Fox warmer by Celapiu

Want to wrap a warm fox scarf around your neck!?? Check these out by Celapiu at Etsy. Oh man, I just love crafters with a sence of humor and irony. Found via Decor8.

Leather triangles and shredded denim at Gareth Pugh FW09 mens collection

Shredded black denims are here to stay. If Gareth Pugh is having them in his FW09 mens collection, then it´s fairly safe to say they will be one of next fall´s trends. I kinda like these more-than-one-season fads, because they make our wardrobes more sustainable - you don´t have to buy new stuff all the time. Also what inspired me about this collection was the Pugh signature leather triangles. Maybe I will not cover my black denims with these J.Dauphin FW08 inspired leather panels, but use triangles instead! This way I will be able to have more fun with the pattern to make it more flexible and breathable (more comfortable to use) and use the material (secondhand leather pants) more efficietly. Fantastic. Using smaller pieces also enables me to incorporate different colors to the design, like gray, violet or red leather.... Ideas are just flowing here!! I cannot wait to get started on this.



Images via Fashionisto.com.

DIY nailpolish denim by BleachBlack

I hope you´re not getting tired of me posting about projects by BleachBlack all the time... These girls just have so original and cool DIY. Kristin´s latest DIY project is treating denims with some old nailpolish!! I often see outdated nailpolish sold at charityshops but never buy them as they are no good for manicures after a while they are opened. I´m so happy this is yet an another discarded material that someone has found clever use for. I wonder if this also works for restyling some of my leather heels and purses??! I´m sure nailpolish will stay on the leather well. I once had an entire bottle of polish breakdown in my purse on an aeroplane and it was impossible to remove after drying. Nailpolish remover just made everything worse, because asetone melts plastic and does harm to so many materials. Maybe on denim it can be used to smear the color to get a more smudggy stain??? This treatment goes great with these Jackson Pollock styled DIY nailpolish cuffs I posted about last year. If you do decide to make this, do me a favor and check out the local charity shop and your own (or friends) drawers for used nailpolish and don´t go out to by any new ones for this project. If you do it kinda takes the "trash" out of Trashion.


Photo by Angelicak.

Trashion couture from RaggedyRags

If you´re into DIY and like steampunk or victorian styled clothing, you should check out RaggedyRags (photogallery at Flickr). I first wrote about them last October. I´m especially fond of their Quirky Couture line and today I noticed they have new items available. I love this vest pattern for women. This is a very clever design to make the back bodice part from a different fabric and leave it longer than the front. It looks so trashion chic.

On sweater scarfs and keeping secrets

When I´m working on something new, I just can´t keep my mouth shut about it because I´m always so exited about the project. With the columns and stories to magazines for me it´s torture not to be able to post pictures or tell you about my latest projects before the issue is published. Sometimes it might take up to two months after the project is finished to when the magazine comes out. You can imagine for me it sometimes seems "old news" to publish about it...

You have not seen lately any pictures of my own trashion projects because I´m working on something BIG. Well, it´s the biggest project I´ve ever made and it envolves a sponsor... Omph.. Can´t tell you any more! It should be finished in a month or so. Meanwhile I´ll post about other peoples DIY fashions, like these scarfs from recycled sweaters by Fisheye3 I found from Flickr this morning. They look comfy and warm...


Top photo by Mrs.Maze

How to live with recession?

(Thoughts after reading THIS from Behind The Seams Ethnical fashion blog.) The depression is here, or should I say rather "The Recession" as so many economists like to call it (depression is such an ugly and negative word). Finland has lauched an ad campaign called ÄLÄ RUOKI LAMAA (Engl. Don´t feed the Recession) to have people realize that it does not mean you should cut down on consumption but to consume in a more "healthy" way. In this campaign recession is portraid as a new invisible "pet" in the family that eats all their recourses and time and stops them for living and consuming normally. I love this campaign as it is made in an ironic tone. For me recession means spending even more money on oranic, recycled and sustainable goods, locally produced and supporting small business as I feel it is the healthy way to consume. I will also be very carefull not to live over my financial limits (not to for example max. out my credit card) as it propably is the main reason why we are in this mess anyway.

To help fight recesion you should...
.. not swhich to buying cheaper things.
.. favor locally produced goods and small businesses.
.. not let the negative media maddness and get to you.


Top image by Mick Dansworth

My thrifting tips

PainfullyHip posted about their top-secret thrifting tips. She had many good advice and I thight I should also share my tips. Thrift shopping is a lovely hobby but it can fill up your wardrobe quickly if you´re not carefull. I have a rule that when ever I buy a bagfull I have to take the same amount of my un-used fashions to recycling. This way I keep my closets from overfilling and a healthy cycle in my wardrobe.

