VI Couture - Vintage Inspired Fashion

Wedding Time

2010-03-10T14:11:00.000+11:00

Sorry I've been a non-blogging spoil sport, but I was so busy last week that I had little time to do anything! Also, I have a new website up for my novel I am publishing this year insha allah. If you follow me on Twitter, you will know what I am talking about. If you don't, you can check it out at http://www.alyshaking.com/. There is lots of stuff to look at, watch and read so get on over there!

Also, last week one of my good friends got married here in Canberra. The ceremony and the reception, though marred by rain, were fantastic and I had the honour of photographing the whole thing.

For the Hen's Party we had at one of the girl's places, I managed to snag a seriously cute outfit from Etsy. The theme was pink and black (as was the wedding) so you will understand why I bought this dress. In anycase, I would have bought it anyway - it is fantastic!

Described on the advertisement as a 70s disco goddess dress, I had to have it. It is fantabulous and it fit perfectly, alhumdulillah! I wore a nice light black hijaab with it (in a crazy style which I will never be able to replicate but looked awesome none-the-less). And the great thing was that it cost only about $30AUD and that was with postage from the US! You've gotta love Etsy...

So that's what has been happening with me. Sorry if I don't get on here as often as I would like but I will try as best I can!

Lots of Sunshine!

2010-03-04T12:28:00.000+11:00

This is a tad late but I want to say a massive THANK-YOU to the wonderful chicky babe over at Imperfect Stepford Chronicles for giving me this gorgeous award. I love getting awards!

As per these blog awards, they come with some 'rules', so here goes!

Put the logo on your blog in your post.

Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.

Link the nominees within your post.

Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blogs.

Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

So here are my nominees for the Sunshine Blog Award!

(sorry I don't really know 12 bloggers so here are the ones I love)

Aifa at Aifa's Suitcase - she is a girl after my own heart. Her blog is so cute and I love her sketches - how does she do it??

The sister over at Modest Justice cos she's not afraid to be honest - you go girl!

Hijab Revival - Another awesome Aussie hijaabi fashion blogger

Sakeenah from Abaya Chic cos she's just awesome in general.

Another vintage blogger, What are they wearing now, cos I love the stuff she sticks up. I want!!

Congrats to all these awesome chicky babes!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work we go...

2010-02-18T16:40:00.000+11:00

Recently I was trawling Etsy and I found a couple of awesome tops that I could so wear to work. I tend to wear suits to work, some with pants, others with skirts, that I had tailored in India. I'm always on the look out for nice long-sleeved tops to go with but sadly, hardly anyone wears long-sleeved tops to work. Blokes maybe, but no the ladies. Oh, and tops that don't flash the cleavage either.

So hear are some picks that I am tempted to throw in my virtual shopping cart. Some are a little loud, but then again, I'm not one to be boring!

I love the front of this. Plus it's nice and loose so it won't stick to my in summer.

Polka dots and pin-striped! This just has funky written all over it.

For a less formal look, this peasant-girl kind of top would be awesome.

This one reminds me of Reuben from Ocean's Eleven. He's always wearing those vintage suits and tops, especially the ones with the ruffles. Vegas, anyone?

Again, if you like anything you see on my blog that's related to Etsy, they can be found in my Etsy favourites box to the right.

Steampunky!

2010-02-10T16:04:00.000+11:00

I only recently discovered this style of dress. Though I had seen it plenty times before, I never actually knew the term for it. Now I know - Steampunk. Born from the imaginations of Jules Vern, HG Wells and the like, steampunk is not only a fashion inspiration but also exists in literature, art and entertainment. Personally I love it. It's got that old-fashioned feel mixed with a kind of other-dimensional technology that makes it seem like the industrial revolution never ended and just continued on.

Below are some examples of steampunk including to blokes from the Brisbane Supanove event in 2008.

I love this cuadaroy bolero. It's just so funky.

Such a sweet jacket for winter. It looks so warm and awesome.

This is classified as a wedding jacket which would be perfect for any hijaabi wanting to convert a traditional wedding dress into something a little more modest.

Just thought I'd throw this in here because it's such a good example of steampunk fashion.

And those guys at Supanova. Apparently they were dressed as anime characters from a comic series that's all steampunky.

So what do you think of Steampunk?

Again, if you're liking any of the abovementioned items (minus the 2 blokes at the end), just go over and search through my Etsy.com favourites on the side there.

So so busy!

2010-02-02T16:28:00.000+11:00

I'm so sorry, my darling followers, that I've been a little MIA as of late. I've been so busy storyboarding a book trailer for my novel The Order of the Rose and organising everything for the shoot in March that I've found it difficult to keep up with my fashion endevours! But don't worry - insha allah I'll do some more designs and possibly some more fascinators, as they take the least amount of time to create, so there will be more up here soon!

For now I'll just leave you with a sneak-a-peek preview at my storyboard. I'm so super excited about this! Also keep an eye out for my new website and Youtube vlogs regarding my book. Peace!

Finished Bits n Bobs

2010-01-29T14:45:00.000+11:00

Over the last couple of weeks I've been a tad busy, hence the reason I've not stopped by to update my blog as much. As I posted a little while back, I'll be focusing much more on publishing my book this year so for the past week I've been organising a shoot to make a book trailer. For 30seconds worth of trailer it's a lot of work!
But I'm a little off track. I've also been making a wedding present for one of my friends which I finally finished last weekend.

So here it is. I bought the scarf but all the embroidery, plait-work and beading are done by me.

This is a wide shot of the scarf. The other end only has the tassels braided otherwise it would have been too heavy.

All the sequins are individually hand-sewn onto the scarf.

The beading includes some rhinestones used for the centres of some of the flowers.

I also had another friend who celebrated her birthday this month. She is a massive Twilight fan so I made this for her. It's an original idea that popped into my head one night while I was trying to think of what to make her. I call it a book pocket.

Made mostly of felt, the 'I' is hand sewn sequins and the 'twilight' is made of small, white inidividual beads.

The whole pocket is hand stitched together, as is the edging of the apple and the top of the case. The sequins are meant to represent the vampire's skin (how it sparkles), the apple for the book, the white beads for how Edward's body is like marble and the glass bead at the top represents the small crystal heart on Bella's bracelet.

So that's what I've been up too. Over the next few days I'll be storyboarding for my book trailer but hopefully I'll have some more time next week! Oh, and I might be making the flowergirl's dress for another friend's wedding, but that's just an idea for now. Have a great weekend insha allah! >_<

V.I COUTURE - HAITI APPEAL!

2010-01-22T11:08:00.000+11:00

Since seeing and reading about all the devastation in Haiti recently, I decided that I wanted to do something. I want to help those people most affected by this horrific event and so, until the end of February 2010, 50% of everything* sold from my online store at Etsy.com will be given to the Australian Red Cross' Haiti Earthquake Appeal. I have some cute Hijaabi Fascinators, some Japan-esque decos for your glasses and even some Twilight-inspired cards for sale. So come and help the Australian Red Cross in their efforts in Haiti.

V.I Couture Etsy Store

*excluding the Breast Cancer Foundation pieces.

Etsy Pick of the Day #2

2010-01-21T16:04:00.000+11:00

It's my Etsy pick of the day again. Sorry I don't have any pics of my friend's hijaab yet - I've just spent the last two days making a book pocket for another friend's birthday. Come to think of it, I do way too much at the same time! But I promise, I'll be back to finishing it off tonight insha allah!

So, back to Etsy. Today I've got something a little bit unusual but totally fantastic.

I know what you're thinking: 'Pink again??' But really I picked this one for the design. It's a different type of layering, to say the least, and the visibility of the white underneath gives the skirt a dimensional affect and the pattern of the top layer adds to the affect even more. And besides, it doesn't need to be pink - any colour would do the trick, really! Though if I were to have it, it would definitely have to be bright like this one!

Etsy Pick of the Day

2010-01-19T10:43:00.002+11:00

I thought I needed to start something up again since I've been so slack it's ridiculous! Sorry readers! I've just been so busy with my other blog and my photography that I've been neglecting you all.

Here is my new series - Etsy Pick of the Day. I'll go trawling through the hundreds of awesome vintage pieces on Etsy and pop one up here with a bit of commentary. If you like it, just click here and it'll take you to the listing. I will also stick it in my favourites to the right. I'm still working on that hijaab - pics real soon, I promise!

Things I love about this blouse:

1. It's pink

2. It's got that gorgeous little ruffle that's not so big it takes over as the dominating feature

3. Cute puffy sleeves

4. It's not too tight and looks really comfy

5. Nice high neck-line

This shirt is perfect for hijaabis and is a gorgeous vintage piece! I might have to tag it and buy it after my next pay (PS - it's not expensive either!). I can tell you now, I would have a hard time finding anything like this nowadays!

So what do you think?

FOCUS!!

2010-01-14T14:30:00.000+11:00

First of all, I don't usually do "New Years Resolutions" but this year I thought I'd try it out! I decided that I finally needed to focus on just a few things and try to stick to them instead of tripping all over the place like I usually do. So here we go:

1. Instead of doing big fashion pieces, I thought I'd try doing more smaller pieces, like more fascinators and hijaabs (you'll see what I mean by hijaabs in a few days). That way I'll have more time and also more pieces for sale.

2. I'm going to finish my book and get it published (confidence, that's all I need!!)

3. I'm enrolling in a course (part-time since I still need money!) so I'm going to be studying as well.

4. I've started taking my photography business seriously and so in the next few weeks I'll be doing some serious advertising so I can hopefully insha allah get a few start-up jobs.

They're pretty much my only "resolutions" - I need to keep it simple otherwise I reckon I'd never get anything done! Hopefully I'll have some pics up soon of my hijaab/scarf I'm working on. It's too cute! I kind of want to keep it for myself...

