Baby Trench - PR+P Men's Shirt Refashion

Hello everyone!

I'm so sorry that took so long, I didn't end up getting a new charger until this afternoon but I am finally back and with a lovely tutorial (if I do say so myself). I was having the hardest time thinking of something unique to for this week's Project Run and Play sew along. Men's shirt refashion is a pretty well-loved theme for refashioners the world over and though it is a very versatile piece it seemed that I had seen everything.

To make matters slightly more challeneing my only little model is a baby boy, adorable though he is, I'm not sure of he could rock a girlier (therefore easier) men's shirt refashion. Thankfully hubby came to the rescue with a brilliant idea: a baby trench. A classic for a reason. So, a little internet hopping and I discovered this adorable Burberry trench for 4 years old and upward for 350$:

Yes, that's right: 350$ for a children's coat. Seems a little unnecesary to me. Especially when this little peice of adorableness cost

2.50$

 

 

Want to see that again?

 

 

Pants! Pants! Pants!

Hello crafters!

Not long ago I posted about a pair of silver pants I made myself. Those pants have lead to a bit of a pants making addiction. Today I would like to share my little obsession...

All made from Kwik Sew #3807 (with my own alteration for fit)

Cloth Necklace

Hello crafty people
{crafty like a fox}

No refashioning today. Just an oldschool DIY. I made this cloth necklace with some fabric I bought at a thrift store (took me forever to figure out what to do with it but I loved it so much!) but this DIY in particular is usually done with an old t-shirt. Probably works best with jersey, I did it with a shiny, non-stretchy fabric. No freakin' idea what it might be made of (I'm not quite that good).

This is a simple project. I just whipped it up in about 45 minutes. You just cut the fabric into strips to make your braid (I doubled them for a bulkier braid), sew off the ends and attatch a whole bunch of strips for the rest of the necklace. Super easy and super cute! Perfect for summer. Enjoy! (+ my amateur artsy photos :P )

See you soon!

Nerdy Crochet!

Hey everyone!

I know it's been for-frakin'-ever since I've posted and I apologize. I've been busy being pregnant and allowed that to get in the way of my blogging (FOR SHAME) but certainly have not allowed it to get in the way of my crafting (WOOT!)

This is by far one of my favourite things I've ever hooked:

Who says crocheting can't be awesome?

The how-to is easy enough but I didn't have a pattern (naturally). I made my own and it`s acutally super easy to make your own crochet-by-numbers style pattern.

Step One:

Draw the outline (to scale) of your project on graphing paper.

Step Two:

Make your pattern by colouring in squares. You can use as many colours or as complicated a pattern as you want it just means you`ll be switching yarns more often.

Note:



For this project each square on graphing paper is acutally represented by 6 stitches done over two rows. On the bottom you have sc-dc-sc and on the top you have dc-sc-dc. It`s a technique I borrowed from groundhogpeggy on Youtube. She has a whole technique for crocheting images that look right from both sides. I`m not a fan of the overall technique as the contrasting yarns show through but the way she creates patterns on graph paper is really simple and easy to do.

Stay crafty!
M <3

Wrap around earrings

Hey,

This is a super simple project and unfortunatley I forgot to take pictures (again) so you're going to have to image the majority of the tutorial but I'm sure you'll have no problem.

Here's the finished Wrap Around Earrings

Materials:

Hoop earrings

Yarn

Crochet hook

Hair spray

Step One

Crochet all round the outside of your hoop (actually took this picture).

Step Two

Wrap. Wrap horizontally until the yarn is as dense as you want it then wrap vertically. When you wrap vertically make sure you pull the yarn through the top of the hoop so you get that dip look (and a spot for you ear lobe to go). Then tie the yarn off and weave it in.

Step Three

Spray. The yarn's not super stable yet. I just hair-sprayed the earrings, pressed a tissue over them to get rid of the bubbles and let them dry. They're pretty firm now!

Have fun!



Origami Heart Necklace

Hey everyone,

It origami time!

I have always been fascinated by paper folding but had little to do with a bunch of folded paper. Add to that my near-convulsive reaction to wasting things and I, unsurprisingly, never really got into folding paper for fun. Fortunately, I am into fabric and it turns out the two go together beautifully.

Without further ado The Origami Heart Necklace

ps, that's a baby not a beer belly :D

Step One:
You'll need three squares of paper (about an 1.5") for the small hearts and one big one for the big heart. I used paper but it does mean the necklace can't get wet. There are other fabric stiffening materials that are probably ideal. I didn't think about that till later as I'm a bit of a spaz.

Step Two:

Choose your fabric, cut a square with a little bit of a seam allowance (just enough for the stitching) and pin.

Step Three:

Sew the fabric square to the paper square. I chose cotton from an old tshirt as it won't fray too badly (this fabric is actually left over from my Dinosaur T-shirt refashion).

Front

And back.

Step Four:
Fold those suckers into four origami hearts.
Here's a great tutorial.

