DIY Easy Shift Dress. Sweater Upcycle

I wonder how many women have a crotchet cardigan in their closet like I do?

 

I purchased one really fast one day when I needed a black sweater for work. Got to love retain dress codes. Seriously, why do retail stores like to make their works invisible by making them wear all black? I wore this sweater quite a bit for my old job and then this happened.

 

 

I'm not ashamed to admit that I still wore it even after which probably didn't help the hole much.

 

 

So I decided to save it. First I marked around the hole and under the bust with my tailors chalk.

 

 

And then I cut around it.  I failed to photograph the next steps, because after that I started to feel clueless on what I was doing-literally I didn't determine what I where I was going with this until about 20 minutes ago. I decided to go back and cut the original lattice crochet that went around the sweater and I searged it back on around the neckline. Of course if you don't have an overlock machine you could use a zig-zag stitch or an overlock stitch if you have a higher-end machine.

 

 

It looks like stitch G represented above. You may need a special foot for this stich- having never needed to use my machine for this I can't say for sure.

 

 

Next I rummaged through my bin of "To Be Upcycled" clothes and came out with this dress that I have literally had since the 90s. Yes, if the fabric is good I will hold on to something for 20 years.

 

 

I cut the top off and serged the skirt to the crotchet top.

 

Lastly I laced a matching ribbon through the lattice work for a corset look. Worn over my favorite black full slip and I've got a great dress that I suspect I'll be able to wear through the seasons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Style Icon: Debbie Harry A.K.A Blondie

I recently watched CBGB in my effort to stock up on Alan Rickman since his tragic passing, and although I am not generally a fan of the Punk rock band Blondie, I was instantly struck by her in the movie.

And as it has been such a long time since I have done a style icon feature, I determined it was time I did one. Please pardon me if I am a bit rusty on this.

So one thing stood out right away when I did an image search on Debbie Harry and that was this styled top, dress, jumpsuit. She certainly loved this cut. I'm thinking there is a future DIY on this.

But the other thing that I love about her is how effortlessly sexy she is. There's nothing overtly obvious about her sex appeal and yet it is there.

There is a natural ease and grace about her that really makes her remarkable to look at.

She can be completely covered and still be so sensual. It seems to radiate from her very being.

Unlike so many style and sex icons of today, she never needed to be in your face with her breasts, legs or ass. I wish more stars today took a page from her book. To know that you can be completely outrageous without displaying every thing you've got.

Her style was timeless, classic and

bold.

Of course that doesn't mean she won't help you along if you still don't get it. 

Best Valentine's Day DIYs For Him and What Not To Make

So a little over a week ago I posted 10 Truly Different Valentine's Day Gifts Ideas for the Man in Your Life  if you haven't checked it out yet, I highly recommend you check that out.

This week I'm going to share my tried and true DIYs that your man will actually appreciate.

I'm going to spare you some time too because there are a lot of cute DIYs out there for men that I've tried and let me tell you, while Josh appreciated the thought and effort- he didn't really care for the gift. Save yourself the trouble on the following DIY gifts when it comes to your man.

1. Stuffed Animals

Unless the man in your life is under the age of 10, don't make him a stuffed animal. He doesn't care, nor is he going to snuggle with it when you aren't around. It's going to end up in some obscure place and you're not likely to see it. 

2. Felt Fortune Cookies

I spent some stupid amount of time making these felt fortune cookies and I'm pretty sure that Josh didn't really bother to read them. And I think the cookies themselves ended up in the trash.  

3. Love Letters

I spent so much time making this beautiful little leather bound book filled with poetry I wrote throughout our relationship. Hand dyed all the paper, wrote everything in calligraphy, hand cut leather silhouettes of us etc. Don't get me wrong, Josh thought it was really cool and it's sitting in his bedside stand, but he doesn't ever read it. It's a beautiful keepsake and I'm sure it will be treasured but  in hindsight I should have just bought him a basket full of his favorite candies.

Now that we got the things that aren't worth your time DIYing for your man, let's talk about the things you should make for him.  This list will be longer, I promise.

1.  An Ice Pack

I know what you're thinking. These seems like a crazy idea- but I made one for Josh to include in his 30 presents for 30 years and he loves it. It is constantly in use, whenever he has a fever or a sore back this sucker comes out of the icebox. It's covered in a soft flannel and I hand appliquéd it to look like a vintage game boy. And as you can see by his fb post above, he really appreciates this.

2.  A Heart Footprint or hand print.

I made this for Josh on our son's first Valentine's Day and it's one of those keepsakes that Josh really loves. We have it in a shadowbox, in which I am getting ready to add a small play dough heart that Matthew made Josh last month. 

3.  A Mixed CD.

A few years ago I made Josh this mixed CD with a bunch of songs from different movies we had gone to see together. He loved it and it was a nice way for us to relive some of our favorite memories together. It also got us in the mood to watch some of those movies again and that meant more time together!

4. A Box of Homemade Sweets

A few years ago I spent a day baking different treats for Josh. I made his favorite cookies: pink white chocolate macadamia nuts, red velvet cheesecake brownies, and cheesecake stuffed strawberries. It was a goodie box full of his favorites and he loved it. 

5. A Romantic Meal

You could make him his favorite breakfast in bed, or surprise him with a romantic dinner for two. One year I spent some serious time at the dollar tree picking up candles and crystals and decorating our apartment for an indoor picnic. I set out a blanket and cushions and made him a gourmet pizza and double layered chocolate coffee cake. Your guy is sure to appreciate the time you put into feeding him, especially if you like me don't ever cook.

DIY Brown Paper Bag Gift Wrap

This year for Christmas, I've decided to get crafty.

So utilizing the stock pile of brown paper bags I had been hoarding all summer, as well as some acrylic paint and a couple of stencils I made from an old greeting card. I came up with this:

 

So here is the simple DIY that the whole family can use.

 

FYI- some simple sewing is required for this, so get your sewing machine ready with some festive thread.

 

To begin, place out your gifts in the way you intend to wrap them so you can get the basic idea of shape and size that you need when cutting out your paper.

 

 

Next start cutting out your bags to the desired shape and sizes.

 

 

Using your stencil's or stamps- decorate your bags. (you can make your own stencils using card stock or stamps from potatoes)

 

 

Make sure when you cut out your wrapping, you are cutting with plenty of room all the way around- the gift should be able to move around slightly when you're done.

 

 

Fold your paper in half and sew up two of the open sides using a zig-zag stitch and a fun colored thread- make sure to leave one side open to place your gift in.

 

 

Place your gift inside and sew up the remaining side.

 

 

And just like that you're done!

 

 

Now you have a good old fashioned brown paper package tied up with string- with a modern twist.