Pride 2022

The month of June is now known as Pride Month. It’s great to see a full month is dedicated to celebrating Pride and the festivities even stretch over into July and August with many cities showcasing their Pride in the warmer months. London celebrates 1st to the 2nd of July, Manchester 26th until 29th July, Newcastle 22nd until 24th July, Glasgow 24th July and Leeds and Brighton even stretching into August with Brighton 5th until 7th and Leeds 7th August. It’s great to see such an effort going into this celebration and even the most mundane companies help speeding the love such as GO Northeast Buses decking entire buses in a Pride flag wrap on the outside and colourful seats inside. One of the stand out Pride offerings this year was the Apple Watch Pride strap and free face. Fair enough the strap was priced pretty high at £40………, but as Apple Watch straps go that’s PRETTY reasonable. This year’s Pride Edition ‘Sport Loop strap’ showcases a colour gradient flag with the word “pride” woven directly into the band. The brand proudly supports its long-running support for LGBTQ+ advocacy organisations, which works to bring about a positive change, from Encircle, an organisation that provides life-affirming programs and services for the LGBTQ+ community and their families, to The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organisation for LGBTQ+ young people. Another company that always show their support is Disney. This year, at Disney Parks they offer a BB droid called BB-PROUD that was coloured in Pride flag colours. When I seen this droid on one of the MAAAAANY Disneyland vlogs I subscribe to I never thought it would as an easy one to get hold of. I tend to frequent this site and check the new lines and noticed that the ShopDisney website were selling this droid for a meer £12.99……….. so I quickly snapped one up before they sold out! Vans, Allsaints, Boy London, Victoria Beckham, Adidas, New Balance also offered Pride products which was amazing to see. The next collaboration deserves a drum roll…………… the Chersace one! The two icons, Cher and Versace both champions of the LGBTQ+ community, united as CHERSACE. They produced a short-sleeved cotton T-shirt that’s features a printed signature of both Donatella Versace and Cher with a rainbow coloured Medusa and logo print. A portion of all proceeds will go to Gender Spectrum, which is a charity chosen by Cher and Donatella Versace for the work they do in supporting the LGBTQ+ community, particularly youths and their families.

Visor - Moschino

Earrings - Shein

Necklace - eBay

T-Shirt - Moschino

Bag - Moschino

Belt - Moschino

Jeans - New Look

Sunglasses - Moschino

Earrings - Shein

Necklace - Fendi

Jumper - Jeremy Scott

T-Shirt - Primark

Bag - Moschino

Shorts - ASOS

Belt - Moschino

Bracelet - Links of London

Sunglasses - Moschino

Earrings - Shein

Necklaces - Shaun Lean/Etsy/Argos

T-shirt - M&M World London

Bag - Moschino

Bracelet - Links of London

Belt - Gucci

Jeans - Reclaimed Vintage, ASOS

Sunglasses - Versace

Earrings - ASOS

Necklace - ASOS

T-Shirt - Moschino

Belt - Moschino

Shorts - H&M

Bracelets - ASOS/ Marc Jacobs

Watch - Apple

Hat - eBay

Earrings - ASOS

Necklace - eBay

T-Shirt - Moschino

Bag - Moschino

Bracelet - Links of London

Jeans - Zara

Earrings - Shein

Necklaces - Shaun Leane/Moschino

T-Shirt - Bobby Abley

Trousers - ASOS

Belt - Zara

Rings - Topman/Topshop/ASOS/New Look

Bag - Van Cartier

Halloween Tote

Over the past year I’ve really gotten into making bags. I find making them pretty relaxing, and as a bonus the process doesn’t take up much space and once you’ve finished one you’ll have so many of the materials left over to use again! I KNOOOOOOW I keep mentioning one of my fave Moschino collections - Spring/Summer 2020, but it was one of the most inspiring collections I have seen in many years! I’d happily snap up so many of the bags from the collection to feature in my own! They are fun, colourful and feature so many things that I love; Monsters, Pumpkins and other Halloween goodies! The whole collection had a more ‘homemade’ feel about it, which I would usually DESPISE, but this time it all added to the show! The accessories looked as though a kid had been collecting random things and decided to throw them onto a keyring. Sadly many of the items were either not available to buy or I just didn’t see any website stock them. Either way, I would have spent way more if they were available!

So I decided to make my own! The first thing I did was decide on the shape and size of my creation. I went for a tote style bag that needed to be big enough to fit a carved pumpkin style face that I wanted to put on the front. I wanted the bag to fold in like a paper gift bag, so I googled how to make one of those. I found a video on YouTube which showed you how to make an origami bag. The only issue I had with using this method for a pattern was the size of paper I had. I was limited to either an A4 or A3 sized sheet. I decided to go with the A3 size and obviously, the bag ended up being TINY……….. but I had a way around this! Once the origami bag was finished I made sure the pieces wouldn’t move by sticking the edges down with Sellotape. Once all the edges were secure I cut the bag down the fold lines in order to get the individual pattern pieces. I cut down each fold line and ended up with 6 pattern pieces. I measured each edge of each pattern piece and wrote on the pattern what the measurement was. For the size I wanted the tote bag to be I enlarged each of the pattern pieces by a factor of 3. It was as easy as multiplying each edge measurement by 3 on a calculator and making a note of them. Using a pattern master I then re-drew each piece ensuring the corners were PERFECT right angles. This was the best time to notch the pattern pieces, to make sure they matched up when I came to put everything together. Once all the pattern pieces were drawn I added a 1cm seam allowance around each edge.