Etsy Dress of the Day

Vintage 70's. I love it. The slight puffiness of the sleeves and gorgeous obi-styled belt. Perfect summer dress.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-12T10:38:00.000+11:00

Ok, so I know I'm a little late with the greeting but oh well - better late than never! I've been on a small holiday and been very lazy with my blog (sorry guys!). This will be a slightly random blog as I am in the middle of completing a cool scarf for a friend's wedding and I don't want to post any pics yet (incase she gets on here before I send it!). It's so pretty though - I can't wait to share it with you guys!

Anyways, Sakeena over at Abaya Chic sent these pics to me ages ago and I'm only just now getting around to posting about them. I call this "Hollywood goes Hijaab", or something like that.

First up we have Susan Sarandon's daughter, Eva Amurri. I love this dress - it screams old school vintage style without flashing any of her lady bits (I know, charming, right?). I think I might actually make something like this insha allah. Won't be soon though - I still have this scarf to finish...

Now I don't really know who this is (anyone, if you know, please feel free to tell me!) but I love the green and black. Maybe not so low cut, but that can be fixed. I have a strange affinity for big foofy/poofy sleeves, as you may have figured from my past design posts, so this one is right up my alley.

Thanks so much, Sakeena! These are absolutely gorgeous dresses with just oodles of inspiration to be garnered (yep, I just said 'oodles').

Now for those who don't know what I've been up to over the last week or so, here's the reason: it's a web show I follow and these girls are awesome. They don't just do Twilight parodies either - Hilly does a mean Jack Sparrow. Check out their other stuff at http://www.thehillywoodshow.com/.

Happy Holidays >_<

2009-12-24T12:11:00.000+11:00

Hi all,

Sorry I've been a little MIA over the last week. I suffered a major blow and ended up in hospital for a bit then didn't get a chance to visit the blog. In any case, tomorrow is the start of holidays for me so I am off for about 2 weeks but insha allah hopefully I'll be back with some more designs and ideas and perhaps I'll even have my sewing table set up! About time too!

So to all my followers, Happy Holidays - take it easy and have a fantastic time!!

Peace,
Alysha

New Skirt Idea - Maternity, or not...

2009-12-16T16:36:00.002+11:00

Over the last couple of days I've had an idea brewing in my head. I have a few friends who are pregnant and I've come to realise how difficult it is to buy clothes that last all the way through the pregnancy.

So I've come up with an idea. It kind of reminds me of a victorian era dress/skirt except the top is sort of corseted so that it can be expanded as the belly grows. Here is a front view of it...

This is a back view. You can see how it slants downwards. I thought I'd leave the ribbons long but they can always be tied up if you don't like it like that.

This is a side view of the corset-like split. It has a panel beneath it that folds to the side when made smaller but allows for expantion when/if needed. Therefore this kind of skirt can be worn during pregnancy or any other time. They're not just for those with the baby in the belly!

There is one of these on each hip so that it can be let out equally.

I think I'm liking this one more than that other dress so insha allah I'm hoping to start this one instead! What do you think? Which colours do you think I should try with this one?

Operation Beautiful

2009-12-11T11:01:00.000+11:00

I was lead to the most awesome website today - it's called Operation Beautiful. It is a site on a mission to end Fat Talk: that talk that leaves us feeling hurt emotionally, physically and spiritually. We need to end Fat Talk now! The way this site proposes on doing this is by leaving anonymous messages in public restrooms telling the next reader that they're beautiful or fantastic the way they are. I'm going to do it 'cos I am sick to death already of hearing young girls and even older women carry on about how their bodies suck and how they think they're fat when really they should be seeing the beauty in themselves!

Go to the Operation Beautiful page and check it out. I think this is one small idea that can have great effects! I'm starting right now!

Here comes the Bride...

2009-12-10T12:15:00.000+11:00

I thought, since so many people I know are getting married at the moment, I would do up a wedding post. I think I may have done something similar before, but obviously that was too long ago!

So here are my ideas for a wedding, including the bridesmaids if you're having any. Or maybe you want to wear red on your wedding day! I'm choosing items that can easily be hijaabified from the vintage section of Etsy so enjoy!

This gorgeous Mexican Wedding Dress is delicate and so easily hijaabified!

Go a little Boho with this 60s/70s wedding get-up

I have a love affair with vintage gloves. These short, beaded white gloves are perfect for any wedding.

Dress a little Victorian with these beautiful lace-ups.

This 1920's veil is so hijaab-like, I couldn't go past it.

Bridesmaid or something a little different? Just chuck a cute little bolero on with these two beauties from the 50s.

If you like any of these, I have them saved in my Etsy favourites to the right. Some are quite reasonably priced (especially for vintage!) - the Mexican wedding dress is only 45USD!

What would you wear for your wedding? Or rather, if you're already hitched, what did you wear?

Laura C

2009-12-08T14:53:00.000+11:00

I did a quick little post about my friend Laura who has just graduated from CIT in Canberra here (with top marks, mind you!). The class had their graduating fashion show Raw Edge the other night and I thought I would chuck up some pics of Laura's collection.

Laura's collection is called Laura C and she takes a lot of inspiration from her dance background (she's also an awesome dance teacher) and she mixes it together with her love of black and grunge. What results is an awesome mix of two opposites that really set her apart from the other collections.

Laura is the one coming down the middle (the one smiling!)

Early next year Laura will be joining a showcase in Sydney called Debut which is super exciting for her. To check out that website, click here. We want to wish Laura the best of luck and we can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Ok, ok, so I'm a slack bugger...

2009-12-07T15:18:00.000+11:00

Eep! I am such the most slack person in the world at the moment. I started cutting out material the other night but, alas, I feel that will be my only progress this week as I have a farewell cake to bake (I'm thinking 3 tier, so it won't be easy!), about 100 photographs to edit for the dance concert the other week and some desperate cleaning of my house to be done. Given the fact that I also work during the day (boo!) I think my dress will be delayed just a little. However, this one, once finished, is going straight up on my Etsy site so keep an eye out - I may just have a creative fit one night and get it all done!

Hope you all have a fantabulous week insha allah! Now to that cake...

Random Hat Photography

2009-12-01T14:21:00.000+11:00

Some of you may know (and some of you won't) that I am starting up a small photography venture here in Canberra. I have just started up a site to showcase my work and to advertise so go over and check it out! My website is listed to the right of this posting or you can just click here for my site and here for my flickr portfolio. Leave comments - I love feedback!

Laura = Awesome!!

2009-11-30T14:20:00.004+11:00

My friend Laura from dancing is currently finishing her fashion design degree, of which I am slightly jealous. Her designs are very ballet-esque but as you can see, she likes to add a touch of grunge to some of her outfits. These are just some of her fantastic designs.

Personally I love the one shoulder gold piece. Pretty!

This one is so cool. I love the tulle and the big overlapping frills.

As part of the graduating class for 2009, OutInCanberra.com.au are holding a competition for people to vote on their favs. If Laura wins, she'll get some beyond awesome advertising for her label and I'm betting she's going to be freakin' huge!

So please help her out! Got to OutInCanberra and vote for Laura McCormack - she's the next big thing!

I'm outta here!

2009-11-24T15:27:00.002+11:00

Hi lovelies! I'm going to be in Brisbane for the next couple of days so until next week, take care and Eid Mubarak! Hope you and you're families have a wonderful and blessed Eid insha allah!

Pink it, baby!

2009-11-23T15:35:00.003+11:00

Ok, so I am starting a new project - finally! Insha allah I'll start a bit tonight though, because I'm going to Brisbane on Wednesday for a couple of days, I probably I won't get much done this week! I am thinking all pink (cos I love pink and I have an absolute ton of pink material to plunder) and I am thinking of making this one a 2-in-1 - abaaya/caftan-like outfit but then the sleeves can gather at the bottom and a belt put around under the bust to create a cute empire-waisted dress.

So there it is. The next project. This will be going straight on to my etsy shop site insha allah so keep an eye out!

My hubby is a Movember bloke

2009-11-20T16:50:00.004+11:00

Hi everyone! Since I have been stuck at a computer with limited creative ability other than to be able to surf the net all week, I have been unable to post any new ideas as such. This weekend insha allah I am hoping to get out my material and start on something but until then, I have decided to post something a little different.

November is Movember peoples! For anyone who doesn't know what that is, it's when guys grow a mustache (mo) or girls support a mo-guy and raise money for charitable foundations such as Beyond Blue and Prostate Cancer Research Centre (this is in Australia - other countries may support different men's health charities). This weekend we are having a curry night where my hubby will whip out his curry spices and fill the house with Indian curry smells. If you are in Canberra, please feel free to come along! My facebook page is Alysha Khokhar and I have details of the event there.

However, if you're not in the general vicinty, as I may suspect most of you are, but would like to make a donation and sponsor my hubby's quest to grow a mighty mo, here is his donation site. You can also check out his mo-gress (hehe)!

Have a great weekend and I'll post some new stuff next week!

I want Ugg Boots!

2009-11-17T13:34:00.002+11:00

Want to win some Ugg Boots? Click here to enter and you might just get some! I've always wanted some!!

Possibility...

2009-11-16T13:50:00.002+11:00

Hi lovelies! I have being envisioning this abaaya style dress for my next project. I couldn't stick to small things, could I? No. I have to go for the big tamali.

So I have this nice stretchy pink material (not lurid by any means, more pastel pink than anything) and I also have some nice sheer black material for layering. So, what I thought was I would make a wide sleeved abaaya with the pink material then have the black material layered over the top, cut like a poncho but split in the middle so that when the arms were down it would drape really nicely. I hope to get a sketch up soon, but right now I am on a really cruddy comp that doesn't let me do anything so for now you might just have to imagine. Sound any good?

I am also thinking a skirt that gathers at the side and falls to the floor. Or perhaps a skirt with the same black material feathered at the back into a short train. I love trains.

Anyways, I might get this started in the next few weeks but I need to get my table out in the garage set up so I can 'set up shop' as my hubby calls it!

