Current projects for Lady Gigglemug

I have been working on a few items, for Lady Gigglemug, which is my friends and my Etsy shop. Right now we're having a vacation from the shop, but I felt like making something for the shop. My plan is to also make some more Autumn-inspired stuff, since I can't wait for Autumn and since it would be nice to sell in the coming months. 

The first thing I've been working on is actually on hold for a friend on Instagram, since she saw it in Lady Gigglemug's insta-story. So it won't come up on the shop, but it was meant to be on the shop... so I'm gonna show them anyway.

They're a pair of antique bloomers that I have upcycled. On the butt of these bloomers there's this big pocket with a doily and a vintage button I have from my small button-collection. I have on each leg added some more fabric that matches the pocket. On the front there's some lovely half, doilys and a patch with a print of a spoon. I draw the spoon myself and printed it on some light pink fabric, back when I was going on a design-school. I really love the look of it.

The spoon is actually a drawing I made of one of my own antique spoons. I have a small spoon-collection, hehe. 

Then I once promised to make some jabots for Lady Gigglemug, but never got started. Woops, but I think jabots are beautiful and great accessories in the Autumn/Winter time. I am deffinitely going to make more.
This one is with layers in different colours and textures. I really like this one and it's colours so much!! It reminds me of the countryside somehow, hehe. The spoon is antique by the way. Some of the fabric/lace is old or thrifted and there's a doily added here aswell. 

The last thing I've made was going to be a jabot, but it got too high on the collar. But I really loved the colours I used and the different textures. There's some velvet, a beautiful, golden flower-ribbon, two kinds of lace, a lace bow with a red pearl and it's all sewn on to a piece of felt. I think it's so cute, hehe. 

Now for something else than projects for Lady Gigglemug. My boyfriend and I went to the city to look at engagement rings and I think I found the right one! But I will have to take a look around on the internet and in some of the other antique shops in Odense. Anyway, afterwards we went to a art supply shop and the lady in there thinks I'm so beautiful, haha. She said it was like I had walked out of a scrapbook. 

I was wearing the clothes on the pictures beneath. I also made some art to put in a small frame. I used aquarelle colours, a pencil and a black pen.

'Little Lady Foxglove'

Now I feel very proud that I have been making some things for the shop and for myself. Especially because I am in a very bad mood currently. I feel so stressed and sad. I listen to a lot of music, to kinda get away from things. And now I have been listening to Loreena McKennitt for hours!! But I find her music so relaxing and beautiful.

Besides music I have also been watching a lot of movies. I actually watched 'Dracula' from 1992 for the first time in my life... which is ind of embarrasing since I really am a vampire-fan. I liked it a lot and even though it was a bit serious, I still laughed a few times.

Then I saw 'The vvitch'. I read a lot of different opinions on this one. But I really liked it! I love the look and atmosphere the movie has. 

What do you like to do when feeling down?

I hope you all are feeling better than I am and if you want to, please recommend some movies to watch.

Letters for my lovely penpals

I decided to make some letters for my penpals Anne Ophelia and Esther. I really enjoy writing them and finding the perfect things to send. Having penpals is such s cosy thing, even though I'm not the fastest to answer on the letters I get, hehe. My latest letter was from Anne Ophelia and that was the first letter ever, with her as a penpal. She send me some tea, which smells delicious. I still have to taste them, but I got so much tea from a lot of different places and persons. But I feel very honoured to know a lot of beautiful people from the internet and they're from all over the world. I think it's so exiting to get in touch with amazing and interesting beings from different countrys. It's amazing!

Anyway, here's the letters I made:

For Anne Ophelia

In Anne Ophelias letter I, beside the handwritten letter, added a few things. I bought some pretty postcards a while ago from The Floral Fox art and on that I wrote a few facts about myself, since we don't know eachother that well yet. The postcard with the lady is one I bought in a thriftstore and I though she reminded me a bit of Anne. Then I also made a small bag of one of my favorite tea, which is a Rooibos Rhubarb tea. I closed the letter with a wax seal and made it look pretty with stamps and stickers. 

