Wednesday 30 January 2013

Blue Plaid Flannel to Sexy Pleated Micro Mini Skirt

Hello everyone !

Ever notice the ridiculous lack of lingerie refashion tutorials? No? Well, I have and I think it's a travesty that requires a quick remedy. Hopefully this will be the first of many lingerie refashions, because lingerie makes you feel beautiful and sexy and the world needs more women who feel beautiful and sexy.

I started out with this:


It's kinda big...

 

Baby Refashion Challenge!

Hello Foxy Crafters,

I have decided to start a challenge for the year of 2013. Now this kind of thing always makes me nervous as my health is very unpredictable. Right now I feel great but at anytime feeling great could end and I could be stuck in bed for days, weeks, even years. The fear that that might happen was almost enough of a reason to not make this commitment but you know what? I'm so sick and tired of living with my head down in case my symptoms flare and I have to drop everything. What would be the point of periods of near remission I didn't take advantage of them? So, without further ado I bring you...

The Wildeman Holiday Challenge 2013

Rules:

1. Make a complete, themed, non-traditional outfit for my baby boy for every major, and some minor, holidays (see the list below).

2. Every item in the outfit must be refashioned.

3. Each outfit may cost no more than 25$

4. I will post the outfit and it's tutorial at least 10 days prior to the holiday, that way you guys can have a go at it if you want.

5. Include total cost and full tutorial in each post.

The holidays:

February 14th - Valentines Day
March 17th - St. Patty's Day
March 20th - Spring Equinox
March 31st - Easter Sunday
June 21st - Summer Solstice
July 1st - Canada Day
July 4th - Independence Day
September 22nd - Fall Equinox
October 31st - Halloween
November 11th - Rememberence Day
December 21st - Winter Solstice
December 25th - Christmas
December 31st - New Years

Any other holiday suggestions?

Wish me luck and check back for each themed tutorial. Hopefully these will inspire both your creativity and mine and give me the oppurtunity to learn new sewing skills. Each challenge post will be tagged "Wildeman Holiday Challenge".

And here we go...

Monday 28 January 2013

Skull Stitch Markers and Crochet-Fixing

Removable crochet stitch markers -- skulls

I just had to share my new crochet stitch markers with everyone. I bought them on Etsy from Hooray Crochet and am absolutely in love with them! I had been in need of stitch markers for a long time (I had been using paper clips) but I really didn't want to buy markers that I didn't love! I'm one of those people who likes everything little thing to be cool. If I don't love something, if it doesn't make me smile, there is not a heck of a lot of reason to own it. Speaking of which I'm on the look out for a cool teapot if anyone has any ideas...

Also!

Hubby and I have been together since we were teenagers and once, while at the mall, 16-year-old hubby with cash to burn bought this big fluffy red circle pillow for no apparent reason.

 
Now, I try not to be the wife who tells her husband what he can and cannot own, and he was oddly attatched to this pillow. But, I also spend a lot more time in our house than he does since I work at home and this thing was an eye sore in the eclectic brown and blue tones of our bedroom. So...I hooked the crap out of it and made it pretty.

 
 
I didn't use a pattern for this but if your even a little familiar with your crochet hook this is an easy project to pull off, and honestly if you don't even own one yet you could watch a couple youtube videos on how to cast on and do the puff stitch and you'd be golden. I just used leftover yarn from my stash and a matching hook. If you have the pillow you're covering on hand you can just keep checking to make sure that you're on thr right track. 
 
It's simply a round of single crochet, then half double, then single again to create that textured look on the top. Then I alternated puff stitch and single crochet around the sides for what I hope is a Morroccan feel. I used a hook that was a little small for the yarn so that my stitch was really tight as I didn't want the red to show through, but you could also line the case when you're done. I overlaped the top and bottom layers so that the pillow can be pulled out to wash the cover and there are no buttons are zippers to unepectedly poke at you when you're trying to nap.
 
This would be a very rewarding and only somewhat challening project for a beginner. I hope it inspires someone to de-ugly something their partner won't get rid of!
 
May the craft be with you!

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Mixologist - Boys' Week

Let's get down to business -

I just discovered Project Run and Play this week and I can't believe the level of awesome I have been missing out on. I immediately jumped on the chance to feed to birds with one seed (I'm not into killing birds, regardless of how many stones are employed in the process). Hubby, Wildeman and I were recently invited to Uncle Jukeboxs 20`s themed birthday party and everyone must be in costume. Everyone. So, without further ado I bring you Wildeman as...

The Mixologist

Monday 21 January 2013

Peace! - and other clever blog post titles...

Hello everyone!

