100 Happy Days // Update #1

Today is day 14 of my 100 Happy Days. For those of you who don't have Instagram & can't follow my posts, I will post an update on here every so often so you don't miss out. So here are my 100 Happy Days photos from the last 14 Days....

 I am loving this challenge so far - it's definitely making me feel more positive (& making me realise that I really like food...)!

♥  

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #89 // Simplicity Bloggers Challenge

Enter a Competition

A few weeks ago, I stumble across the Simplicity Bloggers Challenge on Twitter. It is basically a challenge for sewing enthusiasts of all abilities to get creative & make a garment using a pattern sent to you from Simplicity. There were three categories you could enter into; Best Newcomer, Best Vintage Make & Best Dressmaking Project. As much as I would love to have made a dress, I felt I should be more realistic as I haven't made my own clothes since A-Levels (7 years ago!), so I opted for the Best Newcomer category. Once sending all of your details to Simplicity, they then send you a pattern - for the Best Newcomer category this was the Simplicity Skirt Pattern 2286. Mine arrived within a few days which was great as it allowed me to have a good look at the pattern & decide what material & trim I wanted to use. I almost immediately knew I wanted to involve Polka Dots as I love them at the moment & wanted to make something that I would actually wear myself. I then opted for a black Pom Pom trim - they are on a lot of things at the moment & I think they look super cute.

I'll be honest, I was a little nervous to get started so I decided to spend one evening cutting out the pattern & the fabric & then sew it all together on a separate day. That way I could really take my time with it & make sure I did it all correctly (without getting stressed out). It has been a while since I even looked at a pattern, but I soon remembered what everything meant. I suppose you don't ever really forget & it is quite simple once you know. Humphrey was of course on hand to help me out too.

And here is my finished Skirt...

 
So now I have to patiently sit & wait to see if mine is good enough to be one of the winners. From what I have seen so far, the competition is tough as some people have made some really beautiful skirts! There will be a winner selected from each category, with the judging panel consisting of Lauren Guthrie (finalist on the first series of  The Great British Sewing Bee), Claire-Louise Hardie (author of “The Great British Sewing Bee- Fashion with Fabric"), Rachel Egglestone (Vintage Life Magazine editor) & Simplicity’s sewing expert, Wendy Gardiner (she has over 20 years experience in the sewing world)! A pretty good judging panel I'm sure you'll agree! It would be a great boost to win something like this, but if I don't then I am really pleased I took part as I never usually think to enter such competitions. I also had great fun making my skirt & learnt a few new things along the way too! I definitely have the "Sewing Bug" now & can't wait to start on another item of clothing! Have you entered the Simplicity Bloggers Challenge too? Please leave links to your blog post below so I can take a look at what you made!

♥  

ZoFlo

Thursday Thoughts #24

Happy Thursday!

For anyone who is a loyal Zoella follower, you will recognise todays Thursday Thoughts! She posted this on Twitter a few weeks ago & I really loved it, so felt it was only fair to share it again!

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 Something I am sure we all need to remember when we keep putting off certain projects! Hopefully this will give you the little nudge you need to stay motivated! Enjoy the rest of your week!

♥  

ZoFlo

Thursday Thoughts #23

Happy Thursday!

So far, my week has been great. Not for any particular reason, it's just been really lovely. I can definitely see the 100 Happy Days Challenge having a positive effect already - and its only day 4!

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Thinking positive, happy thoughts everyday & appreciating the smaller things in life is definitely important & key to having a good day! It's working for me. If you're feeling like poop, give it a go too! You'll be surprised. Enjoy the rest of your week, & if you're one of the lucky ones - have a fantastic Bank Holiday Weekend (I know I will)!

♥  

ZoFlo

#CraftBlogClub // Spring Clean Gift Swap

Back in December, I took part in the Craft Blog Club Secret Santa. It was so much fun. I love making things for others & it is always exciting to recieve a parcel in the post too! So when it was announced that Craft Blog Club would be running a Spring Clean Gift Swap, I obviously wanted to get involved. The idea is that everyones names get pulled out of a hat & you are each given a name (just like Secret Santa). However as it is a "Spring Clean", you are only allowed to create something using materials that you already have lying around. This was perfect for me as I have plenty of different fabrics laying around. I had to make for Gill from The Little Soap Kitchen (click here to visit her website). After much planning, I decided to make a small pillow with an Owl on (of course)! I used some left over cream cotton fabric for the case itself along with some red felt & floral cotton for the owl. I used buttons for the eyes and attached a wooden heart with my trusty glue gun! I was so pleased with how it turned out & thought it looked really cute. Fingers crossed Gill likes it too!

