#patchwork kilt

[thedreadvampy]

My new concept for my bank holiday weekend is to make a patchwork kilt

I really like how kilts sit and hang on me but there are several issues:

No pockets (except the sporran but a) most actual sporran pouches literally won't fit my phone let alone anything else and b) if you dance in a sporran with any heavy items in it bangs you in the crotch every time you jump or spin)

Too warm. Serious kilts are definitionally made of tightly woven wool which I simply. Will always overheat in in any weather above 0°C.

Not tumble-dryable I mean they might be but they're super expensive so I don't wanna find out

Cosplay-Scot. I live in Scotland but have an English accent. Cannot be seen to be a tourist who's just been to a tartan tat shop. Gotta have a punked up option. I have a utilikilt that I like but it doesn't fit as flexibly as a traditional kilt (no buckles) and was also made for someone less caked-up than me so it only falls to like. mid-thigh. instead of below the knee.

obviously I have to make my own kilt. unfortunately a kilt is like. 7m of fabric and that's speny and also hard to pick a fabric for

SO, the concept is that I

Collect a bunch of light flannel check shirts in colours that look nice together (charity shop trawl this weekend)

Cut them up and sew them together into a hemmed 6m rectangle, potentially weighting the lower hem with canvas/denim to help it hang

Iron and sew in pleats around all but the last 50cm

Add the front panel (probably black canvas not patchwork) and a rolled lining on the waistband out of light black gabardine..

Add buckle straps on both ends made of black strapping with eyelets, and buckles to the sides. also use the strapping to add D rings and carabiner loops around the band.

make pockets on caribiners that can hook up the sides, and one on a chain to hang sporran-style in the middle. maybe one of the pockets is a cane pouch - had a clipon one on a previous skirt but I made it with pleather and the hooks tore out after a year or so. this time I will use heavy canvas.

patchwork kilt!

I want to pattern it on this one that Sam inherited from his granddad which fits great on me (...after someone in the past extended the strap...)

so I will copy the pleat pattern and band and just make it from lighter fabric and sew in the pleats as well as pressing them.

[zagreuses-art]

The fine Rank and File (or at least the rank) of the Ankh Morpork city watch! I've been figuring out my designs for them, and I wanted to put them in a lineup to see how they look beside one another. makes you realize how ridiculous the height difference between some of them is

[ID: three digital drawings of the Watch members, against a police lineup background with height marks and an ankh morpork city watch watermark and logo. The featured members are in order of height: Detritus, Dorfl, Carrot, Angua. then Reg Shoe, Visit, Colon, and Vimes. finally, Nobby, Cheery, Buggy Swires and Wee Mad Arthur. they are all wearing variations on the watch uniform of brass colored armor, chainmaille, leather boots or sandals, and a skirt of studded leather straps. end ID]

more detailed description of the designs under the cut

First drawing: standing at over 8 feet is Dorfl. He is a grey-green troll with a very muscled top heavy build, patches of moss on his skin, and angular features. He is wearing oversized armor with pauldrons, one with sergeant's stripes painted on it, and scale mail underneath. the Piece Maker (a siege weapon crossbow) is strapped to his back. second, standing at 7 foot 4 inches is Dorfl, a reddish Golem made out of patchwork clay, with a overall gingerbread man look, and glowing red eyes. he is only wearing a breastplate, and he has his sergeant's stripes painted on his arm. Third at 6 foot 6 inches is Carrot. He is a redheaded white human, with a sturdy build, round face, and a cheerful smile. he has a captains pip pin in the collar of his shirt and his armor is visibly shinier than all the other's. fourth at 6 foot 2 inches is Angua. she is a white human with lots of very light blonde hair and slightly pointed ears. Her armor has straps at the shoulder rather than being one piece, and she is wearing her badge on a collar. (end of first drawing)

