Noas' Libellule {dreams of interiors}

Hey guys! It is Friday, yay!! And I am working from home, double-yay! No need to wear my City outfits (understand greys, blacks and dark browns). No, today I am wearing my new Tricolour Vamp shoes from Zara.

Anyway I diverge. Working from home means that I am spending much more time in our 'little room' than the usual (I did buy the John Lewis Farringdon desk in the end. Cannot resist a design piece. It is a great desk though, simple and very functional.) Still there is a bit more work to do in this room.

I was looking after some inspiration today, and I saw this office space (via pinterest), and I just knew. This is a work space where I will be able to sit and feel very productive. And I could have it at home too!


It is not clutter free but at the same time it does not feel cluttered. Clean lines, natural colour scheme.. I love that picture frame. The Eames Eiffel Chair adds classiness to the space. Good lighting, plenty of storage. Whatelse do you need? A lot of baskets, oh yes. There are plenty there!

Is this somewhere you could work? What is your favourite item?

PS: I am very excited about this weekend's wedding. Off to France tonight, cannot wait. I am sure I will have a great picture for my 13% Monday to show you. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Noas' Libellule How-to {The Lace Pouch}

Hello guys! How are you all doing? Happy Thursday! I had a lot of comments on my {Buy it or Make it} post about pouches and clutches. Thanks for dropping by guys!

Do you remember by pinterest inspiration in this post a couple of weeks ago.


I finished my own pouch version and here it is... Neat, non?

I made the doily and the pouch. However, if you cannot crochet or if you do not have the patience to spend weeks making a doily, there are plenty of doilies for sale in charity shops...

What you are going to need....


1. Linen Anchor Cotton @Purplelinda Crafts

2. Fabric for outside of your pouch - I used some light jean fabric (well I had made a skirt out of it)

3. Some lining fabric for your pouch, mine is from @Stefaniexu

4. Crochet hook 2mm

5. Metallic Anchor Cotton @Purplelinda Crafts

6. A zipper which is the width of your pouch (if you have a bigger one, just reduce it)

7. Some thread.

The Doily...

I must admit I challenged my crochet skills a bit here. I tried to make a doily before - but never finished it. So I decided that it would be a great idea to go for something much more complicated this time. Obviously!

The pattern is from Ravelry (available for free). I was attracted by the fact that it had been crocheted in black which made it instantly more modern. You will have noticed that I changed yarn at the end. I just ran out of yarn (- it has happened before, and will happen again). But I actually really like the linen yarn and what it adds. I cannot imagine the doily without it now (more information on my ravelry page).

The making of the doily was the most time-consuming part of this project. I nearly gave up on it a few times, but the doily looks really good. I am really happy to have finished it. HOWEVER the doily is too big for the pouch which was a bit annoying when it came to fix it on the pouch (I had to cut it). So just beware of sizes...

Making the pouch...

The measurements of the pouch were based on that of the carry-all American Apparel pouch - in my buy it section. To make the pouch I used this tutorial which was really easy to follow. Just don't forget to open the zipper for when you sew together the pouch to close it.

Pouch and Doily... Together... Forever...

You can position the doily as you wish. I decided to go for off-centre. I just stitched my hand the outside of the doily onto the pouch - just a simple stitch, tried to avoid stitching through the lining. Quite an exciting part really. Et voila!

What do you think guys? You like it? I am hoping to take it for an outing this weekend at another wedding I am going to .. Hopefully you will see it on Monday as part of my outfit.

PS: If you do the Lace Pouch let me know, it would be great to see your version. Also I think this would look great on a cushion if you are not into pouches.

Noas' Libellule {Pinterest inspired}

Hiya everyone! Hope you are all having a good week - full of creativity and inspiration! Don't forget that tomorrow I will be showing you how to make your very own pouch with lace. I am really excited about this project, and I hope you are too.

Today I want to tell you about my current texture obsession. It seems that everyone is obsessed, and I can see a great {buy it or make it} post coming up. May I present to you what I am dreaming about at the moment, the chevron pattern.

