planning some plans - Mai Autumn if you recall back in february, when i started talking about designing a line of throw pillows, this post is going to sound kind of similar. i'm always dreaming up new things i want to make, and this week has been no exception. the throw pillows are still in the back of my mind, (don't you worry!) but i got to thinking what i would really love... to design a line of clothes someday. now, this is kind of just a distant, far out there kind of dream, for now, (since i hardly know how to sew, and i definitely don't know how to design patterns.. yet) but i wanted to throw it out there to see if it feels right. you know, putting it in writing and all. i mean, really, eventually, i would like to have all sorts of beautiful things available. i want to create my own little world and furnish it with everything i could possibly imagine! it's a bit insane, i know. but i think i'm going in the right direction. it feels good. and that's what matters, right? jamie and the jones minx shop janey clothing
Be My Valentine - Heart & Joke Origami Tutorial Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to whip up a little origami project to say I love you! We will be making a cute little heart (with a pocket and flap) that you can write a joke on or tuck a love note or candy into!! They would also make excellent party name cards, surprises in someones purse, briefcase, or lunch box... or how about putting one in your Love's coat pocket, car, or winter hat? Step one. Start with a square piece of paper -- pretty side up. Step two and three. Step four. Step five and six. Step seven. Step six. Step seven. Step eight. Step nine and ten. Step eleven. Step twelve. REPEAT Step thirteen to create the right bump. Step fourteen. a.k.a - the easiest step. Step fifteen. a.k.a. - the other easiest step! Step sixteen. 1. I have to admit not a lot fits in the pocket, but part of the fun is trying different things! In this one, I wrote a name on the front and then tucked a joke in the pocket. Funny, funny stuff!! 2. Q: "What do squirrels give for Valentine's Day?" 3.
DIY: How to Make a Scarf Shirt This scarf shirt was actually one of my first projects I made when I started my blog almost three years ago. (HoLy CoW, has it been that long??) During my first blogging summer, I checked out this book on 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Tie & Rock Your Scarf from the libary and made this scarf shirt. (I guess scarves and I were just meant to be... now that I work at a scarf store. ;)) I've grown exponentially in my tripod+remote+outfit photos, so I figured it might be good to re-shoot the scarf shirt and do it some DIY justice. ;) It's a really simple project-- ANYONE with two scarves and a brain can do it. ;) Also, IT IS SPRING!? -2 square scarves. First you need to lay the two scarves on top of each other and make the corners match up. For me, choosing the scarves to use in the shirt is all about the color and pattern. I love the white polka dots on the navy and green scarf-- I think a huge part of my wardrobe/style is composed of Black/Navy+white stripes/polka dots + COLOR. :)
Sewing 101 Oh… am I ever so happy to introduce Kim from Retro Mama to you. For the next four Mondays, she’ll be teaching Craft Snob’s fresh ‘petite series’ on Sewing 101. Peek, snoop or loiter around her retro pattern shop and gobble up a few of these cuties… - Sara P.S. Hi everyone! The Sewing Machine First off, you don’t need a fancy or expensive machine to have a blast sewing and to be able to do a ton of techniques with great results. Presser Feet Many machines come with several basic presser feet, but you may need to purchase additional feet if they aren’t already included (yours may look a little different from my photo, as presser feet do vary some by manufacturer). A. Sewing Machine Needles For the purpose of these introductory lessons, we will be using sharp/regular point needles. Thread Thread is a little bit of a tricky subject as many folks tend to be very loyal to one brand and swear that all other threads are junk. Essential Sewing Tools A. Quilter’s rulers . . and ironing board . Fabric 101
What I Wish I Could Do… … is sew stuff like this. But then, I wouldn’t be able to buy these from one of my favourite online friends! I have to admit – I love my gadgets. And I love to keep my gadgets safe and snug in cute handmade cases. So Alanna custom-made this case for me – I even got to pick the cute umbrella fabric – and inside, if you look carefully, there is some gorgeous matching blue and white stripe. And then… we bought Kindles. Alanna makes these freaking adorable Kindle covers, and it didn’t take me long to pick this one. Gorgeousness on the outside, and cuteness on the inside. So now, my gadget babies are well cared for. How To Make An Easy AND Versatile Shirt (For Cheap!) Wow, it's been over a year since my last clothing tutorial.. How did that happen?! Anyways.. I've seen a few shirts like this floating around the internet. I saw them, loved them and thought, wow.. So, I did. It was super easy, super versatile! It cost about 5.00 to make and took under an hour. I took pictures along the way, but sadly there is not much light in my little apartment. So, I have some lovely digital illustrations as well.. I hope they can help make things clearer! You will need: A sewing machine A yard or two of fabric Fabric or lace for the sash Matching thread Scissors Like I said in my first tutorial, I don't measure, but this part is pretty simple. I hold the fabric over my torso, until it reaches my sides, I add an inch or so, then cut! You will need to make two of these. It's okay if you make them a little too big, the shirt is supposed to be a bit baggy. Plus you can always take the shirt in later. The long skinny, wavy piece above is for the sash.. we'll worry about that later.
Make for Baby: 25 Free Dress Tutorials for Babies & Toddlers By Jaime Morrison Curtis | Nothing is sweeter than a little girl all dolled up in a homemade dress. Last week we shared a round up of how to make all your baby and nursery basics here: Make for Baby: 20 Easy Projects to Make Your Own Bedding, Gear, and Nursery Stuff. nggallery id=’121271′ Pillowcase Dress This is the most popular tutorial on Prudent Baby and a classic child's dress. Snappy Toddler Dress We see more adorable versions of this dress then any other. Snap Wrap Dress This dress is forgiving in sizing and especially cute in a voile or gauze. No time to DIY?