Giveaway Winners

2009-11-12T11:17:00.002+11:00

Hi all! First I'd like to thank all those lovely people who entered the giveaway contest. You guys rock! To anyone who didn't enter - tsk tsk! You gotta be in it to win it peoples!! Maybe next time...

So here are the winners - I will contact you regarding addresses real soon so I can send you your prize!

First Prize: Wanda

Second Prize: Sally

Third Prize: Modest Justice

Congratulations guys! Hope you like your prizes. I have some new designs going up soon (clothing as well) so keep an eye on this blog and also my etsy page www.VICouture.etsy.com.

Material material material!!

2009-11-10T16:34:00.002+11:00

Ok, so remember last week how I said I bought a ton of material from some place that was closing down? Well here it is - there is an absolute bucket load of pinks stretchy material, some really nice gorgette type stuff, some really pretty red sheer material and even some silver silky stuff! All in all, I can't wait to put scissor to material and start making something insha allah. I have an interesting idea for a skirt and a dress in my head so we'll see how it goes. I still have to 'set up shop' as my hubby calls it in our new place so it may not be for a few weeks yet. Keep an eye out!

Oh, and if you are still wanting to get into the giveaway, it closes tomorrow night so there's still time!

Giveaway!

2009-11-06T11:04:00.003+11:00

Hi everyone! I'm having to postpone the results for the giveaway until next wednesday insha allah given that I've got an uber busy weekend coming up. However, this gives you more time to enter as well! Tell your friends, facebook it, twitter it, blog about it - whatever you like! For now, have an awesome weekend insha allah and I'll see you all next week!!

Have you entered yet??

2009-11-04T10:16:00.002+11:00

Hi lovelies! Just letting you know that the giveaway of all those goodies I stuck up last week is coming to an end so if you haven't entered yet, please do so ASAP!! For more cute stuff for your hijaab and what-not, check out my etsy site www.VICouture.etsy.com!

Sorry I haven't posted much this week - I've had some pretty major stuff going on! On the weekend, however, I managed to score some awesome material at a closing down sale - 2 huge bags for peanuts practically!! Can't wait to get my sewing area up and running again so I can start some new projects insha allah. It'll be awesome!!

Anyways, I hope to get some more postings up soon but in the mean time, get entering for you chance to win!! Yay for free stuff!! ;o)

Pink Saturday - Breast Cancer Awareness Week

2009-10-31T01:00:00.001+11:00

This week there was lots of PINK around to create awareness for breast cancer. Only just this week I opened a store on Etsy.com selling my handmade accessories. I posted about the grand opening and giveaways for such but I also thought about doing something PINK for the week that is.

So I created a few more Fascinate MeTM hijaab fascinators and a keychain to raise some money. 100% of all profits made from these pieces will go straight to Breast Cancer Australia.

Cute little pink and clear beaded glasses accessory.

Mini hijaab fascinator - can be used as a brooch or hat pin also. Made with glass beads, a freshwater pearl and cute silver heart charm.

Another mini fascinator - using new and recycled beads.

Can be used for a keychain or just some extra bling on your handbag. Incorporates a silver heart and diamond charm, glass bead and pink faceted beads.

If you see anything you like and would like to help out with a good cause, go to my shop at etsy to purchase any of these cute pink accessories. Thanks to Beverly over at How Sweet the Sound for hosting this Pink Saturday!

New stuff up at my store!

2009-10-29T10:13:00.003+11:00

Hi lovelies! I've been busy this week setting up my Etsy store. By the way, if you haven't gotten in on the giveaway yet, do it now! The giveaway prizes are down below. Also, I have recently added some items to my store in support of Breast Cancer Australia. 100% of all profits from these items will go to Breast Cancer Australia to aid in research of this disease. So help out if you can! All the items are pink (or mostly) but I'm saving that post for Pink Saturday!

www.VICouture.etsy.com

GRAND OPENING - complete with Giveaways!

2009-10-27T11:04:00.004+11:00

IT'S MY GRAND OPENING!!

I have just set up shop at Etsy.com to sell all my bits and bobs that come out of my sewing/creative room and to celebrate it's grand opening, I am having a little bit of a giveaway! Yay for free stuff!

Conditions of entry are as follow:
1. Only my followers are eligible for this giveaway, so if you aren't already, become one!
2. This competition is open to everyone - so you don't have to live in Australia!
3. Winners will be picked at random but to increase your chances of winning, you can do any of the following:
- Leave a comment on this post = 1 entry
- Tweet about this giveaway = 2 entries (tag me @AlyshaKhokhar in the tweet so I can
follow you!)
- Blog about it = 2 entries (leave a link in my little conversation box on the right of this blog
so I can check it out!)

Competition ends on the 8th of November at 12:00am Australian Eastern Standard Time!

Now for the prizes!!

The prizes are from my new Fascinate MeTM collection.

Prize One

This one is made from gorgeous coloured fresh water pearls.

Prize Two

This one is made from both new and recycled materials.

Prize Three

This is a free-pinning fascinator - all you need to do is pin it to your hijaab (or whatever) with an ordinary pin.

This is another self-pinning fascinator, again made from new and receyled materials.

So get blogging/tweeting/commenting to be in the running to win any of these cute and funky fascinators!

Also, to check out my new Etsy store, click here!

Rainbow Week - Pink Saturday!

2009-10-24T01:00:00.001+11:00

Now for my last post of Rainbow Week - Pink! I adore pink. If I could wear pink all the time I would. I'd probably scare a few people, but you know, I wouldn't really care! This pink post coincides with my very first Pink Saturday, hosted by Beverely over at How Sweet The Sound. There are lots of other pink people joining in, so if you like this particular shade, check it out!

Now, onto the clothing...

Pump me up with these uber cute kitten heels. I used to have some like this in Japan but had no room to bring them back *sad face*

Quite a bright scarf & brooch - one you would wear if you wanted to make a statement...

This reminds me of the jewellery my grandma used to have in her jewellery box.

Hot phink gloves, anyone? I couldn't go past these...

I chose 2 dresses today. I like this 50s one, mostly cos I want to make a hijaabtastic one just like. I think it might be the tulle.

The description on this one says night gown but I reckon you could probably wear this out. Just add a nice scarf to offset the absolute pink of it!

So there you go! Thanks so much for joining me this colourful week. I may just have to do it again! Thanks also to Beverly once more for hosting this Pink Saturday!

Rainbow Week - Purple People Eater

2009-10-23T10:00:00.000+11:00

It's wierd how when I stick 'purple' into the search engine of Etsy, a whole lot of 80s clothing pops up. They must have really loved that colour back then. I remember my mum even had a bridesmaid's dress in purple. Satin too. Eek!

So here goes - minus the 80s nastiness!

I have a love for shoes with ankle straps like this. Even my work shoes are that style.

A nice eggplant colour with these gloves.

I heart empire waisted dresses - they remind me of Jane Austin...

Lovely vintage brooch, not too big, not too small.

And a belt - I had to add it. It's clasp rocks!

Again, if you see anything you like, I have them listed in my etsy favourites, or just click on the pic!

Tomorrow I will be joining Pink Saturday, hosted by How Sweet The Sound. Can't wait!!

Rainbow Week - Feeling a little Blue

2009-10-22T10:00:00.000+11:00

Well, not really. Today's feature colour collection from Etsy is in favour of the blue side of life. Let's see what we've got...

I'm in love with this dress. So elegant.

Like the high-heeled version of those shoes you used to wear in Pre-school.

Loving polka dots and pearls with this scarf.

Filigree jewellery is a love of mine. It just seems so delicate.

A quick note on my fascintor project, I've got a few already finished so hopefully I'll be putting up a giveaway to advertise the launch of my new range. I'll be hopefully be setting up a store on Etsy.com insha allah so watch out in the coming weeks!

Rainbow Week - Going Green

2009-10-21T10:00:00.000+11:00

As everyone and everything else is doing at the moment, V.I Couture is going green today. Well, obviously I'm trying to lessen my environmental impact, but today we're taking that idea a little more literal...

I love heels like this - they're just so classic and stylish

A little bit of bling - it's vintage yet a tiny bit modern.

Although I don't wear hats, I couldn't go past this one. Very WWII era.

This shirt dress can easily be hijaabified with a pair of pants.

Belts are a strange love of mine. This one is yum!

Quick Shout Out to the Firies

2009-10-20T13:50:00.002+11:00

As most Aussies would know, at the moment there are some pretty horrific bush fires going on around Central QLD. The thing is that my Dad is out there fighting them and in the last 4 days he's had about 8 hours sleep. He only just got home and in 4 hours he'll be going back out. The really bad thing is that most of these fires were lit by arsonists. At the moment it's extremely dry and hot up there with very little humidity, which is really strange for CQ.

So in this post I just want to give a big shout out to my Dad and all the other firies who are out there fighting those bushfires. We love you and you're all in our prayers.

Rainbow Week - Yellow Sunshine

2009-10-20T10:00:00.002+11:00

Keeping in line with this weeks theme, today I've got up some gorgeous and funky yellow pieces from Etsy.com. Click on the pic if you like and want to buy!

This top's just a little bit funky and can easily be hijaabified.

I have a thing for gym-boots. Full stop.

Go disco with this brooch & scarf set

Or Hepburn it up with some faux pearls.

Or rather, just throw it all in & go hippy with this love child piece.

Rainbow Week!

2009-10-19T11:36:00.006+11:00

Morning lovelies! So the weekend was mad hectic and as a result I managed to make zero new hijaab fascinators. I know, boo me. So this week, while I'm getting my act together, I've decided to raid Etsy.com and do a vintage rainbow week.

Today's colour is RED.

Going boho.

Super cute scarf & matching brooch (I love this store on Etsy)

These shoes are awesome - made in the 70's Victorian style lace-ups.

And some cute little vintage gloves.

If you like any of these pieces, they are on Etsy.com to buy. Either click on the picture or browse "My Favourites" that I have to the right here.

