Mending/ altering...

I've been on a mending spree recently. I have an embarrassingly large pile of 'clothes to alter/mend' and due to dwindling funds and the recent crap weather, I found myself with some time in which to mend them. (Not yesterday, of course. I spent most of it outside turning pink along with the rest of London. Lovely) div>

I bought the top half of a wedding dress at a local fayre recently for £5. I loved the lace and the slightly flared sleeves, but didn't have much of an occasion to wear it having got hitched almost 6 years ago (6 years! Yikes)

So I turned it round and decided to make it into a little lace jacket. I had to adjust the neckline as it sat too high on my neck. To do this, I carefully unpicked the lace around the collar, folded over the fabric to lower the neckline, and then stitched it all back together. I also added a little popper to the top.

And voila! A lovely lace jacket that can be worn over pretty much anything, can be dressed up or down, and provides a tiny bit more warmth for summer evenings. 

Poser. Jeans- Monkee jeans, vest American Apparel bought about 6 years ago. Its falling apart but I refuse to part with it. 

Next; a skirt that has been sat in my 'to mend' pile for 5 years. I kid you not- 5 years. I bought this  original 1950's skirt for 50p from a local junk market, but the zip broke a year after buying it. My mister helped me to unstitch and re-zip the zip on to its runners; this took a surprisingly long time. I also had to replace the button and fix a few little rips. A hot wash and a quick press later, and this skirt finds itself back on top of the 'Hannah's favourite item of clothing' charts. 

Hm, I obviously didn't press for long enough!

The fixed button and zip

I also fixed three of my misters jumpers. All had increasingly conspicuous holes in the sleeves and/or arm pits (I'm not sure how he does it?!) so I machine stitched them all back together using a zig zag stitch (so there is some stretch). Cue happy hubs. I made myself some denim cut off shorts which took me all of 3 minutes- lop the bottoms off some old jeans and turn up the ends, and I am half way through turning a vintage dress into a skirt. The fabric on the top half of the dress has become too thin, fragile and full of rips but the skirt is fine.

If you have a similar pile I'd highly recommend you re-visit it.  I have three and a half new items of clothing for free. Hurray!

Take me to the beach...

Specifically- to this delightful shack. Cheers.

Turnkey Locations. Via Laura's Pinterest

House Porn....

Ethical Festival Fashion: Grazia

Today my first article for Grazia went up on the site, which is super super exciting. It's about Ethical Festival Fashion and you can see it here.

In honour of the article, I also pulled together some choice festival pieces from some of my favourite ethical retailers below.

I've had a mentally busy week so will mostly be eating, vegetating and hunkering down this weekend.

For now though; A glass of cold white wine and some home made pizza at the table with my hubs....yum.

Happiest of Friday's to you.

Ethical Festival Fashion by Hannah Bullivant 

FAIR true cocktail dress
£85 - fashion-conscience.com

Lalesso cotton dress
£63 - fashion-conscience.com

ReLuxe floral print dress
£90 - fashion-conscience.com

FAIR true long skirt
£49 - fashion-conscience.com

A line skirt
£48 - peopletree.co.uk

Belle & Dean Organic Skinny Ribbed Vest
£12 - fashion-conscience.com

FAIR true elastic waist skirt
£39 - fashion-conscience.com

FAIR+true cotton pants
£85 - fashion-conscience.com

ReLuxe christmas socks
£18 - fashion-conscience.com

ReLuxe checkered shorts
£32 - fashion-conscience.com

Beach bikini
£69 - fashion-conscience.com

Lalesso flat shoes
£30 - fashion-conscience.com

Aura Que summer handbag
£29 - fashion-conscience.com

Lalesso red coral jewelry
£54 - fashion-conscience.com

ReLuxe silk scarve
£49 - fashion-conscience.com

Livity High Grade Organic Fedora
£32 - fashion-conscience.com

Picnic, pizza, polaroids

On Sunday, a group of us braved the unpredictable weather we've been experiencing of late, and set off for a picnic on Farthing Downs in the heady reaches of zone 6.  I was again shocked at the feeling of wide green open space in London. Shady tree lined paths opened out on to rolling green fields and steep wooded valleys.

It was in part to wish farewell to a certain Mrs Dreaming of an Aga and family, who are moving one step closer to their aga (sob sob).

We made home made mushroom, sun dried tomato and caper pizza's, and cranberry and almond flapjacks, which we packed into rucksacks along with our waterproofs, sunglasses, blankets and umbrella's (prepared for every eventuality)

Once there dark clouds loomed, then passed quickly to reveal patches of blue sky and sunshine. We stretched out in the sun, and dived underneath the umbrella's, alternately throughout the afternoon. We sprawled on picnic blankets,  ate delicious picnic food, took turns playing with my amazing God daughter, walked through 'Happy Valley', and ended up in a beer garden. A brilliant day.

