5 Things Inspiring Me Now Part 5

I thought it was about time that I did another of my 5 things inspiring me now series because it is the start of a new year, we’re over halfway through January (for me at least) and it’s probably when we need to kickstart our enthusiasm and inspiration for creating again after the holiday slump and overindulgence (and laziness…or is that just me?).

Anyway, if you’re new around here (hi! And welcome!) let me just recap… So last year I started an occasional series where I just chat about what’s inspiring me at the time with examples and photos to inspire you too. I recently also started to feature one blogger or Instagrammer who inspires me as well.

So let’s dive in and get inspired!

ONE

First on my list is animal print. This is a trend that’s been rumbling along for some time but is really gathering momentum and shows no sign of stopping. I know animal prints aren’t everyone’s cuppa but I can’t help but be sucked in too because I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for touches of leopard or cheetah print (I don’t like to go too crazy with it) and it just so happens that I have two lengths of fabric in my stash waiting to be transformed into something wearable. The dark one is a Ponte knit from Emmaonesock and destined to become slim pants and the other is a beige spotty wool coating from Fabric Godmother (still not decided what style to make it in yet).  Here are a few images I found on Pinterest to inspire you too…and if you only like an animal print in small doses then how about the first image example?…classy!

TWO

The second thing is cut-out details. I’ve seen a few images lately that piqued my interest so I started to investigate a bit (I’ll never get those hours back that I lost down the Pinterest rabbit hole. Lol!) Depending on how brave you are you could have large cut out areas that show a lot of flesh…or if you’re like me and want to be more subtle then you could try strategically placed smaller areas.  Here are some examples:

These cut-out slits have a mesh background. I love the beaded edges.

This is Vogue dress by Rebecca Taylor and has the most beautiful back detail:

Interesting cold shoulder effect sporty top:

I love this rather discreet slit effect:

THREE

Next up is matchy-matchy head to toe colour. Lately, I’ve seen a few outfits based around one colour or similar tones of one colour. I’m liking how chic it looks and wouldn’t mind trying it out for myself. In Summer I sometimes wear head to toe white/ivory which I adore but I’ve not worn a column of colour so much in Winter. I plan on having a mooch through my wardrobe to see if I can put a couple of outfits together. Meanwhile here are some examples to give you ideas.

FOUR

The next thing that I’m inspired by is more of a topic and it’s that of styling…or to be more precise, how to style a wardrobe item in several ways. I was browsing Youtube for a while (well, ok, for an hour or so…I find it’s as bad as Pinterest for sucking me down rabbit holes!). And I came across more than one video about styling one item in different ways and felt really inspired. I’m going to try it with some pieces for myself and see where it leads. Would you be interested in a post like this? Let me know if you would and I’ll see what I can do.

FIVE

And finally, on my list, I’m carrying on with the theme of showcasing another blogger or Instagrammer who inspires me a lot.

This week is the turn of Eli who blogs over at Cat In A Wardrobe and is on Instagram at @elicat_diy.

Eli lives in Tokyo Japan and has been blogging since 2015. She has a fabulous eclectic style that includes the traditional Japanese Kimono (she also refashions Kimonos), feminine dresses, tailored jackets, edgy jeans outfits and spectacular draping garments. Her photos are always fantastic too.

Lately on Instagram Eli has been posting gorgeous pieces of cloth using traditional Shibori dyeing techniques. Some pieces have been made into lovely garments. She also makes clothes that make fabulous use of her leftover stash. Take a look at this amazing skirt and some of her other lovely memade pieces:

Thank you Eli for very kindly letting me feature you and show your work. Why not pop over to Eli’s Instagram account (linked above) or her blog and give her a follow, you won’t be disappointed 🙂

Thanks for reading and I hope you feel as inspired as I do.

Catch you soon!

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