Blog Action Day 2009!

2009-10-15T09:38:00.002+11:00

Today is Blog Action Day, where thousands of bloggers around the world blog about one topic. This year's is Climate Change.

So today I am going to be blogging about my new idea - my hijaab fascinators. What do they have to do with Climate Change?

Well for one, I am using a good amount of recycled materials such as beads and buttons that I purchased from second hand stores to make them. By using recycled/used materials, I am limiting my impact on the environment as these materials have already been produced and therefore I am not forcing more beads and materials to be made, creating more emissions from the factories that create them.

This first piece is a simple one, composed of felt, buttons and beads for something more casual or inconspicuous.

This second piece is composed of beads, felt and tulle for a little more bling.

Both pieces are hand-sewn, again reducing my carbon foot-print by limiting the amount of electricity needed to produce these pieces.

These are just my first few - I've got lots of ideas for more that I'm hoping to get around to soon insha allah!

Inspiration for Hijaabi Fascinators

2009-10-12T11:35:00.005+11:00

Over the weekend I tried out a few ideas for hijaabi fascinators (this is just a working title. I have a name for my fascinators but I'm not telling you yet *wink*). I decided to go onto Etsy and have a look at some vintage fascinators and hat pins to gather some inspiration. Here is what I found:

Cute. I like the peacock feather.

I love the hot pink feathers!

This is a wedding fascinator. The bow is uber cute.

I find this one so classic with the pearls. Reminds me of Audrey Hepburn.

These are just so gorgeous. Very casual.

If you want to check these out on Etsy they are over on the right in my favourites folder. I think I feel some ideas comin' on...

My New Idea

2009-10-08T11:28:00.003+11:00

Ok, so before I went on holidays I left you with a bit of an enigmatic post about an idea that came down and hit me on the head like the bit of ice I accidentally chucked and whacked a teacher with. But that's a different story.

I've decided to put up my idea and insha allah, hopefully I will be starting on some soon. Perhaps join the Giveaway band wagon and pass some out.

Whilst trying on my last dress endeavour (the red one, just to be clear), I took my little head deco and pinned it to my hijaab. In that split second I was struck with an awesome idea.

Fascinators for Hijaabis.

You can not possibly know how excited I was about this! I'd always looked at fascinators and gone, "well, I can't wear that - bobby pins don't quite work on hijaabs". But I thought, instead of using bobby pins, use just normal pins. Duh, so simple!

I've got a few ideas - I'm thinking of using mostly recycled materials, like stuff I raid from Vinnies or the Salvos, and just getting the bases from Spotlight and what not. I'm going to trial some small ones but I also am thinking of slightly bigger ones. Nothing massive. No peacocks latched to the side of your head or anything. Just something pretty to put on the side of your hijaab, if you like to do that.

So here are just some random ideas I scribbled down during lunch the other day.

I'm thinking of using buttons and making them look not so modern but keeping in line with my vintage clothing designs.

Insha allah I'll make one soon and I'll post it here for you to check out.

Let me know what you think!

Pink and Pretty Design's Giveaway Time!

2009-10-08T11:13:00.002+11:00

Hi all! This posting is dedicated to my awesome sister Sheryn over at Pink and Pretty Designs who has an awesome giveaway going on. Her blog is dedicated to all that is pink and cute (ie, anything that I like, really) and she designs the cutest decals! You have to be a follower of her site to enter so if you haven't checked out what she's all about, do it now! I mean it! There are some seriously cute prizes (including some gorgeous little teaspoons that I eye off everytime I'm over at her place) so if you love cute and you love pink, this is for you.

So what are you waiting for?? Get over there!

The Formal Dress

2009-10-02T16:28:00.004+10:00

Alrighty! So here it is. Introducing the formal dress, the one and only, designed by moi and hand-sewn by seamstress extraordinnaire, my grandma... (drumroll)...

Ta da!!

Now this is actually my sister Em who will be wearing the dress on the night. It's a heavy olive satin, fully lined - even the train is lined.

So what do you think?

I'm Back!

2009-10-01T12:15:00.002+10:00

Hi lovelies! I'm back from smokey, hot, dry Central Queensland and posting again. I had an awesome holiday, minus those few factors, and also had the most random meeting at Melbourne's Tiger Air baggage pick-up at 11pm with Sakeenah, the gorgeous chicky from Abaya Chic! Awesomely random, I know!! It was one of those "I saw her from across the room" moments ;o)

Anyways, the red dress was a hit at the wedding. The bride, my grandma plus my whole family loved it plus I had a random lady at the wedding come up to me and comment on it. Now that just made my day. Smiles all round!

My grandma and I (well, mostly me grandma) got my sister's formal dress finished. We had to rebuy all the material because the top had to be redone and they had the same fabric but just the tiniest shade lighter!! Grr - frustration!!

Sewing with my grandma was like taking a master class - it was awesome! Learnt tons of stuff and now I can work with tulle. Fun times *wink*

So now I have nothing on my schedule. I am currently running over my idea I posted about before I disappeared up north and will hopefully insha allah have something to post about it soon. However, this weekend is MOVING TIME! So I will be just a tad busy setting up house at our new place. Insha allah though I will get some sketches and new ideas running - that is, once I've unearthed my sketch book from the mass of boxes. Hmmm...

2009-09-18T11:20:00.002+10:00

So I'll be off on holidays for about a week and a half so you may or may not hear from me. If not, I'll miss you guys! Have a happy Eid and a great next week or so and I hopefully insha allah will be back and rarin' to go with my next project, whatever that may be.

Alysha x

An idea just struck me on the head...

2009-09-17T18:31:00.002+10:00

Truly! An idea just literally fell from the sky and hit me on the head. I'm so excited I can hardly wait to start acting on it! It's going to be an extension of my fashion designing but will be more inclined towards accessories rather than full clothing.

HOWEVER, that being said it is definitely going to be hijaab-tastic (though, really, anyone will be able to wear them) and I am hoping to pop them on Etsy for anyone who wants to purchase.

But for now, until I get it going, I'm keeping mum on this thread. You'll just have to wait and see. Intrigued, no?

Done and Dusted

2009-09-16T15:01:00.002+10:00

As my hubby would say, it's all done and dusted. I've finished both dresses, filled out the entrance forms and sent of my entrants for the Spotlight fashion comp. Yesterday before maghrib I broke out the camera and my dodgy broken tripod and took some selfies of me wearing my red dress. This can be worn with any type of hijaab but for all intents and purposes, this is how I'll probably wear it to the wedding. The flower thing on the side of my hijaab is just some black and red felt leaf cut outs sewed together then pinned onto the scarf. The little cape thing can be removed but I like wearing it because it gives the dress just a little bit of bling with the jewelled button.

Let me know what you think!

Wedding dress update

2009-09-15T15:03:00.002+10:00

So I've retty much finished the dress for my friend's wedding. I've decided to go flapper-style and sit the belt on the hips rather than the waist (because for some reason I don't look so hot with stuff tied at the waist. Probably because I'm a ruler). These pictures don't do much for the colour - the red is much nicer and the shadows are terrible. I will get some pics with me wearing it as you can see how it sits nicer on a real person rather than my dummy.

With and with little cape.

Little handmade stretchy belt with black and red felt leaves.

I've also decided to enter this into the competition as well so now I have 2 entries! Phew!

PICTURES! The comp dress is finally up and ready to go!

2009-09-14T09:43:00.002+10:00

Finally!! Last week I managed to finally find someone who fit my comp dress (since, the idiot I am, made it just too small for myself to wear) and yesterday I managed to get some pics. Introducing my friend Ryoko (not a muslim but such a great sport for getting into the garb) who is such the model! Doesn't she look awesome???

So here are some of the pics. Let me know what you think!!

Oh and yes, I did change the sleeves. The other ones were annoying and I didn't like them. So I changed them. From about a weeks worth of work on the original ones to 4 hours for the new ones, I like these ones better.

Also, I've start on the dress I'm going to wear to my friend's wedding. It doesn't look so great in this pic (for some reason my dressmaker's model has a big butt) though it looks so much better on me. Must get pics with me instead. I think I migh make the neckline a little lower (not too much though) but everything is sewed up and now I just have to make the head-piece and the little sheer stole/cape thing for over the shoulders and we'll be set! Powerhouse this week! Eek!!

Now this will have a belt (haven't got there yet) so at the moment it's just held up with some spare ribbon. Also the ribbon at the bottom is just pinned on but that's soon to be remedied. I'll get more pics with me in it soon insha allah.

Holy Snap! Twitter me what?

2009-09-10T16:40:00.003+10:00

I've just realised that because I haven't changed the settings on my twitter bit to the side here (I changed my name the other day) they've been displaying someone else's tweets!! What the...?! I'm not annoyed that the Jay-Z concert is sold out and I sure as heck don't tweet about getting out of the shower. Who's tweets are those???? I'm changing that ASAP!

Next one...

2009-09-10T14:03:00.002+10:00

So I've started on the wedding dress - well, not the wedding dress, just the dress I'm wearing to a wedding. It's going to be a nice dark red with black trim insha allah. I've started already - I predict that it's going to be way easier than the last dress. Much much much! I don't have any pics yet and I am probably going to get my friend to model the comp dress on the weekend so until the I've decided to stick up just something random for today. Reminds me of me when I'm on a roll and can't stop to sleep...

Too funny - I love that website! Anywho, tomorrow I might have something to stick up or I might just do a feature... haven't decided yet...

Okay, NOW it's finished

2009-09-08T21:13:00.002+10:00

Ok, so I jumped the gun just a little. I finally found someone who fits my dress and as she's putting it on I realise:

1: the opening the sleeves is a tad too small

2: the seems at the top of the sleeves are pulling and looking all nasty and are getting worse because you have to pull to get the end of the sleeve over your hand.

NOT GOOD!!

