Kimono details

Things happened, and it's been almost 3 months since I last updated my blog.

That will (hopefully) change now!

DIY: elbow patches

Oh bugger, I don't like this new Blogger layout :(

About 5 years ago, I bought a blue/white striped sweater in a second hand store. It's been used and loved, but lately it's been looking so... dull. So I decided to liven it up with elbow patches! Yes, I'm a sucker for elbow patches, haha.

 

What you'll need;

1. Sweater of choice
2. Elbow patches (these can be bought pre-made in different colours - fairly cheap too)
3. Iron
4. Sewing needle
5. Thread

First, find out where you want to place it, and iron it in place - follow the instructions on the elbow patch package!

When you've made sure they don't peel off, you can leave it like that - or secure them by sewing them in place.

 

I decided on a darker thread colour.

And then you're done! A brand "new" sweater, ready to wear ♥


 (Alternative title; Astrid's Inner Hipster)

DIY: dying clothes

These days I spend too much time watching TV shows - but in between I get a little creative. Well, the most creative I can be right now!

The past few days I've had a little project going, and some of you might find it useful.

Do you ever feel like you have nothing to wear, and you clothes just seem dull?

Fear not!

You can dye your clothes, and it will feel like new!

I, myself, had a pair of blue jeans, a baby pink top, a blue dress and a washed black t-shirt.
On a daily basis I wear a lot of black and I haven't really got many bright colors in my wardrobe; so the top and the dress have just been lying around for ages, not being used - on the contrary, I've used the t-shirt so much that the color had faded quite a lot.

For the dying I used Admiral - a danish fabric color brand, that can be used in the washing machine, which is the easies way to dye clothes.

This is how it looked before and after,

NOTE: when dying clothes, you have to make sure how much it weights, as a higher weight gives a lighter color!
NOTE 2: when dying jeans it's best to use the jeans-color for the best result; but as I didn't want the blue jeans to be completely black, I went for the basic color.
NOTE 3: The fabric-color usually can't dye the thread used for sewing - this can be seen on my dress, which still has a slightly visible blue thread.

As you can see in the image, the top and the dress has gotten a washed-black color, due to the weight from the jeans.
This was easy to solve, as I had another pair of jeans - an old pair that have been used so much that they have haded to a bluish-black - that I needed to dye too.
For these, I used the jeans-color, and put the top and the dress in the washer together with the jeans, so now they are completely black too.

This is a really cheap (Admiral cost 59Dkkr) way to renew your wardrobe, and make the washed-out clothes seem new again!

inspire me III

This is todays outfit;

Going to my parents summer cottage to help renovate today - hence the trunk (・∀・ )
It's a shame you can't really see the color of the dress, it's very dark green.

As you might see, I took a great inspiration from Dolly Kei. I fall more and more in love with this style, and I want to incorporate it into my everyday clothes. Sadly I haven't got a lot of suitable clothes, but I'll have to look for some sometime ♥
To be honest, I've loved this style ever since I laid my eyes on it. I love the rich, down to earth colors, all the layers and accessories.

Some Dolly Kei outfits that inspire me;

Man, I'm in love with it ♥