Pinch Punch

September is upon us! And as promised, I'm partaking in Self Stitched September (SSS from here on) all month. So apologies for the forthcoming vanity. Just to remind me/you, here is the pledge once again:

"I, Leah (captainmagnets.blogspot.com), sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-September. I endeavour to wear a minimum of ONE handmade or refashioned item of clothing, accessories or jewellery every day for the duration of September 2010."

Let the fun commence!

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Self Stitched September, Day One

In typical British autumnal fashion, it seems mother nature decided to bestow some lovely rays of sunshine rather than the rain, cloud & general cold over the last few weeks. With that & SSS in mind, I picked out this dress, which I made last year using the Coffee Date Dress pattern on BurdaStyle.

handmade floral patterned cotton dress, vintage orange sleeveless cardigan, pink leather ballet shoes

It's a dress I rarely, if ever wear. It had pointy dart issues for ages, which I only just got round to semi-correcting and the fit isn't really perfect and... well, truthfully, it just doesn't feel much like my style anymore. I keep it because it was my first attempt at putting in a invisible zip and I was pretty proud of the result. And I still like print and sometimes, like the weather proved today, it's useful to have a simple cotton dress for floating about the house. It fit the bill. Kicked of SSS on a moderately good note and excellent for lounging about the house doing very little. But for future wear... it's not going to get much as it stands. Which isn't exactly great if you think about the idea behind SSS, to get you wearing things you make.

What would you do? Would you separate it, to get at least a good skirt out if it? Add some embellishment, or decoration, or something to it? Just restyle it? I'm not entirely sure what would be the best bet, but it's such a waste just to have it sitting in the wardrobe. Any thoughts?

Things That Make Me Ponder, Smile Or React In Some Similar Way

Hello again! How are you all? Have you had a good two weeks? Seeing as it's been about 2 weeks since I last posted. I have actually been home for the last week, but had my nose stuck in a book and was generally sorting out a few bits & pieces and let's face it, sometimes I like to disappear on this blog. The difficulty is always getting back into the swing of posting, so I thought, head first with a 'curious things & inspiration post' in my usual rambling fashion would be best. One day, I will construct posts around an actual topic, but until then, this is what you've got.

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1. A Handful of Flickr Photographers
I don't trawl through flickr all that much these days, but it's nice when you find talented photographers.

Photograph by Hannah Davis. (Found through Amelia)

Photograph by Lissy Elle. (Found through NEET)

Photograph by Lauren Treece. (Found through NEET again I think)

2. Beauty and Body Acceptance
Things such as Natalie over at Definatalie has posted - see You can't bully me out of my skinny jeans and Rejecting the notion of the flattering outfit and About fat acceptance. Also Jessica on Tangled Up in Lace, posted something on the price of fat fashion, which I personally thought applied to mass-produced clothes in general (i.e. that they've all become increasingly poor quality in recent times, but that's a rant for a rainy day).

Perhaps, some of you have seen this whole fat fashion movement thing going on and are wondering why the hell you should be interested in it if you are, like me, not really plus sized. Thing is, whilst on the face of it, it is about accepting weight, when you really pick the issue apart, it's about being happy with yourself whatever you look like. I could extend this musing, but it's better to leave this topic on Gertie's post entitled The Good Body, which sums it all up perfectly.

3. Liberty's How to Tie a Scarf
I'd guess you've probably seen these already. I remember, when I was collecting data for my English a-level coursework (almost 2 years ago now) I went to Birmingham library which had archives of Vogue dating back to the early 20th century. There was one article I seem to remember reading from a wartime issue I believe (my project was on language change & social changes within fashion, which obviously I found really interesting) in which it had different ways to wear a scarf. Anyway, these videos reminded me of that but equally, it's still surprising how many ways to wear a scarf there are!

4. Constant Thoughts on Style (or blogs I read which are pretty damn great)
So, maybe I'm kind of biased on the first, because Tessa & I have been emailing one another and have discovered we have a fair bit in common! But the message of her blog, Rethinking Style, still stands and it's a pretty interesting one - gentle encouragement for experimental dressing or sticking with your style or basically enjoying wearing clothes and embracing your personal style, whatever it may be. It's one of those blogs you read that doesn't necessarily promote a certain style of dressing as a kind of ideal (because there is no ideal... but you already knew that) but gives suggestions, musings, to make you err... rethink the way you dress and approach style. I find it really refreshing to read and it never fails to make me want to have a dress up sesh with my limited wardrobe (more on that in the future).

