This past weekend was a long weekend for me and the boy, so we headed out to the east coast, land of fishes and delish lobster, for a mini-trip by the sea. Actually, we didn’t see much sea since I’ve visited several times before so I hit up a lot of the local vintage and thrift shops in each city. One of the best kept secrets of the Maritimes is that the vintage/thrift selection is amazing! (Racks aren’t picked over and prices are low). I’ve picked up some of my best stuff on trips out east.

First stop was his hometown of Moncton, New Brunswick. We made a few stops around the city, including visiting a couple of his old friends who run shops out of a building on one corner of George Street, an area that is currently undergoing some cultural rejuvenation as of late

Artsy et Vintage is one of the places to stop by when you’re in Moncton for one of a kind clothing and accessories, from bowler hats to jean chain necklaces to leather purses. Everything is pretty much bought, designed or made locally. The store will remind you of a little couture cabin in the woods with its wood panelling and tree paintings alongside some sweet vintage dresses.

Owner Marjolaine Bourgeois showcases some of her own clothing designs in the shop and handmade accessories using recycled materials. Check out the awesome jean bracelets and rings made by Marjolaine that I picked up below (as well as the sofa slip cover made from jean above).

More on what was around the corner on George Street in the next post…

1. Marni-Inspired Necklace – Materials, 2. Cutting out the Felt Bib, 3. Sewing the Bib, 4. Adding the Jewels, 5. Adding the Chains, 6. Ready to Wear

Some of you at the Handmade Nation screening on Tuesday asked me where I got the necklace that I was wearing.

Two weekends ago I needed a glam necklace to go with my dark jeans and black blazer outfit. The 2009 Fall-Winter  bib necklaces from Marni have always been faves of mine and a few months ago I had been eyeing making one of my own, with inspiration from this post by The Glamourai.

So, with a couple hours to spare before heading out, I dove into my vintage jewellery stash and came up with a Marni-inspired necklace. Here’s the tutorial:

Materials

Vintage jewellery
Black felt
Gold/silver chain + clasp
Gold/silver circles
Jewellery glue
Needle-nose pliers
Scissors
Black needle + thread
Sewing machine

1. Double your black felt and pin in place. Cut a bib shape from it. You’ll have two shapes after cutting.

2. Sew the two pieces of black felt together, but leaves the top two edges unsewed.

3. Start adding your jewels to the bib, either by handsewing or with jewellery glue.

4. Add the two gold/silver circles to unsewn ends of the necklace. Stitch together closed. Then attach one end of each gold/silver chain to either circle, and clasp piece to the other end.

5. Your piece of jewellery is ready to wear for a night on the town!