DIY Dress-Up Ideas: 5 Sexy Ways to Upcycle Old Clothing Upcycled designs often emphasize radical do-it-yourself transformations, but some of the most simple ideas can have dramatic impacts. These clothing conversions illustrate the ease with which people can upcycle ordinary objects and make them extraordinary, turning formless junk shirts clothes into elegant tops, bottoms and sexy dresses. Mari Santos does more than just recycle small-scale clothing extras into new, well-fitting and sufficiently stylish upcycled outfits – she shows how much potential exists in upcycling extremely plain everyday objects, things we would normally trash without a second look. A baggy t-shirt is one of the most ubiquitous items of excess clothing you can find in almost any closet. These ill-fitting and over-sized extras have a lot more potential than most people realize – from make-your-own dresses to two-piece tops and much more.
Starting to sew : What Katie Does I know my blog’s been quite sewing-heavy recently, and I had a couple of comments asking how I got started and if I had any tips on where to begin. It’s kind of a tricky one to answer because sewing has been in my periphery for quite a few years and I can’t really remember what inspired me to start and how I learned, but I’ll try to help! My sewing story I started sewing on my mum’s machine at home in the summer before going off to university (ten years ago, woe). I got sufficiently into it that I bought myself a fairly cheap overlocker – that’s the machine that makes sewing stretchy fabrics like t-shirt jersey much easier and gives pro-looking finished seams to garments. But then I went off to uni sans machines and didn’t really think about sewing much again until fairly recently when classes at Ray Stitch and the Make Lounge piqued my interest again. Get the gear If you’ve never used a machine before, buy a fairly entry-level one to start off with. Starter projects Do a class
Pattern Making Courses Online - Design your own clothes - eTelestia How to Make Your Own Clothes Learning how to make your own clothes is a pastime that will not only save you some money, it is skill that can evolve into a hobby that you love. With some practice, patience, and some sewing know-how, you’ll be on your way to making your own clothing before you know it. Here are some helpful tips to get you going. Getting Started If you have never attempted to make your own clothes before, or if you have little or no sewing skills, finding some good reference materials is a great place to start. Before you purchase any other materials besides a few reference books or patterns, you may want to start thinking about what kind of clothes you would like to make. Gather Notions, Materials, and Equipment Before you begin to learn how to sew, you’ll need to accumulate a few sewing necessities. Learn How to Sew If you already have some basic sewing skills or if you’re already a master seamstress, you can skip this part and move on. Choose a Project Use Recycled Fabrics Be Creative
Free Clothes Patterns Posted on | October 9, 2008 | 7 Comments I originally became interested in patternless sewing, many years ago, because I had a hard time finding patterns in my size. Nowadays, patterns in large sizes abound. These patterns generally of three types. Skirts are very easy to make without a pattern. I came across a few patterns that didn’t fit into any other category, so I gave them their own. We normally assume underwear is too complicated or to time consuming to sew ourselves. Aprons can usually be whipped up in less than an hour. Shirts and dresses are much more complicated to make than skirts. Coats can easily be the most expensive piece of clothing in your wardrobe. Click on the first link to get inspiration. Read More : Sewing or Home Comments
Tips and Tricks for Choosing the Perfect Paint Color | The Creativity Exchange Source: South Shore Decorating Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray Wall color Benjamin Moore Wicker Hi friends and welcome to another Friday Favorites! I have been wanting to write this post for such a long time but for some reason, I haven’t done it until now. If you have difficulty or spend way too much time agonizing over deciding on a paint color, this post is just for you! There are some really easy tricks to zoning in on the perfect paint color quickly {and painlessly}, making it easier to identify and narrow down perfect paint colors for a space. Sherwin Williams Sea Salt So I thought I would share these tips & tricks and the “elimination” process that I use for choosing a paint color. Source: Decor Pad Benjamin Moore Abalone Sherwin Williams Gibralter So let’s get to the tips and steps to nailing the perfect paint color! Step #1) Changing the Focus/Process of Elimination Source: Decor Pad/ Kristy Froelich Sherwin Williams- Contended Source: A Well Dressed Home Door- Benjamin Moore Dragons Breath
Free Multi-size pattern to make your own undies So Sew Easy Undies, underwear, unmentionables, pants, panties, knickers, bloomers, drawers, briefs, etc. Whatever you call them, we all need them and wear them – but not many of us have ever tried to sew our own – until NOW ! And I’ve made a free pattern so you can all make your own to show off. Spurred on by my success with the Sewing with Knits course, I’ve been itching to try some new stretch fabrics. You know me, always trying to run before I can walk. It took a while to get it right, but I’ve made a pattern which you can use too – and it’s in size extra small through to large. Download your free undies pattern UPDATE - Oct 2014. All of the sizes are on the same pattern. Extra small – hips 32-34Small – 35-37Medium – 38-40Large – 41-43 Sizing will also depend on the amount of stretch in your lace, and whether you tend to prefer a looser or snugger fit. Full tutorial coming soon. Update – Part 2 - making up your pattern Part 3 - making your undies
Easy Sewing Projects For Beginners So you've got to grips with your sewing machine, and you're itching to make something. Which sewing patterns are easy enough for beginners? I've gathered together a few suggestions for things you might want to try, but first a few tips for choosing an easy project. I'm a big advocate of diving into sewing fearlessly, but for your very first project you might want to ease yourself in gently: * While you're still making friends with your sewing machine, it's advisable to choose a project with simple straight lines. You may want to avoid curved lines, gathering, pleating etc for now. * Zippers and buttonholes are a little tricky at first, so go for a project that doesn't need a fastening, and save the fun for another day! * When buying fabric, a medium-weight cotton would be good for a first project as it lies flat, presses well and won't slide all over your machine. * Patterned fabric not only looks pretty but can hide dodgy stitching! Right, onto my suggestions for beginner projects:
Make your own lace undies - tutorial and free pattern So Sew Easy If you have already visited my previous posts then you are all ready and set to start sewing you own underwear. Not got the free panties pattern yet? Download the pattern from this post – Free Multi-size pattern to make your own undies And take a look here for how to put your pattern together (important) – Making up the pattern Download your free undies pattern UPDATE - Oct 2014. Once you are all set, you will need the following materials: Stretch lace with a finished edge on both sides – recommended 4 to 6.5 inches wide with a good amount of stretch (recommended suppliers Deb’s Lace and Trims and Sew Sassy)Matching regular threadPiece of cotton jersey – new or recycledSewing machineRecommended – Overcasting foot An overcasting foot is recommended for sewing with stretch lace to get a really nice narrow finished seam and edge inside. Let’s get started… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. I got all over excited and made several pairs. Enjoyed this tutorial and found it useful ?
Free Patterns - Your Style Rocks Design by rma / Pattern by Your Style Rocks! This is the pattern for the 1950s inspired dress that rma designed for our "Past Perfect" contest. It can be worn with a petticoat or you can just leave it away if you prefer a more floaty look for your skirt. We made our own embellishment for the top but of course you can use something off-the-shelf as well. Ours is detachable, so we can always decide whether we're in the mood for some extra attention or not! :-) Please consult our size comparison table, our table of body measurements and the "Patterns" section of our FAQs before you download and print a pattern. Detailed sewing instructions for this pattern are available here. Download the pattern:
Recycled Book Cuffs Jamie Keiles creates fashionable wrist cuffs using the spines of old and damaged books, stitched up with leather backings and heavy-duty snaps. (She’ll line them in vinyl too, if you’d prefer.) I like the graphic, unisex look of these and of course the recycling aspect is a great plus. Recycled Book Cuffs Related