I'm a lady who loves bow ties. Love them on the silent-but-strong mannequins at Nordstrom. Love them on Handsome Him (AKA my dashing husband). Love them for the fabrics from which they are made. LOVE THEM! So, how is it that Lifetime's Project Runway read my mind and fashioned a recent episode (Season 12, Episode 4: Tie the Knot) around my obsession? AND featured an amazing organization that promotes equality? Fabulous! Way to go Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
The winner deserved to win, no doubt about it. But his design wasn't my personal favorite. My favorite came from Dom Streater. Did you see her dress? So beautiful and so fresh.
And here is my HELLO!?!?! moment -- Did you know that MoodFabrics.com spotlights all of the creations from current Project Runway seasons AND the fabrics from which they were made on their site? How many times have you sat on your couch, watching and wishing that you could capture even a tidbit of the essence of a contestant's design? When I saw Dom's dress, I knew that I had to re-create it for myself! But where to start? Now I know! MoodFabrics.com. Wow-ee-wow, is this going to be fun! Click here to see just what I'm jabbering about. And stay posted to see my version of this fantastic dress! (But give me a little time, I just had a baby. I amy be a dreamer, but I'm also a realist.)
Actually, I probably don't need more Pinterest. I spend way too much time on that site as it stands. But it's such a fabulous place to search for inspiration that it certainly deserves mentioning here.
But I have a pet peeve when it comes to this wonder of the web... THAT PEOPLE DON'T SITE THEIR SOURCES. Yes, I just yelled that. And yes, sometimes, a photo will serve to remind me of the perfect, secluded Balinese bungalow perched in the ocean that I'd someday love to visit, but what about the clever crafts that need bit more explanation than just one photo or the to-die-for stilettos that I want to drop the cash on but haven't a clue who sells them (or what their brand is, for that matter). Grrr...
So, I'd like to re-post section three from the official "Pin Etiquette" from the Pinterest website. Please to enjoy... (and then I'll shut up)
3. Credit Your Sources Pins are the most useful when they have links back to the original source. If you notice that a pin is not sourced correctly, leave a comment so the original pinner can update the source. Finding the original source is always preferable to a secondary source such as Image Search or a blog entry.
I am SO buying one of these! Think of all the millions of scraps of paper that will soon confetti my home. Let the ticker tape parade begin (well, in 2012)...
This video by wendyslookbook is amazing! And with winter temperatures starting to drop, it's high time to pull out your box of scarves. What?!?! You don't own a million scarves like me? Well, get busy and buy a few. They're everywhere, they're practical (thinking warmth here), and they're an inexpensive pop of color and texture!
Another seasonal Nordstrom catalog graced our mailbox recently. And, as happens EVERY TIME I fall in love with an item and go to order it, whatever it is is OUT OF STOCK! Grrr... So I decided to take matters into my own hands this time and re-make these darling little summer shoes.
As luck would have it, Old Navy had their thin-strapped leatherette thongs on clearance for $5.49. So I grabbed a silver pair and got to work.
SUPPLIES: Thin-strapped flip flops that have a slightly dressier look than basic rubber ones Glitter vinyl fabric (this is the same stuff that diners use to cover their barstools) Hot glue gun & glue Scissors, rotary cutter and mat Pen
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cut two of each of the following rectangles from the vinyl: 6x1.25-inch (bottom bow), 4x1.25-inch (top bow), and 3.5x0.75-inch (middle band).
2. On the backsides of the top bow and bottom bow pieces, draw a line to mark the very center of the rectangle.
3. Pick a rectangle, fold the short edges toward the center mark you've just drawn, meeting in the middle. Cover with a sheet of tissue paper and zig zag stitch. The paper will help keep your presser foot from sticking to the vinyl fabric as you sew.
4. Tear away the tissue paper. It's okay if a little paper gets left in the stitching. It will get covered up with the middle band in the end. Repeat for all of the top bow and bottom bow pieces. Don't forget to trim your threads.
5. Run a bead of hot glue down the zig zag stitching and stack the top bow piece to the bottom bow piece.
6. On the middle band pieces, carefully cut a 1-inch slit on one end of the rectangle. Keep the cut centered on the vinyl fabric.
7. Run a bead of hot glue down both side of the cut and press to the underside of the toe strap. Watch for glue burns!
8. Hot glue one stacked top/bottom bow to the top of the toe strap. Be sure to center the bow over the toe strap.
9. Glue the middle band up and over the bow's face and then back around to the bottom, gluing down any loose corners. Work with a small section at a time or else you'll have a hot gluey mess on your hands.
