Birthday Treats....

I photographed some of my lovely birthday presents that I was very very grateful to receive...

1. Daisy by Marc Jacobs - a present from the boyfriend, been wanting it forever! Love the sweet but fresh scent.
2. Be Delicious by DKNY -  a present from my boyfriend's parents, also a lovely fresh (appley) scent.
3. The Cheap Date Guide to Style, Dysfashional, The Fashion Photography Course - presents from my brother and auntie, very highly desired fashion and photography books. To be treasured and looked after forever.
4. Fashion Illustration, The Echorium Sequence books 2+3, Retro Headphones - presents from my parents, I loved Song Quest and am happy to have the next two books to read.
5. New York and Washington DC Travel Guides - from my sister whom I will be visiting next year in America!


As you can see I enjoy flicking through a good book, photo books, info books and fiction. And I never buy my own perfume, I'm not sure why I probably wouldn't buy my own flowers either... but I have been dropping huge hints to my boyfriend for months about how much I love Daisy. Marc Jacobs have a new one out now, Lola, which I have tried but found it a little too old for me, its like Daisy's big sister! And funnily enough my big sister loves Lola! Thanks for the birthday wishes guys, I promise more fashion updates as soon as I have a spare moment, the weather has been so awful I've not been able to take my camera out and do a outfit shoot.


Oh and Happy Halloween! Hope you all have a terrifying night! I'm going for a meal with my family tonight and then off to see a concert.... I'm not ready for the weekend to end just yet!

Its my Birthday!

Hey guys! Just a quick message to let you all know I am 19 today! So I will be posting some outfit photos and also letting you all know what I got because most of it is fashion related and hopefully will interest you.
In the mean time please check out my own art website built by my brother as a present....

gwenmcmullin.co.uk

Its not quite up to date but theres some stuff for you to flick through.
I also want to say thank you to any new followers, I logged on today to find even my Blogger had given me a little present. I appreciate every follower of my blog and hope to keep updating you guys with exciting and interesting info!


More birthday posts soon to come.....
Peace and Love
x

My new favourite boots!

I am a HUGE fan of comfortable, chunky, long lasting, fashionable and beautiful footwear. Especially boots. So as many of you may have previously read, I have been admiring the various wedges I've seen around lately and was interested in finding my own pair (or two). These are THE most comfiest heels I have ever spent a whole day in. I refer to them as heels as they are a decent 3.5 inches. Its the rubbery wedge that makes them so sturdy and manageable. Unless walking up steep hills, walking in these does not feel like walking in 3.5 inch heels. I can comfortably rest the heels and balls of my feet (alternately) across the sole without feeling wobbly. 
They are also a gorgeous chestnut brown colour perfect for the autumn, and go with all sorts. 
I will be wearing these until they are wearing me!

This second pair I picked up in the ASOS sale for somewhere under £15 and I wasn't expecting miracles from them but I thought they would make a nice alternative for going out in (somewhere warm as peep-toe is not really frost friendly) Again they are not too high and seem comfortable so far, rubbing a little around my toes but that can be broken in! I'm looking forward to wearing these on a night out and seeing how i cope!

Print Your Own: Nautical Tee

So...thought the nautical theme was over and done with? You obviously haven't seen the many spring/summer collections promoting the navy stripes once again! Get ready for spring, or even this winter (layers!) and create your own t-shirt.

(This technique can also be used in a variety of ways, so the 'how to' is more to show the general technique i used)

What you will need:

• sharp scissors
• masking tape or contact paper
• fabric paints
• paint brush and/or sponge
• A plain t-shirt (pale colours work best)

Start by laying out your t-shirt, using the masking tape (in varying widths) lay out the design you desire. 

I have placed the strips with differing spacing between them, and have cut both thin and thick pieces of masking tape. This can be quite tricky as the tape wants to stick to the scissors and not be cut!

Using contact paper can be easier to cut up but I find the masking tape gives better results....

Make sure you place a bin bag or plastic shopping bags underneath your item (not newspaper) so the paint cannot stick to the surface. Also, when printing on one side - push a plastic bag in between the t-shirt to prevent transfer to the back.

Here you can see how I mixed by fabric paint, blue and black to create the navy. You can buy millions of different colours but mixing saves money! Swirl together with a stiff paint brush and apply onto the t-shirt using either a bit of sponge or the brush itself.