Second drawing: first, standing at 6 ish feet is Reg Shoe. He is a green zombie with a hunched posture and several missing chunks and lines of stitching visible, most noticeably the right half of his mouth has no lips, exposing his teeth. he wearing a tattered and patched flow-y white shirt under his armor, which is also the strap style, and there is a red ribbon in his long-ish dirty blonde hair. second at 5 foot 9 inches is constable Visit. He is a brown skinned human, with slicked back 80's business guy hair and a slightly strained smile. He is wearing a very crisp white shirt under his armor as well as khaki pants and a Omnian turtle necklace. he is clutching a bundle of pamphlets. Third at 5 foot 6 inches is Colon. He is a white human with a heavy-set build, a mustache, and a large bald spot. his armor has sculpted muscles in it and he is wearing sandals. Fourth at barely 5 foot 4 inches is Vimes. He is a white human with messy greying brown hair, and a five o-clock shadow, he looks a bit like house era Hugh Laurie. along with his armor he is wearing a red cloak and a sword. (end of second drawing)

Third Drawing: First, standing at 4 foot nothing, is Nobby Nobbs. he is a white-ish human with vitiligo spots, several suspiciously red or green patches of skin, and very scruffy black hair and a five o-clock shadow. he is smoking a cigarette and has several dog ends behind his ear. he has managed to tarnish his armor. second, at 3 foot 4 inches is Cheery. She is a white dwarf with a stocky build, blonde hair and a blond, braided beard. she has some burns on her arms, ears, and forehead, and is missing her eyebrows. she has a full lentgh leather skirt rather than pants. third, at 7 inches is Buggy Swires. he is a brown skinned Gnome, with grey hair and pointed ears. he is not wearing armor, but instead a rain cloak. next to him is his pigeon, which carries his badge and is a foot tall. Finally, at 4 inches, is Wee Mad Arthur. he is a blue nac mac feegle with red hair. he is in a watch uniform with a kilt, and is carrying his badge like a shield on his back, unlike the others he has a dynamic aggressive stance, rather than standing straight up. (end of third picture)

background of all drawings: a lineup height marker background, with the initials AM (ankh) CW and the city seal in the top right corner. the city seal is two hippos on a shield, with a tower between them. they are in shades of copper or bronze, as is the overall color palate of the drawings. (end of ID)

[notahorseindisguise]

its crazy that im a patchwork kilt of literally everyone i used to know because i literally still tie my shoes the way my ex used to

[gaytotaldrama]

duncney week day 3: dress up

somehow, duncan convinces courtney to let him give her a makeover.

duncney song of the day: 'make me feel,' janelle monaé

also on my ao3!

Her answer was no. A flat, resounding no.

And then she thought a little more about it.

"Fine," she told him, plopping down on the bed they shared. "You know what, I'd like to see you try. Do your worst, Duncan."

"You're gonna regret saying that, Princess," he replied, grinning ear-to-ear like a shark. "You're not ready for how punk I can make you."

"Yeah, yeah, just get on with it."

In all actuality, he wasn't entirely sure what his game plan was here. It wasn't like he'd thought Court was going to agree to him giving her a serious style change. Brainstorming on the fly, he delved into his side of the closet, much messier and uncoordinated than Courtney's neatly folded and primly labeled drawers. Deciding he'd give her a little autonomy (and also make things easier for himself) Duncan asked, "Dress, skirt, or pants, babe?"

"Um, skirt. I guess. Just not that godawful kilt Owen gifted you, please."

He picked out a torn midnight blue piece that he was 110% positive belonged to Gwen - Duncan didn't go for skirts often, but when he did, they weren't so...pasty. Still, imagining Courtney wearing it got his blood roaring. He turned around and tossed it to her, along with a maroon leather belt Gwen's friend Crimson had left behind. Or was it Ennui's? And, more importantly, why was Duncan's closet full of everyone else's goddamn clothes but his own?

The rustle of fabric behind him told him she was changing. Any other day he'd smirk and watch, but right now, it was more important to find her a shirt.

"Does Gwen even know you have their stuff?" He could hear the whisper of leather being pulled swiftly through loops. "Good call on the belt, though. Last time I borrowed Gwen's pajama pants, they fell down and I accidentally showed Harold my undies."

