Flower Hair Bobby Pins: Or Why I Wanna Dress Like a Fairy Princess

Is there anything wrong with wanting to dress like I'm straight out of a fantasy novel? Because some days, I try and do just that. I wish I had more sheer, flowing, romantic clothes in my closet for those days. And, of course, accessories covered in flowers.

Luckily, that last wish was easy to accomplish. I had a big strand of fake flowers in my room that I'd been meaning to use for a while; I just didn't know what for. After buying a new package of bobby pins, they finally had a purpose.

This was so easy to do; I just hotglued the flower to the top of the pin and waited for it to dry. The one thing I wish I could change is how much glue it took to adhere the flowers; I feel like it's kind of noticeable when I'm wearing them. They kept falling off if I used less, though, so I guess I'll live with it.

I've mostly been using these to secure up a simple bun- my go-to hair style when I'm working or just need my hair out of my face. I'd like to pin them throughout a braid, but I'm a little worried they'd fall out throughout the day. Overall, I love how they turned out, and how easy and quick it was to put them together. And I like how they've been making my outfits just a tad more fairy princess-y :)

Sorry for the blatant laptop photo.... Getting real photos in a dorm room can be a challenge.

Floral Applique Top: FINISHED!

It's finally done! I've been working on this top for FOREVER; it feels so good to finally be able to move onto something new. And wear the finished product, of course :)

I got the main floral fabric at a flea market; I randomly found it stashed in a huge chest of drawers, and it only cost $2, so of course I had to have it. The two back panels are made from fabric from a thrifted nightgown (I hemmed about a foot and a half off of it, which left me with this extra fabric). All in all, I spent less than $5 to make this! I also love projects where I can repurpose old materials in some way. The last few garments I've made have used old fabrics; I'd like to keep that up.

I used Vogue 1170 by Rachel Comey for this top. I only made a few alterations to the pattern; I omitted the buttons and buttonholes on the back, and instead I just sewed the plackets together. I added a snap at the top so the top can be taken on and off easily, though. I liked the look of buttons, but with the applique going on on the back, I figured it would be best to leave them off so it didn't look too busy. The pattern also calls for gathering in the armholes, which I didn't do. I thought the gathering would make the armholes slightly too tight, and I'd always rather have something more loose and comfortable. 

The most challenging part was making this knot symmetrical (which honestly, I don't think I ever quite accomplished). It's hard to get precision with that kind of thing!

This top is finished with all French seams, which was a touch I really appreciated about the pattern. I'd never sewn with a Vogue pattern before, but I could definitely tell a difference in the quality of instructions- Vogue doesn't baby you. They expect you to know your sewing terms, and be comfortable with more challenging techniques. I liked it, and I liked that I didn't have to finish any edges with a serger. 

I'm finally ready to move on to a new sewing project! Up next: pajama pants for my boyfriend. I've had the fabric for quite a while; it's only fair. I'd also like to make myself a clutch; I've been wanting one for while, and it can't be difficult to do. Here's hoping I have time to sew between homework assignments.....

Things haven't been going the way I'd planned lately, but I'm starting to think that that's okay. Take this blanket I'm making, for starters. 

I took this beginner's crochet class last Saturday where we learned to make Granny Squares. I had a great time- I've never taken a class like that before, and it's something I definitely want to do again. Anyway, I bought this fancy yarn for the class, and I started making a Granny Square blanket out of it. I was loving how it looked, and the colors, and everything. But here's the thing; to finish it, I would have needed to buy about 10 more skeins of yarn. I'm a poor college student, and if I'm going to spend lots of money on anything, it will be fabric for sewing stuff. Then I realized how silly it was to be working on this fancy blanket when I have 7 or 8 skeins of yarn that have been sitting in my room for months. 

That's how this blanket was born. I'm making it from all the random colors of yarn I have. The uglier and crazier it gets, the better. It's not done yet- right now it's about the size of a baby blanket- but I'm excited to see how it grows and gets even better. I won't have to spend any money on it (okay... I may end up spending, like, $6 on it), which is perfect. I could use more projects like this-- easy, relaxing, and free. I'm having these dreams of putting my huge, crazy multicolored blanket in some future apartment. That would be pretty awesome.

Then there's this top. For some reason, this top doesn't want to be finished-- I feel like I've stalled all progress, and I'm not sure why. I really want to wear it! But I've had some pretty frustrating moments with it. Here's what I accidentally did; I cut a huge gash in one of the pink back panels. The fabric's so thin that while I was trimming a seam allowance, I didn't even notice it was happening. I didn't have enough fabric to cut a new piece, so I had to figure out a solution that would cover the gash and salvage the top.

So I created appliques down the back. The huge flower below is covering the gash (actually, to be exact, the leaf is covering most of it). I wasn't planning to embellish the back of the top like this. If I hadn't messed up like that, I probably would have already finished the top. But I'm happy with how it looks; I think it will be a lot more interesting than it would have otherwise been.

Despite all my planning, things like this happen. I change my plans abruptly and have to adapt to new circumstances. I'm really liking both of my projects, though.