singing in the rain

today, i'm sharing with you a very special recent vintage find which is so adorable i felt it deserved it's very own post… and. it's very own outfit! i found this amazing vintage children's umbrella at an estate sale this weekend and snagged it for my goddaughter - i couldn't believe my luck. when i woke up today and saw it was going to be a lovely rainy day, i just knew i had to style an outfit around it to share it with you. isn't it just the most darling little thing you've ever seen?! 

i never thought i would top the madeline outfit i put together for her last christmas and worried i might never come across anything quite as special for her again. as soon as i saw this umbrella, my heart sank and then leaped for joy! it's crazy cute and an adorable mixture of bambi, donald duck & the chipmunks although it doesn't say 'disney' on it anywhere - not sure if it's a knock-off or what. it's a little bent up but not terribly - i can't wait to send it off to her and to see pics of her splashing around with it!! it melts my heart just to think about it. i'm so glad i came across this adorable rainy day accessory, which only set me back $4.00… not too bad!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

*outfit details: clothes & scarf - vintage // shoes - penny loves kenny // rings - vintage, ebay, forever 21

inspiration - british pathé vintage fashion film archive

i spent a large part of this past weekend combing through the fantastic british pathé vintage fashion archives on youtube. there are so many amazing little videos in the collection highlighting vintage 40's, 50's & 60's trends in accessories, makeup and fashion of all kinds from wigs & shoes to swimsuits & swim caps. i love the footage of vintage fashion shows and all the strange & quirky newsreel type films like the "girls with sexy eyes" holiday camp contest or "battle of the bulges - 1940s style" which features all sorts of oddball exercise equipment & maneuvers. but, my absolute favorites are the clips of vintage shoe, hosiery, and even umbrella fashions - check out the video above featuring the most fabulous trends in 1950's spectacles. but be warned… you will quickly become addicted to these quirky & charming old films!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

bird's nest hat

it's been over 2 years since i originally made this paper bird's nest hat on the fly for a "silly hat contest" where i was employed at the time. i had two of my co-workers come over the evening before the contest and we pretended we were on project runway and were only allowed to use things we found around the house to make the most couture-yet-whimsical hats possible (we were too poor to actually buy any supplies!) so, we basically turned it into one of my favorite project runway challenges - the one where they have to shop at the grocery, hardware or party store for fashion supplies instead of the normal fabric shop.

at the time, i was living in northern california and volunteering at an established letterpress studio. they had mountains of edge trimmings under the 'guillotine' - years worth of thin shavings of high quality printmaking paper that i had started taking home with me, convinced that someday i would find a purpose for them. i thought of them right away for the hat and gathered a small bunch of the shavings to color with pastel chalks - yellows, greens and pinks - before rolling and tying them up into a nest shape. next, i clipped a few feathers from a feather duster and stuffed them in at a few spots to look like molted feathers. i had a small craft store bird in a bell jar in my room as a decoration, so i took him out and glued him into the nest. for the 'veil' i actually used a piece of screen mesh - the kind you use on your windows when you cut your own screen - and sewed on a handful of swarovski crystal beads to take away from the fact that i was wearing window screen on my head… ha, ha.

i didn't end up winning the contest, but i did get a ton of compliments (someone even asked if was going to get married in this hat) and felt really proud of what i had made in just one evening using a little creativity and whatever was on hand. i made another one of these paper bird's nest hats recently, which is what made me dig this one out of my curio-cabinet to start wearing. i reinfornced it a bit, and made sure everything was more properly adhered before taking the hat out for a spin - my first time actually wearing it in all seriousness with a matching outfit. i sort of fell in love with it all over it again - such a perfectly quirky springtime accessory.