"Doris saw your panties? Might have to beat him up for that," Duncan returned casually, fishing out a tie-dyed black-and-blue Metallica shirt. "Here you go, Princess, Ride the Lightning."

He did turn to watch as she pulled her sweater over her head. She was wearing that black lace bra that drove Duncan crazy; he was sad to see it disappear under the new shirt. 

"You said punk," Courtney pointed out, looking down at her - unfortunately well-concealed, fuck Duncan's wide-ass torso - chest. "This is metal," she groused, like he didn't already know that.

He grinned. "You wanna swap it out for the Sex Pistols one?"

"...Fine." She sat on the edge of the bed again, crossing her arms. "Well? Shoes? Hair? Makeup?"

"Piercings?" Duncan joked, but at the answering withering glare, he quickly turned back to the closet. "Here, I've got these patchwork sneakers that should fit, and some fishnets. As for hair..."

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked warily, before shrieking as he pounced on her with a can of hairspray, intent on giving her some spikes. "Duncan! This stuff smells terrible!"

Then he decided he didn't like the spike idea, so he opted for just mussing it all up and layering it with some spritzes of dry shampoo. It did kinda hurt, just a little bit, to ruin Court's beautiful hair, but it was only temporary. 'Sides, alt Courtney had been a fantasy of his since...the first time he'd ever laid eyes on her, maybe?

Grabbing some mascara and umber eyeshadow, he ultra-darkened her lashes and smeared around her eyes carelessly, black and powdered. She fidgeted throughout all of that, but when he laid a steady hand on her jaw to fill in her soft lips with color, she stayed completely still, just looking at him.

When he capped the lipstick she sighed, breath fluttering out against his face, and dipped forward like she wanted to kiss him. "Nuh-uh," he said, holding a hand up between their two mouths. "You'll smudge it."

"Oh, like it matters," she said, and stepped up to the full-length mirror on their wall.

"Well?" For one reason or another, Duncan found himself nervous, sinking down to sit on the mattress. "What do you think?"

"Hmm." She was studying herself, turning her body this way and that to catch all the different angles. To him, she was beautiful. Metal, and makeupped, and fishnetted, and beautiful.

But still nowhere near as incredible as the real Courtney Reyes.

"It's missing something," she decided, and she grabbed Duncan's skull hoodie from the back of the desk chair. She didn't zip it up; she let the sleeves fall loose so her shoulders were bare and the hood hung to the small of her back. Then she turned to him and echoed, "Well?"

Duncan smiled like a goof. "Looks amazing."

"You think so? I kinda like it." She cast another glance in the mirror before settling her hooded gaze on him. "Hey, when did Geoff say he and Bridgette were coming back home?"

"Not for another hour or so." Duncan reached out for her, pulled her to stand between his legs with her arms looped around his neck. "What did you have in mind?"

"I think," she said, slow and sultry. "That it's time for..."

"Yeah, Princess?"

"...Your turn."

He frowned. "What do you mean my - wait, NO. No no no no no no no I am not going to - "

"Oh, yes you are!!!" Courtney crowed with delight, and she leapt off of him and raced, cackling, to her side of the closet.

[itwasaverygoodbeer]

Down the Road Patchwork Kilt Scottish Ale ~ 4.5% ABV

[theobaileypp-archived]

Theo inspected the place on the grass where the patchwork kilt had been placed so they could sit with a deep frown. Sure, the stage view was great, but as his eyes danced between the blanket and his very pregnant sister, it also troubled him. "Are you certain you should... squat down at this... state? I could have someone bring us some chairs, and I'm sure Dylan can get us a better spot. Or we could go somewhere else," he couldn't hide the worry from his voice. "I mean, I've seen Hamlet more times than I can count, it can't be that impressive. In fact, Shakespeare plays always give me flashbacks to back when I played Richard III in school and got the reviews saying I was 'too handsome' for it, as if that wasn't the whole bloody point." Theo rambled, mostly because he was nervous. He did that. Being around Asli and looking at her midsection, where a whole baby was growing, made him sort of queasy now. For several reasons. He still hadn't told her, and knowing the severity of her situation, perhaps he shouldn't. "This surely can't be as great as Hamlet in the acropolis."

with @draslihanxfahri-bailey at the performance arts festival, hamlet play in the park.