Image via Maggie makes

I know, it is a bit bold but it also can really make a strong impact. It's essentially a series of V's laid out in a row. It's a little bit wavy but with more of a hardened edge. I am one for clean lines - probably the scientific buried in me...

Image via pinterest

If you choose the right colors and placement for a Chevron design then you can evoke that wavy, undulating relaxed feeling that lies beneath this design. Of course, you could also choose to go all out with creating a bold look using this pattern - look at that quilt below! A statement or what!!

Quilt through pinterest

So what do you think? Are you missing some chevron in your life and your interior? I definitely do... I have an idea of what I want to make... just need the time - but it will complement quite well the texture and colour scheme of our living room.. Will say no more.

PS: You may notice that the original images are a bit different from the one I posted here, I am working on adding textures to my pictures... Only experimenting at this stage, but it is quite promising I reckon.

{Pouches and clutches - Buy it or Make it?} Noas' Libellule obsession

Hiya guys! Another Buy it or Make it feature.. And this one is very exciting. I am obsessed with bags, really. My 30th birthday present was... a bag (a Celine one, beautiful). When I got my first real job I bought myself a bag (a Gucci one)... This is the ultimate purchase that always makes me feel better..

Anyway there are many different types of bags, and today I am on the hunt for pouches and clutches. Personally I am not a fan of clutches because my HUGE purse does not fit in them. Pouches seem to be good compromise. Here is a collection of big and small pouches you could get out there ...

1. Carry-All Pouch, American Apparel; 2. Huxley stingray-trimmed leather clutch, Anya Hindmarch; 3. Grey Lazer Cut Suede clutch, Topshop; 4. Rose Wow Envelope Clutch, Accesorize; 5. Medium Animal-print calf hair pouch, Newbark; 6. Sloan oversized leather clutch, Michael Kros; 7. Feather Clutch bag, Asos; 8. Tan Leather Karma Embossed Clutch bag, Topshop; 9. Pyramid Metal Tip Clutch, Asos.

I am loving this selection, and that Topshop clutch bag will be mine - it is only a matter of time!

It may be hard to convince you to make your own, but you should check out the three DIY projects I lined up for you. There are seriously inspiring.

Firstly, that feather clutch from Asos. Forget about buying it, you should go and check out the very instructive blog of Anne at WobiSobi. She made hers from a feather duster (I knew they were useful for something), hot glue and a discarded bag she had, absolutely awesome!

I am sure you have come across this DIY project or others inspired by this one. Brooke at JustBBlog made this amazing pouch out of the American Apparel Carry-All and acrylic paint. She was inspired by a Celine pouch in a similar colour scheme. It should be on everyone's to-do-list. Go and check out how she did it on her blog.

Finally, I love this final project because it is an upcycling one. It uses those plastic bags we all tend to collect in our kitchens to make the most useful pouches. Lilly happens to have found a plastic bag with a really funky pattern on it - I want to know where she shops. My Sainsbury's ones are definitely not that cool (note to self, only shop where cool plastic bags are given). I can see me using the method of fusing plastic bags and making alternative fabric out of them. Just brilliant!

Did I buy it or make it? Well, I have not bought it... just yet but I will. Then again, I made this 'amazing' (M words not mine) pouch... and the tutorial is coming out tomorrow (available now)... So stay tune guys!

PS: Thanks again to all the bloggers who let me post their DIY projects! Guys you are awesome. And contact me if you have an obsession you want me to look at!

Noas' Libellule {13% Mondays}

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend! We certainly enjoyed ours, I managed to get an interesting tan line in the process (tanning means sun, so that is all good).

I met a new friend. I think I took a 100 pictures of him coming out of his shell, but here is my favourite one ... I am sure he is posing for the camera!

Although I have been talking to the interior of my house many times in this blog, the exterior is no less important - it has always been on our to-do-list. And this weekend was THE weekend we were going to tackle it. And here is a picture to prove that someone was working really hard (and I am recording essential moments in the renovating of our house - a very important task).

And finally a bit of knitter humour for the start of the week ... Many of you may recognise themselves... I am certainly one to wear all the scarves I have knitted no matter what the weather is (guess what I am knitting at the moment, yes a scarf).