I wanted to make the bag out of an orange leatherette; A) because I had some leftover and B) it helps to hold the shape of the bag and saves you from using a stabiliser. The only thing I had to buy was an A4 sized piece of a black leatherette from eBay for only 99p. I had mulled over a few different Pumpkin faces for the front of the bag. The one I chose was more fun than scary. I mean how bone-chilling can a Pumpkin face in leatherette be? Once I had the pattern pieces cut out I traced the Pumpkin face onto the back of the front panel piece. Using a sharp scalpel I carefully cut out the face making sure to not leave any small stray bits of fabric. I then cut the A4 black sheet of leatherette to a size that would cover the whole of the face behind. I then got quilting tape and placed it around the cut out of the face on the back of the orange fabric. This tape is like a double-sided sticky tape that will stop the two pieces of fabric from moving around when you come to stitch them together. It really does save you a whooooole lot of time! When I do any topstitching, like around the pumpkin face, I always use a sewing machine but turn the wheel with my hand and I find it gives me way more control than using the foot peddle. *Top Tip* use a polyester thread as it works a treat with the leatherette.

When I had finished sewing the face using the two different colour fabrics I was FINALLY ready to start constructing the rest of the bag. I found the easiest way to start was by attaching the front and back to the bottom panel. When the front and back panels were attached to the bottom piece I did a stay stitch along the bottom to help the bag keep its shape. To do a stay stitch I pushed the seam allowance towards the bottom pattern piece and then topstitched close to the edge through both lots of the seam allowance. I did the same to the back piece then stitched the side pieces to the front, back and bottom. Once I was at this point it was pretty much plain sailing. I wanted to add a D-ring on both the front and the back so I was able to add a crossbody strap and also as a way to add a bit more tatt by hanging some bag accessories from them.

Then came time to attach the D-rings. To make the straps, I measured the inside of the D-ring and doubled the measurement, then I cut out a square in those measurements. The best way to make these straps, I found, was to fold the square of fabric in half, mark the centre point along the top and bottom and then draw a line from one to the other with a biro. I then cut and placed a strip of quilting tape on either side of the line and folded in each end to the biro line in the centre and pressed down. After pressing down for a few seconds I passed the folded fabric through the D-ring then stitched, on the machine, along the bottom just so it stayed put!

Before I attached the D-ring strap I stitched together the top facing pieces and started to pin them to the constructed bag matching up the seams. I then slid the D-rings straps where I wanted them and pinned them in place. I ran the bag through the sewing machine and stitched the facing and bag together along the top edge. When that was done I folded the bag the right way and topstitched 5mm along the top edge in order to keep the facing from popping up when I was using the bag. Then I attached the lining to the bag to the edge of the facing.

For the handles, I wanted something sturdy and something that also looked nice. I searched on Amazon for ‘black bag straps’ and found these beauts for only £14.09. They were called ‘2pcs Bag Strap 1pcs Roll of Thread First Layer Cowhide Bag with Handle for Bag Handle Replacement (Black)’ (a mouthful I know LOL) and they come in a few different colours. They came with a thick thread and holes already in the base of the straps to fix them to your bag. They were really simple to sew on using a sewing needle……………….. the most difficult part was getting them in the right place haha.

That was it, the bag was finally finished!

Sunglasses - eBay

Scarf - Lush

PU Bomber Jacket, Ring and Jeans- ASOS

T-Shirt - Criminal Damage

Belt - Urban Outfitters

Boots - Moschino - YOOX

Glitzy Western Denim

“It costs a lot of money to look this cheap”

— Dolly Parton

Now I am a HUGE fan of glitz and glamour, especially on more casual clothes. Sequins, crystals, diamante, lamé, I love it all. Most retailers seem to think that “party wear” is the range to apply the glitz and sadly is mainly a Christmas time kinda thing……………. Now I have different thoughts on that. I am a huge believer in wearing what you want when you want, be it wearing a “party” shirt in the middle of August. A denim shirt is a basic item in any wardrobe and for this time of year, it is a perfect laying piece for when you’re not sure how the weather is going to turn out and let’s face it that could be any time of the year in the UK haha. While I was at college and university I had a part-time job working for Swarovski. This is where the love of not only jewellery started but also for the glitz in life! I find that it can EASILY turn the most boring mundane thing and whip it up into the most exciting and interesting item you need even before you know what it is LOL. YEARS ago I remember seeing a Trussardi crystal-studded denim jacket in a magazine at the hairdresser’s. Now, this jacket was the most BEAUTIFUL thing I had seen, up until that time haha. It was completely covered in crystal studs all placed in lines of the same colour. They used blue, red and clear crystals with a little silver lip holding the stone in place, these are the only colours I can remember them using. It must have weighed a tonne and cost a small fortune. I have never quite forgotten this jacket and would love to be able to even find a picture of it. After searching and SEARCHING on Google it is like the jacket never existed. To recreate a jacket very similar would have cost quite a bit so I came up with a more original design.