[dreamsinombre]

Have taken a long break from my current scrap mandala blanket to work on other projects, but I'll return to it soon. Trying my best to finish old WIP projects (or decide to tear them back and repurpose them), and the WIP pile is slowly lessening.

I've found that my favorite way to use a lot of my acquired yarn that has been around for a while and not had any project homes to be selected for is in patchwork/scrap blankets—in particular, mandala blankets. There's not usually a specific color rhyme or reason I strictly adhere to, other than "try and not repeat similar colors too closely," and I am indiscriminate in adding in new (ideally similar) colors within the same row if I run out; it's a stash-busting scrap blanket, after all.

I also quite happily double up on lighter weight yarns to not only use them up faster (maybe I'll tell the unfortunate tale of the Black Merino Kilt Sock Debacle one day), but also to quasi-simulate another color (like using red and blue fingering weights to get closer to purple).

It's worked in coming together in a very nice cohesive way before—from a distance it often just looks like the "right" color rather than an amalgamation.

Circles are still hard to get to lie flat, but in a scrappy patchwork blanket I'm not sure it bothers me so much.

[betabites]

[Image ID: nine photos of painted miniatures.

The first photo is of two dwarves. One has green clothes and a large barrel on his back. He leans over so the second dwarf, in red, can fill his tankard.

The second photo is of a dark-skinned old dwarf leaning on a barrel. He has a silver and gold tankard of beer, and a blue surcoat.

The third photo is of two barrels, one small, one large. The large barrel has two runic ‘B’s on it.

The fourth photo is of a mimic monster that had been pretending to be a four-poster bed. Its mouth is open wide, and it reaches out with pseudopods that had been the posts of the bed. It is bruise-colored.

The fifth photo is of a very large skeleton in golden full plate armor. It has a black iron mace.

The sixth photo is of two mummies, one male-presenting and one female-presenting. The male mummy has green flesh and is mostly swathed in bandages, except for a brightly colored kilt. The female mummy has dark skin, a bikini top made of bandages, a long loincloth, and a golden snake-headed staff.

The seventh photo is of two frankensteins, one male-presenting and one female-presenting. The male has green skin, brown pants, a long black coat, and broken chains around his wrists. The female has a long red dress, and is made of a patchwork of several different skin tones.

The eighth photo is of a fishing boat made of dark green wood. Across the bow is written ‘Gatorbane’ in gold letters. Within the boat is a set of oars, a net, and a basket. A lantern hangs from the prow.

The ninth photo is of five skeletal warriors. They are armed with axes, swords, and shields, and wear damaged bronze armor and blue tabards. End Image IDs.]

And all the rest of the minis, all from Reaper. I’m trying to get as much as I can done before Bones V shows up and drowns me in more minis. The mummies and frankensteins are technically of a set with the Zubat vampires I did back in October. And, uh, wow, monster sexual dimorphism is A Thing, huh? Admittedly, I did play into it by making the dudes green skinned here, but still, wow. That mummy sorceress is definitely not desiccated at all. And the Bride of Frankenstein couldn’t have been wearing a wedding dress, as opposed to a ‘mwahaha, I’m an evil sorceress’ cocktail dress? At least she’s still really tall?

Only minis I’m actively working on at the moment are Yang and the giant dragon from Bones IV. I’m doing the dragon as a red; got a basecoat down tonight. Gonna try for a quick paintjob, because it’s just too big for anything else.

[colonel-killa-bee]

It loses points from the hair clipping, but I’m used to that at some degree by now lol, just how it is. Otherwise, I really like this. I’m a fan of the kilt but in this case I like more form fitting trousers, plus nice armor. Distinct from Rebec, but similar. Less patchwork Nord adventurer gear, more Nord champion, which fits since he’s proven by now and my new character Rebec isn’t quite yet. But she’ll get there.

I also really love the Swordthane set but hate that so many wear it now so I needed to put my own spin on it.

