TURSKISH (DE)LIGHT

Eddi goes on lots of trips for his work and when he went to Istanbul jsut before the Holidays I asked him to bring me some lamps back home; I've always loved turkish and ottoman style mosaic lamps and I wanted something to colour up the dining room which is rather pale.


I got these two small table lamps as Christmas present. They sit well among the other things I have at the countryside house.

WINTER WONDERLAND

I love winter, when it really is winter and not just brown wet mush all around. I love snow and how it can lay so light and soft on the ground and how it can sparkle so beautifully (more than any stage outfits ever can no matter how much the bling), I love the crisp cold air of winter and how and all sounds are more silent, muted by the snow that is all over. I love how it’s a bit like stepping trough the magic closet and into Naria every time you open the door. I do love it when it's winter.

The porch froze.

Except for that it takes forever to get a child dressed and it gets hot when you you’re inside the tram or the bus or a shop and it takes forever to get your car out of the snow when you a re in a hurry. And it takes forever for the snow to melt come spring; it always takes forever before winter is over and you get sick and tired of that damn jacket and those damn winterboots over and over again.

So yes, the coin always has two sides but at least the snow and the first weeks of winter are always amazing. This year, as it seemed to be a rainy Christmas like the last one also was, the snow did indeed make everything more magic when it fell and fell a week ago and turned everything so beautiful just in time for the holidays.


Dag as he fell asleep while we were on a walk in the woods.

Pre-fall 2015 favourites!

I finally have a week off!!!!Of course I intend to spend it catching up on blogging and runway trends so it's not really a complete week off. I have been really busy recently working on some freelance illustration commissions(which will feature in a blog post soon)and updating my portfolio which is no easy feat- I completely underestimated the length of time a portfolio upgrade takes! 

Anyway I'm back home in the lovely North of England and am finally having chance to sit down and look through all of the Pre-fall 15 collections and figure out what trends are coming through, I'll be posting these over the next few days.

One thing I did notice when looking at the trends was the increased quantity of images I was having to sift through, it seems that designers are now treating the Pre-collections as a whole new season with almost every key designer taking part.

Anyway, here are some of my favourites:

This collection is the perfect combination of American Indian Navajo patterns and bright folkloric florals. Recently I have been trying to push pointillism as a trend after it featured in the SS15 collections of Issa and Valentino, intricate dotwork is also used to add detail to the florals in this Alice&Olivia collection. One of the colours that seemed to be quite dominant throughout the Pre-fall 15 collections was orange and Alice&Olivia have used it perfectly alongside burnt red, navy and cobalt blue.

The BCBG Max Azria collection is another of my favourites. Illustrative linear shapes with primary colours used to fill in areas- this collection is fresh and fun.

Oh Nicole!!!Such a breathtaking collection. It seems like a softer version of the Etro aesthetic with pattern mixing, print layering and persian rug motifs. Even the styling of this collection plays on the boho look with the long loose hair and the open shoulder maxi dresses. Judging by the amount of open shoulder, bardot necklines and cutout shoulder styles we have been seeing on the runway recently we appear to be moving our focus towards the shoulders.

I just love everything about this collection. An ode to the 80's, Sachin&Babi have created a collection reminiscent of Memphis prints even down to the monochromatic grid backgrounds. I also love the flying fish applique motifs used- there's been a huge increase in the usage of applique recently and this looks like it's here to stay for the foreseeable future. 

That's all for now but I'm working on some trends to post over the next few days!

CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas! Which you know still goes on for more than a week! (Officially, over here and in my book at least.) Hope you all are having a good one!

This year turned a splendid one over here, with much awaited snow falling just a couple of days before. We've been out in the countryside and altough it's beautiful and cosy it also gets rather hectic, with dinners and family gatherings and lots of to-do's. The middle days in between Christmas and New Year's have always been my favourite as those contain a lot of taking it easy.





And eating chocolate. And having wine. Plus lighting candles everywhere.


This year I made our Chrismtas tree to resemble the one's the Moomins make when they once wake up at winter and experience Christmas. Dag is a huge Moomin fan, and I am a big fan of Tove Jansson.



The tree has random items like sea shells (I got huge ones from a masquerade shop and cut them a bit smaller and glittered them over the course of a few days) and spoons and cups and pearls. Altough I used pom poms instead of pears.

Instead of a star it has a huge rose on top.

