Do Your Clothes Fit You? Whether homemade or store bought, do clothes tend to fit you well? If you’re like me, chances are you’ve had countless occasions in life where you’ve fallen in love with a gorgeous dress only to find that the fit is totally off. Or you’ve excitedly cut into your precious cloth with a sewing pattern you adore only to find there’s no way in the world the design is ever going to fit. That’s why we sew, I gather, to try to achieve perfection in fit and style, but there will always be those alterations which need to be done in order to achieve that close-to-perfect (if not flawless) fit. Taking Time to Read: Photos directly above found on The English Muse, a gorgeous and inspiring blog! Let’s begin with some great books that will aid you in altering clothing and patterns from full-figures to petite figures, which have been tested by real people for comprehension and have passed those tests with flying colors. “I have been sewing for over 50 years. “I loved this book. Customization is Key:
New Green Mama: Reversible Messenger Bag Tutorial - StumbleUpon Here's what you will need: Main body -2 pieces of home dec weight fabric or corduroy measuring 14" x 12" (Fabric A) Main body-2 pieces of contrasting home dec weight fabric measuring 14" x 12" (Fabric B) Flap- 1 piece of Fabric A- 12" x 11.5" Flap- 1 piece of Fabric B- 12" x 11.5" Back Pocket- 1 piece of Fabric A- 14" x 8" Back pocket- 1 piece of Fabric B- 14" x 8" Small Pocket- 1 piece of Fabric B- 7" x 12" Strap- 1 piece of Fabric A- 6" x 42" Depending on the weight of your fabric, you may want to interface it. I purchased 1 yard of each fabric and had plenty of fabric left over. Let's get started. Cut out all your pieces. Cut a 1 inch square out of the bottom corners of all 4 pieces. Interface pieces. Take your strap piece and iron each side towards the middle. Then fold in half and iron. Round the corners of the flap pieces. With right sides together sew the flap pieces together leaving the top open. Clip the curves. Turn right side out and iron. Stitch across the bottom of the pocket.
Bound books Book binding can seem intimidating because it usually requires specialized tools and costly supplies. This is an easy and inexpensive way to bind books—and it requires minimal specialized tools. Plus you can make these books any size you want. Many thanks to Jessie for helping me refine the design! How to make mini bound books Supplies 12- by 12-inch decorative sheet of paper (or fabric, wallpaper, etc.) cereal box glue stick string or embroidery floss ribbon at least 5 sheets of white paper one sheet of heavyweight paper (cover stock or card stock) Tools tapestry needle 1/8-inch round hole punch scissors or paper cutter ruler bone folder or X-Acto knife pencil 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Make a Ringlet T-shirt Scarf for Fall | Kevin & Amanda - StumbleUpon This little ringlet scarf made out of old t-shirts is so fun for fall! There’s no sewing involved (hallelujah!), and you can make it while sitting in front of the TV in less time than it takes to watch a really good, trashy show on E. Since I have an abundance of orange and blue Auburn shirts (and we go to a lot of the crisp, fall football games) I decided to go with Auburn colors. This scarf goes together so fast and is basically free to make – it’s perfect to wear in support of your favorite team! :) The best part about this cute scarf is that the only supplies you need to make it are a few old tshirts and a pair of scissors. So grab a few tees in your favorite colors and start by cutting off the hem. Then cut the shirts into strips about 3/4″ wide. Give the loops a nice big stretch. And wrap them around you hand. …31 more times. Now take those hems and cut them into strips about 5″ long. Into one long chain. That’s it! Happy Fall… And have a great weekend!