I decided to use these colourful stones to adorn the shirt. I went for them over a clear crystal because I think they are more fun and it doesn’t matter if you go for a cheaper option because they are going to look cheap anyway LOL. Saying that the coloured stones really do not look bad at all, especially compared to a Swarovski stone. I loved the idea of the stones looking a bit like the bustier that Columbia wears on the Rocky Horror Picture show. I found this set on Amazon for £10.99 and you get 2000 stones, all different sizes. Now if I had gone for Swarovski stones the cost would have been astronomical and they would have weighed down and pulled on the shirt. Now I did have to go for a stone glue to attach the stones but in the kit, with the crystals, I got tweezers and a tool you can move the stone around once you have placed it, so you save a little bit there. The glue was also found on Amazon and it is called Gem-Tac and only cost £10.80. It has a very similar consistency and look to PVA glue and it also dries clear……….. so clear in fact that you can not see it. I have been planning on doing this shirt for a long time but I was unsure as to what kind of crystals to use. I bought this denim shirt from ASOS Marketplace, it was in the sale for £8 and they only had it in an XL. The fit of the shirt is PERFECT on me, it has an oversized look and the wash of the denim is DREAMY! The only downside to this shirt was it is made from a pretty thin fabric, because I went for a plastic stone it held up amazingly. If you go for a shirt made out of a thicker fabric not only will it be a little warmer but it will also help to hold the studs, and whatever else you want to throw at it, in place a little better.

I was inspired by pictures of Dolly Parton in her early days wearing a western shirt and her famous quote as well as Cher, and the iconic Bob Mackie outfits she loves to wear on stage. The inspiration I took from Cher was the way the stones would be applied to her costumes, applied to a power net mesh to make it look as though you're wearing much less than you are, and then covering them in crystals in a way that makes it look as though there are more stones then there are by fanning them out in size order. I Loved the idea of having my name on the pocket flap and the back of the shirt, almost like a 1950s bowling shirt.

The easiest way I found to apply the stones was to put small drops of the Gem-Tac adhesive where you want the crystals to go and then apply the stones one by one using the tweezers. Before I put the glue on I made sure I had turned over all of the stones so I could see the colours and make sure they were spread out evenly. I started off with the larger sized stones and worked my way onto the smaller sizes. The smaller stones were a right pain to not only pick up with the tweezers but to turn over the right way too. They would get stuck to EVERYTHING and I was finding small plastic gems all over the place for days…….. some things never change LOL. The small stones are perfect for filling in the gaps and they came in more colour options so a great way to add a new colour to the shirt. For the writing, I used an HB pencil and sketched the fancy font where I wanted it and then doing small sections at a time I applied the Gem-Tac along the pencil line then pop the crystals on the glue. The bit that took the longest was finding colours that weren’t the same to go next to each other. This started to drive me crazy because I was thinking about the colours far more than I need to be, so I would say just let it all happen a little more naturally haha.

For the back, I wanted to use the same font that I used on the front pocket flap but enlarged it and used Swarovski AB Hotfix stones to spell out “Van Cartier”. I find Swarovski Hotfix crystals a dream to work with. The first few you apply are always a little roughly applied but I always find the technique quickly comes back to me. At university, I used Hotfix crystals to completely cover a dress for my final collection. The number of stones added up to around 20,000 16ss which measure 4mm. This took me a good few weeks to do but I was a pro at it by the end haha. I used a dressmaking pin to gently ease the crystal out of the applicator if it won’t slide out the way it should do. I had a few of the larger coloured stones left so I decided to do a little spread of them coming out from the writing.

I am really happy with the end result of this shirt. From a distance, it almost looks subtle and it takes a while to work out what it is that has been applied to the shirt. I know this shirt will come in handy for the springtime weather either traveling to work, popping to the shops, OR even having a drink outside at a bar come Monday 12th!

Sunglasses - Kenzo x H&M

Shirt - ASOS Marketplace

Necklace/Belt/Bracelet - Moschino

T-shirt/Jeans/Boots/Earrings - ASOS

Bag - Balenciaga

My Favourite Fragrance

It might come as no shock to you that my favorite fragrance is one by Moschino. Moschino TOY was the brand’s first fragrance under the creative genius of Jeremy Scott. 2015 saw Jeremy Scott’s 3rd runway for Moschino and the debut of the first fragrance under his creative directorship: Moschino TOY. Not only does the perfume come in the most ADORABLE soft toy bottle, dubbed as the ‘world’s cutest perfume’, it also smells like nothing else. It really is INCREDIBLE, a floral, woody, musky fragrance which importantly isn’t gendered.

As well as the perfume debut, the catwalk showcased a collection inspired by the designer’s own take on streetwear. Scott's streetwear was colorful, sexy, and altogether irrepressible; offering us glossy sleeping bag coats, evening gowns covered in graffiti, and a neon camouflage print. It also featured items inspired by the new fragrance with the teddy bear appearing on everything from t-shirts to lighter holders. Obviously, I was drawn straight to this collection and I instantly knew I HAD to have a few of the pieces.

