The English Mademoiselle Diaries

Wondering the streets of Paris!

We found so many of these street stalls on the banks of the Seine, between, the Musée d'Orsay and Notre-dam, I didn't buy anything, but they made for some cute photos.

My sister and I, outside Notre-dam, which I think looks worse now there are viewing steps...

What I wore:

T-shirt - Hollister

Skirt - New look

Bag - Local county show

Shoes - Converse All Stars

xoxo Miriam

A little diary post today, on Sunday the 18th of this month I went to the BBC Proms in The Albert Hall for the first time, which I suppose means I have lost my Proms virginity....

Anyway I saw, the Scottish Symphony Orchestra perform:
Rapsodie espagnole - Ravel
Chute d' - Matthias Pintscher (being Mr. Multi-talented, he was also the conductor for the night.)

Then they played Stravinsky's The Firebird, taken from the forenamed ballet, which is just as hypnotizing even on a television screen. You could tell what was happening in the story just by a change from minor to major chords or sad to happy chords as I like to call them.

The experience was enchanting, and I really want to go back next year to more of them! Overall it was one of the best things I have done this year.
I suggest that everyone who ever gets the opportunity to go to the proms takes it, they will change your idea of classical music!

xoxo Miriam

Not a great picture I know...

So I have been back in the country for just over a week now, and I only just got around to putting my holiday snaps on to my laptop, so I thought I would share a few with you. So have been left out for future #OOTD posts:

xoxo Miriam

The musings of a slightly hung-over teenager, who's emotions consist of nothingness and an overwhelming fuzzy feeling that started about 2 hours ago and is keeping her awake. This teenager would also happen to be me.

"Sleep falls,
Blanketing the world.

Before the blackness descends,
And subconscious dreams light the way.

The twisting Labyrinth.
Dawn for an exit,
Not always found."

xoxo Miriam

The summer holidays have been a great chance to catch up on all the sewing projects I couldn't find time for during college and the other shorter breaks. I made this pinafore dress with the hope that it can be worn in any season, plus or minus a few layers of clothing depending on the heat. I used a black cotton with small white stars and dots on it, to avoid plain black, which would have been too close to my old school uniform for anyone's liking. I encountered one major problem, being the buttonholes and buttons my sewing machine doesn't sew these for you, so they were hand sewn and not brilliantly either. But overall I was happy with design and make of this piece, as it is the first item I have made using a pattern I made myself.

I hope to do a How To Wear series soon, so this will feature then, but for now I am just wearing is with a plain black bustier to show off the item.

As much as I had hoped to make this a DIY post, take picture while sewing is time consuming, so therefore I didn't do that... However I might make one in the near future as I am making another one for a friend. I spent approximately 5 hours on it, 5 hours I should have probably been studying but lets be honest here dressmaking/sewing is far more fun than making notes from textbooks! I am in Paris for the next 5 days so there will be a few queued posts if technology does as I wish it to.

See you on the other side possibly with a bit more french speaking ability we will see...

xoxo Miriam

Rating: 7.5/10

Synopsis:
A man walks across and old European capital. Heavy snow falls. He has come from far away, hoping to forget. In the company of a new friend and alive to the new experiences of the city, he moves through the snow and his complicated history in search of an apartment.

My views:
This is both one of the best and strangest books I have read in quite sometime. I am quite a fast reader but this took me almost 2 weeks to get through, it challenged me more that I thought it would, asking questions about politics and my personal views on if you can truly be anonymous anywhere that you live. The only character I feel like talking about is Saskia which is the anonymous American's friend (aka the main character). She is both relatable and so far off from everything you know all in one, obsessed with art and a good social life, yet she is the one that raised all of the philosophical questions and political issues that rotate around the US. Oh and this book has no chapters none at all as far as I can tell it is just a stream of consciousness...
Basically what I am saying is if you lie your morals, politics and opinions being tested by a book read this.

xoxo Miriam

You will need:

1m of your chosen fabric
1m of elastic
A sewing machine (this can be done by hand but it is time consuming)
Thread
Fabric scissors or pinking shears
Lots, and lots of pins
A measuring tape

Before making take the following measurements: Waist and waist to the desired length, for example the knee.

Cut the elastic inch longer than your waist measurement to allow for seams and/or mistakes when making.

Fold the fabric in half, then mark on how long you want the skirt to be plus 2 inches of seam allowance down the fold.

Then stretch the elastic as far as it will go and divide that number by 2. Now measure that length from the fold along the bottom of the fabric and make mark.

Cut the fabric, either using fabric scissors or pinking shears.

Mark 4-6 point on the fabric and the elastic at equal points then pin together. This will help when sewing to get a straight line.

When sewing the elastic on to the fabric, pull it as far as it can go so when you have finished the fabric will stretch with the elasticated waist band you have created.

Cut off any excess fabric.

Then go over the original stitching to with a zigzag stitch to make sure the elastic was firmly in place, and to improve the overall look of the skirt.

Then iron the skirt in order to get a neat hem line.