String Art for a Beachy Room Dear Chicago House, Mission accomplished, I have completed the Pinterest Winter Challenge(read about the progress here) and I have succeed! Here is my SEA & SAND stringtabulous creation I used crochet and regular sewing thread in blues and greens and purples and wrapped in a very random fashion but created a color gradient going from green/blue to purple /blue. The wrapping took about 3 hours. Although I have decided that the art work is destined for the beachy living room in the St Louis town house I couldn't resist putting up in your sunny entrance way...but lets face it it is a pretty weird message to greet people when they come in ... so it is destined not to stay there. I really like the looked though so maybe I need to come up with another more appropriate message ... not "welcome" , that is too obvious...anyone have any ideas? What a fun challenge! Love from Creative in Chicago
How to make a quilt... kind of. Remember this post? Well, I finished before Christmas! My first quilt ever! This is what I did... feel free to make fun of me. Here's the short backstory: My sister was pregnant with baby #3 and to everyone's surprise, it was a boy... her 3rd boy! I've never quilted before and really had no idea what I was doing, so I started where I usually start in that situation; Google. Determine what size you would like your quilt, this will determine how many fat quarters you'll need. Here are my fat quarters, all cut into strips. Lots and lots of strips! Next, you are going to cut paper squares to use as "templates" for your quilt squares. Then I used an Elmer's glue stick to lightly stick my center strip, right side up, to each paper square, diagonally, corner to corner. Tighten up the stitch length on your machine at this point. Flip your square over, paper side up, and trim all 4 sides. Now sew each row together, square by square, right sides together. And the front... Fluffy and soft.
Comfy & Casual Wish we had a beach nearby that we could visit in this cute summer dress! Instead we are trying not to go crazy while we play inside and wait for the snow to melt. I have discovered lots of cute clothing tutorials lately and when I spotted this pink knit at JoAnne's I knew just what I'd make: The Warhol Dress by Dana at Made. She offers a FREE pattern and a great tutorial. Fun Friday - DIY Beach Hair I love the messy hair/bohemian look. I also love the beach. So, here is a DIY Sea Salt Beach Hair Spray that I can not live without anymore! Here you go, the tutorial on how to make the beach hair spray: Here is what you'll need: ♥ Coconut Oil ♥ Sea Salt ♥ Vodka ♥ Hair Gel ♥ Spray Bottle ♥ Measuring Cups Here is how do make your very own beach spray: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. You look so beautiful! Now all you need is a beautifully handmade piece of clothing to finish of the look: {click on images to shop!} Now it's your turn! ♥ Erika PS. Want more radness delivered conveniently to your inbox?
braided neckline tutorial i was actually inspired to make this tutorial when i saw someone on pinterest post a tutorial about a banana republic shirt-unfortunately they couldn't figure out how to make the neckline so the tutorial was basically sewing a braid to the neckline. but i'm pretty sure this how BR actually made the neckline-isn't it funny that i'm actually using a BR shirt for this tutorial?? so here's the inspiration: you'll need: -liquid stitch-or some other fabric glue-this will help the hole from fraying or stretching excessively -scissors -old shirt (make sure it's pretty long because you'll be cutting strips from the bottom) and the how: and that's it!! if you have 2 shirts that are similar colors you could cut up one for the yarn and have a contrasting neckline-you could use the rest of the yarn for other t-shirt yarn accessories.
How to make a draped t-shirt This cowl neck top is quite easy to make. It has only four seams and you can create the pattern yourself. The cowl neck comes from making the neckline of the shirt wider at the front than the back – this extra fabric hangs down creating the drapey neckline. The folds in the sleeves come from extra fabric as well, which is added by angling the shoulder seam upward. You will need: Measuring tape ⅔ yard stretchy fabric (I used a cotton/lycra jersey) Matching thread Sewing machine Chalk (or pencil and large paper to make a pattern) Pins (optional) The first step in making this top is to measure yourself. 1. Before you start, wash your fabric the way you want to wash the finished top. I like to draw the pattern directly on the fabric with chalk, but if you prefer to make a paper pattern the steps are just the same. Drawing the pattern for the front: Beginning about 4 inches from the top of your fabric and 6 inches from the right side, draw a line 4 inches longer than your shoulder measurement.
Paper Bag Skirt…….{{and hidden mistake}} Looking for the Honeybear Lane giveaway? Scroll down or click here. Okay, it’s not really a skirt made out of a paper bag. But it’s called a “paper bag” style skirt. (high-waisted, cinched in like a paper bag, a bit poofy, etc.) Kind of a fun little skirt style that can be made pretty easily. Well, unless you mess it up like I did the first time around. (But I’ll show you what I did wrong and then tell you the easier route…..don’t worry, it’s nothing huge.) I know, all paper bag skirts versions are a bit different…….but here’s my take on it. All cinched in with that flouncy bow tied in the front. And with plenty of pleats, which gives it a nice fullness. And yes, we need fullness around here. Because fullness allows for plenty of movement in the skirt…….you know, to help while gathering pine cones and such. The back is gathered with elastic (but is hiding underneath that waist tie), giving the skirt a nice snug fit. Why not make one or two? They are certain to put smiles on faces. See the seams?