have a great weekend!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

*outfit details: vintage 1980's cream dress // vintage cream lace-bottom slip // vintage pink belt // vintage pearls // calvin klein nude heels // forever 21 ring

cherry blossom girl

cherry blossom image: harold davis

i may not be the original 'cherry blossom girl' but today i was definitely channeling a bit of that lovely energy & inspiration as i wore my reconstructed cherry blossom knit top and spent the day amongst the flowers. having lived in washington, dc for 8 years, cherry blossom season became a big deal for me, not to mention that it's always made me absolutely giddy to have the trees in full bloom around my birthday. i've been taking full advantage of every sunny day we've had lately to picnic & relax under the blooms as much as i can before they're gone.

as soon as i saw this floral knit top at the thrift store, i knew i'd be able give it a quick makeover to really make it shine. i cut off the sleeves and hemmed them before adding an adorable vintage lace pink heart trim for the sweetest little touch. i paired the green floral top with a lightweight nude/pink pleated skirt, my champagne glitter booties and a few other recent diy's. the lavender velvet detachable collar i made a couple of months back - at the same time as this one and used the same elegant musings tutorial. i chose the rounded pattern this time for a more classic peter pan collar and omitted the ribbons for the option of using different brooches & pins to fasten. the tiny crochet bow was made using the same people webs pattern here - i ended up making a few of these tiny bows in citron, white & baby blue for the spring season and really love incorporating them into my spring outfits!

it'll be thunderstorms here all weekend -  i wonder how many flowers will be left after the showers?!

have a great weekend!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

crochet friday - chain necklace

i'm so happy to finally be sharing these pics with you of my last completed crochet project of the season - a crochet chain necklace. i actually finished this necklace in february and haven't touched the hooks since - i don't think i'll be getting to those slippers i wanted to make until the fall, which is ok... i love having a seasonal hobby that i can take a break from. 

the inspiration for this chain necklace came directly from FUDUMUDU's chain necklace design. i've had a few different colors of their iconic chain necklace on my etsy 'favorites' list for over a year now and after completing the big daddy chain i was still on a 'crochet chain' kick so i figured i'd try to replicate it - if it came out horribly, i could always just save up for the original like i'd been planning on all along.

i used my favorite luxury cotton yarn - rowan "calmer" in lavender (the same one i used for my detachable collar) - so the necklace could work as an all-season accessory. i began with a basic rectangular swatch using single crochet stitch, 10 stitches across and long enough to attach the ends comfortably to form a loop (about 6 or 7in.) once the swatch was the appropriate length, i used a slip stitch to join the ends and kept adding links on as i completed them - eleven all together. i divided this project up into swatches, completing one each day, so it took me about 2 weeks to complete the entire thing. i bought some inexpensive gold chain, o-rings & clasps to make the chain and have been having fun experimeting with the lengths ever since. if i wear it tighter around my neck, it sort of looks like a crochet elizabethan collar - love! 

for these pics, i paired the necklace with a couple of recent vintage finds - a sheer green floral dress & purple floral pleated skirt - and an old tea-stained slip plus nude heels. i love the look of a full skirt paired with a short dress as well as the added warmth from all the layers - a definite plus on those cool, crisp spring days. this skirt is quickly becoming my favorite spring standard! i didn't even realize when i bought it that there are tiny deer hidden throughout the pattern - i almost died when i got a better look at it once back home. they're difficult to pick out, but you can spot a pair in the bottom left corner of the last pic (one is upside-down) and another one to the left of my right sleeve - can you spot them? ... aren't they just darling? 

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

little red riding hood

well, hello there! ... and, happy springtime!!

it feels good to be back - sharing my projects with you again after that unexpected little hiatus. i've got a small stack of completed sewing/printing projects just waiting to be worn, photographed and shared with you all so i will do my best to get those up over the next couple of weeks before the big spring shop update! i'm super excited about all the fabulous vintage pieces i'll be adding to the shop later this month - stay tuned for some fantastic vintage finds!

