Handmade Dress

My nana is one of the most influential women in my life. She worked as an Upholsteress at Uptons, and used to make clothes for not only herself, but also for her mum, her sister and her aunt. I learned how to bake from her, how to knit from her (with a help from youtube) and now I'm learning how to create and alter clothes from her.

When I saw this dress on the Topshop website, I fell in love. I thought it was a bit short, but I loved the print and it's just my sort of dress. But it's 55£.

I showed my mum, wondering if there was any way I could have this dress, to which she turned around and said, "Your nana'll have a pattern like that."

I was almost straight up to my nana's and scrounging through her pattern bag. Low and behold I found a pattern! It was bought in 1956 for six shillings. It's a Simplicity pattern and it really was simple and easy to follow.

Next was a trip to Boyes. Now I was shocked to find that Boyes shops do not in fact cover the entire of the UK - like how do you all get along without this amazing shop. For those of you not in the know, Boyes is a very cheap shop that quite literally sells everything. There are two floors, the bottom sells everything from school uniforms, to toys, to birthday cards, to kitchen supplies, gardening supplies, hair dye and makeup and just everything. The upstairs is the haberdashery, and you can buy curtains, clothes, wool, fabric and all your clothes making needs.

I bought this beautiful 100% cotton fabric for £4.25 a metre, and I needed 3.5 yards (3.2 metres). So my dress, including the zip cost me £14.

I spent three days out of the next week at my nana's and in total it took about 6 hours to create my dress. First I got the pattern pieces cut (we had to botch together a top from another pattern as the top was missing from the pattern I'd chosen). and got the top together. Then I got the top completely fitted and sewn and interfaced, before making the skirt and gathering the waist band, and in the final session I joined the top to the skirt. All under the watchful eyes of my nana.

And here it is. It's longer than the dress in the picture, hitting just on my knee, and I'm very happy that I chose a dark fabric, as it means I can wear it with tights and boots, but the floral print means it will transfer very easy to summer.

I love this dress. It's so insanely comfortable, because it's made just for me. 

It's also a huge incentive to stay at the size I am now! Best thing though, it fits at the waist and flares from my natural waist, meaning that my big bum and hips and thighs are nicely hidden and even if I manage to lose weight and shrink my arse area, it won't affect the fit of this dress :).

And here's me in it, looking all serious.

New Workout

I've been going to the gym this week, around midday after doing a few hours revision, but then before bed I find time and do a short fitness routine of my own making - like the ones I've posted before.

Today I'm planning on squats!

Squats, as anyone who's interested in fitness will tell you, are awesome. Done properly they work an amazing number of muscle groups, including the biggest of them all - your bum. Now, my bum's huge, but I want it to be perky - thus, squats.

Some instructions:
Keep back straight, head up, shoulders back, and when you squat keep your knees in line with your toes.
Plie squats - feet wider than hips, toes turned out
Squat jumps - if you live in a flat/need to be quiet, keep you're jump small and make sure to bend your knees to soften the landing.
Squat, side crunch - Down for your squat, stand up and press your knee at the side up towards your shoulder  (like a sumo wrestler) to work your obliques

Then get down into the squat - may want to take the feet a little wider - press fingers up towards the sky, bring hands round wide, back to centre, then do two quick jabs forward. Repeat x20
Squat kicks - Still in your squat, kick your leg out to the side.

Narrow squat - knees and feet together and go as low as you can!

I've been thinking of making short videos to go with these, but we'll see :)

Have fun squatting! and be prepared for your thighs and bum to hurt the next day :D

I am in my jeans

That's right. The jeans that began this whole thing. The jeans that made me want to cry on Christmas day. Now here I am on Good Friday, dressed in my jeans feeling fabulous.

They're still a little tight - quite tight. But I don't care because I'm in them! which means that this whole thing has been worth something.

<----how huge do my thighs look haha

Since Christmas I've learned an awful lot about diet and fitness and about myself. I've learned that you can't go into something thinking 'I want to lose weight' it's too abstract, without a goal in mind it all flutters to one side.

