and Casey from Elegant Musings

I like pretty things.

I really do.

And that's not changing any time soon!

Katie xxx

Brighton Adventures!

Last week I was lucky enough to be able to spend my day off with my wonderful Sweetheart in the wonderful town of Brighton. I had never been to Brighton before, and nothing could quite prepare me for the  treats in store!

I was probably most excited excited about visiting the Pottery Painting Cafe, something I had been looking forward to for a long time, and it didn't disappoint. I had a wonderful time painting a cute pair of matching egg cups for me and my Sweetheart (who was incredibly patient in dealing with my perfectionist tendencies!) it was so relaxing. They will be glazed and baked at the cafe before being posted on to me later, I can't wait to see how they turn out!

We also paid a visit to the fabulous Choccy Woccy Doo Dah, and my goodness I have never seen anything like it! The cakes in the window display were ridiculous, I couldn't believe that these beautiful sculptures were made of chocolate! After browsing in their shop and resisting the urge to buy everything in sight we took a stroll around the corner to their cafe where we both rather indulged ourselves. We both chose ice-cream sundaes, my Sweetheart opting for a berry filled concoction whilst I picked a chocolate filled monster. They were amazing. I think that afterwards I was in serious risk of slipping into an ice-cream coma. 

Other highlights of my day include cupcakes from the Angel Food Bakery, browsing through the delights of Snoopers Paradise and Beyond Retro, a delicious meal at Bill's (seriously, one of the best meals I have EVER had!) and just wandering about the Laines and taking in the sights. I am well and truly smitten with Brighton, there's so much still to see and do, I'll definitely be taking another trip there soon. Any suggestions for other places to go?

As you can see, my Brighton Adventure left me grinning from ear to ear :)

Bye for now!

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #55

Hello Blogosphere, Happy Wednesday!

This week has been really quite lovely with some serious adventures going on in my part of the world, more an that very soon! I've also been surrounded with some beautiful food as you can see from some of my pictures below, a couple of Instagram shots from this week.

And now here are my picks from the blogosphere this week...

• Boo Boo Kitty Couture has a lot to answer for this week for introducing me to the shoe brand Swedish Hasbeens. I now want to spend all the money I have on these shoes, view them at your peril!
• I'm very excited about this exhibition that is coming to the V & A, thanks to Natasha Bailie for sharing!
• A gorgeous example of something stunning created through recycling old clothes from Marmalade Kiss.
• I cannot tell you how much I am in love with Gertie's wiggle dress. I can't wait for her book to come out!! 
• This plush doll twin from A Beautiful Mess is just too cute.
• A great simple pom pom tutorial from Elisa McLaughlin, I really want to try this!

Well that's it from me for another week of Wonderfuls, but never fear, next week there will be more!

Katie xxx