Weekend fleamarkets:
1. Be there early. All the best items sell out in the morning. But if you´re looking for bargains, stick around to the closing time. Sellers that are packing, sell their things super cheap!
2. Look for sellers that are about the same size/styled as you if you´re looking for clothing. If you´re looking for genuine vintage finds, old grannies and pappies have the best for sale.
3. Take your own tote bags with you. I´ve made myself one big canvas shoulder bag that will fit anything I find and it is confortable to carry even though its packed with stuff.
4. If the item has a small flaw you are able to haggle the price down a bit but don´t let it stop you from buying it! So many flaws can be mended or fixed.
5. Measuring tape is a must-have when there is no fitting rooms available. A medium sized pocket mirror helps when trying on sunglasses or hats.
6. Don´t buy pirated products! It´s just wrong and illegal. If you ask me they should not be allowed to be sold at fleamarkets anyway even though the might be used.
7. Buying used cosmetics is also a big no-no. Nobody knows how old the product is even though it´s still in an original package.. Old and used cosmetics and parfumes are not good for your skin.



Thrift stores:
1. Visit frequently. It´s the only way not to miss anything new.
2. Get to know the staff. As PainfullyHip suggests a smile and a friendly conversation makes them to remember you. And people do small favors for their friends.
3. Ask to be added to their mailinglist. Most shops have one.
4. Be a nice shopper, take the products back to where they were and pick up the ones you drop on the floor. Don´t leave a mess behind. Personally I loath people who think the staff is there only to clean up after them.
5. A measuring tape helps to find your size in clothes and it is a must in buying furniture. Do fit the clothes as much as often as possible.
6. I carry a small notebook with me that has pictures and notes on the items I´m looking for or need. It helps me not to make too many impulse buys.


Photos by Suzanneduda, Jaakko R and Interaura.

Trashion wall art at RetroPicnic

Beautiful collages and wall art from recycled fabrics by Minna at RetroPicnic.

Doily lighting fixtures by Caitlin at Nice-etc

These lovely vintage doily lighting fixtures are made by Caitlin from Nice-etc.com. She also has a shop at nice.etsy.com. Thrifted doilys are a wonderful material to use for DIY projects, they can be found from practically any fleamarket/thriftstore in reasonable prices. When I made my crochet tablecloth dress I discovered that they are easy to sew (with a straight stitch). They can be colored in a washing machine since most are made from natural fibres. The thing I did not realize that because crochets are very flexible and heavy, IT STRETCHES. My dress became 10cm longer the night I wore it :) So if you make something out of crechet table cloths, make them a bit shorter that they are supposed be. The good thing is that hey can be machine washed occationally.

DIY trend - Union Jack

Union Jack is a classic. It is also one of the easiest patterns to reproduce on your DIY projects (ok maybe Japans rising sun flag is the easiest..). You can pair it up with.. um, pretty much anything!

Painted Converses by Kristin at BleachBlack.


DIY union jack tee by Sue.


Johnny Rotten gloves by KnitHappens at Etsy.


Quilted patchwork flag wall hanging by FireHorseTextiles at Etsy.


Topshop Summer 2009 collection.

DIY project - shirtskirt

More recession chic people! The shirtskirt is simple, versatile, and so very comfortable. You can make one in 10 min with an old, oversized men´s shirt, a bit of thread and elastic band. Cut the shirt according to the desired length (stitch elastic at the top) and fold the top with elastic band. Sew the arms together to serve as a belt/sash and add a few belt loops from the excess fabric. Found at Fashionindie.com.

Inspiration from Marc Jacobs Summer 2009

I´m currently into listening 20´s, 30´s and 40´s easy going smokey jazz tunes by Cole Porter, Billie Holiday, Al Bowlly and other wonderful artists of that age. I was thrilled to find Marc Jacobs had also taken some inspiration from everydaywear of the same era to his Summer 2009 collection. I adore those straw hats and calf length skirts and trousers combined with pleated flannel shirts. A bit frumpy ladylike 30´s recession chic! Perfect for these challenging times... I actually found a black straw hat like this last summer at a fleamarket. I haven´t worn it, but finally it found itself a killer look. I have to take some of these photos with me when going thrift hunting for spring to find similar shirts and skirts as in this collection. I´m so seeing myself next summer in a park with a picnic basket and some good (green) reading...

DIY project - Alexander Wand inspired denim shorts

Smoking hot aren´t they!? Inspired by denim shorts seen in Alexander Wang Fall 2008 collection. You can find a tutorial on how to make these at Park and Cube. I´m sure these shredded details with chains would also look superfabulous done on a denim jacket/vest or basic jeans. Droooooll... I wish spring would come quickly! Found via Knight Cat.