Next, is a blog I am basically in awe of right now - Threadbared. My god this is a good blog! Maybe you have already read it already, but if you haven't, and you like to contemplate fashion beyond face value (e.g. the social, political or cultural implications not just aesthetics), it is definitely required reading. I would link to specific posts I found interesting, but there are just too many, so have a dig yourself. It's a blog which is firmly lodged into a category I like to call "thinking blogs" (better termed critical blogs perhaps?) because it never fails to provide something to think about.

Similar to that (and recommended to me by Tessa actually) is Fashion for Writers, which very wonderfully combines the 'what I wore' outfit blog format, with this interesting and analytical thought process on fashion. I'm not quite certain how they manage to achieve that combination so successfully, but they do and frankly, it makes it all the better. Another gem to go check out.

5. Detail, detail, detail
Basically, so I don't make this far longer than is necessary, I am a sucker for detailing. Sometimes (not always) it's elaborate, very ornate decoration like this:

Found via Beehive

Photograph by Pieter Musterd (found via the vamoose)

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Anyway, that's all for today. I've discovered it's verging on September which means the Self Stitched September fun will begin shortly and I still have a couple of things to finish off. It also means that all my grand schemes to make lots over summer which never quite manifested are going to come back to haunt me. However, I am determined to participate this time round, and my challenge is to wear at least one handmade/refashioned item and I think I can just about manage that! Be warned, you will be subjected to some month-long vanity and numerous repeat outfits, which is actually fine because it's more honest & real than pretending I have a limitless wardrobe. Perhaps it'll ignite that 'creative streak' again?

Hmm, is anyone reading a fellow Self Stitcher? I'm looking forward to seeing other people's wares more, so please do introduce yourselves. Other than that, farewell for this post.

Escape To The Country

Ack! I had hoped to post something proper before I went gallivanting off to stay with my friend, but the post(s) in question are taking longer than anticipated. And I had other stuff to do. So you'll have to wait. Not that you would've noticed anyway with my weeks between posts.

Right, so, it is of no importance to anyone other than myself... by the power of timed posts, I am currently on a train heading toward Devon for a week. To the sea and hills and good friends and happy, probably a bit rainy, days. I have not packed a computer, but have taken a sketchbook and some rolls of film and some knitting too. So yes. Switching off for a week. That's all. Bye for the moment!

A Considered Approach

There is something about blogging that makes people feel inadequate when they can't post constantly. Bloggers guilt, they call it. The amount of times I have sat down, staring at this blank box on the blogger posting page; the orange publish button staring back at me like a watchful eye. It drives all ideas out of my mind, bares into my soul and plants seeds of doubt. Whatever seemed like a good idea before I clicked that "new post" link disappears. And in it's place, I just feel I can't keep up.

This feeling, I suspect, is a reason why so many people stop their blogs. And more and more seem to be dropping by the day, unable to keep up with the constant demand. It removes the fun, the joy, the pleasure (imagine that word in Stephen Fry's accent and it'll have more impact) and any reasonable person never does something they don't have to do without that.

The constant, never-ending nature of blogging is reflective of the times we live. Everything is reflective of the times in which we live. Blogging demands because we demand. It means that anyone who wants to lead a life, whereby they can appreciate every moment, feel content and create things at their own (perhaps leisurely, but not necessarily) pace feels, I suspect, inadequate. And why switching off from the internet, if only for a day, can make you feel so revitalised. It is a self-created affliction. Existing because we say so.

Some say that blogging is dying. Which perhaps is true, given how I suspect we - that is to say, I - feel. Humans are emotive creatures, so in spite of how much logic you try to live by, how we feel still matters. But perhaps, rather than fizzling out on our own, we should change it. Change how we blog, change how we think.

Today, I was actually going to post about ethical fashion - in keeping with the general theme of this blog. But this been gnawing at me all week. When I start a blog, I don't sit down and plan out what I want to write. I don't write a manifesto. My blogs are personal, in that each post is reflective of what I like, what I do, what I think and what inspires all that. But that is not to say that I don't have a loose idea of what I want to do. When I started Captain Magnets, I wanted to encourage consideration. A thoughtful approach to style. A slower approach to fashion. To life. Because as the Hitch Hikers Guide pointed out, life is about perception. And fashion is the lens through which I happen to perceive. I admit, most of this encouragement is aimed at myself as opposed to potential readers, but there is a small part whereby I hope that what I discuss makes you think about what you do. Not change necessarily, just think.

This week, I have been suffering from that ailment I told you about 4 paragraphs ago - bloggers guilt. That darling thing, my brain, that serves me so well sometimes, is human afterall. I feel bad that I don't post everyday. Because I have enough time and topics to talk about, so why am I not? The thing about being off school and unemployed, is having all the time in the world, so days disappear before they begin and nothing quite gets done. It's blissful mind you, to take time to do nothing. Even if I feel like I should be producing something, anything, constantly. I'm wary of what I publish on the internet though. And sometimes I lack motivation. And this incessant expectation, a product of my own head, makes me desire to create less. Because the world moves too fast, and sometimes I want to step off - just for a little break, you know?