Happy Monday everyone!

PS: You are going to LOVE tomorrow's {buy it or make it} ? I will be reviewing one of my favourite items: BAGS! Some amazing tutorials to show you.

Noas' Libellule {Painting the bedroom}

Hiya guys, guess what? It is Friday, hooray! I got to wear my sunglasses - YESSS!

Today's post is about my bedroom (well ours if we want to be precise). Sarah over at Modern Country Style started a new link party about anything to do with paint (she has already hosted one about our kitchen favourites). And we worked so hard on the colour scheme of this bedroom that I thought it was time for me to show it to you.

It is not the biggest one in our house, but it has the garden view. And what is the point of commuting and having a house away from the City (rather than a flat in central London) if I cannot see the garden. So it was decided a long time ago that the smallest double bedroom would be our bedroom.

Here are a few pictures of the state it was in at several stages of the renovation process. Sometimes it is good to be reminded of how bad it was at some point. Our main task had been to be sampling the paint (we already had the bed)... And to be fair our first choice (if M is reading this, I would like to remind him that this was not my first choice) was Wickes-Nickel. We changed our mind after lunch at a local pub (not drinking induced but because of their colour scheme). And went for Wickes-Pewter - the darkest grey.

I was convinced that we should go for a grey-sand palette - the bright yellow came later. The colour palette was allowing us to have a clean finish that is neither too masculine or feminine - but still cosy and relaxing. Somewhere to read or have a chat. The fact that the room is smaller than the other cosiness.

So here is our bedroom, as from yesterday as M hung my Cherry QAL quilt last night - just for this post (super sweet).



I also added the cushion I finished a month or so ago. The two table lamps are the Verner Panton Flowerpot lamps (available in loads of colours). The bedding is from Sheridan. And we bought 4 square floating sheves from Homebase (took M ages to put those up).

What do you think guys? Loving the colour scheme? Or is it a bit too much for you? I won't get offended... Hope you are all having a great Friday and have wonderful plans for the weekend!

Noas' Libellule {Pinterest inspired}

Hello hello! So how are you getting on with your IKAT project? Are you loving the pompom fork technique? You should try it, honestly it is all very easy.

You will remember a couple of weeks ago I made a post with my latest pinterest obsession: pouches with lace. It is all coming along nicely, more to come next week - in time for the next wedding I am attending (yes, another one!).

Well, thanks to Pinterest I am seriously obsessed with braided necklaces - I have in fact a board dedicated to braided object - and there are a couple in particular I am hoping to get, one way (shopping) or another (making it).

From shopbob.com, except that it is not available anymore... Fear not, I am working on a DIY project.

From Bebe, love the sparkle and untidy aspect of it.

So what do you reckon, worth being obsessed about? What are your current obsessions?

Noas' Libellule How-to {The IKAT scarf}

Hiya guys! How is everyone doing? As promised yesterday, here is a quick tutorial for the IKAT scarf I showed you yesterday - in 4 steps.

1. Choosing the fabric and sewing your scarf. I decided to have a double-sided scarf, the measurements were roughly based on apashmina I have. I like my scarfs quite big. So you basically saw together two rectangular pieces of fabric. Easy, peasy.

2. Comes the trickiest part, but I think that is more to do with the fabric rather than a need for super-dooper skills. You go girl! has THE tutorial that you need to check out to make a firm foundation for your crochet edge. She tells you where to mark where to sew (I was half an inch from the border) and uses he blanket stitch. I used some pink Rowan cotton yarn I had. Originally the edge was supposed to be all pink... I did not keep the edge pink but kept the blanket stitching which makes it a bit more interesting.

3. The Crochet edge. I made it up, although I am sure it does exist out there: 1sc, 2dc, trc, ch5, slst in first stitch at the bottom of your chain (picot), 2dc, 1sc. I want a sort of triangular effect with a little loop so that I could easily add the pompoms. It is easy, but it does get your wrist, so beware. The green 'spruce' yarn is from babylonglegs which I bought a little while ago.

