Squeezebox Top Tutorial by Welcome to the Good Life
WOO HOO! Call me a big nerd but my heart's pounding because i'm so excited and honored to be here!!! my name is Sarah and i keep a blog over at Welcome to the gOOd life. it's a diary written by me (and sometimes by my hilarious husband) of the good and the ugly as a wife, a stay at home mom, raising two kids under three-just a year apart, and also my weekly DIY sewing projects. so should we get on to my DIY project? inspiration: squeezebox top from anthropologie picture from an anthropologie review blog. i think i literally gasped when i saw this top online. i instantly fell in love and knew i had to have it! i bought 2 white shirts, one in xs which is my size and one in large. i got the large shirt in round neck for more fabric while i got the xs in a scoopneck. you'll need: 2 shirts scissors matching thread pins estimated time: 1-2 hrs. project cost: very reasonable(mine was $8 for both shirts) skill level: advanced beginner to intermediate 3. take one of the piece and begin making the pleates. 4.
Pleated tote (beach bag) tutorial
Before we went away, I decided that a new bag for the beach was a must – something big and roomy to hold books, magazines, sunscreen, hats, and all that other good stuff. So I made this big pleated tote, and it worked perfectly. This is a picture of it in action: And here’s a little tutorial in case you want to make one for yourself – doesn’t have to be for the beach either, it could come in handy for schlepping all kinds of things around town. Here’s what you need: two pieces of your main fabric cut in shape A four pieces of the top shape (B) in a contrasting fabric two pieces of a lining fabric in shape C one piece of the long rectangle for the strap in the contrasting fabric two pieces of the top shapes (B) and one of the strap in a medium weight interfacing 1) Along the longest (22″) edge of the main fabric pieces, mark along the top at the following intervals: 3″ – 4″ – 6″ – 7″ – 9″ – 10″ – 12″ – 13″ – 15″ – 16″ – 18″ – 19″ 13) And voila, this is what it should look like.
Making Her Clothes Last (Part Two: the Bottoms!)
Here is the other half I promised! I love this post, because everything in it was SO EASY to do!! I wish that I had more outgrown clothes of hers to play around with! Here is the first one; this little overall dress that Paige wore all of one time. And here's an obvious one: Cut-offs! Confession: I didn't actually do these. I don't have a "before" of this one, but it was a pair of lounge pants that were stained and worn at the knees. These little knit shorts were perfect to add fabric to, to make a skort! Sometimes all you need is a little lace to give you just a tad more length! Now if I could only remember to iron things before I photograph them :o) This one made my heart so happy! Here's a really easy one, for button-back dresses that are too short. This little floral one.... And this one, from a little shirred-waist sundress! I seriously almost died when I had to cut into these jeans. I have to say, I think the shorts are even. cuter. (p.s. it's a size 12m, too!) So there you go!
Joyful Ruffle Neck Top – Tutorial
Last week I showed you the top I made for my MIL’s B-day, remember? Well today is My Mom’s B-day! So Feliz Cumpleaños Mamá!! The process is not very complicated and if you are making one for yourself I will describe the measurements I took, so you can adapt them to fit you. For the top I used some left overs I had of red polka-dot Chiffon, and I wear the top with something under it because the fabric is see trough, but you can make it with your choice of fabric, so you can wear it alone. Top Front: The width for this piece is your bust, I added to my measurement 1 inch on each side for the folding, plus 1.5 inches on each side for comfort. [Click Images to Enlarge] NOTE: Since my fabric is see trough, I folded all the edges and sew them, so it would look better than just sewing and securing the edge with a zig-zag stitch, but this is just my choice, you can do it differently, according to your fabric. I love this top, is so comfortable and the ruffles make me feel very girly
Zipper Card Pouch
Have you ever had too many cards that your wallet can handle? Be selective and get only those cards that you might be using in a particular shopping mall but end up they were the wrong one? Or, may be just forgot to “update” the cards in the wallet on your next trip? I am not a big fan of big wallet, with the increasing numbers of cards that I have, my decent size wallet is no longer able to buckle up. This zipper pouch can hold up to 30 plastic cards (similar to credit cards), and more for thinner cards, business calling card for example. Get the pattern and tutorial to sew one yourself after the jump and don’t have to struggle with the cards anymore. {Get pattern and tutorial on next page.} Pages: 1 2 Get all updates via email: Highlights from Our Partners
elm street life: DIY: Bow clutch sewing tutorial.
And fiiiinally... the tutorial you've been waiting for. This is my first real sewing tutorial - which scares me a bit, because I've never actually taken a sewing class, so I don't know all the terminology. What I do know is that I've learned to sew lots of things by reading tutorials, so hopefully I can make this simple enough that even you beginners can feel confident making a bag. **Also, please note except where I say, "Sew close to the edge," I am using a 1/2" seam allowance throughout. Ok, let's get started! Supplies you'll need: 1/2 yard exterior fabric* 1/4 yard interior fabric (I recommend a quilting cotton) 9" zipper that matches your exterior fabric 1/4 yard #808 Pellon Craft Fuse interfacing Sewing thread that matches your exterior fabric Sewing machine Scissors Pins Iron & ironing board *I recommend a medium to heavier weight cotton for this. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. WHEW!
Paper-Tape Dress Form
David Coffin Photo: David Coffin by David Coffin Barbara Deckert, a dressmaker from Elkridge, Maryland, and author of Sewing for Plus Sizes, uses a form-making method that I've seen in sewing texts from the 1930s: Brown-paper tape from an office-supply store forms a body mold as well as duct tape does, then hardens into "papier-mâché" to become a pinnable form, which you don't even have to stuff. from Threads #75, p.41 <A HREF="
Stepping Thru Crazy: Men's Button-Up Refashion... into Ladies Tank!
A few years ago, when the hubby and I lived in Florida (this was pre-kids, so make that 5-ish years...) I bought him a button-up shirt for his work. The deal was that he had to wear blue or white button-ups, so I thought, "Why not both at the same time?" And I got him this:Apparently when he wore it to work, his boss told him he looked like a picnic basket, aaand the shirt was retired to the closet. Well, I don't care if I look like a picnic basket, so I decided to turn it into a tank top for myself! It was actually really easy to do... let me try once again to tell you how I used a sewing machine... eh.... First things first, I chopped the sleeves off. Then I slipped the shirt on and pinned in the sides so that it fit. I took off the shirt, flipped it inside out and sewed up the sides where my pins were, trimmed off the excess, flipped it rightside out again, and tried it on to make sure it fit. Then I pinned the armholes the way I wanted them... carefully......and sewed them. That's it!