I was lucky enough to be able to find this ‘TOY’ jumper from the collection in the 2015 Christmas sale on Net-a-Porter. It had been reduced by 50% so it automatically appeared in my basket. The brooch I found on the Luisa Via Roma website for only £25 (so I bought two to qualify for free delivery). This holdall bag I managed to find on Vestiaire Collective for a mere £50 because the gold hardware was slightly tarnished and the fabric in two corners of the bag had tiny little scuffs. Websites like Vestiaire Collective is the perfect way to get your mitts on past season designer pieces, and sometimes at a fraction of the original price. If you’re willing to take an item that has really been pre-loved you can bag yourself a REAL bargain!

To me, fashion is all about doing your own thing. One of the best ways to really get your style and point of view across is to mix up designer with both high street and vintage. Now, ASOS is my GO-TO website for jeans. They really do get it sooooo incredibly right with mixing up-fits and style. I live in these mid-wash, high waisted jeans! This black denim shirt was bought from ASOS Marketplace for £8.50 during the summer sale and it is perfect for throwing on over pretty much anything….. and the jumper goes perfectly in front of this graffiti I found.

Sunglasses - RayBan

Shirt - Vintage www.asosmarketplace.com

Jumper - Moschino www.net-a-porter.com

Belt - ASOS

Jeans - ASOS

Bag - Moschino www.vestiairecollective.com

Boots - ASOS

Brooch - Moschino www.luisaviaroma.com

Tis The Season For Festive Accessories..... FAAA LA LA LA LAA

Christmas is the season, as they say……….. for lurex and crystals in my eyes. Give me an excuse to make a purchase of a few shiny items of clothing and accessories and I am HAPPY!

I have had my eyes on this Moschino necklace from their Autumn/Winter 2020 collection for MOOOONTHS. I do love a statement necklace and you can’t get much more “statement” then this beauty! Much to my delight, FarFetch put their winter sale on early and low and behold this necklace was in the sale……. with an extra 20% off. When the necklace arrived I fell in love with it right away and simply couldn’t wait for an occasion to wear it, but being in tier 3 lockdown in the North East those occasions are pretty far and few between sadly.

The way the necklace has been made, to me, makes it even more impressive. All of the crystals and details have been embroidered onto a fabric made to look like a chunky curb chain. Now depending on what you wear this with it can catch on seams and certain fabrics and possibly click the fabric, this by no means put me off this Bobby Dazzler though, a small price to pay for something so stunning! The fabric that has been been put on the back as a lining piece does fray like nothing before but it isn’t anything a sharp pair of scissors cant fix.

Chunky sole, glitter fabric, what more could you ask for in a boot? These stunners were in my ASOS watchlist for around a year and I had stupidly not purchased them as I have a pair of shoes pretty much the same colour AAAAAND my size had sold out. It wasn’t until about a month ago that I noticed my size was back in stock so I didn’t waste any time and snapped them up! Now these boots really pack a festive punch and the colour of the glitter in the fabric is a dream. I am a huge fan of a boot, or shoe, that has a little something something about them and the sole is that with these boots. I think without the more chunky sole, the boot could have looked a little more basic.

What goes with your new dazzling boots better than a Christmas sock?………… Not much I say!

I am a huge fan of a sport sock AND a festive theme so these socks are a little dream. They are a tad subtle for a Christmas sock but the play on the idea of a traditional sport sock with the red stripes and candy canes and holly make them a real fun piece for this time of year. ASOS really does stock the most incredible affordable pieces and ALWAYS gets the “holiday” pieces so right!

These fun socks are from New Look and I picked them up for £1.50 in the mid season sale. The gingerbread man is sooo cute and the candy canes on a lurex background really bring the party to the festivities. A Christmas themed sock is the perfect, low key and cheap way to express and spread some festive joy…. and you can wear a new pair each day in December if you’re anything like me!!!

Christmas really is the season for fun so why not add some hand candy to the Christmas accessory game. As you may already know I do LOOOOOOOVE bold and brashy gold jewellery and who better to go to for this then Versace. The Rapper Ring has been on my radar for many a year and this summer it EVENTUALLY went into the summer sale and what better to help you through lockdown 1.0 then an oversized, heavy statement ring! I must say I have not been wearing these rings as much recently because of the use of hand sanitiser and the effect alcohol has on “gold” hahaha.

Long Sleeve T-Shirt - ASOS

Necklace - Moschino - FarFetch

Gingerbread Man Socks - New Look

Sports Socks - ASOS

Gold Rings - Versace - versace.com

Crystal Ring - Swarovski

Pumpkin Tote and Halloween Extravaganza Accessories

First of all……………….. HAP……….PPPPY HALLOWEEN!

I had so much fun shooting the photos for the “Halloween Extravaganza” blog, ANNNNNDDDD because there were quite a few accessories featured in it (very unlike me!) I decided to do a follow-up post including them all. Also a few blogs back I did mention that you’d see more screen printed pieces, and I was not lying LOL.

