Oriental Fusion Fashion

For my senior prom the theme was oriental, I had initially planed on wearing one of the Chinese dresses that my dad got for me when he went there for business. But after some consideration I realized that it would be nearly impossible to dance in. I was certian that I would have to make something or not dress acording to theme (but that's no fun!) After doing some research on oriental clothing I came up with an idea how to renovate a modern formal dress into a hanbok/kimono cross. I had obtained an old bridesmaid dress from a friend of the family with the intention of remodeling it into a Victorian ball gown (which was later determined impractical because of the low back). I used this for the skirt. I modified a pattern I found at a fabric store for the kimono jacket (or if you prefer to be correct in your terms it would be a gi, but kimono jacket sound so much more elegant) and picked out some pretty oriental fabric for the obi (a.k.a. the sash) all tied up with the gold cord.

Oriental Fusion Formal Dress

Unsinkable Blog Giveaway!

Sorry about not posting for awhile, but I got rather bogged down with various assignments for college. Anyway I found this delightful blog that is having a giveaway at the moment, and because I thought you might want to know about it (also I get an extra entry for posting about it) here it is:
 

And the giveaway of this month is this lovely pattern from Sense and Sensibility Patterns

 

Isn't it pretty?

That's all the time I have for today, and I should get back to writing my speech on chocolate.... ugh!

Fashion Challenge ~ Day Six - Fall Fashions 2011

Day six already?! Today's Challenge was to wear the fall fashions of 2011, and I chose to do a combination of two, western and plaid. As you may notice, I like strong colors. I heard a theory that people with dark hair prefer darker/bolder colors and people with lighter hair prefer lighter/paler colors. So which to think I am? Dark hair or light hair?

Plaid Shirt: Target

Pink shirt: Old Navy

Jean Skirt: Route 99

Cowboy boots: Thrifted

Fashion Challenge ~ Day Five - Poka-Dots!

             Good morning everyone! Today's challenge was to wear poka-dots, and seeing as I only have one outfit that has poka-dots there wasn't too many options to chose from.
             Have you ever been envious of the little girls clothes that you see in a store? Theirs is always so bright and playful! Manys the time when I've thought "Why can't they make nice clothes for older girls? We like bright colors too!" But no were stuck with the greys and blacks! So I decided to modify an old Easter Dress of mine and made into a very cute skirt, if I do say so myself!

Skirt: Modified from girl's Easter dress

Blouse: Thrifted

Sequined Sweater: Coles

Necklace: Target, dollar section

Shoes: Target

Fashion Challenge ~ Day Four - Vintage Favorites

Good morning everyone! Today's challenge is to wear an outfit from the past! I picked a time around the 1950's, and my dress is an actual vintage dress from the 1950's! So are the shoes and also the necklace!

 I feel like I just came from the 1950's, we see if it will effect how I talk, by golly!





 These pearls where my great-great grandmother's pearls, so I have absolutely no idea how old they are but I can guess that they are from somewhere in the 1950's.

A very interesting print, not one that you would see today! I still rather puzzled as to what it is a print of....

Still it works out to have a pretty nice effect on the dress!

I just love how these shoes look with this dress, even though they do hurt quite abit to wear! We'll see how long I last in them. I believe that are from the 1930's or somewhere around then, still they are pretty old! They knew how to make shoes back then, the shoes that I have, usually wear out within the month!

Shoes: Thrift store - Vintage 1930's

Dress: Thrift store- Vintage 1950's

Pearl: Great-Great Grandmother's pearls

Fashion Challenge ~ Day Three

Hi everyone! Today's challenge is Bold tights! Challenging certainly, but I manage to dig up some bright pink one. Completed by the dashing striped sweater, result - an outfit that will wake the dead!

Sweater: Gap

Tights: L.L.Bean

Jean Skirt: Casual Corner

Flats: Faded Glory

Can't wait to see what the rest of you are wearing today!

Fashion Challenge ~ Day Two

Day two already?! Today's challenge is color combination that don't usually go together. I did a combination of a navy shirt and a mint green cardigan crocheted with love from mum, its great to have parents who love you!

Cardigan: Handmade by mum!

Shirt: Wallmart

Jeans: Wrangler

Flats: Faded glory

Feather Broach: Thrift store

Fashion Challange ~ Day One

I'm a little late in the game but better late then never! So here it is a fashion challenge from Bramblewood Fashion and I've decided to take up the challenge. Here are the challenges:

Sunday - There is no challenge for this day. You can do what ever you want.

Monday - Black & Brown/ Red & Pink / any color combinations that don't normally go together.