 I'm not sure if it was meant to be a straight swap or if it was coincidental, but I recieved a gift from Gill too! Due to our post man never actually arriving in the morning - what is with that? I remember when we use to get post at like 8am - I had to wait a few days before I could get to the sorting office to collect it. The suspense was killing me! Gill made me the cutest litte bag & it's reversable too. It also has a little Owl on both sides as well! I love it! She also sent me a box of soaps to try out too! They are so beautiful & smell amazing - I can't wait to try them out!

 Thank you so much Gill for my gifts! I love them! & thank you Craft Blog Club for setting up another great gift swap - I can't wait for the next one...

♥  

ZoFlo

How To // DIY Shirt

I have two or three shirts which I really love but I never wear. I could never put my finger on why I never wore them - I would often try them on & just decide they didn't "look right". But I really like them so didn't have the heart to get rid of them. I decide to have a play with one of them; change it up a little bit so I would wear it. I decide on making it 3/4 length sleeves & thought I would share a post on this, so hopefully you will be inspired to give it a go too!

So to make your long sleeved shirt / t-shirt / jacket into 3/4 length sleeves you will need to...

1. Sounds obviously, but actually put the garment on! I can't even stress how important this is - don't go guessing how short you want it as you will get it wrong. I promise you (as I have done this before). 
2. Use safety pins to mark where you want to cut it. Don't forget to include a 1.5inch seam allowance too. Take the garment off & lay on a flat surface so you can cut the sleeves straight. If you have pinking shears, it would be great to use these, especially if you're fabric is prone to fraying. But if not, standard dress making scissors will do just fine.
3. Turn the garment inside out & turn up the end of the sleeves twice, to create a neat, equal hem on both sides. Pin in place. At this point, I folded my shirt in half, to make sure the sleeves were the same length on both sides. You could attempted to try it on, but it could be painful with the pins stuck in it.
4. Finally, carefully stitch the hem in place. You could handsew, but I would recommend using a machine as it'll make it more secure & is more likely to last. Don't forget to use a cotton that matches the colour of your garment.

Ta Da! You're done! It's only a small change but it's surprising what a big different it makes! I am definitely going to try this with the rest of my shirts! I used my rhinestone applicator to add some gems to the collar too, which worked really well! Do you ever do any DIY on your clothes? It's a great way to add new life to an old item of clothing that you don't want to get rid of!

♥  

ZoFlo

Thursday Thoughts #22 // 100 Happy Days

Happy Thursday!

After seeing that Laydey Katabella had recently completed the 100 Happy Days Challenge I decided I really wanted to give it a go for myself. At the moment, I find that more often than not when Nick asks how my day has been my usual response is "boring", "rubbish" or "same old". I want to appreciate the smaller things in life & remind myself that there is something positive in every day (even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes). So I think this weeks Thursday Thought is rather fitting...

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Only 71% of people manage to complete this challenge. It's quite sad to think that each day goes by & some people can find anything to be happy about. I am starting this challenge on Monday & will be uploading photos to my Instagram page using #100HappyDaysOfZoFlo. If you want to join in too, you can sign up here. I will keep you updated along the way, of course, & we can all celebrate when I make it to 100 (fingers crossed).

Enjoy the rest of your week!

♥  

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #44

Upholster an Item

I think I have had the most productive Sunday EVER! I have finally got around to upholstering the footstool I got myself at a car boot sale for £4. Absolute bargain! I had my eye on some material for a while at The Fabric Barn & was so pleased when I saw they had a sale on. I managed to pick myself up a meter for just £18; more than enough material for my stool (so I must by more footstools...). Also, don't be fooled, I think I put a filter on this photo so it looks really cute, but the material was so dirty. Beautiful, but dirty. Definitely needed some TLC...

 Originally I wasn't planning on painting it, but as I already had some paint left over from one of my Upcyling Projects I did last year, I thought I would. And I think it goes really nicely with the light material as well. Of course Humphrey was close by whilst I was painting too, as always...

After taking off the old cover, I unpicked the darts so that I could use it as an exact template. That worked really well & ensured that I could make my new cover fit perfectly. I did make my fabric a little bigger as I added in some extra wadding to make it a little more padded. I tacked everything first, before securing with white upholstery pins.

 It actually didn't take me very long at all. Waiting for the paint to dry was the longest part of the process, but definitely worth the wait as I think it looks amazing. I am so pleased with how it has turned out, but a little nervous to actually have it in the lounge as I don't want it to get ruined!! But nevertheless, I will put it out so everyone else can enjoy it too.