So I decided to re-do the sleeves. I know! After all that time I took to do them initially I unstitch it all and put a whole new set on. I'm like that. I'll spend hours on a sketch trying to get it right then end up erasing the whole thing because I decide it sucks. Yep. That's me. Ineficient.

But then unfortunately that's my creative process. So now the top has new sleeves. Nicer sleeves, I reckon. They are open bell sleeves (not to big) but at least now they are not uncomfortably tight or anything. Insha allah I'll get some pics with my friend wearing the dress this week and I'll chuck them up.

Now, however, I'm off to bed before I pass out from too much sewing related exhaustion. Phew!!

'TIS FINISHED!!!!!

2009-09-08T10:18:00.005+10:00

Celebrate good times, come on!!

It's done! Finished! Caput! FINALLY!!!!!

Now all I have to do is find someone to wear it for photos while I start on the dress I'll wear to my friend's wedding insha allah. OMG I cannot believe I am actually finished. The shock hasn't worn off yet, probably due to the fact that the lack of sleep is stemming my brain's ability to feel anything. 12am peoples - that's when I finally put in the last stitch.

My brain hurts!

So now I am celebrating, though not too rigorously. Then again, a congo line of star troopers is enough to get anyone dancing. Kool & the Gang, anyone?

Am almost there... oh so painful!!!!

2009-09-07T09:55:00.004+10:00

Friday morning, 0200, apartment floor...

I'm lying on my back, looking up at my dress thinking to myself "c*$p"

I've just attached the skirt to the top (with pins, no stitching, thank goodness) and I've realised that it looks absolutley... in other words, I'm in pain. I've just spent a good 5 hours doing the skirt and it looks shocking. What the heck went wrong?????

I try to attach it in a number of other ways, add some other bits of material, experiment but it still looks shite!

Bugger!

Saturday morning, 11:30am, my apartment again

So I've gone to spotlight to pick up the materials for my dress I'm going to make insha allah for my friend's wedding at the end of the month and I just happened to buy some black ribbon. I come back home, take one look at the dress and am struck by a stroke of what I'm hoping is brilliance - what if I make it a top and skirt?

So, after some fiddling around on saturday and some more work yesterday on the skirt, here is what has immerged:

Is it me or does the back of this model look slightly hunchbacked?

Ok, so it looks finished but it's not completely. I still have the waste band to put into the skirt but then that's it. Then I'll be finished.

Finally.

Help someone!

2009-09-03T12:32:00.001+10:00

Ok, I am full frustrated. I cannot get the titles of my postings any bigger no matter how much I change the HTML or anything!

Does anyone know what to do???

Holy Mongoly!! Almost there!!

2009-09-03T11:48:00.006+10:00

Super excited peoples!! Last night, at 12am, I packed away my sewing machine after finishing (yes, I said finishing) the top part of my competition dress.

Holy Mongoly!!!!

I cannot believe I would actually see the day! After weeks of fiddly work (and almost chewing my fingers off in frustration at times) I sewed on the little eye and hook clasp at the top of the zip and almost congoed around the room in excitement.

Alhumdulillah, thank God it's done! Well, the top at least! The skirt is easy - that, I am hoping, will be cut out and stitched up by Friday night which will be super fantastic!

Now all I have to do is find someone who it'll fit for photos...

Sorry the pics a bit dark. I was shooting this just on my little pink digital. The bottom is not sewn up - I just tucked it up so you could get more of an idea.

And the back. Oi vey with the invisible zip. Talk about a pain!

Charity Auction plans for my dress!!!

2009-09-02T15:41:00.003+10:00

Hola peeps. Today as been muy bien porche my dress is finally taking shape, a la here:

Excitement much?? The lining in the top part is done except for where the zip joins (because I haven't gotten to the zip yet). The arms are finished, the part where the over-the-shoulder bit goes into the red section has been sewn together and so I am hoping to get even more done tonight insha allah! How's that? Tres sweet, I reckon.

Ok, so aside with the french and spanish. I have an announcement so listen up bloggers!

Instead of selling my dress after finishing it for the competition, I thought I would stick it on eBay and have a charity auction - 100% of the profits will go to charity.

Why am I doing this??

No, I have not gone loco from the long hours of hunchback sewing. I've decided that, because I am an amateur seamstress and this is probably never going to be my crowning masterpiece, I do not want to charge someone $300 (and that would be just to cover the material) for something that isn't up there with the other $300 dresses in regards to perfection of stitch etc.

Therefore, I want to auction it off for charity. This way, you'll get a very interesting formal dress and you'll be helping someone out. I am yet to pick a charity but I am thinking the Starlight Children's Foundation Australia or the McGrath Foundation (or maybe both).

So when I stick this up for auction, please tell everyone you know - it would be so awesome (especially being Ramadhan) to give something to these great foundations.

Off to a good start

2009-09-01T17:41:00.004+10:00

It was a hard slog but I think I may actually be getting somewhere! Last night I spent a good 5 hours going at my comp dress in which I did the facing/lining for the collar, finished off the cuffs of the sleeves and sewed up the black and white bit that goes over the shoulder (which has now been added!!!). Alhumdulillah, what a mad night! And tonight I'll be going at it again, finishing off the lining in the top and possibly even putting in the zip. Hopefully, insha allah, I might actually meet my end-of-week goal (which would be so freakin fantastic, you have no idea!!!).

So here we are - after 5 hours, this is the progress:

Oh, I have just realised something too. I didn't reset the settings for my size after I did my friend Z's dress - what an amateur!! So now I don't actually fit into it (it's about one inch too small around the bust) so I can't keep it!! I think I will just sell it - look out for it on Etsy!!

Busy busy weekend!!

2009-08-31T09:54:00.002+10:00

Hi all! Wow my weekend was mega-ly busy! On Saturday I ran some errands, fixed up the finishings inside the sleeves of the comp dress and then went to a friend's place to work out her outfits for my October photo shoot (it's going to be so fantastic!!). Then went to another friend's place for dinner and worked out her outfits also - I was in super stylist mode on Saturday!

Then Sunday.

Phew! Woke up for Sehri at 4am, ironed my jeans, got all my props and accessories and cameras together and went down to the lake with my test subject (for privacy sake I'll call her A). 6am Photo Shoots are insane! We had to jump in the car after every outfit to warm back up - the wind was blowing (anyone in Canberra will know how nasty that can get!) and my fingers were frozen but it was still awesome! Got some super pics and had some fun climbing in trees and jumping up on park tables to get them.

Insha allah I'm hoping to do some shoots with my comp dress (using one of my "model" friends) and will stick them up here so you can all see how they're supposed to look!

As for comp dress - well I am putting my foot down. I am going to get it done by the end of this week even if it kills me! Late nights, here I come!!!!

PS: If I don't post for a bit, it'll mean that I'm passed out and I can't drag myself to the nearest computer. Good luck to me! Eek!!

Meet my partner in crime

2009-08-28T13:16:00.003+10:00

Meet Genie, my partner in crime. She's probably seen more years on this earth than I have, she has a wicked retro flower pattern and although she may not be as talented as other sewing machines (she just doesn't do button-holes), she's one wicked Singer. I picked her up second-hand and just couldn't bring myself to buy a new one and dispose of her - she only has a blown light bulb!

So what do you think of Genie? Doesn't she just fit my vintage theme??

Now for an update: here is what the sleeves now look like for my dress. I'm onto the lining now, which should be tres-fun. However, I may not see to it this weekend. I have a styling appointment with one of my models for my up-coming october photo shoot and a trial shoot with a friend on Sunday. Plus I finally have my sister's formal/prom dress back so I really should check that out before I go an see her at the end of September!!

Otherwise, everything is fantastic!

The outside of the sleeve (I was using my little portable camera here so the flash is way too bright!)

The inside of the sleeves, all nice and neat!

Feeling a little la-hey-zy

2009-08-25T10:27:00.002+10:00

Sorry I've not posted for the last couple of days. I had the most brilliant idea on Friday that I would post a new abaya/caftan for each day of Ramadhan. That idea went out the window quicker than... well, let's just say it went quick.

I was so entirely buggered over the weekend that I barely did anything on my dress. However, that is about to change. Tonight I will hopefully insha allah get my patooty in gear and get the top part done. Seriously, I have my other dress plus my sister's to get going before the end of Ramadhan and if I keep going like this it's never going to happen!!

Insha allah I'm hoping to get some sketches up too, just not at this moment. Hope all my muslim sisters and bros are having an easy Ramadhan!

Peace out xox

Quick comp update

2009-08-20T10:41:00.003+10:00

Just a quick update - no pics and what not, just some words and a random pic of a Hello Kitty inspired sewing machine.

I have officially sewed the sleeves to the shoulders! Hooray! I've started on the coloured bits at the end of the sleeves but they should be done by tonight (insha allah) since I'm already half way through.

It's on the downhill now - the top parts always the hardest!!

SLEEVES!!!!!!

2009-08-19T14:34:00.003+10:00

Holy snappin' dooly, someone pinch me 'cause I think I just moved on from having no sleeves to having sleeves on my dress!! After weeks and weeks (well maybe not that long) of saying I would do them I've finally attached them! Holy snap!

Now they're not completely attached - they're only pinned at the shoulders and tacked along the arms but who cares!?! Not moi. I am psyched baby!

Hopefully insha allah I'll get them all sewed up tonight and the over the shoulder piece attached sometime soon (maybe tomorrow?? I don't want to be too hopeful!).

So here is what it looks like so far. The zip in the back is not installed fully either, just tacked also but that's only because I want to get that over the shoulder part in first (it is tied in with the zip).

All those bags near the bottom of the pic are actually the bags of material! So much material!!!!

2009-08-18T16:30:00.002+10:00

I have been awarded the "Freakin Fabulous" blog award by Sakeenah of Abaya Chic. Thanks luv!

The rules of this award are:

•List five current obsessions.

•Pass the award on to five more fabulous blogs.

•On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.

•When you post your five winners, make sure you link them as well.

