So to make up for the fact that I have not posted anything like all summer, I am now going to do my first tutorial post! I am going to show you how to make a banner like this one:

It's pretty simple to make and these are the materials you'll need:

• A rectangle of fabric about 35" by 28", but it depends on how long your message is going to be (for long messages make it longer than 35", but the other edge shouldn't really change). 
• A length of fringing (or a similar trimming) the same length as the longest edge of fabric (so about 35") 
• A string of sequins, at least 2m, but again it depends on the length of your message, I always make sure I have more than enough. 
• A length of ribbon which is at least 5" longer than your longest side of fabric. 
• A film of your choice, as the sequin part takes a while. I went for Pretty in Pink for the obvious sewspiration (although I am of the opinion that she massacred that poor lady's prom dress) but this is completely up to your discretion. 

So first put on your chosen film and then...

Pin the fringing along the top edge of the fabric (the long side) with the tassles pointing downwards. Sew this on either by hand or with a sewing machine (if the fabric/ fringing is quite thick I would advise doing this by hand, as you could break your machine!). 

Fold the bottom edge to meet the top edge, so that the fringing is sandwiched between the material. Pin this in place and then sew the pieces together to make a sort of tube. 

Sew about half way up each side of the tube of fabric but leave a hole at the top (the side opposite the fringing) which is big enough for you to fit your hand into. 

Fold over the edges of this hole, pin and then sew around it so that it no longer has a rough edge but make sure your hand still fits inside it! (I don't think I'd make it as a hand model).

Stick your hand inside and turn the tube inside out through the hole (you may need to poke out the edges with the bottom of a pen). 

Your banner should now look like this! Now for the fiddly part. 

Position your string of sequins into the message you want, then, sticking the pins through the middle of the sequins, pin them into place. Only pin a few letters at a time to make it easier and do the next lot when those are sewn down.

Hand sew the sequins into place by sewing the needle through the middle of the sequins, you don't have to sew down every sequin, just do enough so that the lettering stays in place. You can avoid sewing both sides of fabric together by putting one hand inside the tube and just sewing the front, but the other side will be on the back anyway so don't feel bad if you sew them together. 

I picked a rather long message for my banner and so had to stop for a snack break in the middle....also the Otis scene had just come on in Pretty in Pink soo....

 After all that hard work your banner should look a bit like this! I picked a slightly busy fabric so the sequins don't show up that well on camera, but it looks a lot better in real life....promise! 

Attach your ribbon to a safety pin and thread it though the hole at the top of the banner. 

Tie loops at either side of the ribbon, this is what you will hang the banner from. 

Now find a nice hanging place! Put up some nails/drawing pins to hang the ribbon onto and you're all set! 

I really hope this makes sense and your banner works out well! 

Rowan x 

Hey! I haven't posted anything for so long. But I just wanted to share this skirt which I made with my own two hands! I am no expert in the sewing department, especially when it comes to clothes but I got the pattern from here and I think it worked out pretty well.

It has this really cool scalloped hem which I love. There was a lot of printing involved for the pattern but it was really straight forward and I will totally be checking out their other tutorials because I was so happy with the result!
Rowan x

 

I got these sunglasses aaages ago from a charity shop (surprise surprise) and decided to stick on these cute little shapes which are meant to be for nail art.There are all kinds and colours of shapes, but I used mainly the pinky coloured ones, which were mostly cat and cake related.

They are not exactly a genius creation but I am pretty pleased with them all the same. All I needed was about 5 minutes, some good glue (I use UHU) and the shapes themselves which I got off eBay. If you search for 'fimo nail art' or something to that effect on eBay, then you should be able to find some for a few quid or less. Good day and happy crafting!
Rowan x

So, my first outfit post! I guess this outfit is a good example of the kind of things I wear and will be posting about in the future, though I wouldn't say I have a particular 'look' I do really love bright and interesting things. You can also see some of my crafting projects dotted around the room (e.g. banner, lamp) which I will probably blog about at some point when I get around to it! 

I would just like to draw your attention to my new day of the week socks which my mum purchased for me from H&M. I love these 'magic monday' ones, but I would have to say my favorites are the ones which say 'foxy friday'. They make me feel like a child and also they are useful when I forget what day it is. Also pictured are my ALL TIME BEST EVER shoes, my metallic pink DMs. They were possibly my best ever eBay find, and that is saying something! 

Here is a close up of the hypnotizing pattern on my new t-shirt, which i got from one of my local charity shops. It is finds like these which are the reason I tend to shop second hand, I mean, it is unlikely I will ever meet anyone with this same T-shirt. 
I am sorry for the untidiness of my bedroom and also for my terrible camera, but I won't pretend that I will get round to tidying it soon or that I will be able to afford a new camera. Hope you liked my post and I promise my blog will fill up soon! 
Rowan x
 

Hello world

Well hello there world wide web. I have been thinking about making a blog for a while but I couldn't really decide what it should be about, I should probably mention that I still haven't decided what this blog should be about  but I guess I will just wait and see what it becomes. I feel like this will probably just be a compilation of whatever is on my mind at the time of posting, which is likely to center around clothes, craft, food, films etc, but who knows, this may all change. For now I am just gonna let it grow organically into something which will hopefully be moderately interesting and if it isn't then I will at least try my best to make it look pretty.
Rowan x