Lavender & Twill : accessories

Showing posts with label accessories. Show all posts

Monday, February 6, 2017

༺ 41 Blue Stairs ༻

Dear friends, I want to thank each and everyone of you for the many messages of support and caring on my last post, and in other places. I really appreciate, so much more than I can say, your kind hearts and words of compassion. It is a truly warming thoughtfulness has been so uplifting to me. Thank you, and the biggest hugs to you all! ❤❤❤

That being said, I can’t seem to stay away from the pretty dresses for long… So let’s dive back into the fun realm of fashion, shall we?

This series of photographs are a bit old ~ I took them when I was in Sydney for the 2016 AAVGM. I had to share them anyway because; how sweet is my grandparents house!

Whenever I travel to Sydney, I’m always admiring the old houses you see everywhere ~ and even as a very young girl I always thought that my grandparent’s house looked really cool and interesting compared to the houses I knew.

I mean, how do you get any better than stained glass windows, brick work, and tiled stairs; no less than blue tiled stairs?!

Of course, I was quite chuffed when I discovered the happy coincidence of the blue roses on my dress matching the variegated indigo-aquamarine titles. I had planned to wear this dress without any thought of taking photos, but it worked out that I had the perfect time and place, so of course I had to do a shoot! Haha, blogger life… ( ˘•૩•˘ ).｡

This lovely frock ‘Roslyn’ is a Hell Bunny vintage reproduction, and I must note that Hell Bunny are really killing their vintage reproduction game! I have a growing collection of their dresses in my wardrobe, and I’m always on the look out for other lovelies to add as each one seems to be better than the last.

I will say that there are a few things about this dress that are a little off the mark for me; it’s a touch shorter than what I really prefer, though still a perfectly acceptable 1940’s length, and my major complaint {as with all the Hell Bunny dresses} ~ no pockets…!! :P

But other then that little nit-pick, how can you not love the Liesl-inspired bodice detail and swooshy, floaty skirt?

It’s especially lovely when paired with the delightfully sweet ‘Miss Ellen’ fascinator from Daisy Jean Floral Designs. I have worn this pretty hair piece with another outfit on the blog before, but I couldn’t resist styling it with this frock, and I’m so glad I did as it was a perfect match. ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧

And now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure my favourite kind of ensemble involves me being covered head to toe with roses ~ or at the very least some kind of flowers. Haha! Flowers forever! ❀❤❀❤

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

’Miss Ellen’ Fascinator | Daisy Jean Floral Designs
’Roslyn’ Hell Bunny Dress | eBay
Watermelon Glitter Jelly Wedges | eBay

Saturday, November 12, 2016

༺ Teacup Chat with Chatterblossom ༻

The “Teacup Chat” series on Lavender & Twill is a short and sweet spot where we take a glimpse behind the scenes of a brand’s creative process. I am very inspired by all the creative talents I see finding a way to showcase their work. I think it’s fantastic to be able to pursue something you love, and have others love it too.

As we found out in the last post on Lavender & Twill, Chatterblossom is a lovely Etsy shop where Jamie hand crafts and sells stunning, one-of-a-kind floral hair pieces and fascinators using mainly reclaimed vintage millinery supply and trimmings.

So without further ado, let’s get to know some more about the artist we have featured here today!

Hello Jamie, and welcome to our teacup chat! Thank you for spending sometime with us today so we can get to know little more about you and your business. What first drew you into creating your hair flowers and fascinators?

About 5 years ago, I worked on a small organic farm where we grew vegetables and flowers and I fell in love with all things floral. I made the bouquets for our farmer’s market each week and loved seeing peoples’ faces when they decided to purchase a bouquet I’d made to decorate their home. Cut flowers are amazing, but also a luxury for most people. And we really relish in it when we can have something so fleetingly beautiful around us for even a few days.

When I moved to another home in another state, I missed working with flowers and I wanted a way to work with them again. My love of vintage and flowers intersected when I moved to Raleigh, North Carolina. I found a swing dancing community here and many of them wear vintage or vintage inspired clothing and flowers in their hair, so I started making some hair clips to suit their/my needs.