4. My favourite part - making pompoms with a fork. It is, I think, fairly obvious how I did it from the images below (do not hesitate to contact me if it is not obvious).. This is super easy - I did it in the car on our way to last weekend's wedding! I did 15 rounds around the fork. Make sure that all the ends are secure though...

So here we are 4 steps to a brand new scarf! Let me know if you get inspired and do one for yourself! I am sure you have some stash somewhere that you could use!

{IKAT - Buy it or Make it?} Noas' Libellule obsession

Hiya Guys! Two posts in two days, whoohoo! This is THE post I have been very excited about on twitter. It is the start of a new feature that combines two of my favourite things: shopping and making things!

This week I want to talk about IKAT. In London, the weather has been shocking in July, and it is a real shame, because IKAT screams summer. But you need to have faith guys, we still have August and September. So here is a sample of what you could buy, and honestly I could buy it all (well, in my head, because my purse is telling me non, non, non - clearly, my purse is French).

1. IKAT Lila Bedlinen, Zara Home; 2. Basket, Zara Home; 3. John Robshaw IKAT Cushion, Idyll Home; 4. Tibi Istanbul Ikat-print silk dress; 5.Two-tone IKAT scarf, Matthew Williamson; 6. Ikat Lime Green Pillow, Etsy; 7. IKAT mini-bowl, Anthropologie; 8. Tinalak Clutch, Anthropologie

So what is it going to be? The Matthew Williamson scarf (on sale!!!) or the Anthro clutch (on sale too!!)... But wait... Did I mention making it? Yes I did. Before you ring up your bank to up your limit on your credit card, check out these 3 projects.

Red, Blonde and Burlap made their IKAT fabric with only a sponge and acrylic paint. This is really awesome, and sounds super easy. That number 6 cushion, in your living room right now, done with your own creative hands!


Ok, guys, so you may be a bit more advanced than I am. And I think you will love OurFifthHouse IKAT drapes made with a stencil that she bought. Carmel has a lot of tips about the painting fabric. I actually saw that tutorial back in March when I was looking new curtains. And love going back to it. So clever!


Finally, for the most advanced of you guys. And I know some of few are really good at this sort of thing, Elizabeth at the Mustard Ceiling is showing you how to make your own stencil and her fabric tutorial. This tutorial has been featured in Design*Sponge. Mais oui! The result looks amazing. One day, it will be me showing my new chairs... One day..


So will you buy it or make it?? So it is all well and good to be stalking other bloggers (if you have a 100 hits on one page in one day, it is probably me), but what have I been doing? Do I believe in this trend or not? I do, and it seems that my parents did as well, 15 years ago when they came back from Thailand with some IKAT fabric. Honestly I had forgotten all about it (I mean 15 years!!!). But when I came across it recently (a bit of a spring clean is ALWAYS useful!), I found the perfect fabric for a new scarf. You will see, with one of the most flattering pictures of me (I really do not like being in front of the camera), my own IKAT scarf. I will show you tomorrow how I did it, and making pompoms with a fork...



PS: Thanks to the girls to let me feature their tutorials! Guys, I hope you enjoyed it!

Noas' Libellule {13% Mondays}

Hiya Guys... Just come back from a long weekend away with Mr. M. This morning was really hard work for the two of us (3 snoozes on the blackberry-cum-alarm clock). And to be honest, I am still not really awake.

Made me wondered about Monday posts - what would like to work on? Clearly I love remembering the best bit of the weekend, but I need a bit of humour for the week ahead. You will remember my coup de coeur pictures of Mamika by Sacha Goldberger. They make me smile every time I look at them. And this is exactly what I need on Mondays, something to make me smile!

The post is called 13% Mondays, because of this quote:

'I always give 100% at work: 13% Monday, 22% Tuesday, 26% Wednesday, 35% Thursday and 4% Friday'.

The best bit of the weekend is the wedding of friends of ours in the Peak District.

Today's humour is quite topical, and I suppose, only for Harry Potter's fans.

Has not happened to me yet, but it may do!

What have you been up to this weekend?

Happy Monday everyone!

