Duct Tape Sewing Form - What not to do

Hello Crafty People!

For crafters on a budget, like myself, the idea of shelling out hundreds of dollars on a sewing form, especially one that is adjustable, can seem pretty daunting. But it's hard to make well fitting or well-constructed dresses or top without one. Luckily, we're in luck! Turns out you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars, 15$-20$, a couple hours and a helpful helper is all you need.

Like a lot of the stuff I do this whole thing was not my idea, it was hers. You can buy a little instruction booklet from her site. Hubby and I just sort of winged it...which proved a little headstrong as we are going to have to give it another shot.

Here is my form in it's current incarnation:


It works fine for loose fitting refashions, which is most of mine as I have fibromyalgia and loose clothes hurt less, but it's pretty useless for anything fitted, which is probably my fault. Not sure how it happened, I must have been standing funny while hubby was mummifying me because, although the measurements are perfect, the hips are really narrow and the belly is super poochy, which is the opposite of how the measurements work out on my body. I still don't fully understand how that happened since there is no position in which my hip bones contract...anyway, we got some more duct tape and will be giving this project another try in the next few days. Wish us luck!

Crochet Earrings!

YAY! I have a new computer and I've finally figured out how to use it. When my computer died earlier this week I really thought I would be able to go a little while without it.48 hours was enough to have me nearly pulling my hair out, and lets face it, I don't really have enough hair to be pulling it out. SO, Sweet Talker (hubby) and I got down to the lovely people at Memory Express in Richmond and got ourselves the new Transformer Prime. Aside a from a very curved learning curve as I've been using Microsoft all my life it's working out pretty well. I have been bent shouldered and red eyes for days trying to figure out how the damn thing works so I haven't been very crafty. I thought I would throw up some of my old favourites.

So, without further ado I give you Crocheted Earrings:

Materials:

Yarn

Crochet hook

Bangle

Earrings hooks

How to:

This is a pretty easy and super quick project if you already know single crochet. If you don't I would suggest checking out a couple youtube videos on the subject. That's how I learned.

Step one:

Choose a bangle or ring of your desired size. I know mine is pretty huge. I made a pair of these for my sister and SIL with small rubber rings I found at a craft store.

Step two:

Crochet the magic circle. Sc 2 or 3 depending on how thick your yarn is. Then sc in the first stitch and start crocheting in the round. Continue to crochet in the round until your circle is about the size of the bangle or ring, just a tiny bit smaller.

Step three

Sc over the ring or circle all the way around. While you're doing this the circle may begin to look a little warped but it should even out once you've made your way around.

Step four

Attach the earring hook by the yarn and wear your super cool new earrings!

Thanks for stopping by crafty people!!!

Amazing weekend craftiness scores!!!

Friday I went down to Farbicana with my lovely sister + SIL. We all found some excitingness but I'm particularly excited about these amazing fabrics that (as soon as my Kwik Sew pattern arrives) are going to become the COOLEST. PANTS. EVER.

Metallica:

Okay, I didn't come up with that name. This series of fabrics is actually called Metallica. This one in particular is called Pewter. I was really eyeing the really bright chrome silvers that looked like liquid metal. It would have been like having the second generation terminator on pants form. Sadly, I didn't quite have the balls to go all out spangly silver. This Pewter is a little more subdued (really, it is). It's my gateway silver.

Black on black:

And my subtle pants. From far away they just look like blck but I loved the subtle circly print (makes me think of Cptn. Jack Sparrow's tattoos). These are way more subtle than I was planning to go.