Tuesday - Bold Tights {color, prints, patterns, lace-y...}

Wednesday - Dress like your favorite era. {1910s, 1940s, 1970s, etc...}

Thursday - Polka dots. {If you don't have polka dots, you can do another print you own.}

Friday - Your favorite Fall trend. {I have a post on the Fall trends here.}

Saturday - Wear a hat. 

We'll see how I do as far as getting them done on time but any way here is my first outfit.

It is a family rule that we can't post picture of ourselves on the Internet so on top of this challenge I also have to think of creative way of taking pictures of clothes without actually wearing them.

Wool Skirt: Mummy's old skirt

Pink Sweater: Thrift find

Shoes: Merona, thrifted as well

Ooo I found out that I can post thing in the PAST! Isn't that exciting? look it says that I posted this yesterday, when I really posted it today! Yes! Time travel is possible!

Manners, Culture and Dress of the Best American Society

One of my strange interests include old time etiquette, and this one I find very interesting. I am concocting at this moment some devious ideas of a ball (oh wait its only ball if you have at least a hundred couples, anything less is just a dance) I mean dance according to these social rules, it would be quite interesting! Anyway we shall see, if you want to check out this delightful book of Manners, Culture and Dress of the Best American Society free on Google e-books. Quite the interesting read if I may have an opinion.
Also since I don't have anything else to talk about here is my latest find for music, it called I am stretched out on your grave, a nice cheery little ditty as you can tell by the title. Following true to my taste of depressing music and fondness for Irish ballads. So I present for your entertainment

Dress from Sabrina

I am in the process of making a replica of the dress from Sabrina, which I hope to enter in the Historical Inspiration Festival. I am using this pattern from simplicity's new vintage collection



I wasn't able to find the exact fabric that they had for the original dress but I found a very nice brown a teal plain which I will look very nice

I finished making the bodice and am now working on the darts in the skirt which is very tedious work. I hope I can finish it before the contest, and I will have to do a photo shoot (I've got the exact same style of bike, which will make for a pretty awesome photo shoot prop!) Till next time, don't forget to check out the latest post at the church basement!

Elbow-length gloves

Have you every made a dress for an accessory? Well I am. Last week when I was visiting my Grandma, I bought a pair of elbow length black gloves for only four dollars! The antique dealer was so kind!

So I have decided that the next dress I shall make is an evening dress to go with them, as I have been meaning to make one, but I could never decide on the color. So I think the best color that would go with the black gloves would be a dark wine color. Which will also go nicely with my long brown hair. I can't wait to start! I envision the dress to look something like this only a different color

It would multitask as my evening dress and dancing dress, so that I can justify making it. But I have to finish my other dress first, which is a plaid brown/teal jumper. Anyway I probably won't get to it until summer, still it's nice to have a project to plan for. Anyway I should go back to school work, oh wait, that right I'm done for the week! YES! *smiles smugly* That meaning I start sewing my jumper! I will post an update and pictures on that soon.

Spring Formal ~ 1920's

The homeschool group that I belong to is have a spring formal, and this year I am on the planning committee we decided that the theme is going to be a 1920's theme. I had suggested that we do the theme on the1800's but no such luck. Anyway, the 1920's  isn't so bad, it was an interesting time and some of my favorite authors are from the 1920's (such as Agatha Christie) When we had decided on that theme, I was thinking how on earth am I going to find a 1920's dress? After the meeting I was looking on the web for some ideas and patterns. I decided that I really don't like the style of most of the dresses (the fashion of 1920's dresses mainly was drop waisted, which is a style I don't prefer) but of all the dress styles I preferred the style of dress which is called a fishtail which looks something like this:

I really couldn't find anything in the way of a pattern under a hundred dollars, but as it turned out I didn't have to make a dress at all! The Saturday after all this my mother was out thrift shopping, and she wasn't even looking for a dress for me (since we had determined that I would have to make the dress.) She found the perfect dress, and it was also a fishtail! It is completely made of silk, and it only cost four dollars! It is truly amazing that even in the small things God is looking out for us.

         Now all I have to think about is the accessories. I am going to try and find some shoes from that style they will hopefully look something like this and won't kill you to dance in 

I also have some ideas as to what I can do for my hair. The style from around that time was a very short bob, not exactly friendly for the girl who has roughly three feet of long brown hair, but I have a couple tricks up my sleeve rather then cut my hair for the dance. As far as other accessories maybe a long string of glass bead or pearls, maybe a feather in my hair who knows? It should be a very fun night.