100 Top Tutorials Here are my lists of the top tutorials from 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Look at all this creativity out there! Top 100 Tutorials of 2011. Top 100 Tutorials of 2010. Top 100 Tutorials of 2009. Top 100 Tutorials of 2008. Double Knitting - Knitting Community - StumbleUpon Double knitting is the exception to many knitting rules. You can double knit a stockinette scarf, and it will lay flat instead of curling. Color knitting will be reversible, showing a negative of the image on the back of the work instead of floats. How is this possible? Double knitting produces a fabric with the right sides showing on both sides of the work. This technique is fun to do and produces a thick fabric that is ideal for winter accessories, hot pads, and there are even patterns for double knit sweaters! Cast on Cast on with double the number of stitches The cabled cast on is great for double knitting because it creates a flexible edge. Cast on with yarn held double You could also use the cast on of your choice, but with the yarn held double. How to Double Knit Single color double knitting instructions Double knitting with one color in the front and one color in the back Bring both yarns to the front and purl the next stitch with only the contrast color
Made By Lex & Blog Archive & Anthropologie Pratia Tank Top Tutorial - StumbleUpon February 6, 2010 1:59 pm Per popular demand, here is the Pratia tank tutorial! Start off with a t-shirt or tank top. Measure your neckline and get a piece of chiffon that length and fold it in half. Pin it to the inside of your neckline with it peeking out. Since I cut the sleeves off my T, I wanted to finish the edges. Stitch it. I highly recommend interfacing where you are going to be adding the embellishments, otherwise it’s going to sag. For the flower pieces, here is the shape and dimensions I used. Fold your pieces in half and cut that petal shape out. I used the extra sleeve pieces, cream chiffon(the kind that won’t fray) and another grey jersey I had. How many do you need? Lay two petals on top of one another, as shown. I did a small ‘X’ shape to stitch them so they stay in place. Just add more, and more, and more, and more………(It’s time consuming. I really liked the bottom gathered feature of this top. Measure how much elastic you will need to be comfortable around your waist.
DIY Wrap Bracelet - Honestly WTF - StumbleUpon You should all know by now that we are all about stacking bracelets on our wrists. The more, the better. In fact . . . the most, the best! With that being said, we’ll show you how to master a version of the ever so popular wrap bracelet. You’ll need (for a double wrapped bracelet) :* Lengths will vary depending on the size of your wrist (see comments for suggestions). Fold the length of leather cording in half to form a loop. Place the ball chain along the leather cording with the end of the chain meeting the end of the wrap. Continue wrapping while checking it for fit around the wrist. When you have reached the end of the ball chain wrap the linen cording around the leather strands 2-3 more times. Thread the hex nut through the strands and tie a second knot. Trim with scissors and your wrap bracelet is finished!! The materials are listed for a double wrap bracelet. It’s a party! (tutorial adapted from Ornamentea; top image via Jak & Jil, rest of image by Honestly…WTF)
AZURE KNITS BLOG: Free Pattern! Quick Cable Slouch Hat//Hat constructions - StumbleUpon This is a pattern I had made to teach my student how to make her first cabled hat, so I made sure it was not intimidating. Very quick to knit, so great for gifts. I have used a bulky alpaca yarn so it had a fair drape and a pom-pom was too heavy, but it may work better if you use wool. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++*Note*I have originally posted and recommended size #10 needles for the body, but it seems like many people have been getting a less slouchy result. If you want to get a slouchy hat for sure, it might be better to use size #11 for the body. Materials Needed: US7 or 8 for Brim US10 or 11 for Body (NOTE : I had used #8 and #11, and the body was pretty big so I felted down a little. For either, DPN, fixed 16" Circular, Using 32"+ needles to work in Magic loop is your choice. I used Cascade Yarns Baby Alpaca Chunky. Directions: Cast on 72st using smaller needles. 2x2 rib for AT LEAST 10 rows in Main Color. Increase row : Repeat *K3M1* (96st) Establishing rows:
How to Marbleize Paper and Cards - Martha Stewart Crafts - StumbleUpon Immediately after removing the paper, place it in a pan, and pour water over it. Hang paper to dry, marbleized side up. Do not touch the paper until it is dry (typically within 2 hours, depending on humidity levels). Decide whether to keep or discard your solution (it can be used several times).
Shes Crafty: DIY Multi-Chain &Ribbon Necklace | M.I.S.S. Due to the resounding success of her last She’s Crafty, my friend Pandora from Accessory Source is back with another lovely necklace DIY tutorial that would make a fantastic christmas present for a friend or relative! She says: When it comes to jewelry, I favor big and bold pieces. And while I tend to wear mostly gold, lately I’ve become obsessed with mixing metals like silver and gunmetal (and throwing in some bling for good measure!). My multi-chain necklace has become a staple in my wardrobe because it incorporates it all. Here’s a quick 10 step tutorial on how to make your own bulky bauble. You will need the following tools: ScissorsRulerPliers (optional)Ribbon-1 yardTwo jump rings (the size of a nickel). Supplies I chose a mix of metals in various colors and sizes and a few strands with rhinestones. All of my materials were purchased at Toho Shoji. Cut your first strand of chain to 12 inches Step 1: Cut your first strand 12 inches long. Hang your chains from longest to shortest