DIY patchwork quilts

I have been making patchworks for 4 years now maybe, I just did them in my spare time (in the summer holidays usually) and they are simple and fun to do. They also make really great personal presents for people. (People are proper made up when you give them it!!) It is something you would keep forever! What I never realized is how expensive they are if you where to buy one! Hundreds of pounds!! And they are impersonal, sure they look great but £200?? I don't think so!

So I thought I would go through how I go about making one. So I have my own special one, which goes on the end of my bed. It is made up of fabric which has been a part of my life (old curtains from baby room, bed sheets, old clothes) so instead of throwing them away, I made them into something that I could look at everyday, and hopefully pass onto my own children (a long way in the future!!).

So what I first do is cut out squares of the fabric, you can choose what size squares, but I always do 12cm x 12cm. But that doesn't really matter as long as they are squares. You can use a paper template if it makes it easier. I then cut out more squares, I usually aim for a quilt of 12x12 squares, so that is 144 squares (!!) this is the most time consuming bit, but you can do it watching the telly! 

Next I machine sew the squares into strips of 12 squares, I like to alternate the squares but you don't have to, it is entirely personal preference. 

I then sew the strips together to get one huge square. If you feel like the square is too small, or needs neatening up, I sew a large border around the patchwork area of one colour. I finishes off it nicely I think, and makes it look less busy. All that is left to do is but a lining on the other side. I usually use a padded lining (already has wadding attached). This gives the blanket a bit more weight, but again it's personal preference. You can just use ordinary lining.

So attach this lining, you put the two right sides of the fabric facing together (inside out) and sew all around the edge leaving a gap of about 15cm. You then pull the fabric through so now the right sides of the fabric are now facing away from each (the right way round) you can then hand stitch the hole closed. You then can either sew an edging around the fabric, or just machine stitch an inch all around the edge to finish it off, and again this is personal preference. 

And voila! You have your very own patchwork!! And for literally a few pounds (unless you have to buy all your fabric). Nothing like the price of one from a shop, and these look much nicer because you made it with your own fair hands!!

If you fancy giving this ago, and need tips, or even if you want me to make you your very own, feel free to message me, comment, or go on my twitter or Facebook  and get in touch with me there!!

Hope this has inspired you to get the scissors out!!

x x x 

OOTD 9/8/2012 DIY ombre hair for summer

Recently I've been umming and arring over the ombre hair look, I think it is beautiful for the summer, but the thought of bleach on my hair and the expense was putting me off. Saying that most of my hair is extensions, so it is not my hair I'll be bleaching!! (well it is mine, I bought it!!). Next was the expense... so I must have watched a million YouTube videos and read a million blog posts of girls who did it themselves. From these videos and posts I decided that I could do that, looked simple enough, and the results looked good. So I took the plunge, it is only hair after all, it grows back, you can dye it back. Plus I've sort of got into the mentality recently of 'You only live once' so why not?

So I used Jerome Russell B blonde hair lightener. It was around £5 from Home and Bargain. It was one of the powder bleach ones. I bought two boxes as my hair is quite long, and my hair is almost black!!

So I followed all the tutorials I had seen, and after one attempt I washed my hair. It had lightened it, but it wasn't as light as I wanted so I did it on the very end of my hair two more times. This time I washed my hair and thought 'Oh my God it's ginger!!!' but thankfully it was just the light in my bathroom!! Again it was not the colour I wanted, but it had worked, just more subtle than I had hoped for. But ah well!! This is what it looks like.

So it looks ok I suppose but i don't think this hair will physically go any lighter!!

Anyway, so today is actually like proper summer, so you can actually wear summer clothes, so i thought I'd do a quick actual summer outfit of the day. So i'm just wearing a white vest from Dorothy Perkins (about £4), a grey jersey high low skirt from Topshop (£20), vintage gold, white gold and rose gold necklace from my nan, and Primark nude pumps with gold studs (£10), and Primark plaited belt (~£1). Excuse the pasty legs, they haven't seen sun in about a year!!

Hopefully I'll get a bit of tan on them today!! 

Much love x x