[doubutsu-no-hayashi]

UPDATED list of what I’m selling in my latest storage purge. More things have been added since last time since I found more furniture I don’t need and I added all of the other types of items I’m getting rid of. 

Offer whatever bells or NMT you want. It doesn’t have to be a lot. Everything not claimed by this Sunday is getting Nook’d.

 Furniture

Air circulator (green)

Analog scale (yellow)

Ant farm

Baby chair (green) 

Baby panda

Basic teacher’s desk (standard)

Basketball hoop (green)

Bingo wheel x2

Blue corner

Board game (simple path game)

Brine-shrimp aquarium

Camp stove (green)

Candle (gold)

Cartoonist’s set (pink)

Cassette player (red)

Champion’s pennant (red)

Champion’s pennant (green)

Climbing wall (natural)

Climbing wall (white)

Coffee grinder

Cone (red)

Cone (blue)

Cooler box (yellow)

Cordless phone (white)

Cordless phone (black)

Cordless phone (yellow)

Cute tea table (white)

Digital scale (green)

Den chair (green)

Exercise bike (black)

Exercise bike (white)

Exit sign (left arrow)

Exit sign (arrows both ways)

Floor sign (warning)

Folding chair (white)

Glass holder with candle (green)

Homework set

Imperial bed (red) 

Imperial chest (red)

Imperial low table (brown)

Incense burner (sandalwood)

Incense burner (forest)

Lecture-hall bench (light brown)

Lecture-hall desk (light brown)

Marimba

Monstera (brown)

Mrs. Flamingo (natural)

Nail-art set (pink)

Oil lamp x2

Pants press (brown)

Pants press (black)

Paper tiger

Plasma ball

Plastic canister (red)

Plastic canister (gray)

Protein shaker bottle (plain)

Pull-up bar stand (black)

Punching bag (red)

Rattan bed (brown)

Rattan bed (white) 

Rattan table lamp (reddish brown)

Rattan table lamp (white) 

Rattan table lamp (black)

Rattan wardrobe (brown) x2

Rattan wardrobe (white) 

Red corner

Revolving spice rack (brown)

Rice cooker (white)

Rotary phone (yellow)

Safe (gold)

School chair (beige and green)

School desk (natural and silver) x2

Serving cart (natural)

Shaded floor lamp (yellow)

Simple panel (light gray)

Sleeping bag (green)

Sleeping bag (yellow)

Smoker (black)

Smoker (green)

Soup kettle (corn soup)

Soup kettle (minestrone)

Speed bag (red)

Spinning wheel

Telescope

Throwback hat table (red)

Treadmill (blue)

Upright locker (black)

Vacuum cleaner (red)

Wasp-head model

Weight bench

Whiteboard (sales meeting)

Wallpapers

Beaded-curtain wall

Beige art-deco wall

Black perforated-board wall

Blue  shanty wall

Brown-crown wall

Construction-site wall

Dig-site wall

Groovy wall

Imperial wall

Mossy-garden wall

Orange-paint wall

Pink blossoming wall

Flooring

Aqua tile flooring

Arabesque flooring

Beige desert-tile floor

Birch flooring

Brown iron-parquet flooring

Construction-site flooring

Crosswalk flooring

Kitschy tile

Scramble sidewalk

Ship deck

Sidewalk flooring

Zebra-print flooring

Rugs

Aluminum rug

Black-design kitchen mat

Blue argyle rug

Blue-design kitchen mat

Modern wavy rug

Red blocks rug

Red-design kitchen mat

Red message mat

Rubber mud mat

Simple small avocado mat

Simple small brown mat

Yellow argyle rug

Yellow-design kitchen mat

Clothing

Academy uniform (gray)

Animal-stripes tee (tiger)

Antique boots (black)

Argyle sweater (white)

Athletic jacket (green)

Athletic jacket (blue)

Baby romper (baby orange

Baby romper (baby yellow)

Baggy shirt (gray)

Baseball cap (navy blue)

Baseball uniform (orange)

Baseball uniform (navy blue)

Basketball tank (purple)

Bell-bottoms (green)

Cargo shorts (camel)

