New Do

Got my haircut using a Groupon.

I'm really quite happy with it - not that you'd know it from the picture. Managed to capture my grumpier side. Note the Randy Orton poster in the background. Nice looking man.

I spent this morning replacing the lining of my coat. It's been torn for about a year but it's been getting worse AND the pocket had split so...

I left the top bit since I didn't fancy tackling the sleeve inserts and there was nothing wrong with that bit. Plus I thought I could make it still look ok with the addition of some fancy tape.

I'm quite pleased with it.

I also used my rare daylight-hometime to choose buttons for my Buttony.

They are a little less dayglo than the pic suggests. My camera does seem to have gone a bit wonky with it's brightness settings recently. I'm thinking of getting an upgrade. Which brings me to Quidco.

This strange website gives you cashback on stuff you would have bought anyway. And you can get cashback just normal high street shopping. And you get money for clicking the 'check in' button on the free app while loitering in the doorway of closed mobile phone shops. I earned 70p walking from Bank to the hairdresser. It's not megabucks but it's 70p more than I normally get for walking past shops. They keep the first £5 of savings you make (check-in money doesn't count though so that 70p is mine boyo) then the rest is yours. Seems too easy? That's what I keep thinking. Time will tell.

The SpotBot Dream Dashed

My venture into business has not got off to such a great start. I managed to choose a name which is already a hoover. Farewell SpotBot. It was fun while it lasted. So I am back to needing a shop name. And I think this is a clear sign that "Lixie Makes It" is my true home. I've also been considering my photography skills, wonderfully displayed in this very post. Would you buy this woman if she was photographed like this in an Etsy shop?

It was my attempt to capture my new outfit and clearly it didn't go so well.

Then there is my attempt to capture the samples I dyed last night for my cloud jumper. The real problem is lack of daylight.

I'm thinking I might need a daylight bulb and one of those pound shop diffuser cube things unless I want to wait to photograph things until the weekend and I pray for good weather. Sadly none of them seem right. It would be ok for a mediterranean sky but not so much for a UK one. I've ordered some more dye in two different colours so I'll see how they work out.

Then lastly I even managed to take an out of focus photo of Betsy modelling my sleeveless jumper.

The neckline ribbing is wrong. It looks OK at a distance but it's not centred properly at the front and it makes the rest of it look really amateur. I definitely have to rip it out but I'm not sure whether to redo it or go for an icord edging.

I went to see The Artist this week.

It was amazing. If you have ever seen a silent film then you can imagine the style - it actually is a real twenty-first century silent film. The storyline is brilliant. The acting is incredible - the lead male is so believable - and for those of you who like that sort of thing there is a really astounding dog. I was completely caught up in the story and at one point - and remember this is a silent film - I jumped. I would definitely recommend it. It is something you will regret not seeing on a big screen if you only watch it at home. But you should still watch it. Oh, and it has John Goodman in. And he is really good.

No More Shopping

I swear this is my last splurge. For the first time in aeons I took myself down to Brick Lane. If you have any interest in vintage clothes and are in london I would recommend Beyond Retro. There are now several branches, including one just off Oxford Street, but the one in Shoreditch takes some beating. Behold the spoils...

My goal was 'office wear'. This little jacket seemed to tick boxes. Light enough for warm weather, smart yet quirky, aubergine coloured, right size. It was coming home with me. Next up...

This dress is one of those that proves one of the key rules of vintage shopping - you just can't tell from looking at it on a hanger. On the hanger in the shop it looked like a big lumpy bag of a thing. It also said it was a size 4. Once on it looks like some lovely little french number - perfect for wearing with low heels and an up-do. Possibly some little black framed glasses perched on the nose? I don't have any but...you know. I love the unnecessary button detailing.

Then finally I slipped. This does not fall within my shopping remit but....BUT....IT'S RED POLKA DOT.

Again, this looked very odd on the hanger and had some *enormous* shoulder pads which are now languishing in the bin. I may take an inch or two off the length but look at those pockets! Perfect for keeping kittens and other such equipment in.

My final purchase is what I may well wear to my sister's wedding in December and is not of the 'vintage' variety. As well as more vintage than you can believe there are lots of little designer boutiques and young designer pop-ups and so on in the area. This one is from The Laden Showroom where there are lots of little niches and each niche is a different designer. It's well priced too - plus there is a sale on!

It's a very dark maroon thin stripe corduroy wrap dress with a black cotton sash. It has proved almost impossible to photograph but you get the idea.

In between all this activity I've been beavering away on this.

I actually woke up at 7 this morning and had the armhole and v-neck steeks stitched and cut by 8.30am. By 10 I'd joined the shoulders, sewn down the steeks and steamed it all flat. Neck line and armholes will begin at the Romford knitting group this afternoon. I got most of the patterns and all the inspiration from my sister's xmas present to me - Alice Starmore's Charts for Color Knitting. Excellent book - even if they have misspelt it.

My next jumper is going to be using one of her all-over designs. So inspiring- I do like fairisle. 

I got an exciting email last night from a friend I've blogged about before who is am AMAZING textile artist. It opens up several avenues of fun and as a hint as to what one of them is I leave you with this video she has made. It is only a minute long and very beautiful.