Then I got a tip from a random stranger about a warehouse full of deadstock vintage flowers right in the heart of Raleigh! So I purchased as much as I could and my venture began in earnest!

Is it tricky to restore the vintage millinery flowers? Have you ever had any past the point of no return? What happened to/with them?

Most of the millinery flowers I find or purchase are new old stock or deadstock, which means they’ve never been used. Almost all of my flowers were found in their original boxes with tags, so they just need some freshening up (with steam and shaping, etc.).

I do sometimes purchase or find millinery flowers in worse condition, but I typically try to get pristine examples if possible.

The flowers that have seen better days I’ll usually use in conjunction with flowers in better condition as a cluster, so they get a second life but aren’t necessarily the star of the show. Or I’ll keep them for myself as I don’t typically mind flawed beauties. They’re just as pretty!

It’s been very interesting to find out more about your business, but we’d also love to know a little more about the creative mind behind these beautiful pieces. Every vintage lady I know seems to have their own unique style ~ if you were to describe your personal vintage look, how might you do that?

I think the best way to describe my personal style is “fluid” or “chameleon-esque”. I really enjoy trying to wear things that I’ve been personally told I can’t wear or that seem challenging to put together in a way that “works”.

I enjoy wearing hyper-feminine to androgynous to typically masculine looks. I love both light-filled, floral frills and dark, earthy subtleties and mixing them is even more fun. I don’t worry about “period appropriateness” or wearing only one era as a rule, etc. I love mixing and matching to produce something all my own.

What is the one vintage thing you can’t live without (red lipstick, novelty prints, hats, etc)?

This is a very tough question! Because I change my look so often, I want to say…my vintage 1950s butterfly bullet bra. Ha! It is a softer pointed shape and I have never found a more perfect bra. It suits nearly every outfit I wear it with and it makes me stand different in my clothes.

So I guess it is an unseen thing I can’t live without. I’m going to be one sad cookie when that bra dies.

And finally, what are three quirky things about you that not everyone might know about?

- My first job was as a roller-skating drive-in restaurant waitress and they only played music from the 1950s, so maybe the vintage vibe snuck in early.

- I’m extremely introverted but most people would never guess it because I’m a bit “chameleon-esque” in my personality as well and can morph to suit my situation when necessary.

- When I’m not in vintage attire, I’m typically in hole-y sweatpants and raggedy t-shirts.

Haha, I’m so with you on that last one Jamie! It’s nice to be comfortable if you are not dressed up. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of gal myself. ;)

Thank you to Jamie for sharing her time with us, it was wonderful to have the chance to learn more about her and her inspiring creative work! And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to check out Jamie on Instagram and Etsy.

But wow… What a collection of flowers! I hope you enjoyed this peek behind the scenes as much as I have. (❛▿❛✿)੭

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

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Tuesday, November 8, 2016

༺ Raspberry Romance & Birthday Blossoms ༻

It’s been a while since my birthday, but we had a lovely day out, and I had a very special blossom in my hair to celebrate!

On Instagram I have been following Jamie of Chatterblossom for quite a long time, admiring her gorgeous handmade hair flowers as well as her impeccable, elegant styling. Much to my joy we connected via email a little while ago, and I was excited to have the chance to work out a two-part feature with Chatterblossom to share on Lavender & Twill. Yay! So be on the look out for part two ~ coming soon!

Firstly though, isn’t this lovely vintage cabbage rose just the prettiest thing? You already know how I’m into anything floral, and I just adore the dainty effect this hair flower adds to my ensemble.

When I was browsing through the Chatterblossom Etsy shop it sooo was hard to know which flower to pick there are so many unique and gorgeous pieces! I also thought that Chatterblossom’s Flower of the Month Club sounds like the perfect Christmas present ~ wouldn’t it be such a fabulous surprise to receive a flower in the mail once a month! And that way you don’t have to agonise over picking just one… (•́⌄ - ́๑)

It was interesting to note that Jamie uses reclaimed vintage trims to create her one-of-kind pieces. I find it brings such a nice look to the finished clip, as there is just a certain style to original vintage that you really can’t replicate.