You will use quite a bit of fabric paint, don't be sparing - slap it on there! Making sure you have an even covering...

When the paint is dry (1-2 hours) peel away the masking tape to reveal your masterpiece!

The lines may be rough and not pin sharp, but that's all part of the look!

Using the contact paper, you can cut out shapes to make a stencil, and use the stencil on your shirt. Stick it down, and paint! I did this simple heart design, but you can get much more fancy

Leave your tee for 24 hours minimum before ironing (this seals in the dye) use an old piece of thin material, or a teal towel - don't iron straight on to the shirt. You can then wash and dry your tee as normal without the colours fading or transferring onto any other clothing.

Good Luck and let me know if you try it out!

Work Work Work!

Wow. This past week has been hectic! I apologise for my lack of posts, but I've been so busy with uni and I've had a huge pile of work to do and keep on top of. I thought I'd just let you guys know what I've been up to recently....

So above are phone images taken in my Pattern Cutting class, these photos will be used in our final presentation files to show our progress. The first item we made was a basic fitted skirt created on the tailors dummy and then lay it onto paper to create a pattern from it. Next we took the same pattern yet altered it to create a pleated skirt. The second item, a basic bodice top followed the same route and our alteration was to change the cut to a princess line bodice. 

The garments are only rough 'drafts' made from calico (canvas type material - which smells disgusting by the way) we used so so many pins (and lost many) but no sowing was involved.....that's next Monday!

I'm finding pattern cutting at this level accessible but as I'm not a very precise and calculated person, my mock up patterns tend to be the same. This is fine now, but when it comes to making real clothing I may not have so much luck. I'm more of a throw everything together and hope for the best kind of girl!

Friday's lesson, Uses of Design Research - Industry Practice, involve small projects where we actually make our own designs and learn how to market them. I've spent the past 5 days making a dress, label, swing ticket, paper bag and a t shirt version all to be handed in for marking this Friday! Eek! 

I will post images of the dress and other bits when they are all complete! This project is completely wearing me thin, not to mention making a small dint in my wallet. I'm not a dressmaker at any length! I'd choose a camera over a sowing machine any day! However saying that, for my first attempt I'm quite happy. Fingers crossed for me everything goes well on Friday.

Going to soak in the bath, phew!

Exploring the Vintage Boutiques

After enduring a 3 hour long lecture this morning, I decided to do a spot of vintage/charity/2nd hand shopping or "thrifting" if you like, in the Northern Quarter, Manchester. Places photographed include:

• Pop Boutique 
• Junk
• Blue Rinse
• and a place I forget the name of...

These are the, ahem, more expensive vintage shops (and by that I mean they will charge £25 for a 2nd hand dress) which to me is not real bargain hunting. The 3 pound and under store on Oldham Road is not pretty (hence no photographs) but you can really get items for....well, £3 and under! Most of these boutiques are just nice to visit, look around and photograph. I ended up with 67 shots on my camera and had to restrain myself from uploading them all!

My task was to find 5 hideous garments for my styling class, in which we will then style, customize and photograph in such a way to create an appealing garment! I really did find some ugly shirts and a woolly jumper - which has potential. I will let you know how the project develops!

....I also took a trip to Fred Aldous for some fabric paint and spray mount (all will be revealed!)

Anyone know some great vintage/charity shops in the North West area? Have you found any fantastic bargains along the way? A friend recently got a gorgeous jumpsuit for only £6!

Wedges - Welcome in a pair this Autumn

Recently I have been spotting a lot of beautiful wedges strutting about my campus. I almost fled to the shops immediately when I saw a girl in an amazing pair. (I had no clue where they were from, but I was determined!) Here's a collection I put together after searching some of my favourite online stores.
In my search for the perfect pair I will be looking for shearling trim, a comfortable wedge and a flat toe. By this I mean my toes will have to touch solid ground, so many wedges are shaped so the wedge lifts up at the front, and for some reason I roll all over the place in them. It feels very unstable, anyone else have this issue?
I'm also loving the clog inspired brogue wedges from Miss Selfridge (combining so many trends into one). Comfort is major issue for me, especially if I am going to wear these all throughout the day. And wedges are easier on the ankles than heels. And although the black elga fringe wedges appeal to me, I think a smaller wedge would be more practical. I'll keep you posted as soon as I find 'my' pair!