PS: This week will feature another new type of posts, involving shopping (I LOVE shopping) and making.. Stay tune, or follow me on twitter (@NoasLibellule) for sneak peeks at what's coming up.

{3 Ways to the Vintage Effect} Noas' Libellule Photography How-to

Hiya, happy Wednesday!! This is when my week ends and my weekend starts (well at 5pm tonight). Off we are to the Peak District for a wedding and a romantic long weekend away. Cannot wait!

Today I thought I would do a very quick tutorial about vintage-looking pictures. This is something I have been trying to do for a while (although considering how easy it is, clearly I had not tried really hard in the past). And I think I have made good progress.

For those who are baffled by photoshop (me, me, me!), these tips do not require photoshop (phew!) - although check out the blogs that will tell you how to do with photoshop for people much more advanced than I am!

Two of the ways of achieving the look are free! The third one is not ... But not too expensive.

There are other ways to do it, I am sure, but I am probably not registered with the sites - there are so many sites a girl can manage.

So here we are, my original picture is the one I took at the wedding last weekend.

It is alright but a bit boring.. let's shake things up a bit.

1. Using Phixr and The Cross Process effect

This is really simple. You log onto Phixr (free), you upload your picture (very easy), choose the color effects option in the menu on the left handside (sepia picture), and choose the cross-effect in the sub menu. Ta Da! You can adjust the contrast and the brightness as well as the opacity of the picture. In the example above I only used the cross-process effect.

2. Using Picnik and the 60s effect

Log on to Picnik (through your Flickr account) (it is free for some effects), upload your picture, select 'edit', you will see the tab CREATE at the top. Choose EFFECTS, and then the 1960's option. They have an option to round corners of the pictures, you can choose. Ta Da'! You are back in the 60s!

3. Using Picnik and Curves

You know the drill, you upload, go to edit, and select CREATE, this time select ADVANCED. You want the CURVES option. This is the most advanced way to achieve because you can change the red, blue and green curves. You can also select the pre-set cross-process blue curve or red curve effect (see above for the pre-set blue option).

In Curves, Select CHANNEL. For both the red and green lines (which are done separately), you'll need to drag the line near the top up a little diagonally, so that it's hardly under the grey (the middle) line. Near the bottom of the line, do the opposite. What you're doing is adding red to the highlights and subtracting red from the shadows. (You're doing the same for the green.). Select the blue channel now and do the opposite of what you did to the red and green lines. Go near the top of the blue line and pull the line down diagonally, therefore subtracting blue from the highlights. Now go to the bottom of the line and pull the line up diagonally so that you're adding blue to the shadows. Play around a little bit to achieve the desired look.

And.... The Polaroid Look

In CREATE in Picnik, select FRAMES and Polaroid (free). Ta Da! This picture could have been taken at my parents' wedding in the 60s! So guys, when are you give your pictures the vintage look? You know you want to...

{ Ideas to steal - edited } Countryside wedding

Hiya guys, happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend.. I certainly did! Last Saturday I attended one of my university friend's wedding in South East London - a true countryside wedding in her parents and grand-parents's gardens (they live next to each other) - bang in the middle of London. They did nearly everything themselves! You can have an amazing wedding on a tight budget...

IDEAS TO STEAL...

1. Custom-made tube station sign (Her brother's wedding present). 2. Wedding stencils. Find stencils at the Stencil Studio. 3. Cake stand made of discarded crates and heart-shaped garland - and yummy carrot cakes of different sizes. Find similar crates @ Hen and Hammock. 4.Lace napking ring. Try McCulloch and Wallis for Cotton Lace trims.

My favourite picture - their last dance..

Better get the camera charged up again, we are off to the next wedding on Thrusday!

PS: Had to edit some bits and bobs.. and added some links to shop.

Noas' Libellule {Hundred}

Hey hey hey, are you all ok? This post is really important for me, it is my hundredth, yeah! I actually cannot believe 1/ I am still writing this blog - I am notoriously bad at keeping diaries etc - and 2/ that people are actually following me. Thanks guys! Seriously I love reading your comments.