So, months ago I wanted to create two screen-printed Halloween tote bags. As you saw I uploaded the black coffin tote a few blogs back. I had ordered the orange fabric at the same time as the black cotton without realising that it would have to come from overseas and I’d have to wait for what seems like months. So when the fabric arrived on the 29th of October I cracked on and whipped the tote up-and screen printed it-ready to blog it in time for Hallows Eve.

I wanted the tote to obviously be a pumpkin. I ran up a pattern for the tote by drawing a square 40cm by 40cm. I then used the curved part of the pattern master to curve off the bottom edge. I was going to do the same with the top edges but decided against it so that the opening of the bag wasn’t narrow, allowing me to use the bag more often. I then added a little stalk in the center along the open edge of the bag. For quickness, and because they were a perfect length, I used the pattern piece for the straps from the black cotton coffin tote. I attached the straps to the bag 7cm from the edge. Before I sewed the bag together I decided to do the screen-printing. I cut all the pieces out, ironed them then went for the ink.

For the tote stencil, I wanted to incorporate the letters of ‘Van Cartier’ but making up the nose and mouth of the pumpkin. With some help from a VERY talented person in my life, the stencil was created using Adobe Illustrator. Once done, I printed it out ready to be cut out from acetate.

I managed to get the whole stencil on one A3 sheet of acetate. By doing this it meant I could print the entire design in one go, which was soooo useful, especially with being tight on time.

I really wanted to include one of these Moschino mini quilted leather bags in the ‘Halloween Extravaganza’ blog and I thought this lime green one was perfect for the Halloween theme. Although it is VEEEEERY small, I think they really add a lot to an outfit. They really are not very usable, they hold very little/nothing inside, but they are easy to wear; just throw it over your shoulder, and away you go!!!

Now, these little charms were a really fun addition to the Halloween outfit. They are easily added to a bag, a belt loop, or if you’re feeling real extra-earrings! I basically searched eBay for fun little spooky nik naks and found a way to attach a keyring chain to it. The telephone I thought was a fun homage to the horror movie classic Scream. The skeleton was a must-have charm, which was supposed to be for a necklace. I mean what is Halloween without a skeleton huh? The cap is a 1990’s keyring, and all I had to do was take the silver keyring off and add the matt black addition instead. Now the neon yellow witch was from the 1990’s toy series called ‘Monsters in My Pocket’. I used to be OBSESSED with these as a kid, so I had to buy one. The price of the toys really jumped up between 1994 and 2020. I can remember Medusa and this witch character being two of my faves (I think it was because of the glamorous floor-length gowns they are wearing LOL) and I really wanted to add one just for the memories. I picked up the keyring chains from eBay for a few pounds for 5.

Some people say that jewellery should be the finishing touch to any outfit, but I say jewellery should say as much as the entire rest of the outfit does. This bracelet was from a company called OS Accessories, which was an Asian based jewellery company that did the most amazing bone inspired jewellery. I bought this bracelet in 2015 and fell in love with it. I have struggled to find the company recently so I am under the impression that they must not still be going, which I am gutted about as I’d love a few more pieces. The green plastic fang necklace, I picked up from H&M way back in 2009. I had totally forgotten about this necklace until during lockdown in the spring, I sorted through my jewellery collection and instantly needed to wear it to death again……… see what I did there, Halloween pun LOL.

The other day I ran into a Tesco store and naturally had to check out the Halloween aisle. Much to my surprise I found these retro-style kids masks selling for £1 each, so I snapped them both up. I do wish I had found these in time for last week’s blog shoot, but hey ho these things happen. I had to feature them in a blog before the 1st of November….so here you go haha.

I hope you all have an amazingly creepy Halloween!

Halloween Extravaganza

Another week closer to Halloween, it’s so close now you can almost taste it!!!

For this blog, I wanted to create an all-out Halloween Extravaganza of an outfit made up of stuff I have been collecting for months and since this year I have nowhere to wear it…………. HERE IT IS!

Months ago now, I purchased this Moschino ‘Creature From the Black Lagoon’ shirt from FarFetch and have been gagging to wear it. Obviously, this year hasn’t been anything like we’d expected, so this was the first opportunity I have had to wear it. It is from the Moschino Spring 2020 Halloween inspired collection so I decided to go all out on a Trick or Treater style outfit. Fun and obvious accessories really helped the overall theming.

I decided to create these jeans from two pairs of the same style, in different shades. I cut and sewed the two together to create a bit of a Frankenstein/Scarecrow look. They were incredibly easy to do. To start with I measured along the seam where I wanted the new cut seam to go on the base pair of jeans. I then went to the other pair and measured the same length and added 1cm for the seam allowance. I then stitched them together, right sides facing then pressed the seam open to make the seam look a little neater. For the stitch detailing I used an embroidery thread and embroidery needle and just started really randomly making it look like the stitching was holding the seam together. The more random and “homemade” (I HATE the term homemade haha) it looks, the better it fits with the theme. I added a pocket cut from another pair of darker jeans and I added this over the pocket of the original jeans and added the embroidery thread over the top. I used a grey embroidery thread just to add another colour to the jeans. I cut a patch out from the same pair of jeans I removed the pocket from and added a Frankenstein style scar to the patch then attached that to the jeans using the black embroidery thread.

