Continuing the photography theme here are a few more images I dug out from the depths of iphoto! 3 of these were taken with a Nikon D3000 and 1 was taken with my iphone 3GS. Can you guess which is the odd one out?!
As stated in the previous post please email/comment if you would like to use any of my photographs.
Fizz!
Bristol Docks
Femme Photographer
Peros Bridge
Whilst organising the images for the previous post I came across a few electronic albums which I had forgotten all about. As well as vowing to print more photos in to actual, hold-in-your-hands reality, I also decided to share some of my favourite images here…
If you like what you see and/or would like to use any of these images, please contact me by commenting below or emailing beautifulplumage@hotmail.co.uk.
‘Buttons’ – Easton Market, Bristol
‘Ribbon and Trimmings’ – Easton Market, Bristol
‘Parisian Fabrics’ – The Square Louise Michel, Paris
I’ve been back in England now for precisely 7 days. The Barcelona vacation is a warm fuzzy memory but one I’m clinging to with every fresh bout of grey English drizzle!
As promised, here is the second part of my Spanish design-focused post. The following lighting ideas left a real impression and I wanted to document the simple yet effective methods of softly enhancing spaces using different lighting techniques.
The first picture was taken on the train from Barcelona to Benicassim. The smooth black ceiling of this drinks cabin is dotted at random with small holes. Bright lighting is revealed through these to create the illusion of a night sky. Because this space had such a calm, relaxed feel to it, we barely spent any time in our designated seats and chose to sit here instead with books, Illy coffees and a shared pack of Oreos. Yum.
The second and third pictures were taken in our favourite Tapas bar, aptly named Lonja de Tapas which served the best filo prawns I’ve ever eaten. The lighting in these pictures is shaded by a stylish, delicate-looking wire and paper structure. The paper pieces look scattered and almost appear to be floating which creates a beautiful and alluring aesthetic. A simplistic yet gorgeous product.
Posts have been a little scarce over the last 10 days. Well, I say scarce; they have actually been non existent! This is because I have been on holiday with my man to the beautiful City of Barcelona. It was one of the best holidays of my life. We navigated around narrow Spanish streets, lazed on beautiful beaches, learned about Picasso, visited chic bars and eateries and were even treated to a roof top barbeque by friends. As well as the usual holiday snaps I made sure to capture some clever design ideas that I saw along the way.
The Vincci Bit hotel, Barcelona. Very new and super stylish – adore the photo wall which includes local Artwork, photos and a retro style advert for Apple macs!
The use of monochrome Spanish Textiles compliments the white room perfectly. Shiny silver metallics and bright yellow accents keep the look contemporary.
The lobby leads on to the bar/restaurant/computer area. The tall shelves of brightly coloured books & globes add interest whilst the sharply angled lime chairs, scattered lighting and simplistic ceiling doodles complete the fresh eclectic look.
This vintage sign is contrasted with spherical shiny metallic ceiling decor, a textured white wall coating and a super plush chocolate carpet to welcome guests and create that all important first impression. Definitely design-aware!
The last thing to mention is that all floor hallways are decorated differently. Level 2 was spray painted in caramel, chocolate an coffee colour shades. Delicious!
Click here for Vincci Bit Hotel Info
Here is my entry for the 2012 Sew Direct competition ‘Vintage & Beyond’. The challenge is to create a modern garment from a vintage pattern and to explain your inspiration. The pattern I adapted is shown below. Fingers crossed!
My Inspiration Explained….
A great deal of inspiration for this dress came from the City of Bristol where I live. Bristol Harbour festival 2012 took place a couple of weeks ago. The striped jersey fabric hints at this theme – a celebration of all things nautical! Stripes still continue to have a strong fashion presence as they can be fun yet sophisticated at the same time. The stripe colours also reminded me of the pastel coloured houses which Bristol is often remembered for. Lastly, I wanted to make sure the dress is quite classic and chic, in the name of sustainable fashion. I am happy that I have sewed a dress that can be worn again and again, without worrying that it is only a fashion fad! To modernise the design further, I used a lightweight stretch knit for the main part of the dress which is great in terms of fit and comfort.
Photography by Shipshape&BristolFashion.
A few pics of my latest vintage purchase, the newly cherishable electric blue dress. As you can see it’s now fully shortened to an acceptable length for 2012!
This mini shoot was conducted in my sisters new flat in Manchester. She moved in 3 and a half weeks ago and I couldn’t wait to see her first non-student digs. I left Manchester feeling slightly jealous of her beautiful fireplace (pictured) and with a predictably large bagful of more great finds from the local charity shops here, including a couple of 80’s crop-able tees, a cream lace blouse, a gorgeous and oh-so-comfy mens stripy blue jumper and much more… but that’s a whole other blog post folks! A dedicated alterations post detailing the upcycling of these items to follow soon.
For info on how to shorten a dress like this, please click here.
Photography by Courtney Ward
Some sewing machines have a mock overlock or stretch stitch setting. This is a wide stitch which is a criss cross, mixed with a staight stitch in between. It can be used to finish edges of seams (depending on the type/weight of fabric) as it has a similar appearance to using an overlocking machine. It is also called stretch stitch as when you are working with stretch fabrics, the stitch can be used to sew seams and hems in place, whilst still allowing the stretch of the fabric/garment.
Below I have shown you how I repaired my bikini using this stitch. I swim a lot and the original thread has fallen apart where my locker key gets pinned! I’m really pleased with the result and I hope you find this useful. If you would like advice on any other repairs, feel free to send me a photo or drop me an email and I’ll get back to you asap.
Note: Always test the stitch on a section of your fabric before you use it as a mock overlock/way of finishing your hems or seams. The success varies greatly from fabric to fabric.
Having holiday time from work has meant much excitement…I have time to address the long long list of sewing projects that I just haven’t got around to yet. Hooray!
However…I just couldn’t concentrate at my sewing table. The reason? The house looked like a bomb site! After a family visit last week and going straight to the Electric Beach festival in Newquay over the weekend, the house still displayed evidence of world-wind last minute packing and the aftermath of discarded holiday items. I had to get things clean!
When everything was nice and sparkly I thought I’d take some photos as there are a few new design details e.g. the postcards and the Space Invader vinyl that have been added recently that I wanted to share. What unusual nic nacs do you add to personalise your home? I’d love to see some photos!
Beautiful Plumage. 