Note the looming clouds...

And then the rain...

Florence and her strawbs!

Modelling our cagouls!

Evidence that the sun did show itself, albeit momentarily...

It was lovely, despite the pangs of melancholy that struck when I thought about our friends moving away. In typical English weather style, we got a little wet, a little windswept and a little sunburned all in one afternoon.

This summer, I refuse to let the weather ruin my mood, as it has done in previous years. So after pretending it was summer over the weekend, I have spent the following few days in jeans, and coats, eating roasted vegetables, soup and porridge, lighting the candles and crocheting.  And actually sort of enjoying it.

We used a 'Polaroid Spectra System' with some out-of-date wide screen format film.

Fathers Day

 Me and Dad circa 87. Check out that jumper and glasses!

My Fathers day card

Happy Fathers Day Dad!

Thanks for being my confidante, cheerleader, and one of my best friends. Sorry my card is late, but there's a comfort in predictability, I find...

Love Hannah. 

I climbed Big Ben.

All images UK Parliament

Yesterday, I climbed Big Ben. 


292 knackering, calf splitting steps to the Belfry.  We peered over London through ancient windows, walked behind all four enormous clock faces and peered queasily down the ventilation shaft. As soon as we stepped out on to the bell platform we were hit by a cold wind that whistled through my summer clothes and whipped my hair around my face. At 30 seconds to 10 we obediently put our ear defenders on and watched as the 4 hammers rose and struck 10 times, echoing over London, vibrating the floor we stood on. 


It was so so cool. I feel very lucky indeed. 

A trip to Big Ben has to be organised via a parliamentarian, ie your MP.  Someone at work sorted it for us. Oh, and it's free. Photo's are strictly forbidden, you need ID, and prepare for calf and butt pain. 

Music bubbles

Warpaint by Phil Smithies for The Epoch Times

I often listen to music on the way to work. I love letting the music carry me away from from the crowded sweaty train carriage to somewhere spacious and brooding and brilliant. But sometimes when I look around and realise that everyone is listening to their headphones, it makes me a little sad. We're all walking around in our own little worlds, oblivious to each other.  Sometimes this is precisely why I love my headphones so much, but other times.. not so.

Then I thought how cool it would be to be able to tune into other peoples headphones... I'm always curious to hear what they're hearing. To nod along at the same time. Crack a smile at the best bit. Do a mini air punch at the guitar solo or look wistfully into the distance at that perfect chord change. Like a constant, optional silent Disco....

You know?

I'm crazy for my music at the moment, having discovered and fallen in love with so many brilliant new bands, and having been lucky enough to go quite a few free gigs recently (the benefits of friends/ husband that work in the arts).  Last night it was James Blake. Beautiful breathy vocals, guitar and piano but combined with room shakingly loud, dub step-ie bass. So good.  I wasn't entirely sure if I was cool enough to be there, but danced my butt off anyway.  Most people were too cool to dance though, which I hate, and it only makes me dance more objectionably.

Anyway, hurrah for new music! Best ever gig?

Londons answer to my countryside longings...

Image: England Places

Image: PJProductions

Its almost as if London knew I was having salacious thoughts about the countryside, was pricked with jealousy, displayed her feathers and decided to use the week remind me why i'm here. Firstly, an Origami class at Drink Shop Do with my mister, where we were taught by The Seafarers to turn coloured paper in to lovely little boats. This was accompanied by pots of tea,  bottles of ale and a perfect slice of Victoria sponge and cheese cake. This was followed by watching Tune Yards, whom I've blogged about before, at the Scala in Kings Cross. She was mind blowingly incredible live. It was one huge party, the hairs on the back of my neck tingling periodically throughout the evening, my heart pounding, squeezing my misters arm, smiling, dancing. We're still talking about it days later and have a feeling that we will be talking about this gig for a long while to come. 

We made another visit to Dishoom, this time with camera. I had an egg naan roll and Colaba Iced Tea made with lime and Darjeeling. I didn't want either to end. We watched Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare's Globe too, with a gaggle of friends, organised by Fay. We all bought £5 standing tickets meaning we were right in the thick of the action, under the open sky, closest to the stage. The stage looked wonderful decked in greenery and Beatrice and Benedick were played brilliantly; the whole crowd cheered and clapped when they finally kissed at the end of the play. A gentle wind whistled in over the Thames, and the thankfully rain-free sky turned from blue to violet to black overhead. My calves began to ache slightly by the end of the night but you don't notice so much when you are so completely absorbed by the characters. 

The week was followed by a brilliant hen party on Saturday which incorporated some of my favourite London haunts, but that will have to wait for another day as I don't have photo's yet.

Good job London dear. You temptress.