Storage tip of the week - mail grate

Small iron grates, designed to sit about an inch of the floor in older homes, look terrific mounted to the wall. By positioning the open edge at the top, you’ve got the ideal spot for collecting mail and papers until they’re sorted and filed. Don’t want to forget bills to pay or groceries for tonight’s dinner? Fashion a grate by the front door and stick reminders in it. Instructions at DIYideas.com.

Seven random things about me

There seems to be a challenge going around the blogosphere called "Seven random things about me". I decided to write it even though nobody really challenged me into it. Maybe due to an large ego or just that I tend to challenge myself on accation. :D Enjoy.

1. I used to think I had magic powers as a kid.
Yup.. I was 100% sure of it at the age of 8. I thought the best thing to fight off all the bullies at school was to use my imagination. I´m not saying that it worked since I´m sure people just thoght I was even more weird. Maybe I got the idea from watching tv series like Dream Of Genie and Jem And The Holograms from cabel tv. It is also where I learned to speak quite fluent English at the age of 7.


2. I sometimes hang out at airports just for the fun of it.
I love aeroplanes and airports. My bf sometimes takes me to have coffee at Helsinki International airport. We just sit there and watch travelling people on their way and look at the aeroplanes. My dream profession was to be a flight captain and one of my secret favorite movies is TopGun. I´m a sucker for retro flight attendant uniforms and fighter pilots.


3. I´ve shook David Hasselfoff´s hand in 1985.
I was a hude Night Rider fan as a kid (who wouldn´t have been?). David came to Helsinki for his Night Rider concert(!) and after it all the kids had the opportunity to meet Mr. Hasselhoff in person and see the real KIT car. I think we qued about two hours with hundreds of kids, but got his signature :) Apparently they are refilming the series... I wonder if it also be aired in Finland soon.. Can a 30-year old still watch it???


4. I´m affraid of water.
Due to an unfortunate event at the local swimming hall at the age of 4, I´ve always been affraid of water. I love looking at the sea from the shore and listening to the wawes, but boating and swimming I hate. The idea of suddenly being complitely surrounded by water just makes me panic.


5. I adore bunnies.
Some are dog-people, some cat-people. I´m cool with small rodents and have had them as pets from the age of 9. At the same time I loath cute and cuddly things and have no trouble wearing secondhand rabbit fur garments.. It´s a paradox. My favorite bunnies are Bugs Bunny and the killer rabbit from Monty Pythons Holy Grail. They kick ass.


6. I collect bones.
I have a small collection of real rodent skulls and bones. I find them to be beautiful and fascinating things. Maybe someday I´ll do an Alexander McQueen styled collection out of them. This is why I also love trips to the Natural History Museum in Helsinki.


7. My engagement ring is not made of silver or gold.
It´s handcarved from titanium. I love it´s smoked silver coloring and the fact that titanium is so strong that I will never be able to brake or scratch it.

-------------------------------------------
Later note: Kelli from Happy Place Design had in fact challenged me :) I just found out about it later on today..

I´d like to know 7 random thigns about:
ChildhoodFlames
FashionFlux
Garbagedress
GreenFashionFreak
Suesang
TheOngoingProject
TheMoldyDoily

Here are the rules:
* Link to the person who tagged you
* Post the rules on your blog
* Write 7 random things about yourself
* Tag 7 people at the end of your post and link to them
* Let each person know they've been tagged

Trashion Lightning knit dress from reconstructed sweaters - tutorial

Here it is! A tutorial how to make your own Lightning Knit Dress from secondhand sweaters. You can find it in My Flickr gallery trashion tutorials or at Cut Out And Keep craft community.

Hoiming Big Pocket bag

As discussed earlier this week, it seems everything has allready been invented and todays fashion is just a reinterpretation of itself. Most of the time I agree to this, but then I stumble upon something I have not seen before. Introducing the Big Pocket bag by Hoiming which I feel represents a new wave of recycled leather bag design.

Clutch magazine interviewd the designer duo on their latest design.
--In search of multi-dimensional expression, designers Hoiming Fung and Baldwin Pui have challenged the traditional structure and appearance of a woman’s “handbag”. "We love recycling, and hope other people do as well. This idea came up while we’ve found fine beautiful leather with good quality on some vintage leather jackets. We thought it would be a waste to leave the beautiful leather in the vintage shop while no one would appreciated them (since most of them were over-sized with out-dated cutting). We hope to give those old jackets new lives. In this collection we didn’t use it only as a piece of leather, but try to transform it into a concept of “wearing a bag”, a half-bag-half-jacket form, in order to make it from old-fashioned into super-cool." --





Found via Behind The Seams, one of my favorite blogs. If you´re intrested in eco fashion Behind The Seams is blog to read.