lets applique!

i've been on a complete upcycle binge! i've cleared out my wardrobe and two massive piles sitting on my floor of things i want to change and alter and make beautiful again. and i also have a bag of old t-shirts which don't fit right, so i'm going to use that as some spare fabric as the colours are nice!

anyway, so i've been looking for simple ways to change outfits, and i've bought a few items from thrift stores that i want to embellish...

especially 20's style summer dresses! 

(just a silly picture of my favourite dress that i've thrifted recently, on my leavers day at school. haha)

I was looking through 'Golden Hands' the vintage crafting book again and i came across 'applique' and it's such a good way to alter things. 

some photos from flickr...

 (amyleigh)

(jkw_fire_horse)

(wearmystuff)

(incraftwetrust)

(metro-station)

any kind of stitching really inspires me lately! mmmmmm!!!

there is a group on flickr for all things applique.

I don't normally have the patience to cut out my piece and fold them over and iron them and pin them etc before i go about sewing them onto fabric- so why not use felt? afterall, that is what the book suggests!

My project; I've decided to change up this really simple black dress of mine, using the colourful, design shown above, it's still a work-in-progress, and i will show you a full length shot when it's all done, but here is the process;

before;

i just was not a big fan of this detail, so i wanted to cover it up with something new... 

here is the inside;

after;

okay, now it's your turn! make something beautiful! double kudos for anyone who uses a vintage pattern or fabrics!

**EDIT!***

here are some photos of the finished piece;

Ohhhh! Happy Friday all! Kaaara here! :D

I have a little, easy, bright challenge to throw at ya!

Hopefully it's getting to be somewhat Springish where you live and you've been able to soak up some of the beauty. It's starting to get more consistently pleasant here and I'm loving it!

So... This challenge is mix it up with some Sunshine!

Get a little lens flare action going, throw some yellow paint around a canvas, do some some bright journalling.

I figure that if we pretend it's almost Summer, it's gotta be summer right? Mmmhhmmm. That's how my life philosophies work.

(click on for photo creds. :D)

A little photo lovin' from me.

Some spread some happy bright love! Happy weekend! :D :D

fall in love all over again...

With embroidery. Hey there, it's Jen, and I've always had a thing for embroidery. Old or new. Better yet, old and new. Because there's always a way to put a new spin on an old skill. Here's some eye candy to get you thinking.

Gillian Bates' amazing freehand machine embroidery

woolly fabulous

Nea

more by Nea... with 3D elements

And this blog is one of the most clever and inspiring things I've seen in awhile. Have you seen Embloggery? Yup, every single one of the blog posts is hand-embroidered. To see more, check out the Flickr set.

So you've got some ideas... now what? To transfer your design onto fabric, you can draw free-hand with a washable marking pen or pencil, or trace a design by holding the pattern layered under the fabric up to a window or light table. I printed out some clip art and traced it onto a flour sack towel with a washable quilting pencil.

Vintage iron-on flour sack towel patterns are actually still readily available at lots of hobby/craft stores – look for the Aunt Martha brand (here in the states, at least.)

You can also do a Google search and find many free vintage patterns online.

I bought this iron-on pattern for $1.50 and am super tempted to start embroidering day-of-the-week towels for my kitchen.

Just like my grandma used to make. Ahhh, the nostalgia. I just love the feel of them, too.

Experiment with embroidering on colored fabric, felt, canvas or paper. Here, I stitched over an existing pattern on one of my Orla Keily kitchen towels. (And no, you don't have to limit yourself to towels! I just happen to be in a towel mood for some reason.) :)

The best part of embroidery is that you can use just about anything as a pattern or source of inspiration. I had fun trying free-form designs with no exact plan in mind – cool things to try might be faux bois or a series of circles or undulating lines.



and Kim has been working on some little hand sewing projects;

So let's see what you can do with a needle and thread! It's such a quick and fun thing to do (even if you've never tried it before) and such a fantastic way to add a bit of color and homemade love to just about anything. If you feel you need to brush up on your Embroidery 101, this should help you get going. Happy spring – have fun!

(and for the film challenge, i've decided to make TWO journals for Adellecutter and shady*lane. woop. go you! e-mail me your addresses and i'll send them soon soon! (kim@smithdata.com) )

James-Guest, photo inspo!

I first met James McLoughlin (find him here; flickr. blog. book.) on myspace, and we traded frustrations about our recently acquired Holga cameras. I love the internet. When he started uploading more images on flickr I fell in love with his look instantly; vibrant, young, stylish, sexy- they are real and magical at the same time, I don't know how he does it, but maybe this will give you some idea;

Q: What camera(s) do you use? And your favourite?
I usually shoot with my small little pentax pc35af-m film point and shoot , or if i wanna get some nice focus and tones then i'll go for my pentax p30 slr.
i'll pretty much shoot with anything i can get my hands on though. i don't think it's about the camera, as much as it is the person behind it.


Q: What is your film of choice? Why?
kinda the same with the camera, i'll shoot the cheapest film i can get. I usually go with fujicolour c200 though, the colours always come out rad.

Q: Any favourite settings on your camera you use a lot? (i.e. slightly overexposed?)
I'm not totally aware of all the setting on most of my cameras but i like to put the iso up real high and use ilford film alot, so i get alot of grain. I'm self taught so when most people ask me how i overexposed an image or got nice tones i generally don't have an answer. haha


Q: Favourite place/thing to shoot?
my friends, anywhere. As much as a location is important for some types of shoots, for me i couldn't care where i am.
i like to keep my camera on someone for ages until they react to something or do something special. and then if im out i just keep shooting and shooting all night.

Q: Flash or no flash?
definately no flash. all the time. even in the worst conditions.
i only use flash when i have to.


Q: How do you deal with low-light conditions?
usually with flash. haha

Q: Are you technical, or more of a ‘shoot-and-see’ kind of photographer?
shoot and see. documentary type stuff you know. i only get technical on shoots i set up. everything else is from the hip.


Q: Do you take your camera with you all the time?
yes, as much as possible.
i usually always have a bag with me so i can hold all my cameras haha.

Q: Tripods and other kit? Do you carry one around with you or only sometimes, or not at all?
neverrrrrrr. A tripod would stress me out. i like to know if want to shoot from another angle that i can move to that position in a matter of seconds before i miss something, rather than fiddlin with the tripod and such


Q: Do you use any Post-processing?
NOPE. i hardly ever edit my photos in anyway.

Q: Did you take any courses/classes at school in photography? Were they beneficial technically?
no, my school can barely provied paint for out art class. let alone classes in photography.

Q: Do you develop your film yourself or at a shop?
at a shop. i've always wanted to know how to develope film but i don't think i'd trust myself with all the chemicals.


Q: How many rolls a week or month do you take?
definately one a week.
but if i go somewhere for the weekend i can have like 4 rolls to develope.

Q: What made you decide to ‘go analogue!’?
digital is ok, but analogue is wayyy more exciting. the build up to waiting for my film is the best. i like to leave the roll for a few days so i forget about what i shot. So when it's done theres stuff i don't even remember shooting. And obviously the tones and colours and everything are way more appealing. besides, a photo is an object, right, and with digital it looses that, it's just a file on a computer.

Thank James!