So, my proposal? For myself. Maybe for you, if you discover that this stuff bothers you too. My proposal, is to stop feeling the guilt. Produce things at my own pace. Things are infrequent on this blog already and maybe that means it'll become more infrequent. Or maybe it'll mean less infrequency because I'm removing the expectation. Who knows? Sometimes, I think I should plan definite posts, but that feels too prescriptive. And I want this, eventually, to be a creative, spontaneous space. I cannot post everyday. I cannot exist on the internet everyday (not that I do, but let me take some artistic license in writing please). I cannot be anymore than I am. Whatever combination of all I've been exposed to that happens to be. I want take time to figure out what I can do and what I like to do, instead of dwelling on what I can't. I want to consider. And create. And communicate. And learn. But I want to exist in a world where you are more than the noughts and ones you combine.

I suppose this has become a manifesto of sorts, of what I'm going to do from here. To stop expecting so much from myself and start experiencing more of what I love. I realise it's off-topic to talk about, but hey, this is a personal blog and this is what I'm thinking and what is bothering me and what I felt compelled to talk about. Anyway, I am going to go now to enjoy the first sunshine we've had all week here. If you think I'm talking utter balls, just remember, I'm still young and figuring myself out and think too much and am far from perfect. Tomorrow (or maybe not) I'll be back on topic.

Lost And Found

Inspired by the re-reading of Cheap Date, I decided I'd finally get off my arse this summer and went out to peruse some charity shops on Saturday. Armed with £10, I spend an hour sifting through dust and found three gems...

Green polyester patterned blouse, £2.99 (normally I bypass synthetics, but I liked this too much to pass up)

Lilac & blue floral cotton sleeveless shirt, £1.25 (half price)

Dark blue short velvet jacket, £5.00 
(in need of alteration as you probably can't tell, but I've been on the prowl for a velvet jacket & ones on ebay are triple this price)

That was it, with 76p to spare. I was actually looking for bottoms (or dresses) but there was nothing particularly exciting in that department. Instead, I shall spend a few days gathering inspiration & making decisions before making some bottom halves myself. Need to actually do some prep for Self Stitched September!

Whilst talking of thrift acquisitions, I realise I've still not shared some previous finds with you (including some cream high-waist laura ashley trousers found for £1.75, which actually you can see the top of in the first image) but as you can tell, I have rather taken to photoboothing thrifts. Something about the crap rough quality that seems to go with self-indulgently sharing thrifts maybe? Or I'm talking rubbish because actually it's sheer laziness and forgetting to charge my camera batteries that leads to such instances. Either way, it's just harder to take photos of your legs without contortion, so I'll work other stuff into outfits instead.

Charity shops require some patience, but if you find something it's excellent, because money goes to a good cause and you have something pretty nifty. Win-win all round I say!

What about you? How many of you enjoy thrifting and regularly do so? If so, why do you choose to thrift? If not, why do you choose not to thrift? And how many of you have never been thrifting? Would you like to? If so, what's holding you back? If not, why not? Just feeling a bit curious today folks, hit me with your thoughts!

The Cheap Date Way

I'll say, from the outset, I'm not brilliant at reviews. However, I do read a handful of different books/magazines/online media, largely fashion & art related. So, in the interests of documenting & sharing stuff, I can throw out my two pennies and we can all have a merry time.

One book I repeatedly seem to go back to is The Cheap Date Guide to Style. Written in 2006 by Kira Jolliffe and Bay Garnett, as a sort of spin-off from Cheap Date Magazine, the premise is simply to encourage readers to use clothes as a canvas for self-expression and individuality, rather than sheepishly following this season's must-haves (there is a slight difference between cherry-picking trends to fit you rather than the other way around...). Whilst we're told that the information applies to shopping anywhere ("Our advice in this book applies to shopping at Selfridges, car-boot sales, Topshop, Grandma's wardrobe and Prada alike.") I'd suggest that the focus is largely on thriftiness. Arguably for some, it could represent the beginnings of the thrift movement we've seen in recent years.

Cheap Date (book) is now 4 years old (has it been that long?!), but the information in it isn't really that time-specific. I can read it now quite happily and find that nothing much has dated and the message is still as fresh as it was 4 years ago. Reviews by Style Bubble and Bits + Bobbins around the time, suggested that it's not so much a style guide, but a style affirmation. And I still think this is the best way to describe it. Though there are a few suggestions of 'basics', 'classics' and so forth, it's really not the kind of book you read if you want a list of what you should buy or wear. It is, however, the kind of book you read if you want to be inspired to embrace your individual spirit and experiment with finding your personal style.

