Weave and Patch

Ok, So I know many of you have got a stack of jeans that may have faded from a stark black to a nice dusky grey, and rock them equally as well - or maybe some light washed denims that you are just ultra bored of but still fit you so well. Whatever the case, you've got some, and instead of putting them to the back of your wardrobe, how about bringing them to the forefront and making them into a keepsake - for the right reasons! Let your hand lose on them and come with me to create a 'rough around the edges' stylish detail that your legs will thank you for.

First off, let me let you in on Top Secret trends for next year Spring/Summer '13... (no, there's no point in telling you what's in now - it's already hit the shops... as for winter, well I'm not in a very wintery mood so we'll skip that for now & move onto the good stuff!) Spring/Summer 13, will be all about rediscovering crafts and skills. Growing, sowing, sewing, cropping, painting - you get the picture... it's about celebrating human dimension, meaning more creativity equals less waste. One major trend will be on vintage inspired clothing and styling. So I'm starting maybe a little head of the game, but it's Ok - it never hurt anyone to have a 'head's up'.

We are going to use the art of weaving again, and this is what you'll need: - 

A pair of Jeans, Scissors, leather trimming about 1cm in width, 4-5metres (£7 on avg from a haberdashery store), 

Fabric glue

Ok, to start - Take your jeans and snip vertical 1cm slits equally just above the knee leaving roughly a 1.5cm space between each slit(You can mark a straight line with a chalk to guide you - like I have). Carry this on all the way around the circumference of the jean knee, and do this for three or four rows - whatever suits you.

Begin to weave your leather in and out of the denim, each row will need a separate strip of leather trimming so you will need to cut each one and not use one continuous long strip for all the rows. I would suggest leaving at least 10cm of the trimming before you cut it because you will need 'ease' (bending ability) in the knee when you put them on.

Use your fabric glue to join each trimming ending together, by placing one end on top of the other adjoining end. after leaving to dry - for the recommended time your fabric glue recommends, swivel the join so that it is covered underneath one of the intersections of denim, so you have a continuous trim of leather showing and no joins. You can do up to 5 or 6 rows for a fuller effect.

Complete all rows, and voila - you've just fore-fronted and pioneered what's to come!

LA xoxo 

Chanel Un Snood

Today I thought I'd share with you a technique I absolutely adore - the simple art of weaving. It is pleasing to the eye and gives fine detail in most things. The snood has once again put itself up to volunteer and today has developed into something a little more special...

Before you begin here is your shopping list: 12 metres of ribbon, about 1.5cm in width - roughly £5-7 for 12metres, (leather, suede, grossgrain or perfectly normal ribbon will work well) Fabric Glue, Scissors (which you already probably have - I hope) 

The ribbon you will find in any haberdashery shop or John Lewis.

Let's get Going...

You are going to weave the ribbon evenly through the holes of the knitted snood. Going all the way around  until you  meet with where you began. Leave a good 30cm then cut the ribbon. (You must leave 30cm because when you put this on you will see you need a lot of 'ease' in the skirt as the ribbon won't stretch (unless of course you've brought some Spandex ribbon).

Weave all of the snood so roughly 7-8 rows, maybe more depending on the length of your snood. Making sure the rows are evenly spaced and the start and end positions are in roughly the same place for every row. When you finish - put the snood - now - skirt on so that the lose ribbon ends are hanging in front of you. Now you will see why it was necessary to leave a good amount of ribbon, as you'll only have about 5cm left once you have put it on. Now is the time you can cut some of the ribbon ends if they are too long, if they are roughly 3-4cm don't cut anything off. Remove the skirt, lay it flat and with your fabric glue begin to join the ribbon ends - placing one end on top of the adjoining end.

Leave this to dry (Fabric glue drying times vary so follow the drying time of the one you've brought) . When it is dry it is ready to turn inside out, so all the jointing points are on the inside and not visible to anyone. (This skirt is exactly the same inside out so don't think it's not going to be as good when you reverse it)

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Enjoy Beauties...
LA xoxo