Step Five:

Sew your first heart to your choice of necklace. I used a braided thin, white yarn. Metal would look great but it irritates my skin.

 Step Six:

Get everyone else one there and...

Voila!

Origami Heart Necklace

Oversized Envelope Clutch

Hello!

It has been a while since I've posted something new up here. I was having brain-melting computer troubles but my brain has been unmelted, my computer replaced and my harddrive restored so...I'm back!

While all of that nonsense was happening was, of course, busy making cool things to share with you. So, without further ado the

Oversized Envelope Clutch Tutorial

I started out with this very cute Juniors dress (yep, that's a dress) that I found at a thrift store for about 11$. It was a size 3 so there was no way I could wear it but I couldn't pass up that gorgeous print!

I tried pinning it in billion different ways (8) and while there were all fine none of them were really . doing anything for me. I think it was the quality of the fabric. That sheen was keeping it from being the funky, casual top I had envisioned. So, I changed the plan.

As I often do, apparently, I forgot to take pictures of the first part so put get ready to use that imagination. First thing to do is decide how big you want your clutch to be. You need something to stiffen the fabric. I used cereal boxes, without thinking that that means I can't take it out in the rain (in Vancouver)...yep...

You'll need two rectangles, one a little thinner than the other and a triangle for the top flap. Then wrap your fabric around your base.

It also needs a liner so that you can't see that base evertime you open the thing.

Now sew it all together (make sure you left yourself a seam allowance).

Need a strap as well (I also added a button just at the point of the flap).

And VOILA!

Pretty cool eh?

Thanks for stopping by!

Crochet Hooded Infiniti Scarf Tutorial

Hello everyone and happy Saturday!

I'm going to start of my weekend by sharing a new project with you. I made one of these a few months back and loved it! I wear it every chance I get. Then, my sister saw it and loved it too. I figured since I was working on a new one I should put a little tutorial up here for you lovely people. This design is not from a pattern at all. I'm just kind of winging it but it's super simple.

I got the idea when I went into a Lululemon. I had never been in one before as I don't like to spend exorbitant amounts of money on stuff that's going to get uber sweaty (unless it's getting sweaty from another kind of work out). They had these beautiful, chunky knit hooded infinity scarves and they were charging nearly 100$ and, well, that's ridiculous.

Project #2 Hooded Infiniti Scarf in Pink

Inspired by: Lululemon

Yarn: Patons in pink (sorry, Sweet Talker, aka my hubby, threw out the label)

Hook size: L

Cost: All in, about 20$

What is it?

It's a pretty basic pattern, Just a hood, and a long scarf that's attached at the front. The scarf wraps around my neck three times to keep me toasty warm. I attatched it with one twist (the thing that makes it "infiniti" so that it's a mobius strip (#nerd)

This is what it looks like when all is said and done:

How to make your own:

The hood:

The hood is just two rectangles crocheted together at the top and back.

Stitch: double crochet

Mesurements: 10" x 15" (but it's way too big

I made the hood first and it turned out way too big but haven't bothered to fix it as I can just pull it back a bit but it has proven a little unnerving when it slumps forward and kills my peripheral vision when I'm crossing the street. I would suggest making it to fit your head specifically. I'm working on a second one now (see my next post for details) and I've been measuring it from the back of my skull to where I want the hood to end. Then just holding it up to my head as I go until it's long enough. Like, I said there's no real pattern here.

The scarf:

Stitch:double crochet

Measurements: 66"x 4"

The scarf is very thin, this is so that it doesn't feel too bulky when I triple wrap it over the hood. It's a little more comfortable that way plus I like that bunched up fabric look. You can't really see it here but I put one twist in the scarf before connecting it to the hood. I quite liked the look of it. A triple wrapped length worked for this project because the double crochet is quiet an open weave but check out my next post to see a hooded infiniti scar with in moss stitch (super thick) that only wraps twice.

Stitch used for this pattern: double crochet

Make Your Own Journal

Hello everyone, thank you so much for checking out my new blog. My intention with this blog is to share my own little sparks of cretivity, or the things I have learned from other talented DIYers online, obviously with my own touches added.

My main interests, as far as DIY goes are refashioning, upcycling and book making. I also harbour a fascination for corsetry and waist training but as a result of extenuating circumstances it may be a few years before I get to make my own corset and start cinching.

This blog will be full of tutorials with pictures and occasionally videos so that you, too, can get crafty and creative. If you create something based on a tutorial you find here I would love to see your creation and see all the personal touches you added to it.

Although many of these designs will be original I hold no copyrights. Most of my work is inspired by others. I'm not here to make money but to celebrate everyone's individual creativity and style.

For my first tutorial I will direct you to an article I wrote for a website called Hubpages. My name is different over there, I use my pen name (I'm a proffessional writer) which is A. R. Colton, so don't be confused. The pictures you see there are of my own work. I hope you enjoy it!

Project #1: Upcycled Journal

Make Your Own Journal on Hubpages

The tutorial has step by step instructions with pictures on how to bind and decorate your upcycled journal.