When my Raspberry Romance clip arrived I was super happy to find that this pretty rose not only filled a vacant gap in my hair flower collection {can you believe didn’t have any red flowers?}, it also happened to be the perfect match for my vintage Swirl dress.

My poor dress which is a bit worse for wear ~ yes, somebody hacked the hemline shorter at one point {whyyy….! (TT ^ TT)}. It also has a few stains and holes, but it’s such a fun frock with the little red and white daisies embroidered on the bodice. I also have a thing for gathered necklines, so yep. She’s a beauty even if she’s a little wounded.

Then I had to wear my red Lola Von Rose purse to match all the red accents. It seems so strange to me how long I managed to live without a red handbag, and completely crazy now that I have one! I find that it gives me a totally different approach to the way that I accessorize, and it is a wonderful compliment the classic red lip and nail combination, so I am all about that!

Now that I have shown you the details of this stunning, one-of-a-kind Chatterblossom flower, I want to share about a little feature I’m starting up on Lavender & Twill ~ Teacup Chats. Short, sweet and fun interviews with our brand owners!

As an artist and an aspiring entrepreneur, I am absolutely fascinated to learn about the workings of small businesses, and I thought that perhaps you might like to read about them too. With that in mind, in the the next post we will get to meet Jamie herself and find out a bit more about the creative process of Chatterblossom. {*hint* Her flower collection is ah-mazing, and I was astonished to see it! (○ _ ○)!}

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

Thursday, May 5, 2016

༺ May Showers ༻

?;.

May showers are supposed to bring April flowers, but I think I’d be satisfied with snowflakes instead! Old Man Winter is banging at our door this week ~ we’ve had really strong winds, and icy cold days that belie the bright sunshine streaming in through the windows.

It was soooo windy when I wore this outfit, my skirt was trying to flip up over my head and fly off, and my hat threatened to leave for the next state! Σ꒰๑• д •๑꒱

I had two hat pins in, but I’ll be honest ~ I haven’t used hat pins before so it seems likely that my technique was lacking. Also, the hat pins seemed really short to me… Only two or so inches long at most ~ I felt like they could have a stronger hold if they were longer? I think I’ll be keeping my eye out for some really stabby ones to help my chapeau stay more securely in place despite gusty weather!

I also had to scrap my plan on the location I’d picked to shoot this look, it was far too windy ~ pretty much everywhere! Instead, we managed to find this little pathway tucked between houses that was relatively sheltered. I’m glad I’ve learned that I really don’t like taking photos in the wind, because I could avoid that problem from the start and work without the extra stress! Haha…

All that aside, I did enjoy wearing this ensemble {despite almost flashing everyone at church my underwear on several occasions! (๑o̴̶ ﹏o̴̶ ๑)″}. This violet vision is summer purchase that I’ve been waiting to wear for a while now ~ can you believe it’s a Hell Bunny repro? It’s the Emilie dress in Aubergine, and I do believe it’s the best 1940’s reproduction garment I’ve come across so far.

The fabric is a gorgeous crepe, with a really nice weighty hand to it, so it drapes beautifully. Also, the details of cut and style, while simple, really echo common themes found in 1940’s fashion designs. The cap kimono sleeves, the bust detailing with the sweet buttons, and the length of the skirt ~ everything just feels so spot on. It’s hard to find repro that feels like vintage {but with the added bonus of sturdy fabric and seams!} so I was really pleased to see the high quality, and excellent make this dress turned out to have.

The perfect touch to finish off my outfit though ~ this darling Tulip Bouquet brooch! Delicate pearlescent hues of fuchsia and fresh mint combine in this dainty cluster of tulips, and I found the brooch really popped against a background of deep violet. It is part of Erstwilder’s new collection in collaboration with Miss Victory Violet ~ Beauteous Blossoms. As you’d expect there is a delightful array of stunning blossoms and flowers in this release, with ten designs in necklace, earring, and of course, brooch form.

