Lemlem

If I had a bit more money to spend, you better believe I would be living in these airy, stripey numbers all summer long from Lemlem (via J. Crew).

Started in 2007 by Liya Kebede, Lemlem consists of handcrafted clothes made by local weavers in Ethiopia.  Find out more here.

*Photos by J. Crew

Spool No. 72

Have you seen the latest offerings over at Spool No. 72?

I first discovered this company last year and have loved it ever since.  If vintage, bohemian style is at all on your radar, check them out. I think their fresh prints and breezy dresses are very California-ish and perfect for summer. They recently added a mercantile section that showcases vintage finds for your home (hurry, they sell out quick!). The best part is the affordable price tag!

As a special thank you to readers of Swoon!, Spool No. 72 is offering a 10% discount, site wide from now until June 10th!  Just enter Spool10 at checkout. 

*All photos provided by Spool No. 72

Almost summer

We barbecued last night while the girls played in the grass.  I swear I caught my first glimpse of summer.  I've been dreaming about it ever since.

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Made at home: Lace pendant necklace

A while back I bought quite a bit of vintage lace at a local shop.  Like a lot, a lot.  

Maybe if I made 200 of these necklaces I could use it all up.  Want to make one of your own?  Come on over, I'll loan you some lace :).

Supplies:

Lace

scissors

a small circle to trace

pen

pin

sewing machine

necklace chain 

::: Step One

Trace a small circle on the lace with your pen.  You can use anything as your circle, just make it about 2 inches or less in diameter.  A sippy cup works great!

:::Step Two

Cut out your circle.

:::Step Three

 Fold your circle in half and place a pin toward the bottom.

 :::Step Four

 

Use a sewing machine to sew a straight line about a quarter of an inch to half an inch from the fold,  forming a pocket to pull your chain through.

Pull your chain through the pocket/channel you just made and you're done!

Printed dresses for spring

Are you into all the '70's inspired prints and 80's color blocking this spring?  It's really starting to grow on me.  It seems that nothing is off limits when it comes to color combination.

Throw on a cozy sweater or blazer to make this outfit work for crisp spring days and wear the dress as is in the summer with some strappy sandals.

Check out Spool72 for other one of kind dresses for spring-made right here in eastern Washington (cow country)!

Dress, Bag, Shoes.

Fabric Dyeing 101

I love fashion, but I must confess I don't have the best track record in the clothing department.  When I see things on sale I swear my heart beats faster.  I quicken my step and sift through the racks, oohing and ahhing over the great deals.  Most of the time I end up leaving with something that is ill-fitting in the complete wrong color, all the while exclaiming things like, "can you believe that was only $9.99!?"

After wearing these items a couple of times I eventually come to my senses and get rid of them.  If it's the wrong shape, it has to go.  But if the item fits well and is just the wrong color it's a little sad to say goodbye.

I was so happy to see the February issue of  Lucky Magazine in which they show how to dye your own clothes at home.  I tried it myself this last weekend and am dying (sorry) to show you the results!

So, here's the dress.  Cute polka dots, ruffled skirt and silk sash.  Turns out all of those things are a little too cute when put together.  Also, the cream washed me out.  Bought two years ago (on sale) at the Gap.  Only worn once.

A little bit of time and some dye that cost me $2.78 and this is what I have:

Want to do it yourself?  Here's what you need:

A cotton, silk or synthetic garment
A big pot
A cup of salt
RIT dye (powder or liquid)
Gloves
Chopsticks or something else to stir the pot
Bleach (for clean up)

The directions in Lucky Magazine were different from those found on the RIT bottle, but I used them anyway and things turned out great!  You can see the article online here.

:::Step One:

Fill your pot with water, add cup of salt and bring to a boil on the stove.

:::Step Two:

Add dye and stir well.  It was a little confusing how much to use, but I used the whole bottle since I was covering up a pattern.  You may only need half for one solid-colored item.

:::Step Three:

Wet your garment in the sink with warm water and wring out the excess.

:::Step Four:

Stir regularly for 40-60 minutes. I did the full 60 minutes since I was trying to cover those polka dots.

Note: You may need to adjust the heat level throughout to make sure it is simmering, but not overflowing.

:::Step Five:

Turn the stove off and let pot cool for 20 minutes or so.

:::Step Six:

Wearing gloves, dump the dye water into the bathtub and let drain.  Rinse the garment in warm water until water runs completely clear.  This part took forever with this dress and the water was cold by the end.  No harm done.

:::Step Seven:

Lucky says to let the garment dry at this point, but the bottle says to wash with a gentle soap. I was really concerned with making sure all that blue dye was gone, so I washed the dress in the bathtub with a little of Mrs. Meyers soap and rinsed again.  Hang the garment in the shower/bathtub with an old towel underneath it and let it air dry overnight.  Voila!

Note: Immediately scrub your bathtub with the bleach and a little bit of powder cleaner if needed.  I also soaked my pot with bleach before putting it in the dishwasher.

And now, the possibilities are endless:

Juxtaposition of opposites

 

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 Recently I had an epiphany.  Well, actually I had a re-epiphany (yes, I did just make up a word) as I was trying to make sense of my closet.   

When you see an outfit that goes together so well, there's an almost undefinable quality to it that makes you look again.  You know it when you see it.  Come to find out, it's actually very simple.  It's all about opposites.  If you're wearing something flirty and romantic, layer it with something structured and more masculine.  It's the reason high heels can look great with jeans and a t-shirt. 

I was reading the latest issue of Instyle and Michael Kors himself was talking about this (and says it much better than I can!):

"When women look at other women who are stylish, what they always notice is the play of opposites; it's the trenchcoat over the sequined shift.  What's so appealing is dressing like you didn't stress over it."  (pg. 98)

Please tell me I'm not the only one having a duh! moment here.  Once you learn this rule, it's so obvious.  

Make it work.

Wear this:

 

{cami , cardigan, trousers, necklace, tote, sneakers, glasses, scarf}

Warm and toasty

It's no secret that I'm in love with scarves.  I have dedicated a nice sized section of the rod in my closet to drape them from.  Such a simple thing to throw on, yet instantly dresses up the average t-shirt and jeans.  Here are some of my favorites from around the web, but I still like finding them for a few dollars at thrift stores:

1.Nitscreations via Etsy  2. J. Crew  3.  mantra knits via Etsy  4. modcloth
5. Madewell  6. Anthropologie