Category Archives: DIY

May 14, 2012 · 10:34 am

Red Corduroy Kindle Case

Once upon a time there was a red corduroy blazer. Someone bought it, wore it (maybe), and gave it to Goodwill. I bought it at Goodwill, wore it (once), and cut it in half so I could make a Kindle case with it. I wore the half jacket once too (just for fun). Unfortunately it was in my pre-blogging days so there’s no photographic evidence. There is evidence of the Kindle case:

I posted the Kindle case on my Etsy shop recently (to replace another one I made out of a pant leg). Best of all, my friend, Lynn, took the remaining fabric (two sleeves) and made a wine tote out of one of them. Brilliant!

The red blazer has had quite a journey–and it looks like it’s just beginning!

DIY Skirt Zipper

I got this skirt at a clothing exchange and I’m embarrassed to say I’ve been keeping it up with a safety pin. It was a bit too large but I like the asymmetrical hemline.

Top: Swapped
Skirt: Swapped
Earrings: Amy Bengtson
Purse: Frye via thrifted
Shoes: Fry via swapped

I’ve been seeing a lot of “exposed” zippers in the stores lately (meaning the zippers aren’t hidden in seams but are part of a garment’s embellishments). With that idea in mind, I took in my skirt.

First I cut a V of fabric out of the waist (a little pie-shaped wedge of fabric), then I sewed each half of the zipper to the new edges. When I zipped up the skirt, it was smaller. It fits nicely now. And since the skirt was free, it was a low-risk project. Yes, there was a chance I’d mess it up, but I was willing to try.

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Tagged as DIY, fashion, skirt, style, thrifty fashion

May 3, 2012 · 12:32 am

DIY Cable Knit Pillow

Here I go again!

Last year I made a cream-colored cable knit pillow and over the summer I made an orange one. Both pillows sold on my Etsy shop so this past weekend I made another pillow.

This was once an Izod sweater that I found at Goodwill. I wore it for February’s “red and pink” challenge but I’d originally bought it with a pillow in mind.

pink sweater

I liked the cotton-candy color. I know pink draws a strong reaction from people. Give it a chance. It’s a fun shade.

DIY Rug Skirt

I am not a doormat–but my skirt is! I made this awesome stretchy pencil skirt from two doormats I bought at the dollar store. The mats are made of stretchy strips of fabric (scraps from the garment industry, I believe). I have to give credit to a pair and a spare. I saw this idea on her blog.

Top: Flea market
Skirt: DIY
Necklace: Macy’s
Cuff: Claire’s
Tights: Roots Canada
Boots: Old Navy
Clutch: Victoria’s Secret

I laid the rugs on a table, placed one of my own fitted skirts over it and pinned the rugs so I knew where to sew. Twenty minutes and two dollars later, I had an awesome skirt.

I sewed the basic shape, trimmed the excess material from the edges, and then zig-zagged over the new edges so my skirt would stay together. Because the rug/skirt is stretchy I didn’t even have to add a zipper. I simply pull it on.

This project was easy and fun. I’m happy to showcase it as part of this month’s Ethical Fashion Blogger roundup.

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Filed under Crafts, DIY, Ethical, Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as DIY, ethical fashion, ethical fashion bloggers, fashion, skirt, style, tights

February 3, 2012 · 6:04 am

Red Dress for National Wear Red Day

It’s National Wear Red Day®, a day to show support for women’s heart health. Heart disease is the number one killer of women. With that in mind, I’m donning a red dress.

The best things you can do reduce your change of heart disease is quit smoking and lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine has excellent information about plant-based diets and how they virtually eliminate risk factors for heart disease. The message seems to be have a heart–go vegetarian! Of course, you know I already am. I have been for thirty years and I feel great. Have you made dietary changes for any reason?

Bamboo dress: Boutique in Seattle
Tank: Charlotte Russe
Vintage belt: eBay
Boots: Naughty Monkey via thrifted
Ring: Festival Flea Market

I recently cut 6 inches off the bottom of this dress. I liked the longer length but wanted something more edgy. Cutting a hem on a skirt is probably the quickest DIY makeover I can think of. I didn’t even sew the edge. It was already unfinished so cutting it and leaving it wasn’t a problem.

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Filed under DIY, Ethical, Fashion, Healthy Living

Tagged as dress, fashion, PCRM, style, vegetarian, wear red day

December 27, 2011 · 1:18 pm

Blazer Day with a Touch of Marigold

This is my go-to look, I’ve decided: Blazer, jeans, and heels.

Blazer: Laundry by Shelli Segal via thrifted
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity
Tank: Papaya
Scarf: DIY
Earrings: Airport kiosk
Shoes: Nine West

Today, I added a DIY t-shirt scarf and I wore open-toed shoes with socks. You might also notice the embellishment at the bottom of the blazer. I did that! The lining was coming undone so I re-hemmed it and while I was at it I did a little freestyle machine sewing. I just turned the jacket this way and that while I sewed until I had a neat pattern.

How do you customize your things? Do you have a signature look?

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Tagged as blazer, DIY, fashion, jeans, style, thrifty fashion

October 11, 2011 · 1:28 am

DIY Wrap Skirt

Look what I made! I’m participating in Everybody, Everywear, and this month is DIY month. I like to alter clothing—make a mini from a maxi, make a scarf from a t-shirt—but I rarely make something from scratch.