Quite suitably they read the chapter about the Moomins on Christmas on the radio earlier during Christmas Eve.  Here's what the original looked like from the books:

I noticed I have now apparently reached that stage of adulthood (that some have been in all of the time, I know, but not me) where one changes the textiles at home according to season. I made this table cloth for the holidays, consisting of different bits of red-and-white fabrics - X-mas points to the maxxx!

On Christmas Eve my whole family and Eddi's parents came over to us -four generations all-in-all.


My youngest guest -my new nephew- was just two weeks old!

Dag was a little eager to start with the Christmas dinner. (He's too young still to know to be eager for the gifts. Well, that will propably change nexgt year already...)

Then Santa Claus came over!
I remembered being scared of him when I was very young but this year, being the first Dag met Santa, he was very brave and only a little shy when he shook Santa's hand and introduced himself.

He had been a good boy and got lots of toys.

Calm Christmas Day morning.

British textile industry- Hawick Knitwear.

As we are now in the depths of winter and because I've been working, quite ironically, for a knitwear company for over a year now, I decided to welcome in the cold weather by attempting to learn how to knit. I set myself the challenge of knitting a chunky scarf(instead of buying one) and consulted my Nan on how to actually do this. I bought some huge chunky knitting needles and 3 balls of different coloured wool to make a questionable looking twist.

Me being me I then left it about 3 weeks to get started, by which point I had forgotten every pointer my lovely Nan had given me. As a result my "scarf" was made using an improv/non existent stitch and quickly began to take the form of a hand muffler by curling in on itself. Despite this the "scarf", which is as long as it is wide, is finished and is actually the warmest most snuggly piece of knitwear I've ever owned.

Due to my many problems in making the scarf, and the fact that it is currently held in a snood-like shape with two hair bobbles(attaching the two ends together is on my huge to-do list) I think it may have been a lot easier for me to have left it to the professionals and bought one from a shop, but I am far too stubborn and persistent for that. It does feel extremely good to be able to say that I now work for a knitwear company and can actually knit...well sort of!

Although my new scarf has questionable aesthetics; is extremely oversized and isn't the most commercial looking thing, I made it! The pride you have after creating something yourself is incomparable to any other feeling. Knowing that every dropped stitch/hole in the scarf was created at a point where I was near giving up on the whole knitting thing altogether reminds me of the important of persistence. I think hand made garments are what the British high street is lacking.


The British textile industry, once booming, is now almost bust. With British retailers and high street giants exporting the manufacturing of their products overseas to countries like China, Hong Kong and Bangladesh, the industry that once financed British Imperialism has almost completely diminished. The British textile industry has found it impossible to compete with the low production costs and short lead times of overseas manufacturing leaving many British factories with no choice but to close down. As a reaction to globalisation and British manufacturing being shipped overseas there is an increasing demand for British heritage brands and luxury 'made in Britain' garments which is where surviving British textile mills/factories are able to thrive.

Standfast&Barracks main building, Screen printing machine, Quality Control checking machine.

After graduating in 2012, I spent 4 months working at Standfast&Barracks(above), a textile printing factory in my hometown of Lancaster (http://www.standfast-barracks.com). In all honesty factory work had never been part of my career plan, I, in all my idealistic naivety, had expected to be given a Print design job straight after my graduation. After travelling to countless interviews all over the country I decided to pursue a different route into my "dream job". On reflection I feel so fortunate to have lived in a town that still has a Textile factory as this turned out to be my gateway into the fashion industry. Although I worked to the point of exhaustion doing nights shifts in the factory and then working freelance in the day, I feel so much more informed about the printing process than I would have done had I not experienced this area of work. It was during this 4 months that I realised the importance of keeping some of the textile manufacturing process in the UK. I actually wrote a blogpost on this, and the decline of the British textile industry, over a year ago:  http://textilecandy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/the-decline-of-british-textiles.html.

I have recently come across one of the few British knitwear companies that still manufactures their garments within the UK. Hawick knitwear has provided luxury knitwear since 1874 and has remained steadfast, despite adversity, managing to prosper while other companies have collapsed.

Video c/o Hawick knitwear(below).