Don't forget to let your winners know they won an award from you by leaving a comment on their blog.

MY 5 CURRENT OBSESSIONS ARE:

1) Sewing - whenever I can!

2) Watching Doctor Who (the new series) on Youtube because David Tennant is the most awesomest actor and he's such a cutie!!

3) making videos with my Sony Vegas Movie Studio software (cos I secretly want to be a movie editor)

4) Kate Miller Heidke's "Last Day on Earth"

5) Writing - cos my characters are screaming at me to get out of my head and onto paper!

I AWARD:

Sheryn at Pink and Pretty Designs

My sister over at The Reverts Secret

The chickie of My Vintage Vogue who helps inspire my creations

Eloquence of Confessions of a Teenage Muslimah

Nazia at Canadian Hijabi

Bugger...

2009-08-17T09:44:00.004+10:00

Bugger. I've just discovered that I've made the sleeves (under the arms) too darn tight. So, in order to remedy this, I had no choice but to redo the white part at the top. All of it. Double bugger. This in turn took a good part of yesterday and as a result I still haven't gotten the sleeves done. Bugger bugger bugger!!

So, I am feeling just a tad frustrated right now. I really need to get a move on if I am to finish this dress and churn out another one that I will then wear to my friend's wedding come end of September. The competition also closes end of september. In short, I have about 5 weeks to do both plus do a little more on my sister's formal/prom dress which she is finally sending back to me after who knows how many months!!

Yikes!

Who's feeling just a tad stretched?

I totally sympathise, Charlie.

Celebrating 40 years of Peace, Love and Mungbeans

2009-08-14T14:26:00.005+10:00

'Tis been 40 years since Woodstock took place - 3 days of Peace, Love and Music in defiance of the vietnam war and the establishment. It was a protest of phenomenal proportions. Over half a million people turned up (when only 100,000 or so tickets had originally been sold) and for 3 days they listened to the likes of Joe Cocker, The Who, Janis Joplin and Jimie Hendrix and lived in an almost utopic state with not a single outbreak of fighting or show of violence the whole time.

It was a cry from the generation that defined the term 'Hippy', a shout out to give peace a chance in a world that was darkened by constant warring and oppression. It was a protest for peace.

So in honour of those 500,ooo or so hippies that braved the mud and rain and stood together for peace, I've decided to go hippy. I typed "woodstock" into etsy.com and here's what resulted:

Oh angel sleeves, the constant in the hippy wardrobe.

Nice light cotton top with little leather braid around the waist.

This could easily be hijaabified. Classic colours and lurve the belt.

Gorgeous caftan. This one is full length too.

So here's to Peace, Love and Mungbeans. May the spirit of those 3 days in history never die.

Just a random note: the two in the pic above ended up getting married and have been together ever since Woodstock. Peace and love baby, peace and love.

Scarves and Brooches

2009-08-12T14:15:00.005+10:00

Don't they just go together? Scarves and brooches - hijaabis love 'em and they're so characteristic of the 1950s. I've scoured Etsy.com for some great examples and I think I may have found some...

All of these are in my favourites to the side if you find them particularly enticing.

I've found one particular store on etsy that specialises especially in scarf and brooch combos so you can get scarves and brooches all matched up and ready to go!

Here are a few examples from Vintage Bouquet:

They have about 50 sets for sale so go check it out!

Competition Dress Update

2009-08-10T14:17:00.002+10:00

Time for a competition dress update. Below are the pics so far (the part for over the shoulder will be "installed" once I get the sleeves done).

Finally sewn the middle insert to the top part. That red material at the bottom is the lining and won't be showing like that of course!

The zip is not fully installed as yet, only tacked in so that's why the bottom part is looking a little skewed.

I might have to put a bit of lining just in the top white part but not in the sleeves. It's not completely see through but is just enough to see the facing. Hoping to get the sleeves done this week and finish off the top part insha allah. We'll see how we go!

Just a few more random sketches

2009-08-07T13:52:00.007+10:00

Last night I got a little bit more done on the dress but I've got no new pics that show anything different so I thought I'd throw out a few more sketches. Just a little something random, not inspired by anything in particular.

Big giant pleats, nice and flowey.

Something cutesy, actually based a little on the dress Kate Miller-Heidke wears in her new vid.

Turning Japanese

2009-08-05T16:02:00.007+10:00

It's been a while since I've stuck up some sketches and I thought I'd do something a little different. I may have alluded to the fact a while ago that I've lived in Japan. Whilst over there I made a trip to Harajuku in Tokyo, the suburb famous for it's costume-like attire. It's the mecca for any who loves a bit of cos-play (short for costume play, something that has grown quite a bit over the past 10 years and is now a major feature of conventions such as Comic-Con and Supanova).

Now people wear these kind of clothes every day, to the shops, to the malls, everywhere. That's one of the coolest things about Japan - you can wear anything and no one looks sideways at you.
Half the Harajuku fashion is dark, gothic-like, but then, so is a lot of the anime. The other half are cutesy Alice in Wonderland-like outfits.

This is a pic of my younger sister Em at a store in Harajuku admiring some of the darker stuff. She ended up buying a white outfit - lots of frills, high socks and mary-jane shoes. And a cute little head piece to boot. Too cute. Her outfit cost about $100 but the better quality ones cost anywhere from $200 and up.

Below are some examples of the inhabitants of Harajuku. The left is an example of the more cute and lighter outfits. On the right are the darker.

And so, as it would go, I've put together some sketches inspired by the Harajuku fashion.

I've imagined this one in black and white.

Going a bit trans-continental, the pants would be in a tarten.

So there you go - something a little bit left field but then, we all need something a little wierd every now and then!

Gettin there slowly on the comp dress...

2009-08-03T10:53:00.002+10:00

On the weekend I tacked the middle part and shoulder piece onto the dummy to see it what it would look like. I didn't sew it yet - I may sew the middle insert this week so I can put in the zip at the back and then finally put on the sleeves as it tends to be difficult, trying it on with the sleeves but without a zip. I can't feel how tight they are if there is no tension in the back.

So here are some pics - insha allah I'll get the sleeves on during the week. Why is it that the top part is always the hardest??

The middle insert (the red part down the bottom will be cut off). It's not as tight as it looks.

Just imagine this with white sleeves...

Featured Vintage

2009-07-30T18:16:00.003+10:00

Sorry I've been a little MIA over the last few days. What with a little bit of the flu and the internet deciding to be temperamental, I've not had the chance.

Today I've chosen Vintage Clothing from vintageclothing.com.au for my Featured Vintage article. The owner of said site also maintains a blog by the name of "What are they wearing now"
I've found some delightful pieces on her site that, for those who can't help but have them, are luckily also for sale.

Starting with accessories:

Cute little handbag (again, I'm drawn by the giant buttons)

I adore big broaches (as some hijaabis will understand) and this one is just so lively and bright!

Onto some dresse:

Although not hijaab-tastic, I find this little 50s piece too stunning to pass up.

This one is lovely - a little bit of grecian inspiration though not completely.

Only one more day til the weekend, then I'll be back to the competition dresshopefully insha allah. Perhaps I'll have a few pictures more blog worthy by then!

Competition Dress update

2009-07-27T10:14:00.004+10:00

I do have pictures today but they're not too exciting and I'd rather put something up when I've added a bit more and it doesn't look like something for the christmas pageant.

Over the weekend I got a bit more done - I attached the top red part (around the bust) and put darts in it so it sits properly. I sewed together the middle black and white insert - that was fiddly to the max. I'm currently cutting and sewing the over-the-shoulder parts so I want to wait til I have those attached before I post some more pics. I still haven't sewn on the sleeves but they can wait.

All in all I'm on a roll (finally)! It's taken a bit getting started, mostly because I can't believe I picked the most complicated design to make. Wait, didn't you guys vote on it? Ha! It's all your fault then!

PS: I'm kidding. Love you guys! x

________________________________________

Fineprint - all images on this blog are copyrighted. If you wish to use any of the designs or pictures please let me know and acredit them accordingly.

Fiddly bits

2009-07-26T01:45:00.003+10:00

No pics today, sorry, but I managed to get the middle part sewn together today after much pinning and fiddling. I've just realised how amazingly cherry the red is and was like "oh well, at least it's bright!!"

I'm thinking tomorrow I'll possibly get a little more done, maybe sew the top together. This has taken me a little bit to get going mostly due to logistics. There are so many bits to sew together and I didn't want to sew anything together only to unpick it to add something else. As I said, logistics.

Anyways, I'm hoping that the extra bits of black and white will break up the red and not make it look too much like a costume from an eistedfodd piece. Here's to hoping...

What were they thinking...

2009-07-23T10:43:00.002+10:00

I've given up trying to do any of my dress during the week - this one is insanely complicated and I need to devote a couple of hours to it. I work full-time so after work I am severely knackered usually so my brain just doesn't want to work. Never a good state if I want to work on my dress. So it's been relegated to the weekend.

Today, however, I decided to go look at vintage prom/formal dresses on etsy.com. I have not put these in my favourites because, as you will see, they are hideous. Yikes! What were these designers thinking? Clearly from the 80's (my hate period), there is just a plethora of satin and taffeta (shudder) just waiting to be chucked in the nearest waste skip.

I like pink, but I feel slightly queazy looking at these ones...

Yikes to the hip frills. I highly doubt these babies will be making a return to the fashion circuit.

Arm puffs. Need I say more??

I'll be steering clear of any designs that emulate any of the above disasters though I think I would probably gouge my eyes out with my pencil before I sketch something that hideous. I think I might go take a cold shower now...

Next bit...

2009-07-21T15:17:00.007+10:00

Bit by bit - darn it. Why did I have to design something so nastily complicated?? Because I'm a sucker for mental pain, slightly masochistic when it comes to being creative. Who wants to be simple?? When I first told my evil etsy-loving friend (don't worry, I still love you!) that I'd taken up dressmaking, and that my first project was my sister's year 12 formal/prom dress, she told me about a friend of hers who had also recently taken up sewing. She started on a pillow-case.

