Cape pattern by Ceregana

Oh my god. I just found an awsome victorian/steampunk styled cape pattern from Burdastyle. Isn´t this beautiful?? The pattern is unfrtunately only for size 38 (US10/UK12/JP13). Dowloadable free of course and printed out from your own printer. The pattern is made by a crafty Berliner Ceregana.

Fashion face off

Classic clothing design is... well classic. I find it boring even though I appreciate the craftsmanship of a perfectly fitting dress or suit. That´s why I´m such a huge fan of Mr. Castelbajac and Madame Rykiel. They just decide to have fun with their runway collections every time. Screw the current "trend projections". Behold the face-dress! Looove this. I´m so seeing myself at the New Years party wearing a similar dress with a giant drawing of my face framed with yellow wool threads or strips of fabric as hair. Narsistic? Or just harmless DIY fun? You decide.

Sonia Rykiel SS2009 collection


And what about this dress by Sonia Rykiel? Works for me. Maybe some sort of neckstraps need to be added so your hands are not tied up all night...

Fashion bloggers love DIY and DIY loves them.

DIY harness dress

As you might have noticed from your favorite fashion blogs, DIY fashions have become an important part of their wardrobe and look. Before we used copy the hottest looks from movie stars and rock stars in magazines (I´m sure some of us still do....) but the times are changing. By creating your own fashion you are able to get unique pieces or catwalk looks (right after the collection has been presented, even before the clothes arrive to the stores). A lot of times I hear people telling me they would sew and do more crafts if they knew how.. Excuses excuses. Wearing DIY and handmade does not mean you have to everything yourself! Make what you can, buy secondhand from vintage stores and handmade from websites like Etsy or Smashing Darling. Sustainable fashion has never looked better.

The queen of DIY dressing up, Michelle from Kindom of Style is featuring many handmade items in her blogposts and daily outfits. She is living proof that handmade looks gorgeous. She has made a lot of them herself but she also wears stuff made by others. I adore her style. Check out some of the DIY projects on Kindom of Style and get inspired. DIY is the new luxury, if you ask me. Less talk and more unique talent.

Rodarte inspired knit leggins.


Fringe dress


Leggins by Queen Michelle.


Frame necklace by Elizaveta (at Etsy).



Slasher t-shirt

OutsaPop Trashion column on MissMix - November 2008

I started writing a trashion column last month for a Finnish teen magazine called MissMix. The second story came out in their November issue. This issue features fascinators decorated with lace ribbons, zipper roses and toys. You can view the full tutorial (in English) at Cut Out and Keep craft community. See more pics from my Flickr Fascinator gallery.

Fascinators finished!

My fascinators turned out fabulous! Check out the step-by-step tutorial from Cut Out And Keep craft community and more making-of pics from my from my fascinator gallery at Flickr. And for those who wonder about the weight of the zipper roses, they are just light enough for projects like this!

Trashion fascinators in progress

I´m currently working on trashion fascinators. They are made from toys, lace, ribbons, plastic flowers, feathers... Pretty much anything I have in my craft supply closet. All these are still unsewn so I have no idea will my design work. I´ll let you know tomorrow. I´ll document all steps and make a tutorial for you if this works!

Denim jacket recon idea from McQ

Faded light blue denim jackets are not fashionable. Well they could be, but the only time I see them beign worn are by smudgy Finnish 40something men who pair them up with matching denims, a beerbelly, dirty hair and sailing shoes. They´ve been propably wearing the same outfit since 87´. If you´ve heard of Matti Nykänen, you know the look I´m talking about... After this image of a crime agaist style and good judgement I´m so happy find something that makes the exeption to the rule. I found this McQ hooded denim vest in Shophousingworks´s Flickr photos yesterday. First I thought it was just a denim vest worn over a gray shortsleeved hoodie, but it is one piece. Here´s something that you can do by refashioning an old 80´s denim jacket by sewing it over a hoodie. Seeing this makes me want to give light blue denim jackets a new chance. Thank you Alexander!

Top image from McQ wesite:

Thai fisherman pants pattern by Burda (free!)

Burdastyle.com is famous for regulary releasing new free sewing patterns that can be dowloaded from the site (as pdf) with instructions. Save the files on to our computer and print them out when you need them. It´s all free and the only thing that is required is that you login to the site. Much faster than going to the store to get your pattern. I´m hoping soon Burda and other sewing pattern manufacturers will have all their patterns available like this online. Of course I would be happy to pay for them.

Now that I have a sewing machine I can finally start dowloading patterns and sewing them. Today I found a pattern for loose thai styled fisherman pants. I´ve been looking for them for quite a while now. Many of my friends that have travelled to Thailand have brought similar ones back as souveniers and I love them. They are the perfect slouchy home pants. The pattern is very simple and they are easy to sew (beginner level). It should be a one afternoon project. Sewed from recycled materials of course, maybe thrifted men´s shirts or wool suits. I´m aiming for something similar to this thai pant made by Assemblage. Maybe I´ll change the pattern slightly and make the pant legs more carrot shaped and possibly add ankle straps and flap pockets in odd places for fashion appeal.

Fall sweater reconstruction ideas

First an announcement: I GOT A BRAND NEW SEWING MACHINE TODAY!! And it´s gooooood. After four months of not having one I almost lost my mind. So much ideas and only my two hands and a needle to make them happen. Now I can finally sew with speed! Finally. Fall collections are always filled with lovely knits. Here are some of my favorites that I plan to get into works during this winter. Some are done with just scissors and a few seams, but others require a bit of pattern altering.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall 2008 collection




Maria Bonita Fall 2008 collection





Yigal Azrouël Fall 2008 collection


Roberto Cavalli Fall 2008 collection




See by Chloe Fall 2008 collection




Photos via FirstView.com and Net-a-Porter.com

Penny necklaces by Fancy Pony Land

You know when you put a small coin on railway rails and a train drives over them they become smoth and flat. Fancy Pony Land has made a beautiful jewelry collection from pennys using this method. Coins have been used in traditional dressing in many cultures for centuries. A coin-treatment like this would look amazing sewd on to a dress.





Traditional Nepalese coin jewelry


Persian styled coin jewelry