I've learned that even if you exercise every day for an hour and you come away looking like a total sweaty-beast, but you still eat like crap, you're not going to lose any weight like you want to.

I've learned that I LOVE weights. I love doing a weighted exercise set and feeling the burn two days later.

I love running! Something I never thought possible. What with my damaged ankle tendons and my dislocated knee, it never worked very well in the past. But with strengthening exercises and a lot of stretching, you really can do anything!

I've also learned that getting into these jeans is not the end of the road for me. First, I need to make them fit better, by running more and tightening up my thighs and bum. But then I need to stay in them, which I think is going to be the real challenge lol

Pin Curls!

For the last few months I've been struggling with pin-curls. I'm very into vintage; clothes, hair, make-up, films, music etc. But I've been struggling with slept in pin curls. The problem, I think, is I either do them too small or I don't manage to tuck the ends in or I squish them with the pin curl clips.

I had them in the night before last, and they did not turn out good. My hair was frizzy and all kinky and not good. So last night I smoothed some Repair and Protect Smoothing Serum all over my hair, kept it dry, and placed large pin curls through my hair. I kept them low in the back, and all facing the same way on the sides.

Pin curls after sleeping on them

After taking them out, I loosely ran my fingers through them, then brushed them with a paddle brush and shaped them with my round bristle brush. They were so lovely! No frizz at all, I think that serum is going to my saving glory when it comes to pin curls. I pinned up one side with a pretty orange flower, because it's not snowing for once and the sun's even out!! EXCITING

I feel very pretty today!

Right side

Left side

It took me all of fifteen minutes to do my hair this morning, and I think it's perfect for going to the shops, the dentist and making my dress today. And my hair feels in such good condition too!

Pin curls are kind of ideal for me. I'm trying to grow my hair out, and I've found that washing it only a couple of times a week help it grow a lot quicker. I washed my hair on Tuesday, and I'm hoping that I won't have to wash it until Saturday morning before work. Tomorrow, I'm hoping to tie my hair up and add a head scarf too - keeping with the vintage feel :).

Cardio Workout

Today I don't have time to go to the gym. I've got revision this morning, then the dentist, then shopping, then seeing my Grandma, then going to my Nana's to hopefully complete the dress I'm making (I'll take a photo once I finish :D), then I've got to get the house all tidied for when my parents get home from their holiday tonight. So yeah, no gym time.

Instead I did this kickboxing style workout, plus the halterneck arms I posted yesterday.
While doing this workout, keep bouncing on your toes, and really spin your hips into all your jabs and kicks.
If you don't know any of the moves, google them :D

New Workout

While it's been snowing every day, I'm getting ready for the end of May and the end of my exams. When I plan to spend quite a lot of time in halterneck dresses :). The fiance and I are talking about going camping, I may be going to Ireland and maybe to Norfolk. So I don't have to plan for a 'bikini body', but I'd like to have toned arms and legs :).

This workout, a few times a week, combined with cardio and of course working other muscle groups will see your shoulders, back and arms becoming sleek and lean in no time :)

Low Calorie Fried Eggy Bread

I'm in the middle of revising, and at this point I'm about ready to just give up, curl into a ball and cry until July. But I can't do that, I must keep going.

I had a smoothie for breakfast, however, it's snowing outside, and when I'm sat for a while in that room with all my notes trying to get everything typed up I get very cold. So I didn't fancy a smoothie for lunch.

Ingredients
1 slice bread - buttered
1 chopped tomato
1 egg
drizzle of oil

Butter your bread and cut a circle out the middle. Place it in a hot frying pan and toast one side, flip over and crack the egg into the centre and cook until done.
Chop your tomato and add to the pan about 30 seconds before the eggs done. Add the oil to the pan and flick onto the top of the egg to cook the top.

Nutritional Info
261 calories
14.6g fat
22.4g total carbs
3.6g fibre