Phfft!

Pillow-cases are boring (for me, anyway). Plus you can't wear a pillow-case unless you live in JK Rowling's world and you're a house-elf. So now I find myself trying to conquer my competition masterpiece (or what I'm hoping will be a masterpiece!) and this one's taking a little longer than my others...

Here is a snap shot of my design. Notice, this was when I was colour mixing. I decided to go for a bit more red (not purple, as in the picture) and the top part (i.e. the arms) is now going to be white and not black, making it a little lighter and brighter.

The top part (everything from the waist up) is going to be cut out first then sewn together very very slowly on my sewing machine which now has a busted light and no bobbin-twirling thingy (hubby bought me a neat little portable one that looks like a miny make-up case). Here's the next installment of what the dress looks like now...

Inside out baby.

At the same time I've been making my little video which my hubby regards with a lot of exasperation. The tripod has taken up permanent residency in our living room so now there's even more stuff to contend with. Oi vei.

I've started!!

2009-07-19T21:32:00.003+10:00

I've finally put scissor to material and started the dress. I've cut out the front and back, pinned it to my dummy and also cut out the sleeves. The top part is not going to extend down this far but I thought it would be silly to cut it too short. The back is split to allow for an invisible zip to go in there later on. I'm not going to line the top part fully as it would #1 - make it too thick and #2 - no one in Australia would wear a fully lined satin top unless they wanted to simulate a walking sauna. So the only part that will be lined will be from under the bust down. So here it is so far:

The top

The sleeves

I wanna be like Ginger

2009-07-17T15:06:00.004+10:00

I heart Ginger Rogers. She's got class, she's got style and she can keep up with Fred Astaire. Triple threat. I was recently directed to a gorgeous dress on etsy.com by my evil friend who started my love affair with vintage and I thought I would do a piece on the Hollywood icon.

Here's the dress - I adore the pleats under the bust.

One of Ginger's more iconic dresses.

One we could all wear.

This one is super slinky. I would wear this.

And now I'm off to find my sketch book. Ginger's just inspired a whole range of designs.

While I wasn't making my dress...

2009-07-17T09:31:00.002+10:00

Ok, so I haven't started properly on my formal dress, but I do have a good excuse! Today is the farewell party for 2 of my work colleagues and it's become a sort of tradition that I make a cake. My cakes take two days to make - day 1: make cake/s, day 2: icing time. You'll see why.

This is my latest cake - as you can see, I get quite arty, not unlike my other creative ventures. Yet another hobby that creates a lot of mess but is so much fun!!

BEFORE

AFTER

All right, all right, I'll get back to dressmaking now...

Little bit of stop motion fun

2009-07-15T23:53:00.002+10:00

Just something I thought I'd try with my editing software. Yay for stop motion!

What do you think??

Snippity-snip-snip!

2009-07-14T10:16:00.003+10:00

Ok, so here we go!! I've had an interesting idea regarding my photo diary. I thought 'why not make a video diary?' Hehe. I love playing with cameras and editing programs. So once I have finished this dress insha allah, I will be editing and creating a short 'video' chronicling the creative process. Oh, it won't be like a home video about how I did it or how to make a formal dress. Phfft! That's boring! Just wait and see. My 'home videos' are not like the usual ones...

10 Honest Things About Me

2009-07-11T22:29:00.004+10:00

Yet another detour from the usual. I am in the middle of fixing Z's dress so nothing yet to report...

I was tagged by Cecilia to write 10 honest things about me so I thought, what the heck!

Here are the rules:
- Tell ten things about you that is honest
- Tag some friends and let them know they´ve been tagged

TEN HONEST THINGS ABOUT ME:

1. I am a night person - I would love to be nocturnal but I doubt that's ever going to happen!

2. I love the creative - I have written a novel, writing my second, enjoy painting, drawing, playing the clarinet amongst other instruments and, of course, love making and designing clothes!

3. I am a Harry Potter nerd - I have the series in both English and Japanese plus all the other little books JK Rowling has written.

4. I would love to be a professional writer or film editor (those are the main ones...)

5. Before I became muslim I was seriously anti-religious. Go figure.

6. I am a Dr Who fan. My scottish flatmate in Japan got me hooked. Two words. David Tennant.

7. I have learnt ballet since I was 6yrs old and I still do it just for exercise and not for performing. Pointe work is painful but I feel so awesome when I pull them on.

8. I think it's hilarious when people ask me where I'm from, expecting some foreign country, and I tell them Emu Park. They think I'm kidding them!

9. Even though my hubby is Indian, I can't handle eating a lot of curries. He usually makes them for himself. He's so good ;o)

10. I love everything Japanese - the food, the fashion, the randomness, the people, the language - so much so my hubby reckons I was born in the wrong country. I would live there again in a heartbeat.

So there you go! Now, who to tag next...

- Ange
- The Reverts Secret
- Modest Justice
- Sakeenah

So there's just a little more about me you probably didn't know. Now I'm off to bed. I've got Z's dress to finish tomorrow insha allah...

Little bit of alteration

2009-07-10T21:35:00.008+10:00

So my friend Z got her dress in the mail the other day and unfortunately it was a tad too long in the dress and the sleeves. Oops!

I forgot that Z was a little more vertically challenged than myself (I still love you, Z!) so this weekend I'll be doing some snip snipping and re-sewing to get it up to scratch!

She's got to have it back for a do at the end of next week so insha allah, hopefully it'll take no time at all and I'll have it zooming back to her in the mail on Monday.

THEN, I promise, I'll get around to starting my formal dress.

I mean it this time.

By the way, isn't this the cutest sewing machine? I want one!

Aww, shucks!

2009-07-09T16:49:00.004+10:00

Aww, how sweet! Ldn.Hijabi from London Hijabi has bestowed upon me the honour of The Adorable Blog Award - thanks luv!

And now I'm going to pass it onto:

- The lovely Sakeenah at Abaya Chic
- That cool chicky babe over at The Reverts Secret
- My home-girl Sheryn of Pretty and Pink Designs
- The ever entertaining sister of Modest Justice

Congrats girls! You deserve it. I love all the blogs I follow but I could only choose a few so please don't feel bad if I left you off the list.

Salaams/later!

Alysha x

Everyone needs a smile and a rainbow

2009-07-08T22:02:00.005+10:00

'Tis been a pretty sad time recently and not just with MJ but with so many people suffering around the world. I thought I'd take a quick detour from my usual fashion blogging to note something that truly matters.

This blog is just something I do for fun, but I realise that there are things in life, in this world, that are infinitely more important.

There are always going to be times when everything seems to be going down hill real fast. In these times we need to keep the faith and remember the little things in this world that remind us of the small miracles all around us that make life worth living.

I just remembered a line from a movie I like - V for Vendetta. A little random, I know, but there is a line in that movie that I particularly like.

"God is in the rain."

It's true though. Hollywood got something right for once. And right now, we need to see it.

Remembering not only Michael Jackson, a true musical genius who brought joy and helped a myriad of charities in his lifetime, I pay tribute to 3 others who have not recieved their share of media attention though lived lives no less important.

Spec. Joshua L Hazlewood and 1st Lt. Brian N Bradshaw lost their lives the same day as MJ whilst fighting in Afghanistan. Although these soldiers are Americans and I'm an Aussie, these men fight side by side with our troops and deserve our prayers.

Egyptian woman, Dr. Marwa El Sherbiny was a hijaabi who was stabbed 18 times in a courtroom in Germany after winning a case against a man who had attacked her over wearing hijaab or headscarf. She was also pregnant with her second child.

The families of these people and all those who have lost loved ones recently deserve our prayers and du'a. May Allah/God give them comfort and accept their loved ones into Jannah/Heaven insha allah.

So may everyone have a smile and a rainbow in their lives.

Featured Vintage #2

2009-07-07T14:38:00.009+10:00

Couple of blogs ago I did a feature piece on thefrock.com. I put up some pieces I thought would be good pieces to hijaabify or for general inspiration.

This blog, however, is looking at some vintage pieces from thefrock.com that are genuinely hideous.

Introducing - the Disco Ball. As if someone has literally dislodged a disco ball and forced it into the shape of a particularly nasty dress, this Donald Brooks piece will not be inspiring anything soon. Would you spend $800 on this?

These are not too bad, but still not something I would wear. All I see are layers. And none too flattering. If you're going to do layers, please do them right!

Even though I do like the red, the yellow would look horrendous on anyone with my skin (ie super pale) and give that washed out look.

From Valentino, these lacklusture layer-cakes go for $1700 and $3800 respectively.

Finally, this one's a 70's Yves Saint Laurent piece that just screams "I went to the ostrich farm and plucked it dry". Feathers can be cool but not in a fluffy neck ruffle the then snakes around your body on this rather unimaginative dress. I sure as heck wouldn't be decorating an abaya like this - it would do better to keep plain!

This bird-like wonder goes for $3300, though it may indeed be cheaper to buy your own ostrich and just drape it around your neck. Eek!

It's a go!!

2009-07-06T16:29:00.004+10:00

Alhumdulillah, I finally have my material for my dress. After spending a crazy amount of money on a ton of silks and satins, I left Spotlight with a massive bag, ready to start my project. Insha allah hopefully I'll be starting this week as I have 2 other dresses to also make before September - yikes! In the end I decided to go red instead of purple because there wasn't really any nice purples there. I'll definitely be keeping a photo diary so keep any eye out!

And now I think I'll hide my credit card from myself - it's hurtin' real bad!

Going material hunting - I mean, shopping...

2009-07-03T16:10:00.005+10:00

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This made me laugh - when a regular sized sewing machine just isn't big enough. Good ol' 50s advertising.

This weekend I will be slightly MIA as I will be hunting down the materials I am hoping to use for my formal dress entry and also, before I forget, my dress I am going to wear to my friend's wedding in September insha allah. Golly gosh I am going to be so smacked for time!