The Black washed denim jacket is something I have wanted for a long time now. I picked up this jacket from Primark for only £15. The first change I wanted to make to it was the length. It was a little too long for me, but not long enough to look like a longer style. I measured 20cm from the bottom of the jacket all the way around and then joined the marks with a pair of fabric scissors and removed the bottom part. For the print on the back, I wanted it to be a large pair of monster-like eyes. I drew the design on a sheet of A3 paper and when I had finished I placed the paper on a cutting mat and put an A3 sheet of acetate over the design. Using a sharp scalpel I slowly cut off the parts that I wanted to be in green. I then did the same, using an A4 sheet of acetate with the white and red parts of the design. Like I said in the previous blog, you were going to see lots more screen printing, and here is another piece!!!! To create this piece I did it in 3 stages; the green, white and then red ink. Because the fabric I was printing on was black I did some research and found that if you use a colour discharge paste (sounds disgusting doesn’t it?) I mixed a 1:1 ratio of the discharge paste and ink and it really did make a difference to the quality of the colour of the ink.

I carried out each step of the screen printing over 3 days. Once the ink had been screen printed onto the fabric I then used a hairdryer and applied heat to the ink as a catalyst for the discharge paste to remove the colour from the denim. I did this for around 5 minutes evenly to the whole design. I then placed the jacket in a warm cupboard overnight to make sure that it was dry for the application of the next colour. It was easier than I thought to place the next stencil for the next colour, I just referred to the original drawing and lined the stencil up. Once all three colours had then been printed and allowed to dry out, I ironed the design with a sheet of greaseproof paper between the fabric and the iron. I used a very hot iron and evenly applied the heat, then I used a steamer and steamed over the print to cure the ink and make it washable.

For the hat I used a leather cap I already had, I think I got it from eBay many years ago. I then bought a standard devil horn hairband that lit up. I removed the horns from the hairband and luckily they had 2 holes on the underside of the horns which I used to sew the horns from the seam of the leather cap. To sew the horns on I used a mattress needle and it was pretty easy to do. The horns straighten up when the cap is being worn, which I was EXTREMELY pleased about.

For the accessories I used in this shoot, I wanted the look to be quite random and eclectic………… almost like a child going out trick or treating and throwing on everything they had. I used a Moschino mini leather chained bag in green. To me, green is a perfect colour for Halloween. I obviously HAD to use one of my Moschino Monster bags from the Spring/Summer 2020 collection, so I went for the monster fanny pack. I don’t get to use this bag very often so any excuse to whip it out I’m all over! For years I have had a gold chain with green plastic Vampire teeth. This used to be a favorite necklace of mine, but like the Monster fanny pack, I always forget to wear it so It had to feature in the shoot. I also found 2 pairs of themed 3D cinema glasses in a local charity shop. One was themed to a mummy and the other to a werewolf. These added a fun layer to the shoot, I just wish they were a little larger (as they are kids).

Leather cap - eBay

Denim Jacket - Primark

Shirt - Moschino (FarFetch)

Necklace - H&M

Belt - Urban Outfitters

Jeans - New Look

Fanny pack - Moschino (FarFetch)

Green mini bag - Moschino (Vestiare Collective)

Bracelet - OS Accessories

Socks - H&M

Trainers - Primark

Monster Scarf

Ever since I saw it, I’ve been in love with a scarf by Jeremy Scott available in either bright orange or bright pink. It was like a monster dropping around your neck. It was super fun!!!! I have been looking for one for years and years but sadly without any luck; so I decided I was going to create one of my own!

I wanted to go for a ‘My Pet Monster’ because as a kid I ALWAYS wanted one. I remember a cousin having one which came with an American Football jersey and helmet on and orange handcuffs. I searched and searched on eBay for one of these monsters but they were going for HUNDREDS! I did manage to find this 2009 edition for £25 so I OBVIOUSLY snapped it up!

What I used to make this creep;

• monster soft toy (I went for a ‘My Pet Monster’)

• faux fur fabric in a colour of your choice

• fabric scissors

• thread scissors

• a pencil

• pattern paper

The first thing I did seems a little brutal, it was to unpick the soft toy. I started with the head as the seams from the head ran down to the arms and legs. It can take some work and a whoooooole lot of patience to do this step. To get it started I got a fine pair of thread scissors and dug in into the seam on the neck then snipped the first thread I found. I slowly worked my way around the neck seam by snipping each stitch. Now, this CAN be a little messy, with the bits of faux fur flying through the air. Once I had completed the snipping of the stitches around the neck I removed the stuffing from the head and the body. I did keep this just in case I needed some stuffing to put in the head to give it a little shape. Once I removed the stuffing from the body I was then able to unpick the side seams to free up the arms and legs. Once the limbs were free I then made the decision to make a little tail from the faux fur from the body of the soft toy. I did this by cutting a rectangle out, 10 cm by 15 cm. I folded the rectangle then curved the unsewn seam. I then SLOOOOWLY stitched, on the sewing machine, along the edge with the curved top.

