March 2015 - Making, Wearing, Reading

Photos from my Instagram

Get a look at me, uploading my monthly favourites post a whole two days before the end of March. The fact that the clocks sprang forward yesterday means that I'm mourning an hour's worth of sleep embracing Spring and getting things done a little earlier than needed. There's nothing quite like a bright sky and warmer weather to get a to do list ticked off a little quicker, is there? So, here's all things March...

The Weekend Whim 8 - Home Tourist

Yesterday well and truly felt like the first day of Spring. It sounds like such a cliche, but the bright sunshine and warmer weather really does blow away the cobwebs, and gets my feet itching to get outside and do something new. As much as I'd like to get away to some new horizons, sometimes commitments mean that I can't dedicate a whole day to schlepping around discovering new things. So instead, yesterday I put on my comfiest shoes, slung a camera around my neck, and became a tourist of my own home town. Someone even remarked to me that all I needed was an American accent, and I'd have the tourist thing down to a tee! So, here's what I got up to.

Mid-Week Treat: 80 Penguin Classics for 80p

So, if you're as big a book nerd as I am, you'll have heard the glorious, glorious news that to celebrate 80 years, Penguin have released special editions of 80 of their classic books for a mere 80 pence. Crazy, huh? They are available on amazon, in Waterstones, and even in some independent bookshops, so keep your eyes peeled and your loose change at the ready! I managed to restrain myself to buying four, although I'm pretty sure that a few more will be finding their way towards my bookshelf. Read on for more details on the books I chose...

The Weekend Whim 7 - LOVE YO'SELF!

If I had a pound for everytime I've seen the phrase 'TREAT YO'SELF' on the internet, I would have enough money to treat myself to a trip around the world, a couple of pairs of Jimmy Choos, and several metres of the finest Liberty print fabric around. The thing is, we all love to treat ourselves from time to time (myself included), however recently I've been thinking about treating myself to things which don't necessarily involve a price tag. I suppose there are all kinds of ways to describe this - 'me-time', or a bit of self love, but I'm hoping the catch phrase LOVE YO'SELF will catch on. When you have a lot on your plate, it's important to remember to take a little bit of time to do nothing but indulge in some serious me-time (and no, Netflix marathons don't count). Here are a few ways I'm indulging this weekend...

First Time Tips For Sewing With Leather

Call it the 'Great British Sewing Bee' effect, or the fact that 70s suede and leather seem to be having a moment, but I have become infatuated with sewing myself a little something made out of leather. It's proving to be a big learning curve for me, especially as I've only worked with lighter weight fabrics in the past. Before committing to sewing, I sat down and did a little research, so here's an overview of what I'm taking forward with me for this project (more details soon!)...

Sewing Vintage - My Vintage Pledge

Considering that most of the time, I use modern patterns to sew from, I do seem to have an awful lot of vintage sewing patterns. They're something which I like to buy for multiple reasons; a) the cover art (swoon!) b) the style of the patterns (ain't nothing like finding the perfect tea dress pattern) c) the design features (when did we stop using sleeve darts??) - I could go on! As it is though, I find it a lot easier to use modern patterns to sew from, especially as a less experienced sewer. So, to actually give some of these lovely patterns a use, this year I've decided to sign up for Marie and Kelly's Vintage Sewing Pattern Pledge. To read my pledge, and to see some of the patterns I might choose to make, read on...

The Weekend Whim #6: February 2015

Photos from my Instagram

I know I always start of these posts by talking about how quickly the past month has flown by, and blah blah blah. However, in all seriousness I have no idea where February went - in fact, I had this post scheduled for some time next week! Ah, February, you're so sneaky trying to catch me out with your irregular 28 days. So, before it gets too far into March, let me tell you about all things February.