A very Seventies Sunday Best

The Mister's Mum has just passed on a couple of her 70's dresses to me after a bit of a clear out at home. I don't normally think of wearing 70's bits as I didn't think they were my style, but after being given some, and playing around a little with some other bits in my wardrobe, I've finally managed to find a way of making 70's work for me!

I've teamed it up with a a very wide brimmed fedora hat, a crochet shrug made by moi with a vintage fur collar attached and a chunkywood necklace purchased from a flea market, so date and origin a mystery heh. 

It turned out quite the windy day. Wind + Fedora = chasing after hats through the park. Our neighbours must think we are rather odd, but at least it gives them something to natter about ;) 

Dress - 70's family hand-me-down

Hat - T K Maxx

Shrug - made-by-me!

Vintage Fur Collar - Marina Boot Fair

Necklace - Seaford Flea Market

Boots - T K Maxx

Much Love from Brighton,

L.J.

xxx

Experiments in Crochet

 I've mentioned previously that I've been devoting a lot of my spare time on developing my crochet skills and working on more projects. I was taught by my babysitter when I was around 6 how to crochet, but after a few failed attempts at making bits and bobs in my teenage years, and not having the patience to stick to patterns, I forgot all about it and started sewing instead. Last year however I vowed to change that and get back into crochet, thanks to my very inspiring friend Miss Amy Phipps, who, together with She's called Claire own and run Super + Super HQ. Amy taught me how to Hairpin Lace Crochet in July and reminded me how much fun it is to work with wool, and also how easy it is to improvise once you've learnt your basics.

I've now passed on some of my knowledge and taught a few friends, two in particular (you know who you are!) who have picked it up stupendously quick and have made some amazing piecesalready, in under a years worth of time!

When I've not been helping others along with their projects, I've been learning how to freeform and improvise to come up with new ideas. I'm so sad I forgot to take any pictures of the Christmas presents I made this year, so I've been making sure I document projects since then, including these two pillows:

I saw a pattern for a circular owl on Pinterest, and used it to come up with my own circular designed owl, and then a little fox too! Both pieces are worked in the round, changing colours as you work. That's definitely a new trick I've learnt this year, changing colours properly and neatly in the right stitch so you get crisp lines. Really really pleased with how these two turned out, and I've had lots of offers of adoption for these tow, who will be making their way to their new homes shortly :)

What do you think?

Much Love from Brighton,

L.J.

xxx

A Frosty Spring Walk

These pictures were taken in February, I never got around to putting them up on here but still wanted to share them with you because it was such a pretty afternoon in Tilgate Park, even if it was freezing cold!

We were out on our weekly Saturday afternoon walk with Charlie Beagle and stopped to take a couple of snaps of one of my recent acquisition; a thick 70's wool tweed jacket to keep out the chills.

I fell in love with the lapels of the jacket, that curve! And the green white flecked wool went perfectly against my freshly dyed auburn hair. People ask if it's my natural colour, alas it is not! I've wanted to be a natural red head all my life though, does that count? 

(should have remembered to move our cups of tea out the way though, oops!)

As I've mentioned previously I've not really been curling my hair much recently, but have been pinning up the front bits and playing around instead. Here is one such example, I've pinned up 3 curls from the centre front down the side to swoop it out of my face. Quite liked how this one turned out :)

And some detailing from the back. I don't know what the technical terminology for it is, but I really like the triangular reinforcement bits either end of the back vent, I'd really like to try something like that out on a future project...not quite sure what yet....just know I'd like to. Any ideas what that's called?

Much Love from Brighton,

L.J.

XXX

Tilgate Park, Crawley

She's Alive!

Well hello there, long time no blog! 

I cannot believe I haven't been back on here since January... I swear I've lost the plot a little of late, because I have no idea where the last 3 months have gone! I am putting it down to studying by night, working by day, and stuffing in as many woolly crochet projects as I possible could in between, I just haven't had the time to get myself blogging again. But I really have missed it, and all your lovely messages while I've been on a little blog-break have made me itch to get back into it. 

And I had to pinch myself when I logged on earlier this week...I've sped past the 100+ followers mark in my absence *jaw drops* THANK YOU!!!!

So I thought I should get back into things with a little outfit post, a Sunday Best! Thank you everyone who has been taking part and spreading the love of the Sunday Best Campaign, I have a lot of reading to catch up on and can't wait to see :) 

Without further ado, a collection of snaps prancing about on Kemptown seafront, in a nice quiet spot down from our flat:

The Mister and I headed over to Shoreham yesterday for the 1st Johnny loves June Vintage Fair. For a first time, it was packed and now on my favourites list! Forgot to take my camera along, d'oh, but managed to pick up this pretty little springtime dress for £10. Bargain! 

I paired it up with a little jacket from a To Be Worn Again kilo sale and it being super light, probably set me back around £2. Have I mentioned that I love a good bargain?  It has the cutest elephant buttons and an embroidered elephant on the collar, super sweet! 

In my time away I've got a little lazy when it comes to doing my hair, and have been keeping it in its natural state and haven't curled it (apart from an aaaaaaaamazing photoshoot I did recently which I will tell you all about this week, promise!). However, I've been loving playing around with pinning bits of it up, and have nearly mastered the art of finishing getting up and out the house in under 20 minutes; there are upshots of being super busy sometimes, heh. 

Also, my hair seems to have grown a hell of a lot!

It's really lovely to be back again, and I'm finding it really inspiring getting back into reading all the blogs out there and finding new ones again. I've missed it, and I shall try my best to get back into being online again as often as possible, but please do bear with me should I seem to disappear off the planet again, I will be back!

Dress - Johnny Loves June Vintage Fair, Shoreham

Jacket - To Be Worn Again

Petticoat - family hand-me-down

Gloves - Flea Market, Lewes

Sunglasses - Betsey Johnson

Much Love from Brighton,

 L.J.

XXX