So I thought long and hard about my hundredth post. Really I have. I made notes all week, and I thought that it may be time for me to tell you a bit more about myself. There are a few things you know, I love knitting, crocheting, crafting in general, I love interior design, I am married to the one and only M, I live in the UK. So what else is there to say? Well, here is my HUNDRED word

H is for Hercule Poirot and the little grey cells- I know way too much about him, considering that he does not really exist. He is my favourite character in books and on TV. And by the way David Suchet is the only possible Poirot. Now we are on the first letter and you already think I am sad, oh dear..

U is for U2 - One love, One life, When it's one need, In the night, One love, We get to share it, Leaves you baby if you, Don't care for it... I have a few favourite bands, but I have always (and will always) love U2. I suppose the songs remind me of loads of good and bad times (think teenage love and break-ups) and also going to my first concert (we queued for 3 hours) with my best friends, to see - considering my size - not a lot. But I did not care - I was so near Bono, I could touch him (no I couldn't)..

N is for Nationality. I am French, like 100%, and I speak English, 80% of my time now - and it has actually become harder to write in French. I have lived in the UK on and off for 12 years. M is half French, half English - So that means that our future children will be 3/4 French but born in the UK, and probably speak more English than French - which is a bit messed up but will be fun.

D is for Doctor - This is the title I use for work since I was awarded my PhD in European politics. To be fair I only did it for the title (when I discovered I did not want to be a Professor like my Dad), so I have no problem using it all the time. Always impresses people.

R is for reading - I read a lot, I always have but now that I commute - nearly two hours every day so I can live in the countryside and work in the City, I am going through a lot of them. It is great, gives me a chance to chill before getting back home. I read mostly chick flicks and crime (think Agatha Christie...).

E is for earrings - I have tons, and some are seriously big and dangly. My Mum did not want me to have my ears pierced before I was 16! I know! And when I did, because I am allergic to a few things, I got an infection, but it was the best thing ever (not the infection of course). The bigger, the better is what I say!

D is for dogs - I have had three in my life. The first one, Baron, was a black Labrador who was quite big but was the sweetest dog ever, and allowed my brother and I to ride him all the time. Then came Iankee (aka bébé Iankee, named after our trip to Florida) - a golden Labrador who loved eating and sleeping, and was useless at defending the house - and Léonard (aka bébé Léo) - a rescued dog who had a tendency to become over excited and very jealous (if men touched the women in his life). I really really really, like really, want a dog, but we don't really have the space at home. But this is a topic always up for discussion in my household.


So here we are, a bit more about myself, to thank you for your comments and following me!

Handmade {Gift for a special occasion}

Hiya, I hope everyone is having a good day. It feels like summer in London, finally! Whoohoo! And I am going to see Bridemaids tonight - so I am super excited!

Well I finally managed to meet my friend and give her her 'something blue' for her wedding on Saturday - I am SO excited for her! I LOVE weddings, which is good as we are going to 5 this year!

So it was presented to her like this,

because it fitted so well in it,

And this is what she will be wearing!

Materials: Anchor Artiste BABY SOFT Crochet Cotton BEIGE 926 at PurpleLinda, Navy Blue Ribbon bought at John Lewis on Oxfrod Street

I just left her, and she loves it, we both nearly cried - it is all very emotional!

PS: Next Post is my 100th post! OOOoohhhh, need to think about what to do!

Homemade {Pinterest inspired - in progress}

Guys, I am dying to show you the-Thing-In-Progress-that-is-now-Finished but I haven't had a chance to give it to my friend yet, so I should really wait. It is all done, ready for her - and I really hope she likes it.

Over the weekend, I had a chance to catch up with another project of mine. Last week, I got very inspired by this,

Via pinterest

and this,

Via pinterest


So I started my doily following a gorgeous pattern found on ravelry, and it was all going really well, until I ran out of cotton yarn. Noooo... I now have to wait patiently for more to come. I have been told it is on its way. Here are a few picturs of the progress - it is all glittery, and looks lovely. Cannot wait to show you the final result... Until then, I will look out for the postman and try not to scare him!

Hope you are all having a great Monday!