In response to popular demand, I messed around with some scrap fabric this weekend, and came up with this extremely easy to make dog leash!
Cut scrap fabric into about 2.5 inch-wide strips. They should be at least a foot long.
Taking three strands, make a knot about 2 inches from the end.
Make another knot about 10 inches from your first knot
Fold the section between your two knots in half and begin braiding. You’ll want to add the tails left from your first knot into the braid at the beginning so that they don’t stick out.
Add in new strips of fabric as strands are running out. Don’t worry if they stick out a little, it gives the leash a nice hand-made look. If you don’t like the way it looks, you can always trim them down afterward.
Once the leash is your desired length, tie off the end with a hair tie – leaving about 10 inches of excess unbraided fabric at the end. Feed the unbraided strips through the end of a Swivel Eye Bolt Snap Hook (you can get this type of snap anywhere, but I got mine from the home depot)
Tie off the end by making several knots around the hair elastic. You shouldn’t be able to see it once you’re done.
i’m a huge fan of our vintage loves collection and always love the items our buyer finds…but every once in a while she comes back with a batch that completely blows me away and gypsy caravan is one of them. the items in this collection are so special and amazing i had to share some of my favorites…
this yves saint laurentpeasant skirt was pulled from his 1976 “rich peasant collection” – one of his most loved and influential collections that was the first to re-introduce peasant skirts and blouses into the modern fashion world. a huge inspiration for today’s bohemian fashion, it is only fitting for us to have it in our vintage loves collection. the mix of prints in this skirt is gorgeous!
yves saint laurent rich peasant collection
the first thing that caught my eye from this collection were the amazing denim jackets. the hand embroidery and detailing is exquisite – these are definitely the kind of item you purchase and treasure forever!
this one has an exclusive hand-painted floral tapestry motif done by an artist in upstate new york just for our vintage loves collection:
and the fabric sleeves and detailing on this one are so gorgeous! i think its my favorite:
finally, i had to mention these amazing jeans…the fabric at the bottom is, as our buyer says, far out!
inspired by the haku leis in our may catalog, our crafty studio team went out and bought some beautiful flowers and made head pieces for their web shoot! Read More
Fringe has been everywhere lately – it’s definitely a trend we’ve fallen for here at free people. I love how the look can be interpreted differently depending on the garment or material. Sometimes it takes on a light and airy ethereal look, while other times it looks tough and edgy. No matter how it’s used, fringe gives off a great bohemian vibe that I just can’t get enough of.
Here are some of my favorite examples of fringe I’ve collected…
photo by alexandra valenti
photo by alexandra valenti
At Free People we’ve always loved fringe & our collection contains some really great pieces. I’ve had my eye on a few that I want to pick up for spring. Here are three of my favorites:
when i first saw our may catalog photos, my eyes were immediately drawn to the amazing floral headpieces on the models. this type of lei is called a haku lei, and they typically have a base of braided leaves into which other plants and flowers are woven, and are worn on the head or around the wrist or ankle. Read More
our featured jewelry designer for the month of may could not be a more perfect match for the aura and location of our may catalog. heather benjamin’s special pieces are handcrafted using fossils, minerals and gemstones reminiscent of the sea, and silver and gold worked into unexpected, organic shapes. inspired by coastal cultures, rituals and symbols, her one-of-a-kind rings are like pieces of treasure washed up on an island shore, carrying with them the beauty and mystery of the ocean and earth’s basic elements. the use of natural stones and gems ensures that no two pieces of jewelry are exactly alike.
here are some beautiful photos taken in bali where she has a design studio and hand-crafts all of her jewelry:
her inspiration photos, also from bali, beautifully illustrate what her jewelry is meant to symbolize.
a ceremony making offerings to and honoring the sea.
the fuscite glitter ring, cratered amethyst ring, quartz crater ring and sea glass garnet ring adorn the hands of models tallulah morton and elsa hosk throughout our may catalog. i love the idea of wearing one as a statement piece with a pretty summer dress and little other jewelry, or piling on with lots of jewelry to dress up a casual look.
take a peek behind the scenes of our may catalog shoot in honolulu, hawaii…
the may catalog was shot by frédéric lagrange and features models tallulah morton and elsa hosk. these magical behind the scenes photos were taken by thomas northcut. shop the catalog online here, and stay tuned for much more behind the scenes to come!
Here’s a delish breakfast for those of you in search of a good way to surprise your mom for mothers day. If you missed breakfast, well, who doesn’t like brupper (breakfast for supper)? Either way, she’ll think you’re the best kid in the entire world.
Ingredients (makes 8 six inch waffles):
2 cups almond milk (vanilla or plain), or any non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (all purpose works, too)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sliced bananas
1 cup sliced almonds
2 cups greek yogurt (can leave out the yogurt or use non-dairy yogurt if you want to leave the breakfast entirely vegan)
Instructions:
Combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar, set aside to curdle.
Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
Add the flax seeds to milk mixture and mix vigorously until frothy (approx. 30sec-1min)
Add milk mixture, water, olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and half of the bananas to flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until mostly combined then fold in half of the almonds until all ingredients are moistened.
Preheat waffle iron and let the batter rest. Cook according to waffle iron directions. Be sure to spray waffle iron with oil or cooking spray between each waffle.