College cardigan (orange)

Comedian’s outfit (purple)

Comedian’s pants (red)

Comedian’s pants (blue)

Concierge uniform (white)

Coveralls with arm covers (green)

Cycling cap (red & green)

Cycling shirt (red & green)

Cycling shorts (green & purple)

Firefighter uniform (brown)

Flower-print dress (pink)

Groovy shirt (green)

Hand-knit tank (orange)

Humble sweater (green)

Jester’s shoes (black)

Jockey’s helmet (white)

Kilt (green)

Ladder shades (green)

Layered socks (red)

Mesh cap (orange)

Mesh cap (purple)

Mod parka (green)

Mountain parka (red)

Muscle tank (purple)

Paisley bandanna (green)

Pajama dress (brown)

Patchwork tulip hat (pink)

Poncho-style sweater (orange)

Printed fleece sweater (purple)

Printed layered shirt (white)

Pullover jacket (nave blue)

Relay tank (black)

Relay tank (purple)

Ribbon sandals (yellow)

Soft-serve hat (gold leaf)

Spangle shorts (pink)

Spangle shorts (navy blue)

Sprite costume (pink)

Sprite costume (green)

Sweater-vest (beige)

Three-quarter sweatpants (yellow)

Torn pants (black)

Torn pants (brown) x2

Visual-punk wig

Wrestling singlet (red)

[thedreadvampy]

We've got a plan! I need these 11 shirts to become a 65cm wide 6.5m strip of fabric, which I calculate will about work with some creative piecing together, and then the front panel I will do in black canvas so I can put a patchwork sporran on it and make it pop.

Then when it's made and pleated I will add a rolled waistband and lining on top, add buckles and straps.

and then I thought I would put eyelets along the length of a strip of strapping and sew it along the middle of the waist, which gives me something to clip caribiners through to attach pockets etc.

I also will add a few vertical loops of strapping spaced along the waist, which will both act as belt loops for the buckle straps and allow me to attach some D-rings so I can clip on larger stuff like my water bottle, or add straps/chains for effect.

Gonna make 2 side pockets (black front and back with patchwork gussets and linings, 3 caribiners attached to the back to clip on firmly) and also sporran (mixed patchwork and black, possibly with fringe made from fabric scraps) suspended on long chain that clips onto D rings on either hip, so it hangs across the front as it would in a traditional kilt.

this is going to be a lot of sewing and playing and I'm very tired so I think I will start de/construction over the Easter weekend.

[rewardfunctionoptimizer-blog]

New Lanark: introduction

Textiles and women are inevitably tied to the history of labor automation and the future of work. 

I recently visited Scotland while on a trip to the UK and took some time to go up to New Lanark, a UNESCO world heritage site and a historic spinning mill founded in the late 1700s that remained in operation as an Actual Factory until the 60s.

I want to unpack a couple of observations I had when visiting New Lanark as a very eager tourist. 

Actual Physical Tourist notes:

We arrived via train from London to Edinburgh and then called a very bewildered Lyft driver to take us directly to New Lanark (about £60). The drive itself was beautiful and winding, going from the center of Edinburgh through the still-fairly-dense suburbs, past the big-box-store-land outskirts, into the countryside. Sheep, windmills, and rolling patchwork fields cordoned off by hedgegrows went by as I stared out the window, trying not to get carsick on the windy (and usually pretty narrow) roads. 

New Lanark had all these things that I love about Scotland. I can see my breath when I get out of the car and am struck by the actual temperature of Scotland in autumn (which is hella cold). The mill is situated on a winding river peppered with birds, foliage, and steep but pleasant hills. The Clyde Falls roar about a mile from the main mill building, and are just visible. Owen himself cut some of the trails around the area for his benefit and for the benefit of his workers:

“The ever changing scenes of nature afford not only the most economical, but also the most innocent pleasures which man can enjoy” - Robert Owen

While the falls were definitely a necessity for powering the mill itself via waterwheels, it’s a nice coincidence that the surrounding areas have such beautiful features that aren’t damaged by the use of the natural resource. West Virginia, for example, is really beautiful only where humans didn’t mine for coal - or eventually start to strip-mine.