What do you think? I absolutely loved this project & really want to do more of these in the future. I am currently working on one for my Mum that is a completely different style to mine & a little bigger too. I will post a photo on my Facebook Page when that one is completed, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled!

♥  

ZoFlo

Garden Accessories // Wish List

As my last Wish List post seemed to be extremely popular, I have decided to do another one. As summer is slowly creeping up on us, I have been paying a little more attention to our Garden & ways that we can accessorize without spending too much! Here is a little list of things I am loving...

 I am really eager to get a little bird house in the garden & think this one from Homebase is super cute! I think they look sweet & would love it if it actually attracted a few birds. There are a choice of sizes, but the one below is a large one & is only £12.99.

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I love the idea of having fairy lights / laterns for Garden Parties - I think it creates such a nice mood & keeps people out in the garden for longer! These Chinese Laterns are from Tesco & only cost £15.99. They are also Solar Power which is great, as you don't have to mess about with an extension lead or worry that the batteries will run out mid-party!

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This personalised planter is such a cute idea, but not really something I would buy for myself. I think it would make a great gift for a couple who were keen gardeners & it is really cute! Although it is £39, I haven't seen anything like this before so you're pretty much guarenteed that this will be a unique gift. Not On The High Street do have some great Garden accessories, it's definitely worth taking a look at what else they have.

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Tesco again - how cute is this little Bistro Set. We have wanted a little Bistro Set for such a long time & our table & chairs in the garden has had it's day really. This set is £129 but I do think this is the kind of thing where you really do get what you pay for. I would prefer to pay a little more & know that I am getting good quality & something that will last. I also love the Mosaic design - so cute!

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What do you think of my Garden Wish List? Where do you usually shop for Garden accessories? Do you have anything unusual in your garden?

♥  

ZoFlo

Thursday Thoughts #21

Happy Thursday!

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Let's not get too deep about it, but I am a firm believer in everything happening for a reason. We come across different people in our lives who influence us & help shape our lives - whether that be in a working environment, in school, through friendships or relationships. Sometimes those people will come & go. Sometimes they will stay until the bitter end! Either way, it's okay, because in some way they were part of your journey!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

♥  

ZoFlo

Craft Haul #3

This weeks post is a day early! I am a Busy Bee tomorrow so thought I would treat you all to an early post! So as promised, here is my most recent Craft Haul. Not only is this my first Craft Haul of 2015, but it is the first one I have done since September! That is madness as I have definitely made a fair few purchases since then, so I am sorry for not keeping you up to date. But anyway, here are some of my purchases I made quite recently...

Polka Dot Cotton Fabric

I mentioned this purchase in my Creative Craft Show post & this was an absolute bargain at £10 for 2m. I got this from a stand called Fabric Time I will be using it for a project I am working on for the Simplicity Bloggers Challange. I absolutely love Polka Dots at the moment so knew exactly what fabric I was looking for for this challange, I am just so pleased I waited & managed to get a great deal at the show.

Black Pom Poms
 

This is another purchase from the Creative Craft Show - from a stand called Little Laura's Haberdashery. I will (again) be used on my Simplicity Bloggers Challange. This was only something like £2.50 for 2m so really cheap. I have noticed these on a lot of clothing recently & they look really cute. I think it will go really well with the Polka Dot fabric.

Elephant Fabric

A little while a go, I went to a local car boot sale & managed to pick myself up the cutest little foot stool for £4. It is in much need of a bit of TLC & I knew straight away it would be a perfect little upholstery project. There is a great place near me called The Fabric Barn and they sell all kinds of fabric that is perfect for home furnishings. Last weekend they had a sale, so it would of been completely foolish if I didn't go along. I picked up this amazing Elephant print fabric for £18 per meter! I am really looking forward to covering my foot stool with it & think it'll be very cute in our lounge!

Decopatch

Another purchase from The Creative Crafts Show - I fell for the Deopatch Show Deal & got myself  2 sheets of paper, 1 pot of glue, 1 brush & 3 Stars all for £10. That is a pretty good deal as I am sure I have seen the glue on its own for around £6/£7. I did a Make & Take at the Show & found it so theraputic & thought it would be a nice little thing to be able to do whilst watching TV or something to do one evening when I feel like getting creative.

So what do you think of my purchases - I think I got some great deals at the Creative Craft Show, but I am particularly excited about my Elephant Fabric! I can't wait to get started on all of my new projects! Where do you normally shop for crafty items / fabric?

♥  

ZoFlo