you might remember, a couple of months back i became completely smitten with miu miu's adorable spring 2012 capelets and then found this quick & easy tutorial by FtAshion for making a similar version. for my own capelet, i chose a bold bright red lace and paired it with a thick burgundy velvet ribbon for a bit of added depth & contrast. i can't tell you how easy this diy was - perfect for the absolute beginning sewer. you basically just cut the fabric, fold it, and run a straight stitch along the edge before inserting the ribbon - i was done in 20 minutes tops! and, then it sat in my sewing room for weeks as i pondered how to style it. 

after scoring this amazing blue 60's scooter dress at an estate sale last week, i remembered seeing dakota fanning's styling of the miu miu red capelet and immediately knew i wanted to try a 'celebrity look on a budget' type of thing using items solely from my own closet. i took the scooter dress in at the sides to give it a more 'stuctured' look and paired it w/ a vintage emerald green evening bag (instead of a silver clutch, like dakota,) nude heels, a chunky ring and thick eyeliner to complete the look. it's obviously not a perfect match, but i think it's a pretty fantastic compromise for a tiny fraction of the cost!

i made another capelet in mint green which i'll be wearing on my birthday and sharing with you later this week. i'm really loving these little capelets and can't stress enough how simple they are to make - whip yourself up a version of this cute spring accessory in less than 20 minutes before the temperatures get too hot!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆


*outfit details: vintage blue 1960's scooter dress // calvin klein nude heels // forever 21 rings // vintage emerald green evening bag

never neverland

i'm taking a bit of a break from making pleated skirts as i wait on some white ink to arrive in the mail for an upcoming printing marathon. in the meantime, i've been working on a few quick sewing projects in an effort to use up some of the interesting fabric scraps i've got lying around from past endeavors. this peter pan collar tutorial by elegant musings is the perfect quick & easy project for all those random leftovers and even gives the choice between pointed or rounded ends - how cool is that?!

it's difficult to tell in the pictures, but i used a very fine corduroy for the bright red collar which adds a wonderful texture and was also really fun to work with. the print-at-home pattern & instructions are easy to follow - all you need besides your fashion fabric is a bit of interfacing and your choice of closure (ribbon, button, etc.) i finished my collar off with a thin mustard velvet ribbon and couldn't be happier with how it turned out. makes me feel like a little girl in a fairytale who stumbled upon never neverland and never wants to grow up!

xoxo
☆ emilia ☆

*outfit details: dress - dear by amandy bynes / skirt - isaac mizrahi for target / shoes - naya / purse - vintage / glasses - vintage / owl ring - ebay 

big daddy chain

it's been such a long while since i've shared any completed crochet projects with you! here is an incredibly quick & easy accessory that will really get you noticed - the big daddy chain by hooks & halos. you might remember i used another hooks & halos pattern last december when i made the boerum warmer - the pattern for this chain was just as simple & easy to read as the warmer and is perfectly suited for the beginning crocheter. 

i used lion brand thick & quick yarn in citron for a big thick gold chain look (as opposed to silver or platinum) and worked on two links at a time over the course of a week until i was done. i can hardly even remember working on it, the links were done so quickly due to the thick yarn & large hook required. the big daddy chain is definitely a "notice me!" piece and i can just imagine what sorts of comments i'll get wearing it around town - should be entertaining. :o) 

i paired it here with my extra large gold hoops and one of my favorite vintage dresses ever featuring a quilted skirt with fantastic multi-colored print. i don't know what it is about vintage quilted skirts but i'm just mad about them. it probably has to do with the fact that my second vintage purchase ever as a teen was a dress very similar to this one with a black top and quilted skirt w/ pockets in muted tans & browns. it's been a total love affair ever since!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

new in the shop - vintage gloves!

these vintage gloves have actually been in the shop for a couple of weeks now, but i just added another two pairs this afternoon so i thought i should make a little announcement here. since this is supposed to be a companion blog to my shop and all. :o) i am really loving the long nude & brown gloves at the moment, which seem like such a great lightweight alternative to leather or suede. hop on over to the shop to check out all the different colors & styles! 

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