For Esther

For Esther I wrote a letter and put it in the envelope together with another beautiful postcard from The Floral Fox art and with some handmade stickers with my own artwork. These stickers will be sold one day, together with an art print. Anyway I also send some caramel tea that smells delicious! I still haven't heard from her, but I hope she liked my letter. 

Beside beautiful letters and wonderful people, I am also working on a few items for Lady Gigglemug that will be sold after out vacation. Currently it's a pair of antique bloomers that I'm upcycling. They're so cute!

I listen to a lot of lovely music while working and yesterday I just wanted to hear some classical music. But the only record I got with that is Vivaldi, the four seasons. I need to change that, haha.

Last but not least I want to share with you that can't wait for it to be Autumn!!!!!! I love Autumn and I'm actually a bit tired of Summer now. My least favorite season is Summer and my favorites are Spring and Autumn. I need golden leafs, fresh air, hot drinks and layered outfits,
I just can't wait!

What do you feel about Summer? And what are your favorite season(s)? 

Some self portraits and in search for inspiration

I took a few self portraits today, in my "new" upcycled doily dress.

Yesterday I woke up, because someone was knocking on our door. I was too tired to wake up and open the door, so I turned around and fell asleep again. Later, same day, I could see out of the window, that something stood in front of our door. My love went out to see what it was... It was this amazing, old and red velvet chair, with huge tassels! We took it inside, but didn't knew if it was for us or what? But then my boyfriend's stepfather called us and it turned out to be a gift from him and my boyrfriend's mother. It's very beautiful and perfect for my vanity table from 1919... and it's a perfect cello-chair, hehe. 

I then decided to take some photos, with the chair. I just took some old bed sheets and hang up in front of our closet and another one in the same colour, which I put on the floor. I like the red and the green colour together. 

I also finished a skirt that I made from the bottom. I really like it and I think I'll make more of my skirts look a bit more "bustle"-like. It's hard to see on the photos, but it's longer on the back than in the front. It is dark grey, but has burned orange pinstripes. It's some heavy fabric that I bought in a thrift shop for cheap!

I feel like I want to evolve my style, since I'm a bit locked in it. I would love to add more layers and textures, but I find it hard to do. Do you have any advice? What are your favorite textures to mix?
I really want to look like "a messy victorian", as I like to call it. I am very inspired by the victorian lower class and music/musicians such as Melora Creager from Rasputina and Unwoman. Do you have any fun ideas for outfits and inspiration? Perhaps you know some movies to watch or blogs to follow?

Anyway- I love the feeling when something is finished... I am very bad at finishing things, but I'll get better at it. Hopefully, haha.

Upcycling: Doily dress

I've been wanting to practise my upcycle-skills lately. I really love going thrifting and to buy other people's old clothing, but I haven't felt good enough to upcycle those things I have in my wardrobe... But then I bought a few pieces for very cheap, to upcycle and I decided to try out with this dress.

I shortened the straps, fixed a few holes and added four of my old doilys plus two buttons. The big doily is also a pocket. I really love how much it does to add a few things, on a simple piece like this dress. I have another old dress that has a lot of spots on it. I will see if I can hide them with some velvet fabric and perhaps some doilys as well, since I have so many of them. 

I also have a pair of bloomers that's too small for me. I will upcycle them and put them for sale on me and my friend's Etsy-shop, Lady Gigglemug. That will be my first upcycled product for sale, but diffenitely not my last! 

I love how easy it is to make clothing look a bit more unique and personal, by adding a few extra things that you like. It's much more easy to do than sewing things from the buttom. I rarely finish my sewing projects and I have so many of them...

Have you tried upcycling some of your thrifted clothes? What did you think about it?
Please share your experience and perhaps a few tips and tricks.