In a world dominated by fast fashion forcing retailers to compromise the quality of their garments, consumers are beginning to realise the importance of quality and long lasting clothing. Fashion trends are constantly changing but certain items are a wardrobe staple. Knitwear, for example, never seems to age- we find new ways of playing with stitch and yarn composition but a crew neck cable jumper has the longevity other garments lack. With the majority of the British high street manufacturing their products in factories overseas, the quality of knitwear on the high street is compromised. Jumpers are not as warm and garments are finished poorly causing them to give in to wear and tear very easily. For only a few pounds more, a luxury hand-finished, made in the UK garment can be purchased which has a guaranteed longer life. Unfortunately most of these heritage brands have been overshadowed by high street giants, but with British fashion houses like Burberry, Mulberry and Pringle of Scotland having a second lease of life on the runway, luxury 'made in Britain' brands seem to be clawing their way back.

Pringle of Scotland SS15, Mulberry SS15, Burberry Prorsum SS15.

If anything this proves that heritage brands are adaptable, after surviving the many recessions of recent years, brands like Hawick knitwear are adapting to new customers with Marks&Spencer buying their Best of British cashmere sweaters from Hawick. Engaging with emerging markets in Japan and carrying out collaborations with heritage brands like Harris tweed, Hawick knitwear appears to be going through a re-branding process. Heritage British made knitwear is fighting back- hopefully this is something we will see other heritage brands beginning to do. In a world that appears to be controlled by social media and an online footprint, being connected with the target audience online is of the upmost importance- this means re-designing websites, creating up to date blogs and having a social media following. If heritage brands can get on board with this new form of sales and advertising then they can flourish.

Pieces from Hawick knitwear's current collection.

If anyone knows of any other British based textile manufacturing companies I'd love to hear about them whether that be  knitwear/cotton mill or a fabric printing company. It is important that we stand behind local manufacturers and get the British textile trade back on the world map.

MAKING OLD SHOES SHINE: THE SPARKLY VERSION

Suitably for DIY-season of the year (yes,  Christmas time) I was asked to collaborate with Yahoo! and get acquainted with and inspired by their Yahoo!DIY digital magazine - and then come up with my very own little do-it-yourself.*

Yahoo!DIY has a fresh and easy-to-navigate-trough layout, and is now full of eye candy along with lots of tips and tricks to DIY during the Holidays; gift and wrapping ideas, recipes, different decorations and more. I came across a post that mentioned both bling and glitter in the headline (on how to add a little extra glitter here and there without any mess) and as you know, bling and glitter has -apart from checks- been a theme here lately, so that was my thing! And I intended to add a LOT of glitter.

Some time ago I made an old pair of shoes fancier by adding rhinestones to them, and last week I pimped up a plain shirt by embellishing it -now it was time to spice up another pair of shoes: to glitter them up!

Glitter is something that growns on you. There was a point in life that if asked, I would have said that there can be such a thing as too much glitter. But nowadays, and especially at this time of year, I would say No, there simply can not be any such thing as too much glitter or bling. This often from a burlesque point of view, which is slightly ironic and full of the love of all things camp and kitsch. (And if you haven't noticed, Christmas is a very kitschy holiday.) But glitter, even when there is a lot of it, can still be stylish and classy too. And depending on how you choose to style a pair of glitter shoes, the result can be either wonderfully over-the-top or then very elegant. Or maybe even both.

Some of you may recall that crafting and I are not total bff’s, but that is only goes for certain areas of crafting. As I have accepted a lot more glitter in everyday life, I have also come to enjoy the bling up’s a lot more, to the extent that I sometimes start new projects and choose items to bling up without having an actual reason for it. But in this case there is very much reason - to give old shoes a new life. I have glittered up several pairs before and am often asked about how they've done.
So, here’s how I do it:

First take note that this will require a day or two - the steps are rather quick to do but the waiting in between takes time. So if you want to wear your blingy shoes for  Christmas you might be in a bit of a hurry, unless you start in 1-2-3-NOW! and yo might be able to wear then for Christmas day (which is, as I remember from the days when I was young and out and about all the time, the day to part-ey out on town.) But, even better, and as you perhaps might have a few other things on your hands righ tnow, make them in time for New year’s eve to definitely out-sparkle all other shoes in the room!

So - take out an old pair of shoes -or new ones if you so please, but wear them in first - and clean them up if needed. I find this works best on satin (or canvas) shoes, but basically you can do the same on any kind of material - this is also how I made the glitter surface for the (plastic) soles on my red heels that I embellished some time ago.