Top: Target
Skirt: DIY
Tights: Target
Earrings: DIY
Boots: Candies via thrifted
Bag: Swapped

This time, though, I did. And I did it right. I like to cut corners but this past weekend, I sat down with fabric, a skirt I used as a pattern, and all the proper supplies. I cut out the fabric (a single piece of stretchy material from the Halloween section of the fabric store), and stitched extra wide bias tape to the top edge.

The rest of the project was more like shop class. I used a hammer and pliers to fasten prong-ring fasteners to the bias tape. Now it’s a one-size fits all skirt. Wrap it, snap it, and off I go. I chose a mesh, semi-transparent fabric, so I’m wearing it with a slip.

The only downside with making things myself is the time and materials I put into the project. I spent about $15 in fabric and $10 in supplies. Add to that the hour and a half of labor and the time it took to buy the materials. I could have just worked for a couple of hours (doing something I’m good at) and bought a skirt (made by someone who’s good at that). But there’s a pride in making something by hand. It’s also a useful skill it I want a skirt in certain fabric or color that I can’t find in stores.

Are you participating in the challenge? What DIY projects have you tried? Check out all the other projects at Everybody, Everywear.

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Tagged as DIY, Everybody Everywear, fashion, style, thrifty fashion

July 15, 2011 · 8:34 am

DIY Maxi Skirt

Pretty Shiny Sparkly put out another Bloggers do it Better challenge. Each challenge showcases real women rocking a current trend. Last time, I tried neon and neutral. This time, the assignment is to style a maxi skirt.

I have a few maxi skirts in my closet, but I also have a photo of a Vivienne Westwood skirt that I’ve been lusting after and meaning to replicate. So last night, coming off a migraine that kept me from work, I pulled out the fabric I’d purchased months ago. There’s nothing like a 5 hour nap and a deadline to get creative juices flowing.

T-shirt: Old Navy
Scarf: DIY
Skirt: DIY
Belt: Steve Madden
Earrings: Shirazi, Seattle
Sandals: Payless

It’s a three-tiered skirt. I overlapped the panels and left the hems on the outside for a raw, unfinished look. The Vivienne Westwood skirt was olive green, but I have a green maxi skirt so I chose purple and navy. I’ll be able to wear this with bright t-shirts in the summer, and warmer, darker tops in the winter. It’s going to look nice with boots too.

I’m not an experienced seamstress, nor do I use patterns. Fortunately this project only required sewing straight lines. I measured, cut, pinned and sewed. I used a stretch poly blend, which ended up being slippery. I’m considering the “ruching” to be a feature, not a flaw.

If you’re looking to replicate this skirt, cut three panels for the front and three for the back. Sew the panels together lengthwise so you have one long, three-tiered back piece and one long, three-tiered front piece. Give yourself extra width; you can always sew the sides tighter. After you have the front and back sewn together you can sew the sides, flip it right side out, and you’re good to go!

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Tagged as Bloggers do it better, DIY, fashion, maxi skirt, purple, skirt, style

July 9, 2011 · 6:06 am

Organizing my Jewelry

I like buying and making jewelry. Add to that equation, the fact that I rarely get rid of pieces and you would be correct in assuming I have quite the collection. I’ve recently started getting organized so I can use all my pieces and not forget about them. Here’s what I’ve done so far:

I displayed all my hook-back earrings on a picture frame with screen behind it. It’s really convenient, hangs on my bathroom wall, and looks nice too. You can have your very own by shopping at Sadie Sewbaggin’s Etsy page. She’s a friend of mine, so tell her I sent you.

For all my studs (and other post-back earrings), I found this display rack on eBay. Yes, it’s probably for a retail display, but it works for personal use too.

I didn’t get fancy with my necklaces. I simply hammered a few nails into the wall at various heights and display them that way.

My loose pendants are in this beautiful wooden box that my friend Tom made. He made it! Isn’t that crazy? When it comes to woodworking, I’m all thumbs, but at least I still have them!

I’m still devising a plan for my bracelets and rings. I might buy a retail bracelet display that I saw at a craft store. It’s all velvety and elegant. I’d like to make a ring pillow but I don’t exactly know how. Any ideas? Maybe I’ll ask Tom.

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Tagged as decor, DIY, jewelry, organized, style

July 6, 2011 · 6:04 am

Another Cable-Knit Pillow

My first cable-knit pillow sold on Etsy so I decided to make a few more. I bought some cable-knit sweaters at Goodwill and washed them. So far, I’ve completed one. The others will be ready soon.

First, I flipped the sweater inside out, measured and marked a square the size of my pillow form (I bought a pillow casing at a craft store), and sewed it on three sides. Then I cut it and turned it right-side out. I used the sweater’s original finishing at the waist as my fourth side. I slipped the casing inside the cover and sewed it shut with two non-functioning brass buttons. If that sounds like too much work, you can just buy this one.

After I cut apart the sweater, the remnants looked rather appealing. I tried it on and whaddaya know. It’s bold, it’s unconventional, but it’s stylish.

By a weird coincidence, unbeknownst to me until I was surfing around blogs a couple of days ago, I found a DIY project showing how to make such a cropped sweater. And the idea originally came from Preen, a London-based design label often described as evocative and sexual. Maybe I’m not so crazy after all. Well, except that when I wear this, I want to say (in a Dieter from Sprockets voice) “I turned this sweater into a pillow but the sleeves still work.” That’s a bit crazy.