So moving on from random made-up idioms, I have decided on black, white and purple. When I have my colour scanner going, I'll scan the design in technicolour so y'all can take a peak.

What is it with me and random talk today?

Anyways, that's what I'll be doing this weekend so I may not get around to posting anything.

So until next time!

Just threw this one in cos I thought is was purty...

Hats, Hats, Hats, if I wore hats...

2009-07-02T19:40:00.005+10:00

My friend - you know, the one who introduced me to vintage clothing and etsy.com - is celebrating her birthday on Sunday and I only just got around to buying her a pressie. She is just suited for vintage clothing and with her cute little black bob hair cut, her head is just screaming out for a cute hat to go with.

I managed to find this little beauty today during my lunch break (lucky score I think!) and I knew I just had to buy it for her - it's perfect!!

I also love hats and even though I don't wear them, I thought, "if I wore hats..."

This one would be great for the races or a wedding.

From the 50s and oh so cute

Very casual, very awesome

This is just so very obviously vintage and would go with a cute little summer dress for a summer afternoon tea.

This one is my favourite!! This would go awesomely with the dress I plan to make for my friend's wedding. I think I might actually buy it...

So what's your favourite? If you wore hats, what would you wear?? Go here, find your favourite hat and let us know! And if you liked any of the cuties above, they're all in my etsy favs to the right here.

Oh, and to my friend, if she ends up reading this before Saturday night - oops! Hope you like it too!!

We have a winner!!

2009-07-01T17:48:00.004+10:00

The votes are in and the people have decided. Thanks to Sakeenah over at Abaya Chic, the poll to help decide which dress to make for my formal competition has closed and the most popular one was...

A bit surprising for me considering I just threw this one in so there would be more to choose from! At the moment I am thinking black, white and purple, or possible red instead of the purple. Insha allah I'll be off to Spotlight on the weekend to grab my material. Thanks everyone who voted - you've made my job of choosing a whole lot easier!!

Alysha x

Etsy Inspiration - Prom/Formal Dresses

2009-06-30T13:58:00.002+10:00

Pretty much all I have on my mind at the moment is this formal dress I'm planning to make insha allah. And since I'm just waiting for the results from the votes to come in, I decided to go raid etsy and find some cool prom/formal dresses that may serve as inspirational at a later date.

Here is what I found...

Black and purple rocks! Possibly the only 80's dress I found worth mentioning, I love the back. Not so sure about the big glasses and lace-ups. Didn't Bella wear shoes like that to her prom in the Twilight movie? I don't know if I could destroy a prom dress like that - only if it were my style, I suppose...

Love the red. Love the frills. Love it full-stop.

Again another poofy one from the 50's, but I just had to put it up. The lace is just too cute.

I knew a girl who wore something very similar to this for her wedding. All the ruffled satin and lace just screams gorgeous.

I love the formal/prom dresses. Even though they take so much longer to make than normal everyday clothes because of all the lining etc, I just love creating something gorgeous.

So now I'm back to waiting. Sakeenah? What am I making?

Go Green - Wear Vintage!

2009-06-29T13:19:00.004+10:00

I had a similar thought I little while ago, except it was to use clothes from Vinnies and turn them into reworked pieces. I found this little article online from The Courier Mail, a Queensland newspaper.

Retro frocks help to save planet

Carly Hennessy
June 28, 2009 12:00am

SAVING the planet never looked so stylish. New figures show that dusting off the old polyester, taffeta and crinoline frocks can save almost 10 per cent on your carbon and water footprint.

Paddington's Retro Metro co-owner Erin Milburn said buying second-hand or vintage cut a stylish figure, too. (read on)

So what are you waiting for?? Save the planet - wear vintage!!

Featured Vintage

2009-06-28T12:00:00.000+10:00

Decided to have a little look around on the net for other vintage sellers other than Etsy.com. I came across this awesome one called theFrock.com. I've pictured here some of my favourites (so far) from the designer pages.

I love this one for it's gorgeous embroidered top and flowing tulle skirt. Also the love the bow.

From Gand Pierre Balmain for $5200

I simply adore the long sleeves on this one. Accordian pleated split angel-wing sleeves with full with crystal beads. I've always had a penchant for long flowy sleeves. Sort of reminds me of Liv Tyler in Lord of the Rings. This is a beautiful colour as well - lovely pastel orange, not too bright.

From Ian Thomas for $7500

This is almost abaya-like in it's design. Gorgeous and flowing, beautiful sillouette and embroided with an awesome amount of glittering beads.

From Chic Hanae Mori for $3500.

I just loved this one for it's colours. It's almost sweet in it's combination of pastel blue and yellow. I simply love the draped silk chiffon and it's inspiring some future projects as I write this.

From Jean Desses for $7700.

I'm really beginning to like this website. Expect some more Featured Vintage posts from this site in the future insha allah.

Salaams/peace,

Alysha x

Colour samples

2009-06-27T20:17:00.005+10:00

Alright, I'll admit, these aren't the best pics but if I put the flash on I lost the white and ivory example.

I made a little trip to the Spotlight store in Queanbeyan today and grabbed an armful (my hubby's armful) of material rolls and got some sample cards made up. On the suggestion of a reader, mz, I'm thinking black and white with a little bit of red or purple. I grabbed a few other colours incase I decide to make 2 dresses.

A black silk, red icon satin and plain satin delux teal

A polyester shantung purple, satin delux ivory, fantasy charneuse brown and a dancetime satin white

I'll be waiting to see what the vote is on the dress designs is. If you haven't voted yet, please do! Just click here to go to Abaya Chic - the poll is on the left hand side of the blog.

Michael Jackson - one man we'll never forget

2009-06-26T16:25:00.003+10:00

Taking a detour from my regular posts I had to say something. Today the world lost a man who has possibly impacted on more people than almost any other in recent history. As with Elvis and The Beatles, he was a revolutionary in music and through this he sent some awesome messages. I remember it like it was yesterday, singing "Heal the World" at our school assembly in primary school and memorising every word of the Thriller album my dad has in his collection. Despite the controversy and accusations that dogged him, he still managed to hold onto his avid fans and create new generations of admirers. He will be missed. Insha allah may Allah have mercy on him and grant him Jannah.

For those who need a reminder, here is an encore... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W61Q-EZ8R7M&NR=1

Colours...

2009-06-25T20:55:00.003+10:00

Ok, I'm mixing colours at the moment, trying to figure out what combination I should use for my formal dress. I want something standout-ish but not gag-worthy. Here's what I've come up with so far...

I'm thinking brown and pink at the moment, the brown being a little more chocolate and the pink a pastel. Any opinions? What do you think I should use??

I heart you, Sakeenah!

2009-06-24T16:13:00.002+10:00

My lovely sister Sakeenah of Abaya Chic has gone and made a poll to help everyone help me choose the dress I should make for the Spotlight Formal Wear fashion competition. You rock, Sakeenah!

If you would like to take a look at my designs and lay down a vote, click here!

Absolutely completely finished!! Yay!!

2009-06-24T12:00:00.000+10:00

Yay! I have finally finished Z's dress - all stitched, all fixed, all done! Alhumdulillah!! Complete with a V.I. Couture tag, I'll be sending this puppy ASAP. Then I'll be starting all over again, this time with my entry for the Spotlight competition insha allah. Can't wait! That one will be up for sale once finished so it'll be fair game.

Here are a few pics of the finished product.

By the way, I was trying out the black and white function on my DigitalSLR. Good times! A little bit of amature photography...

So, next one!

Spotlight Formal Wear Competition

2009-06-23T10:58:00.005+10:00

Whilst standing in an extraordinarily slow moving line at Spotlight the other day, I found myself drawn to a great big poster by the counter.

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All I can say is that I got way too excited. I instantly whipped out my notebook that I just happened to stick in my handbag that morning and started scribbling down ideas. I was thoroughly annoyed that hubby was next door in Supercheap Auto as I wanted to start browsing possible materials straightaway but was stuck in the horrendously painful queue. I wanted to pile the material in a cart and start cutting and pinning that very instant. Needless to say, I was just a little impatient.

So now this is my goal. It says I can enter as many times as I like so I may do two pieces insha allah. Let's see how we go with one first.

The pieces I have designed are meant for formal wear and are hijaab-tastic so that anyone can wear them, especially the sisters who can't find a non-sleeveless formal gown to save their lives.

I've posted three designs here because I WANT OPINIONS. Let me know which one you think I should make. The two big princess-y ones are going to have tulle bottoms. Once these are made and I've done all the pics for the comp, I will be putting them up for sale insha allah, most probably through Etsy.com. I will, of course, be keeping a picture diary of my progress on this blog so once I've got a chosen design, I'll be starting ASAP.

Here is what I've got.

Now, as anyone who's read any of my other posts would know, I don't do boring and normal-looking. I spent a year in Japan. Anyone who's been would know what I'm talking about. I don't do safe with my designs - it's all about going just a little mad.

This one has layered tulle underneath an overlay for the bottom.

Again, this one has a tulle bottom. I'm loving tulle at the moment obviously.

So there it is. If you like any of them let me know 'cos I want opinions!! Which one should I make???

Just a little tweeking...

2009-06-22T13:30:00.003+10:00

I seriously need to get myself a proper table. Sewing on the floor of my lounge room and the breakfast bar of my teeny tiny kitchen is proving ridiculous.

Anyways, after going at it for about half the day yesterday, I managed to *finish* Z's dress. Holy snap. Talk about a slog. Below is the (almost) end product.

The sleeves are extra long so I might shorten them just a tiny bit. Also, I was thinking about not lining the arms but they are a bit more see-through than I first expected. Instead of linging them with the same material as the body, which is really quite heavy, I'll line it with the same material as the dress. Don't want it too heavy.

So there we are. Almost done. Insha allah I can probably do the arms tonight. Too easy. Next project...