And Again...

I had a pair of Japanese inspired wide leg pants which I have never worn because it was so uncomfortable so I took the opportunity to turn it into another one shoulder knit dress. I made the neckline higher but forgot to adjust the armholes so they are not sitting as well as my other dress. Still, I always appreciate the lessons I learn when I sew because I am bound to make a mistake each time!

One Shoulder Knit Dress

As I have been away all summer and missing my sewing supplies, I have been dying to get into some sewing since I returned about 2 weeks ago. I saw this pattern on DixieDIY and was encouraged by the comments on how quick and simple it was to make.

I don't have much experience sewing with knits but if you follow Dixie's thorough instructions, you can be the proud owner of a new dress. I love wearing clothes that I make myself - which is not many, but it is something I hope to change because it is so rewarding.

I dropped by the thrift store where there is always an abundance of fabric and snapped up 8 yards of mint knit for $8. I only used about 2 yards of it. I followed all her instructions except that I did not hem the bottom of the skirt. I tried that but it ended up all wavy and spoilt the line of the skirt. In the end, I just cut it away.

Thank you Dixie, I look forward to making another dress with this pattern. It took me 2 hours from start to finish. Hop over to her website to check out her other wonderful creations!

Inspired by Pinterest: Jewel Buttoned Sweater

I saw this on Pinterest, an image I pinned from a blog I follow, Gal meets Glam, and thought it was one of those quick, satisfying projects to make. Satisfying because I can be sure that I would complete it in one sitting, as opposed to my ever increasing pile of unfinished projects!

Source: galmeetsglam.blogspot.com via Grace on Pinterest

I took this picture at night because nights are usually when I start working on my craft projects after the children have gone to bed. I must change this so that I get nicer pictures for my blog in the future.

I had a sweater which I thrifted for projects like these. $5. I had another grey one but chose this because it has a V neck. Once I glued down those jewels, I knew I would not be able to button or unbutton the sweater so I would need to slip it over my head with ease.

When I was back in Malaysia, I was within walking distance to two sewing supplies shops. I picked this up for US$0.40 each pack.

With my glue gun, I got to work and within 10 minutes, I had myself a nice "new" sweater!

I would love to see what some of you are working on, please leave a link to your blog in the comment form!

Inspired By Pinterest: Denim Vest

Oh what a wonderful summer it has been! I have been travelling the north and south of Malaysia. We also made two trips Singapore with my family. Sadly, we are nearing the end of our summer break as we leave in about 2 weeks for the USA. It has been so good to just hang out with my parents, sisters and close friends but in a way, I am looking forward to going back!

Here is a brief snapshot of where I have been the last 2 months:

 

 Now that I am winding down before leaving, I am looking forward to picking up with my blog again. Recently, I pinned an image of how to style a vest, courtesy of The Vault Files.

Source: thevaultfiles.com via Grace on Pinterest

I have a grey maxi which I have never worn because the weather is too hot here for anything else except shorts and tank tops. However, maxis can be a great staple for travelling on flights because they are so comfortable. My sister has a denim jacket she no longer wears and I cut the sleeves off.

This is what I plan on wearing when I go onto the plane for my 27 hour flight back home.

 

Sorry for the  poor quality of the photos as I am without my DSLR these days. It's a lot lighter to carry my iphone and I don't have to fiddle with transferring photos. You might not be able to see but my necklace is mint stones, just like my nail polish.

My shoes are from a Singaporean company called Charles and Keith. They have some pretty bags, accessories and very cute shoes. However, I have always found their shoes to be uncomfortable and they are always made with PVC or fake leather. Their prices are not cheap either, since the Singapore dollar is almost on par with the US dollar. These gold sandals cost me $46.00 and it pinches me at my pinkie toe.  One thing to note about the Asian shopping experience is that it is nothing like the convenience of shopping in the US. I bought a bag which I changed my mind about and they only allow you up to 7 days to exchange it for another item. This is EXTREMELY generous because shoppers are not usually allowed to change items or get refunds. I could not find anything else I liked in the shop and had to exchange it for these pair of sandals, but I had a credit of about $20 left over. They would not refund me at all and in the end, I had to get a purse for $24. I did not shop very much during this trip, clothes are very poorly made and very expensive, if you compare them to brands like Gap, Old Navy, etc.

Maxi: H&M $17.95

Denim Vest: Free

Necklace: Forever 21 RM29.00 (US$10) This was a disappointing purchase. I realised that one section of the beads were missing and I could not replace it with another one (stupid exchange policies once again because it is my fault for not checking the necklace thoroughly before leaving the store) The chain started corroding after a week of wearing it in this hot/humid weather.

Hope your summer has been extra relaxing and special!