Garnish with extra bananas, almonds, and a spoonful of yogurt. (as an idea, drizzle the whole thing with honey instead of maple syrup, it’s so good!)
in the time that i’ve been blogging here, i’ve posted a lot – and i mean a lot – of beautiful photography that i find around the web. one of the first photographers i “discovered” was maggie lochtenberg, and to this day she remains a personal favorite – one of her photos has been my computer desktop for months now. her photography seems to capture the elements of freedom, youth, dreaminess and magic that i always tend to love, and in a way i have never seen before. her work is so unique and recognizable, and also has such a nostalgic, vintage quality that leads me to think she must be wise beyond her years – an old soul that, without even knowing, i felt i could relate to. read on for an interview with maggie and to see some of her incredible work!
When and why did you first get into photography?
I had always drawn and painted, and for so long I never considered photography a fine art, but that was a long time ago and my existence was callow beyond my own understanding. I took photos to preserve memories, and to look cool on Myspace…you know how it was. It wasn’t until ancient photo albums belonging to my parents and grandparents resurfaced in the process of moving into a new home. The aesthetic of the vintage photos, and the time period they represented moved me to begin collecting vintage cameras and shooting on expired film. From then on I was hooked, and my photographic style continues to develop every day (pun intended).
Is your goal to be a professional photographer? If not, what is your dream job?
I do hope to be a professional photographer someday, but my happiness is not confined to a single art form, and I’m open to any career that allows me time to work on a personal portfolio of both paintings and photographs. As long as I can exercise my creativity and get my artistic “fix”, I will be content. My dream job is probably to be the director of photography for a magazine or company whose vision is parallel to my own.
Do you carry a camera with you at all times? What’s your favorite type of camera to shoot with?
My favorite camera to shoot with is my Mamiya RB67 with a Polaroid back. It weighs nearly 10lbs so I rarely carry it around with me, but I almost always have a disposable camera or a 35mm waiting to emerge from my purse in order to capture fun, beautiful, or just plain silly moments.
If you had a time machine, where would you go?
I would go to prehistoric times. I want to see the earth before it was diseased by buildings and freeways and businessmen, and I have a secret crush on long neck dinosaurs.
Where do you draw inspiration for your work? Who are some of your personal favorite photographers/artists?
I draw inspiration from all around me. My brain and body seem to be in constant motion… so it’s difficult to pinpoint any divine source of inspiration, but if I find a river, I drink from it. My personal favorite photographers are all females; I adore Sally Mann’s work, I worship Francesca Woodman. Amalia Chimera and Alison Scarpulla are amazing artists as well- they are so young and fresh, and their photographs, enchanting.
Tell me five music artists you love right now.
1) Iron & Wine
2) Avi Buffalo
3) Band of Horses
4) The Velvet Underground
5) The Tallest Man on Earth
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
So far, the best advice I’ve ever been given was to embrace human experience, good and bad, not just chase pleasures in life, and never accept numbness. Robert Frost told me that in a poem or two.
If your life was a movie what would the theme song be?
Over the Hills & Far Away by Led Zeppelin
Tell me something most people don’t know about you.
I never ever play any sports, in fact I’m hardly active, but I used to play on an all-boys rugby team. My father is a big Australian guy, he used to play, and he somehow managed to get me to join. I was a tough kid; I used to get in fights every so often and beat up all the boys before they passed through puberty. When adolescence rudely interrupted our innocent fun, I discovered that I wasn’t stronger than boys anymore, and my pre-pubescent tough-kid days were through. People who know me now may find that difficult to believe.
Do you have a personal favorite photo that you’ve taken?
It’s very difficult to chose a favorite photo, because they all have deep emotional attachments to me, but I think the one of my two friends and I, fully naked, and about to leap into a little lake we found, is quite lovely and magical for me. We were swimming, to our fearful delight, with large catfish and surrounded by huge redwood trees, spied on only by spiders and squirrels. Lining the modest lake was a marshy shore teeming with the most beautiful red and blue dragonflies, and there wasn’t a house or human to be seen around us. In the bottom right corner of the Polaroid (near the rightmost girl’s calves), you can make out a blurry red mark… little do most people know that it’s one of the dragonflies gracefully passing by just in time to become my most precious and miraculous accident. (view photo here).
go check out her flickr page and be prepared to be blown away! thank you so much maggie.
I love this coffee shop so much so I get on my bike, Ida Flower, and cycle a 30 minute bike ride along the Brisbane river just so I can hide myself away in the hub of this beautiful cafe.
Coffee that comes out so pretty with love hearts in the milk, home made cup cakes and the most scrumptious eggs you could ever ask for. Borrow a book and settle in. Perfect place for people watching and making new friends.
People flock here why? Because Meridith the owner gives you a little taste of home, a place that is kooky and cosy and makes you want to keep popping back in for more.
My favorite place to just waste time and day dream the hours away x
As you’re most probably aware, we are pretty smitten with Australia lately (our guest blog series), and what’s more, we are pretty smitten with its fashion week that kicked off monday for Spring/Summer 2012.
There’s something about Australian fashion that brings sunshine to mind. One of the most exciting Fashion/Beach cities of the world ‘Sydney’ showcased it’s talented designers and yep… they didn’t disappoint.
I have always been a huge fan of Zimmermann. Their swimwear rocks, and now their clothing is taking another step up the ladder to greatness. Water coloured poppy field prints, laser cut art work, and contrasting fabrication – all make for clothes that contribute to that “perfect summer” outfit for day, night and the beach.
Gotta love Australia!!
Photos taken from Style bubble read her reviews on Australia Fashion Week here.