All of the colours in the pieces are so vibrant and spring-like. They could just about be the April flowers for our May showers ~ a lovely splash of colour come those dreary winter days that are speedily approaching. (•ᵕ ᴗ ᵕ•)❀

Have you seen the new Erstwilder collection? Which piece is your favourite? And also, if you have any other 1940’s Hell Bunny recommendations ~ let me know! I’m eager to expand my 40s repro wardrobe …٩(•́⌄•́๑)و

xox,

bonita

Saturday, August 29, 2015

༺ How To Crochet A Rose Hair Flower Accessory ༻

Hello lovelies! (•ᵕ ᴗ ᵕ•)❀

This is a simple tutorial on how to crochet a flower hair clip like the one above. You might have noticed me wearing it in my hair in my last Mother & Daughter outfit post? Anyway, now you can make one just like it for yourself!

I do not have my usual step by step photos in this tutorial, as it mostly about following the crochet pattern, so if you have any questions; please do not hesitate to ask. ( ^ _ ^)∠☆

Materials List:

Yarn in two different colours {I used 2 ply cotton yarn in ivory & pink}
Crochet hook in the appropriate size for the ply of your wool
Hair clip finding {I used a mini millinery barrette as the clip}
Needle for sewing the flower to the finding

Gauge:

I used a 1.75mm hook with my yarn. For your standard 3-4 ply wool, a 2.00 - 3.25mm hook is recommended. Hook & yarn chart.

Abbreviations:

ch – chain
sk – skip
sc - single crochet
dc – double crochet
sl st - slip stitch
* – repeat

The Pattern:

~ Flower Centre ~

Ch 21.
Row 1: *Dc, ch1, dc* in fifth ch from hook. *Ch1, sk1. Dc, ch 1, dc in next stitch* till the end (repeat 8 times). You should end up with 9 double crochet V’s. Ch 3 and turn.
Row 2: In first ch1 space between the double crochet V’s, dc 4 times. *Sl st in next ch1 space between the double crochet V’s. Dc 5 times* till the end (repeat 9 times). Sl st in last stitch in row.

༺ ♡ ༻

Step 1: Fasten off and leave long tail for sewing. With the tail on the right side, roll the flower inwards (clockwise motion), placing the petals how you would like and sewing to hold it in place.

~ Flower Petals ~

Ch 48
Row 1: Sk 1 ch, sc in next ch and across, ch 3, turn
Row 2: *Sk 1 sc, 2 dc in next sc, sk next sc, 1 dc in next sc, continue from * across, ch 3 turn
Row 3: *2 dc, ch1, 2 dc in space between 2 dc, dc in next dc, continue from * across, ch 3 turn
Row 4: *3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc in ch space, dc in next dc, continue from * across, ch 3 turn
Row 5: *8 dc in ch space, dc in next dc, continue from * across – finish off with sl st leaving a long tail to sew the clip on.

༺ ♡ ༻

Step 2: Take flower centre and roll the outside petals around it, sewing the petals in place with the rest of the flower centre’s tail.

Step 3: Using the flower petals’ long tail sew the hair clip finding onto the back of the flower.

Step 4: Wear and enjoy your crochet flower hair clip. (✿◠‿◠)

༺ ♡ ༻

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

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Saturday, August 1, 2015

༺ How to DIY a 1940’s Crochet Snood ༻

For some time now I’ve been eyeing off various gorgeous hairstyles around the place that have involved lovely snoods, like this one, or this one, but I have hemed and hawed about purchasing one for myself. The ease of popping one on and waltzing out the door for the day is very tempting for a busy vintage mother, the only problem ~ $16.00 or more seemed like a lot to spend on one snood.