Once all the bits were ready I made a start with the main body of the scarf. I had this crazy plan of having a purple jersey on the underside of the Monster’s belly but this dream flew out the window when I tried to stitch the faux fur, sadly. I had spent a few hours running up the pattern for this elaborate scarf design but I quickly simplified the design. I cut the blue faux fur into a rectangle 50 cm x 120 cm (plus a 1 cm seam allowance). I then folded the rectangle in half to get the center and I cut a notch to mark it. To sew the scarf I turned the faux fur fabric, right sides facing, and then SLOOOOWLY stitched it on the sewing machine. I left 25 cm in the seam in order to turn the scarf back through on itself. Leaving the rectangle right sides facing, I then matched the seam down the centre to the notch I cut then SLOOOOWLY stitched along one end (where the monster’s head will go). I then turned the scarf the correct way it would be once finished to make sure I get the feet pointing the way I want them to. At the open end, I then pinned the feet and tail to the faux fur scarf. I needed to turn the scarf back to the right sides facing each other. To ensure the tail was in place in the centre, I notched the tail the same way I did with the main body and pinned it to the centre before pinning each leg to the outer edge of the scarf. I SLOOOOWLY stitched this end making sure not to trap the legs and tail under the foot of the sewing machine. I turned the scarf the right way through the seam in the scarf where I left a gap, being careful not to put too much tension on the back limbs.

Now, this bit is a pretty important part of the overall finish of the scarf………… The head.

I found the best way to attach the head to the scarf was to stitch it on by hand. This way I was able to control where the head was placed much more easily. I placed the face of the monster touching the underside of the scarf, then stitched the head to the scarf making sure I was flipping the head the right way up to make sure it was looking right. Once the bottom was attached I then stitched the arms using the exact same method. After attaching the arms I flipped the head, making sure it covered the arms and then hand sewed the head in place by stitching through the soft toy’s hair (and with every stitch making sure the hair covered the thread. And BOOOOOOM, I’ve finished!!!!!!

• Jumper - Jeremy Scott

• Roll Neck - Zara

• Tousers - Zara

• Bag - Moschino

• Trainers - New Balance

• Sunglasses - RayBan

Patched Jeans

It is safe to say that I am OBSESSED with patches!

Back in 2009, I visited Paris for a few day’s break with a uni friend. While I was shopping through a tourist type shop on the Champs-Elysees, I found an ‘I heart Paris’ patch. I obviously snapped it up and this is where the obsession started. I had the thought of collecting more patches to create a jacket of memories and things I love. Over the years I collected more and more and MOOOOOOORE patches, from everywhere; a holiday to scrolling through eBay and Esty. The collection had to be used as it kept growing and growing. I eventually stopped being so precious over the patches and made the purchase of an oversized denim jacket to cover in the patches. I have been adding, removing, and re-adding the patches to the jacket and I have now run out of space on it………….. so now it is time to create a pair of jeans to add the new patches to!

What I used to create these beauties:

• a pair of good fitting jeans (I went for an ASOS pair)

• a good selection of patches

• thread (I like to use invisible thread)

• a needle

• dressmaking pins

After much hunting online for patches, I came across www.labarbudashop.com. La Barbuba is based in Northern Spain, so deliveries can take a little time to arrive………. but it is well worth it! They don’t just stock the most insane patches, they stock t-shirts, sweatshirts, pins (another one of my loves) keyrings, and prints. Their products are inspired by cinema, retro computer games, and comics. No matter how many times I go on to the site I always manage to find something based on something I love. From Disney, Jumanji, The Gremlins: they just get it so right.

The quality of their patches really is second to none, I could not fault them, and are well worth the small price tag. Following them on social media is the best way to see new products as they post regularly.

I had noticed on Instagram that they were going to be doing a stock clearance and I instantly jumped on the site and filled my cart!!! They had items that they had stopped selling online for a fraction of the price (the prices are usually incredibly reasonable anyway) and even items that were just reduced.

Scrolling through eBay and Etsy is one of the best ways to build your patch collection. You can find some real gems but be careful as some can be a little naff and pretty low quality. I tend to find the best patches on eBay are in America so the postage can be a bit high and will eat up the money where you could have bought more patches.

It is really important to choose a pair of jeans that you love as there will a lot of work going into creating customized jeans. I went for a pair from ASOS. I already have a pair of these jeans and as the fit is so perfect with a high waist and a wide leg, perfect for throwing more patches at.

The first thing I like to do is place the patches on the piece I am going to cover. I find this is the best way as you can move everything around until your happy with the layout without wasting your time stitching and unpicking each patch to reposition it. I tried the jeans on and placed pins at the creases when I sat down to avoid placing large patches there as they would be pretty uncomfortable. This is why the layout differs from the final outcome………. well, kind of final. I tend to keep patches of a similar colour away from each other and spread the colour evenly through the piece. I do this because I prefer a quite random look with the patches. Also putting a more pricey patch among cheaper patches makes the less pricey ones harder to spot. Taking a picture of the layout is a good idea so you have something to look back on and to save you having to pin each patch in place then sew each patch one by one. The thread can get caught around the other patches and pins and can become a bit of a mess and a little stressful to sew them on.