How about another maternity refashion? I'm not pregnant anymore but I still have a few refashions that have gone woefully unshared for far too long. This refashion ended up being my favourite top while I was pregnant and every time I wore it I got a complement, so awesome near the end when I was all waddly and bloated!

To start out you'll want to find yourself an L - XL T, mine had a cool graphic (because, you know, it's me) but a patterned something would work well for this too. This is a great way to fill up your maternity wardrobe without spending 30$ for a t-shirt.

Would have been awesome for twins!

Friday 18 January 2013

Waterproof Changing Pad Cover


You know what's a weird word? Pillowcase. Pillows don't go in a case. Why not bag or sack or cover. Or even pillowcasing. But case? Am I missing some period in the English language when a case was a bag?

Any way, this tutorial is for a changing pad COVER...not case. And on with the show!

When hubby and I bought our changing pad before Wildeman was born we thought we were getting one that was waterproof (seemed reasonable) but that was very much not the case (hehe, not the bag...it's beginning to make sense). Then we, being new parents, were all like, "Meh, who needs a waterproof cover, we'll be diaper ninjas's in no time!" It turns out the diaper is the ninja, evading explosive poos with wicked agility. Several dry cleaner bills later I finally got around to making a waterproof cover for the thing. I used PUL, polyurethane laminate, the same stuff they use for diaper covers. It was originally a fabric made for use in hospitals but now you can buy it in tons of baby-friendly patterns and colours. We were gifted with a few yards of it while I was pregnant, and I bought some in brown. The brown will eventually be a waterproof mattress cover for Wildeman when he starts sleeping in his own bed (I know the mattress isn't ninja).

Okay, seriously with the show now...


Wednesday 16 January 2013

Women's Button Down to Baby's Button Down

Hello everyone,

It's time for some baby refashions! I have made a ton of clothes for Wildeman and I intend to share them all for you. There really aren't enough cool, commercially available baby clothes in the world. My kid is already cute, covering him in bunnies and teddy bears seems like overkill. It's a damn good thing I can sew or he would be naked all the time!

On with the tutorial:


Sunday 13 January 2013

Reshaping Men's T to Women's

Hello Crafty Folks,

I have a really simple t-shirt reshaping for you today. This is a good tutorial for beginning refashioners who are feeling nervous about taking scissors to their clothes. I started out with a large men's t-shirt with a great graphic design (I have a thing for graphic Ts...and skulls...and colours...I LOVE THIS SHIRT).

Friday 11 January 2013

Simple Refashion: XL Men's T-shirt to Cinched Tunic

Man it feels good to be doing this again!

I loved this idea I found on Pinterest a while ago but hadn't come across the right shirt until my last thrift store visit. The Value Village near my house is a goldmine of large men's graphic T's, and I fortuitously have an obsession with graphic T's. When I found this one I knew I had to have it and immediately knew what to do with it.


I love a cheeky graphic.

Wednesday 9 January 2013

Men's XL Flannel to Women's Fitted Shirt

Hello Crafty Foxes and Foxy Crafters,

I'm finally posting my first tutorial since my little Wildeman was born! This refashion posed a special challenge for me as I am refashioning for my post-pregnancy body, and it's very unlike the body I am used to sewing for. Not only is it bigger in size (40 of 65 lbs to go!), my breasts have gone rogue. I was a generous A before I got knocked up, then I swelled all the way up to an E and am still getting the hang of these Ds I've been left with. TMI? Well, I think it's a valuable piece of information for other refashioners who have experienced weight/body changes for any number of reasons. So this was very much trial and error as fitting a shirt to my bust line before meant very little.

Anyway,

On with the tutorial>>> 

Men's XL Flannel to Women's Fitted Shirt


Monday 7 January 2013

Gift-wrapping for Secret Santa

Hello Crafters!

Hubby and I both took parental leave for 2 months and today we are both back to work. Since I work at home I'm typing this with my little Wildeman attatched to my chest, being adorable. Before he was born I posted a picture of a crocheted owl hat I made for him. When my hubby saw it he decided that he needed one to match!

Hubby and Wildeman in their matching hats!

I didn't have a pattern for an adult owl hat but the pattern for the baby hat can be found here.

But you've already seen the hat.

I know it's a little late for gift wrapping but birthdays come all over the place and you could use these for unbirthday presents too (I really want to start giving people unbirthday presents at random)!

In my family we draw for Secret Santa (or Secret Squirrel when my 3-year-old nephew is around, the complexites of holiday mythology are not quite within his grasp yet). This year I got my mother and though the present I made her is still unfinished (I'm still jet lagged from newborn-time) I wrapped the crap out of it!

I decided to go with a brown paper theme this year.