31/12/2014

The Kimono | On Trend





Kimonos are all the rage this spring / summer. They are a great way to add something to an otherwise plain outfit, and can be worn dressed up or more casually. 

Kimonos are also really easy to make - which is exactly what I did! 

There are quite a few kimono tutorials out there, but this is the one I used with a few modifications.





I was originally inspired by this pin to make a gorgeous floral pastel kimono. However as is usually the case I couldn't find any fabric similar to this. I did eventually manage to find two different materials for two kimonos. 




I wasn't 100% sure about this fabric at first because it initially looked like there was way too much black. After a friend rolled it out more, we discovered it had a beautiful purple floral pattern on it.





This fabric is gorgeous to look at and and feels amazing, however it is definitely not easy to sew with. It frays quite a lot which can make things difficult. As such I had to add bias binding to the open portion of the kimono to stop the fray. I also overlocked the hems.






I found this gorgeous black looped trim to add to the arm holes and around the bottom of the kimono.





For the second kimono, I was instantly drawn to the beautiful colours and the soft feel of the fabric. This fabric was much easier to work with - although it does still fray a little this is easily fixed by overlocking the hems.






I found these cute white baubles to add onto the arm holes and bottom of the kimono. 

Overall I am really happy with how they have turned out and would definitely make more! 

What are your thoughts on the kimono?


I would also like to take this opportunity to say "Happy New Year" and thank you for all your support in 2014. There are lots of exciting things happening in 2015 and I can't wait to take you along for the ride.


xx

 

23/12/2014

Bosch Glue Gun | First Impressions (perfect last minute Christmas idea!)





If you are a lover of any form of DIY I highly recommend you invest in a Bosch GluePen. I received mine as an early Christmas present from Santa (aka my Dad!) and have been so impressed with how amazing this product is.

It is basically the same idea as a hot glue gun - only better! It has a lithium battery which means it is used without cords, a massive plus in my books! The battery will last continuously for around 30 minutes and doesn't take very long to charge. 




The glue pen is so easy to use. All you need to do is insert the glue stick into the hole at the back of the pen and push down on the red lever until the glue comes out! The way the glue pen is designed means that it is very easy to be precise with the glue which means less mess! The glue does not string like a normal glue gun which is fantastic. The outside of the gun does not get hot (only to bottom section & the tip) which makes it a great tool for children to use as well (with supervision of course!)

The glue dries very quickly and once it has dried it is very strong. 




I have been very impressed so far and have a whole list of projects in my head that I will be using this for!!

The glue pen would make the perfect Christmas present, and for around $50 it is very reasonably priced.




Have you heard of / tried the glue pen before? What are your thoughts?

xx



*** This is NOT a sponsored post***

15/12/2014

First Alice Top | DIY


I recently finished my first Alice top from Tessuti Fabrics and I am really happy with how it turned out. I found this gorgeous fabric at Spotlight and knew it would fit the Alice Top perfectly. My only gripe with this fabric was that it frayed quite badly.



One of my favourite things about this top are the sleeves. They not only attach to the yoke but the bodice as well. I really love the way they make this top look.




This top has gathers at the front and the back which make the material drape beautifully.


I was very excited to finally get the under-stitiching right with this top - I have struggled with this in that past but think I got it right this time! 


I finished the hem off with a zig zag stitch as I felt it was more stable and added something different to the top. 

I will definitely be making another one of these tops - I think it would look very cute as a summer crop top!

Have you tried out this pattern? What did you think?

xx

 

10/12/2014

Adjustoform Dress Form | First Impressions



I was so excited to receive this dress form for my recent birthday. I must admit, I did know about it before hand (so that I could pick it out) which made it even harder knowing I could not use it!!

I had been looking at dress forms for quite a while, and I finally settled on the Adjustoform Dress Form in Petite. There are quite a few reasons why I chose this one that I will go through below!






Not that you really get a choice when it comes to colour (this usually relates to the size!) but i love the maroony-purple colour of this mannequin!





One of the things that drew me to this dress form was the number of places you can adjust the size. There are 8 different adjustment points with easy to use wheels to help you get your dress form as close to your body shape as possible. I found it very simple to get the measurements correct.



I love that the neck of the dress form is actually useful! The perfect spot to keep those pins in.



The dress form also has shoulders and a hem marker which helps you to create a straight hem on your garment! The other thing that I love about this dress form is it has full 360 spinning ability, meaning you can stay in the one spot while you spin it to adjust your garment!

Overall I am very happy with this dress form. It was very simple to put together as well which is a big plus! I haven't been able to sew as much as I would have liked lately, but I am on holidays soon so will have a lot of projects going on!

Do you own a dress form? Which one did you choose and why?

- J x

Please click here to see my disclaimer policy.







06/12/2014

Birthday Body Shop Skincare Haul | Beauty



I was very lucky to receive this amazing Body Shop skincare pack for my birthday recently. I find these packs can be a bit hit and miss sometimes - some have products that I would never use! However I love everything that came in this pack and cannot wait to try them out.

Here is what was included:



Wild Argan Oil Massage Soap & Shea Soap


Shea Body Whip & Shea Shower Cream (I am using these at the moment and am in love! The shower cream smells amazing, and the body whip leaves my skin silky smooth and hydrated)


Wild Argan Oil Shower Gel, Wild Argan Oil Body Butter & Wild Argan Oil for Body and Hair


Mooring Body Butter & Mooring Body Scrub

All in all a great pack of skincare! I will definitely be trying out everything in this pack - which also came with a pretty blue body scrubber and a gorgeous 100% bamboo bowl. 

xx

 

02/12/2014

Christmas Gift Guide | 2014


1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

Can you believe how close we are to Christmas! This year has flown by. Most people are in the midst of their Christmas shopping, so I thought I would share with you my top picks from my Etsy store Little Miss Lorraine. A lot of these products can be used right throughout the year - not just for Christmas!!

Make sure you are following Little Miss Lorraine on Facebook and Instagram to hear about new products first!

xx