The pair I’m working on are a pair of by now rather sad looking dancing shoes I use on stage, but as I’ve said before; dance shoes are the most comfortable of heels as they are soft tand flex. In other words, perfect for parties as well!

You will need fabric embellishment glue, one that dries see trough and elastic. I go for my old pal Jewel-It. Then you'll need a brush to paint it on.

And, glitter. Heaps of glitter.

But don’t be chocked by the size here! For someone that pours glitter on herself and throws it in the air for a living, this is standard size and I go trough several of these a year.

A smaller size (that some perhaps may still refer to as a big jar of glitter? Hard to say when you have caught what we call glitter-herpes) will do fine, because in the end you will not need that much to cover your shoes, although the process requires quite a bit. You can smarten things up, and in the same time get by with less of a mess if you grab a few papers along for your working surface and an extra jar for the glitter.

First, fill your shoes with newspaper (or a few rolled nylon socks) in order to keep their shape and to not get messy on the inside. Start by covering one side of the shoe with glue; paint on a rather thin layer (it will sink in fast). Apply a second layer after a about ten minutes. Try to paint the glue on as even as possible - don’t make the layer too thick as the glitter will not attach evenly then, but make it thick enough still not to be soaked in straight away. It should leave a visible surface. (If you are working on another kind of material that won’t soak up the glue one layer is enough).

Fold a paper in half and open it up so that you have a little crease in the middle. Place the shoe on the paper and pour glitter on it. And I mean pour! Pour glitter on it like there is no tomorrow! Make it pile up! Glitter it like it’s 1999!

The shoe will look a bit over glittery and fuzzy, but it will not remain that way. Wait for some ten minutes again, and carefully lift the shoe and let the excess glitter fall off on your paper. Tap the heel and the toe a few times on the paper to get all the extras off.

To re-use your sparkle, fold the paper in half and pour the glitter back in your jar.

Leave the shoe lying on the side to dry while you start with your other shoe.

You can do the other side after an hour or two, depending on how well the first side has dried. Let that side dry too and then glue and pour gitter on the back of the shoes, leave them standing to dry. The glitter surface may look a bit uneven and weird, but fear not, this is only the first round.

You can speed up the drying process by gently blowing the shoes with a hair dryer. And I really want to stress it when I say ‘gently’ -keep the hairdryer on a good distance and on low effect; too hard a blow can make an uneven result as the glue-glitter mass can move. Also, do this away from your crafting table, unless you want to cover your whole house in glitter (which, depending on a lot of things, may not necessarily be a bad idea. But it’s not what were after here).

Your shoes are ready for the next coating after a few hours, or the next day. Paint on a new layer of glue, thick enough to cover all the glitter. It may seem like you are ruining the fine sparkle, but don’t worry, they will improve! Pour on glitter en masse again, wait a while, tap it off and let dry. Repeat on the other side and in the back. Let dry properly.

Two layers will most like be enough, or then go for a third, your choice.
You can choose to finish your project here and strut along in super glittery shoes already. Give them a light fix with hairspray or fixative (for coal crayons) before you head out.


I like it with a little less crisp and more smooth finish, that also makes them last longer, so I paint on one last layer of glue, thick enough to cover all the glitter, on. Once again you might get sceptic and think that you’ll ruin them, but don’t worry, as the glue dries the shoes will sparkle like whoa! again!

Like this!
Now dance the night away in shoes that would make Dorothy and her ruby slippers  jealous.

Some small extra tips and trix:

- you can mix two shades of glitter for more ‘depth’ to your sparkle, like a more yellow and a more brownish gold for exampe. Or red and fuchsia. Mix them in the jar you work with before pouring on.

-Bling your heels to the max by adding a few chrystals or rhinestones on top afterwards., for example in the front on a pair of sandals.

-Glitter just a section of you shoe,  the back and heel for example. Make sure to draw an exakt line with the brush when you put the glue on for a neat and pretty result, or then place place a trim /ribbon or a row of rhinestones on the edge to cover it.

For more crafts inspired from the magazine search for, or for sharing your own creations inspired by the posts use #yahooDIY

*) to be clear, this post has been sponsored by Yahoo! and I give my sincerest thanks for sponsoring me in the making of my glittered shoes. While this was a sponsored opportunity from Yahoo!, the idea of the post, it’s content and opinions expressed here are, of course, my own.