Now an important thing to remember is that you can always unpick a patch if you’d like to move it, yeah it can be a bit of a pain, it just saves you being so precious over stitching them in place. I am really precious over everything LOL! This is a great project to add new additions to really easily too. Keep hunting for patches and entirely cover the item with patches! I love taking my time to create a patched masterpiece by adding and taking off patches to mix it up and make room for patches you like more. So a project like this may never be finished and this is one the reasons I love making a patched project.

From past experience, a day of hand sewing patches to denim can be a LIIIITTLE tiring on the old fingers. Some patches can be pretty easy to pass the needle through the denim and patch, yet others are real bleeders. If you wrap some sticky tape around your thumb and index finger it can make pulling the needle through a tiny bit easier! A thimble can be your best friend also. If your more patient then I am just take your time, stick a series on, and binge-watch while sewing away and enjoy it!

• Hat - Vintage, Universal Studios

• Oversized PU Jacket - ASOS, Collusion

• T-Shirt - Primark

• Belt - YSL Rive Gauche (2005)

• Rapper Ring - Versace

• Bracelet - Links of London

• Watch - Marc Jacobs

• Bag - Moschino x Magnum

• Jeans - ASOS, https://www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-high-waist-relaxed-jean-in-mid-wash-blue/prd/20071460?CTARef=Saved+Items+Image

• Shoes - Dr Martens x Mark Wiggin

Powerpuff Yourself!

Now, when I discovered there was an app called ‘Powerpuff Yourself’ to say I was excited would have been an understatement. I have to say it is one of the most fun apps I have come across in a looooooong time! This is the app I used to create my Powerpuff avatar. It took a long time to create this character, with scrolling through the many items of clothing, accessories and hairstyle options (topped with me being so indecisive) I OBVIOUSLY went for the gold chain which came with the grey long sleeve top. Now, I would very rarely wear a grey long sleeve t-shirt but when it came to the gold chain I had to go for this! I went for a pair of jeans as I am always in jeans and I LOVE mid-wash denim. I wanted to go for the closest thing to my gold NIKE Air Max, so the yellow capped-toe trainers did very nicely! The choice in hairstyles, hair colour, facial hair and glasses is crazy, there is so many to pick from. Once you have finished picking your look you can then pick your “superpower’. The choices are really cute such as ‘LOL Power’ and ‘Selfie Smasher’. Each power is made up of different animals, emojis and colours. I went for the ‘Mega Multi-Tasker’ not necessarily because it is true, LOL, but because it had the pink colour background.

Due to the discovery of this app, I decided to do a little shoot of my new Powerpuff Girls themed outfit. While a friend was visiting Manchester for work he sent me a picture of this EYE-POPPING Powerpuff Girls long sleeve t-shirt from H&M. I immediately fell in love with it and he very kindly offered to get it for me just in case my local H&M didn’t have it in stock. SHOCK, both my local H&M stores didn’t have it in stock (we always seem to be the last to get new lines in). I decided to go for a more oversized fit so I went for the XL. This t-shirt still hasn’t appeared online and I am PRAYING they will release more options in this range similar to the Spongebob collection they had during the summer.

I paired the t-shirt with my go-to ASOS high waist mid-wash jeans. I love the fit of these jeans both on the leg and around the waist. I find them very comfortable yet they add a little something extra with the fit being high waisted. The denim does not have any stretch to it so thankfully the slightly wider fit legs make them more comfortable when bending your knees. I went for my usual jean size and hoped that they came in as a good fit as ASOS bottoms can be VERY hit and miss size-wise.

I went for the Reebok Workout Plus X PAQ as a footwear choice. When I first saw these trainers I fell in love with them. Not only do I love a Reebok Workout, but when the colours are as bright and fun as these, of course, I’m on board! They have small alien heads printed on to the leather……………. and plastic parts. The Reebok Workout is an incredibly comfortable shoe and I was so happy when I found this amazing pair on the Foot Locker website reduced by 50%.

Back in the summer of 2016, Moschino graced us with yet another unbelievably themed catwalk show that featured the Cartoon Network’s Powerpuff Girls. In this collection, there were crossbody bags of each of the girl’s faces. I remember these bags being soooooo expensive at the time but I reeeeeally wanted (at least) one of them. I searched from these bags on www.vestiairecollective.com for years afterwards and just so happened to find this Buttercup bag listed for £90. I obviously jumped on this purchase! Ever since I got the bag it has sadly been sat in a cupboard in its protective dust bag. I did loan it to a friend for a friend’s wedding we went to in 2019 and it was so nice to see Buttercup’s face out and about. I had to use this bag for this shoot or else it would have been another 2 years before she saw the light of day again.

• Trainers - https://www.footlocker.co.uk/en/p/reebok-workout-plus-x-paq-men-shoes-91721?v=314310195004#!searchCategory=all

• Jeans - https://www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-high-waisted-jeans-in-vintage-mid-wash-blue/prd/10839108?colourwayid=16288810&SearchQuery=high%20waist%20mens

• T-shirt (similar) - https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0874118031.html

• Hat - vintage, eBay

• Watch - G-Shock

• Bracelet - Moschino

• Charm Necklace - Shawn Leane

• Chain Necklaces - Topman

• Socks - ASOS