I think perhaps this is the reason why I find myself going back to it so frequently. It's a kind of reminder, when stuck in a rut or otherwise, to just... go have some fun dressing up again. Like you did when you were a nipper. Reminders that fashion isn't always about money, standardised beauty, age, trends, shallowness or any other idiotic associations you can think of. It is a book which has, unequivocally, influenced my approach to fashion and style and is perhaps, the closest thing I'd get to a style manifesto at present.

The book itself is just larger than A5 sized, hardback and the right thickness not to feel like you're being preached to. I can't authoritatively comment on layout design but in my ill-informed opinion, it works. It's got a kind of DIY-aesthetic, rough around the edges with a simple cohesion and not overly designed. That raw 'hey-I-took-this-picture-in-my-bedroom-with-my-magic-little-point-and-shoot-and-damn-I-like-this-garment' look that blogs had back in the days before everyone seemed to get a dslr (for the record, I do not own a dslr). Not that I object to using higher quality photos now, it's just, sometimes, it's too edited and the experimental appeal disappears.

Anyway, Cheap Date is divided into roughly 9 sections running through what is style anyway, befriending your inner pal confidence, basics, classics, finding inspiration, possible places to hunt out your treasures, accessories and that all important magic touch. Okay, all the kinds of information that any clever soul will have figured out already and probably read on a handful of blogs (perhaps see my blogroll to the left if you're at a loss here) over the years. It is however, a light-hearted, funny read and in a handy compact touchable format. Without trying to make this sound like a sales pitch (can you tell I love it yet?), if Cheap Date doesn't leave you feeling like taking charge of your style, then I'll err... eat my hat?*
* I own one hat and rather like it, so you can see why that would be hard.

So the negatives? I'd definitely say one massive drawback is that Cheap Date is kaput now. Jolliffe and Garnett work independently on their own projects, which is fine because as the Beatles showed, good things can't last forever. Sometimes there seems to be a dire lack of empowering fashion magazines which show that clothes can be fun whilst being more than frivolity, and I suspect Cheap Date might have filled the gap. An anti-fashion fashion magazine as it were. Perhaps though, it's for the better, because it leaves space for little rays of sunshine such as Worn or Fat Quarter (which I haven't read admittedly, but find curious) or what have you. I'd also say that some of the interviewees seemed a little off compared to the overall message of the book, but perhaps it's more to show a range of opinions. Additionally, it is still a very western-world-centric book, which is only a fault if you fail to consider the writers background and who the primary audience (girls in mainly Britain - though obviously, it's not limited to that group) is. The lack of strong diversity is difficult to criticise because I do not believe that it was intentional nor does it undermine the overall point of this book.

Honestly, I know not everyone will subscribe to the same philosophy with style and thankfully, we won't all agree on what's cool or not, but if there is one book which shows you there is no right or wrong, it's this. I'd make it required reading for anyone who needs that kick-start to open their mind up and start listening to their inner voice. It's not a rulebook and this isn't me telling you to go buy the book (though I do recommend it if you want to) it's simply, as Kira and Bay say, "style - to state the bleedin' obvious - is in you." - so go embrace it!

Old Pearl And Chain

I would've made this into a tutorial, except that I didn't plan what I was doing before I made it, so it's not as if there were steps I could document. For little DIY projects, like this, it's mostly just trial & error until I get what I want. Besides, a necklace like this is hardly a groundbreaking DIY (I saw it when I was 14 and read, the now defunct, UK Ellegirl) and I'm sure you clever folks can figure out how to do it.

For the most part, simple beaded jewellery pieces require you to know one vital thing - how to do "The Loop". A quick search has located this video on how to do that and for more info on making jewellery, I suppose you could always visit the About site. It's really not that hard!

For this piece, I used an old pearl necklace & one pair of earrings for the beads, some chain, head & eye pins, jump rings and I think that was pretty much it. It's in 3 separate necklaces rather than one because I like to mix & match things, but it does have the issue of slipping round and I lost a bead yesterday. Most of those supplies you can buy in a craft shop or a specialist bead shop (if you're in the Midlands area, I know of Spellbound Beads in Lichfield which is pretty good for supplies) or charity shops/mothers/friends are a good place for old jewellery. If you're really serious, you can buy things wholesale (which my dad did because he used to sell these supplies in his old shop). Birmingham is amazing for wholesale bead & jewellery places because err, well, we have the jewellery quarter! But that's no good for the rest of you...

Basically, use your nous and go make something exciting/pretty/wacky/whatever my friends. And if you can be bothered, come share your results!