                    A strip mine in WV, courtesy The Atlantic

The hotel itself is warm, cozy, and full of plaid furniture that’s not too fancy but well kept. It has the hallmarks of a small town’s ‘fancy place'. The bathroom is a little dated but super clean and comfy, and the toiletries are made by a local woman (you can buy bottles to take home at the front desk). The restaurant is untrendy but delicious - and they offer MULTIPLE vegan options. 

Many say that Scottish people are notoriously bad hosts (eg ‘you’ll have had your tea’). IMO, it seems more like an economizing attitude from a people who had a lot of famine and hard times over the centuries. I see it as a cousin of the upper-lower-class Midwestern habit of keeping furniture covered with plastic or a blanket. It’s not meant to short you of anything or come off as miserly, just as a conservation of resources for the inevitable Bad Times that happen in farming.

Nearly all the guests are grey-haired older couples that have serious Scottish accents, and everyone working at the hotel had big-time regional Scottish accents as well. Based on my interactions with other Scots, it seems like the accent fades as you go up the social ladder, so I’m assuming the staff and the clientele are both pretty regular folks from the area and not vacationing English monarchs. It felt like a blast from the past as an American - travel and leisure, as well as good community jobs, being open to nearly everyone rather than a wealthy few. There is an advertisement in the lobby for wedding packages starting at £3,000, and a cluster of business cards for hairstylists, kilt renters, cake bakers, and florists in Lanark. 

I always feel refreshed and taken care of when I vacation in Scotland - maybe it’s the fresh wild outdoors paired with the comfort of being able to retreat to a warm, cozy place. 

[kristabella]

BY TIM BLANKS

"Dressed to kilt." Get real, how else was Karl Lagerfeld going to define the collection he showed for Chanel outside of Edinburgh tonight? The tweeds, the knits, the cardigans, the man-styled essence of Chanel all came from Scotland and the time that Coco spent there with her lover the Duke of Westminster. But tonight's venue was Linlithgow Palace, where Mary, Queen of Scots, was born almost exactly seven centuries ago, and her tragic life gave Lagerfeld the perfect opportunity to gloss Chanel's easy pragmatism with an element of doomed romance. It was a fantastic combination.

Maybe that's because it was kind of personal for the designer. The first French poem he ever learned, at the age of six, was all about Mary. Then there's that umbilical connection between Scotland and France, which history recognizes as the Grand Alliance. And in Lagerfeld's team tonight, he had Sam McKnight on hair and Stella Tennant on all-round fabulosity. In other words, there was something quintessentially Scottish in the air. "Barbarian romance," Lagerfeld called it.

Linlithgow's courtyard was lined with flaming braziers, spitting sparks into the snow flurries. Guests made their way up spiral stone stairs to the palace's great hall and chapel, open to the heavens since marauding Hanoverians torched the building in January 1746. After the show, they made their way back down a labyrinthine wooden construction to dinner in a tented fantasia that had hardened souls gasping with wonder. This was the irreality that a fashion show transported us to in December 2012. It sure beats coal mining for a daily crust. With impressive ease, Lagerfeld translated the sense of occasion into something that grandly allied Chanel's original Parisian proportions with Scottish tradition. Picture Stella Tennant in a drop-waisted kilt-pleated coat. But also imagine that kilt in chiffon and lace. And the tartans and tweeds, the Fair Isles and argyles that would have garbed lords and ladies of the glen reconfigured in languid knits and patchwork, layered in swingy jackets, accessorized as delightfully with jewels, feathered hats, flowing scarves, and patterned tights as one could wish from a collection that was created to celebrate the "métiers d'art" of the Chanel ateliers.

True, there were a few costume-y moments, in which it looked like the models had slithered straight off a canvas in the National Gallery of Scotland. A final passage of white wool gowns touched with lace and feathers, meanwhile, was an almost operatic exercise in pure technique. There's always the sense with Chanel that Lagerfeld shows much more than he needs to, and that was the case here. Still, this was a sterling collection of clothes for a day you can only imagine being a hell of a lot better than the one that will greet you tomorrow morning.