I decided to whip out my Google fingers and see what I could turn up, and et voilà! I present to you the “Perky Snood” pattern. A vintage 1940’s crochet snood pattern for a medium sized snood.

~ Download free snood pattern here ~

The pattern is very simple, but calls for a long treble crochet stitch which is rather old fashioned, and not used all that frequently these days. Here are the instructions on how to do the stitch:

Long Treble Crochet (long tr.) - YO 3 times before inserting the hook into the work, YO and draw through 2 loops on the hook 4 times.

Decreasing Long Treble Crochet (dec. long tr.) - YO 3 times, insert hook in next long tr. and YO. Take off 2 loops 3 times in succession, leaving 2 loops on the hook. YO 3 times, insert hook in work (6 loops on hook), YO, take off 2 loops, 3 times in succession, YO and take off 3 loops at once.

Yarn Over - YO

Now, I have to warn you that although I found this pattern easy to get the hang of in terms of stitches, it doesn’t seem to be easy to put together the right sized hook and yarn ply to create a large enough snood. I actually repeated this pattern three times before I finally turned out a snood that was large enough to wear!

Here are my notes so that you don’t make the same mistakes that I did.

~ Second snood on the left compared with the third snood on the right. The first one was even smaller, can you believe! More like a bun net than anything else… ~

First I tried using a small 1.50mm hook that I thought the pattern called for, and the yarn to match. That turned out all wrong ~ it was far too small. So was the next one, with a larger 4.00mm hook and the yarn to match. I looked like I was wearing a lunch lady’s hair net rather than a snood! So then I went back to my original yarn, which was actually 2 ply cotton, with the 4.00mm hook, and somehow that worked.

I still think that the pattern ended up a little shorter than what I would have preferred, but in this case it is ok, because my hair is quite short at the moment and won’t really suit anything longer. If you want a longer snood, simply add more rows in the middle before you start your decreases and you will be all set!

Last, but not least ~ here’s the finished results in action:

Remember to swatch your work, as the gauge is crucial to sizing, and enjoy your snood making! ヾ(＾∇＾)

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

༺ How To Make Pastel Colored Bobby Pins ༻

Hello Lovelies! I have another simple DIY tutorial for you that produces some very cute hair accessories, so let’s get right to it shall we?

Supplies needed:

Clean bobby pins/hair grips ~ preferably new ones
Pretty nail polishes in your choice of colors ~ I used Mode Cosmetics – Cool As, Maybelline Express Finish – Passing By Pink, BYS Nail Enamel – 05 Light Purple, N.Y.C. Color – Lemon
Some cardboard or paper

Step 1: Arrange your bobby pins on the cardboard and make sure there is paper underneath them to catch any extra spills.

Step 2: Carefully paint along the top of the individual bobby pins using your nail polish. Be careful not to put too much polish on the brush or it will puddle over the side of the bobby pins.

Step 3: Rinse and repeat as often as you like!

Top Tip: It is better to use a thicker nail polish for this DIY than a thin one, as you not only get better coverage, but it’s also easier to paint neatly so that you don’t get puddles of excess polish everywhere!

Step 4: Double coat your bobby pins to cover up any see-through spots. When you are happy with how they look, very carefully move any bobby pins that are sitting in puddles of polish so that they don’t stick when dry and ruin the paint job when you take them off the cardboard.

Allow your bobby pins to dry over night and then enjoy wearing your new pretty accessories in your hair! (= ᵔ ᴗ ᵔ) ~ ♥

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

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Monday, February 6, 2017

༺ 41 Blue Stairs ༻

Saturday, November 12, 2016

༺ Teacup Chat with Chatterblossom ༻

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

༺ Raspberry Romance & Birthday Blossoms ༻

Thursday, May 5, 2016

༺ May Showers ༻

Saturday, August 29, 2015

༺ How To Crochet A Rose Hair Flower Accessory ༻

Saturday, August 1, 2015

༺ How to DIY a 1940’s Crochet Snood ༻

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

༺ How To Make Pastel Colored Bobby Pins ༻

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