CHANEL PRE-FALL 2013

[launching-a-thousand-ships]

Kurt Fashion: Prom-asaurus

Link to masterpost

honestly a dino prom is iconic

(yes I kept Rachel’s face on purpose lol) First up is another round of newsie!Kurt and I love it. Also kinda love his shirt with all the patchwork. Well done.

Stupid Kurt, making mustard look good. Rude. Also love when he wears the bowties with the little chains. 

How is this only the second instance of tophat!Kurt? He looks... so good. And like, the kilt was iconic but look at this boy. Look how he’s grown, looking sexy af. Look at how many buttons are undone. And the necklace and just... Kurt babe, you’re doing great

[ballybaby]

Unique Baby Gift Ideas

What are unique toddler presents? Finding a completely unique baby present for a completely unique child on a totally special occasion can be complicated at instances. Though the range of baby merchandise and items available nowadays are large than ever, with all types of varieties, finding something unusually first-rate or unique as defined by means of the phrase specific itself will require a person to use his or her creativity and think out of the box, against everyday stereotypes. A little child would possibly haven't any idea of what present is all approximately, but a present this is beneficial, durable and remarkable may want to stimulate the infant with high quality thoughts of affection and care, creating a distinctive reminiscence and moreover, a special bond between the infant and also you.

Of route the most critical issue approximately a baby clothes is the concept of giving, sharing itself in place of what you are giving. But if everybody comes to a decision to offer something ordinary to what infant presents are all approximately to commonplace thinking, the infant and family might come to be having several units of factors and in a few cases hundreds of them even though what's need might be just one or two. Worse, if they are simply too many, they might later be located unused and blanketed with dirt in the garage or given away to a person else. And nowadays wherein E-baying is so on hand and profitable, who knows in case your present may turn out to be an item to bid on on the market!

Unique toddler gifts do not imply that you will be spending your fortune on them. You would possibly want to spend some time for thoughts and creativity however cash could now not necessarily be the main issue in creating a unique present for some other unique personality. It will be something commonplace and simple but offered in an super and thrilling manner. Let us take an example of purchasing clothing for a baby bathe. Rather than shopping for some thing for regular wear that is normal, you can discover something unique for a special day, like a princess' gown or a notable lovable bunny fit for Easter. Or even a traditional dress like a Scottish kilt or a salwar suit for celebrations. Or put that idea the alternative manner spherical. Turn an ordinary put on into some thing special like a informal time out coat with the infant's name on its front.

Personalising a gift via placing a name and a date on, or with unique comments is one of the easiest approaches to make your present a unique and remarkable one. It's like a forever keepsake for a few. Your personal personal contact to a present could also be another amazing desire. As each man or woman isn't the same as some other, a unique contact out of your very own innovative arms is probably simply what you want and that is why handcrafts and artworks have in no way did not amuse and amaze humans. A knitted pair of socks, mittens or glove, a pass-stitched cardigan or a warm blanket made with the aid of patchwork, a simple portrait drawn of a satisfied own family; these are just a number of the usual things that might be extremely good and unforgettable whilst they're handcrafted by using a unique character to some other for the maximum essential cause that's love. You ought to even sing a song or an evergreen lullaby and make it available on a CD for the child to hear on occasion. A special track written and dedicated to the child will even make it sincerely exquisite and too exceptional to vanish with time.

Unique child presents are not approximately finding some thing out of this international, or giving something too absurd to a new child baby. Giving is fine with your heart and higher than that with the attempt to make it the high-quality in growing a happy idea in a touch toddler's mind for this reason create a loving bond between the each of you. A precise gift is one this is devoted with love and made out of affection with creativity and first rate imagination leading the effort to give some thing with a view to last throughout time; inside the heart of the recipient although the gift might become vintage, damaged or lost.

[littlemix-styleblog]

Little Mix Dupe

Exact - Zara PATCHWORK MINI SKIRT: £39.95

Dupe - Topshop Mixed Check Buckle Kilt Skirt: £32

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