10. Slip them on! You're done and aren't they just cute as a button? I mean bow?
Wowie, wow! The No-heat Curls not only worked, but were AMAZING! Watch the video and then try it yourself. I'd love to hear your feedback. Below is mine:
Here is the back of my head, hair wrapped around the headband (or "ramband", as my daughter likes to say). Just a couple of extra notes from experience: 1) I have short bangs and I left them outside of the headband and 2) I ended up wrapping my head in an old scarf like Aunt Jemima. My hair is super thick and heavy and it felt as if the weight of it was pulling the headband down and the curl out. So I panicked and wrapped. Plus, I think it may have helped keep the frizzies at bay. (Ha ha! I foiled your dubious plan, Ernie the nighttime hairdresser!)
This is immediately after I pulled the elastic out of my hair. Nothing else. (Why did I wear a black t-shirt for this photo??? Duh.) Serious curls!
I ran my fingers through the curls maybe two or three times and then sprayed lightly with hairspray. That's seriously it! The curls were bouncy and lasted all day.
I stumbled upon this no-heat curl tutorial on another blog, let skeptical thoughts dance through my head, watched the 13 minute video, and now I can't wait to try it myself! I'll report back on how it went with my hair. But man, if it works, this girl's going curly this summer!
Come on! This has to be the cutest picnic "basket" ever. Can't you just image my super-stylish spring picnics in the park? Me, in a June Cleaver cotton dress complete with crinoline petticoat, my daughter, gathering armfuls of dandy lions, darting back to our blanket only to snag a cucumber tea sandwich from our tiffin box. I have to wonder... would Yogi Bear tear right into the lunch inside or would he, like me, just stare happily at it's design?
Target, Tiffin Box, aqua link or yellow swirl, $24.99
REVIEW PROS: It's the perfect size for a generous lunch. It saves the earth from another jumble of plastic sandwich bags. It's top-rack dishwasher safe. It makes the user look hip. REVIEW CONS: The compartments do not have an airtight seal. I know full well that my daughter will eventually find a way to pack her treasures into it and persuade me (with puppy dog eyes) to keep it.
Late last summer, I lifted an idea from a t-shirt in a summer Nordstrom catalog. I couldn't help myself. The t-shirt was delicious and it just screamed "You can do that!"
Supplies:
T-shirt Freezer paper Pencil Sharpie pen Mark-B-Gone pen Embroidery hoop, thread, and needle Fusible interfacing, lightweight
How To:
1. Pin and trim a piece of freezer paper to the front neckline of a t-shirt. With a pencil, gently trace the neckline of the shirt below the ribbing. Still with your pencil, sketch a bow onto the freezer paper (or feel free to use my template) and trace the design with a black Sharpie.
2. Re-pin the freezer paper behind the t-shirt and, with a Mark-B-Gone pen, trace the bow design onto the front of the shirt. Discard the freezer paper. (For the record: It would seem easier to use tracing paper to transfer the design to the shirt. However, the knit fabric doesn't play well with tracing paper. Try it if you must, but be forewarned.)
3. Place the embroidery hoop over a section of the design. With two threads, stitch the design onto the t-shirt. Move the hoop as needed. Be careful not to stretch the t-shirt as you sew.
4. Spray the design with water to make the Mark-B-Gone ink disappear. Do this before you walk away from the project. Mark-B-Gone turns somewhat permanent after a while. (I learned my lesson the hard way on this one.)
5. Turn shirt inside out and iron a piece of fusible interfacing just large enough to cover the stitching. This will help from knots coming undone or fraying.
Let's face it - ruffles are hot. J Crew and just about every other company right now have ruffles everywhere in their catalog. And ruffles are about the easiest thing in the world to emulate as a seamstress. (Hurray for one project that didn't melt my brain!) For example... J Crew currently has their Perfect-fit Cascade Tee selling for $29.50. My version totaled about $10.
Materials: 2 t-shirts (same color), Nordstrom Rack about $5 ea Coordinating thread Rotary cutter, guide & mat
Directions: 1. Wash and iron your t-shirts. Washing first helps keep shrinkage under control and ironing will help give you a more manageable canvas on which to work.
2. Spread one t-shirt flat on a rotary mat and, on the bias, cut strips 2.5-inches wide. Cut the whole shirt. You might not use all the strips, but you might. Better safe than sorry. I used leftover strips to embellish a dance leotard tuxedo-style for my daughter.
3. Cut the end of each strip so that it creates a nice square end.
4. Overlap the ends of two strips and sew with a 0.25-inch seam allowance. (Backstitch if you're worried about the stitches coming loose.) Continue with about three or four strips and stop. Repeat. This should leave you with a couple of sewn strips. (The ruffle on the shirt s NOT one complete strip, but three.) This will leave the seam allowances exposed. Ruffle shirts are not an exercise in hiding seams, but in embracing elements like fraying, wrinkles, etc.
5. Run a 0.25-inch basting stitch along one side of each sewn strip and gently gather.
6. Stare at the J Crew photo and then begin pinning. The beauty of ruffles is that there is no right or wrong design really. Start at the shoulder and work down, making sure to hide the basting stitch of the layer below slightly.
7. Once pinned, top-stitch over basting stitch. I opted to look a little less like a pirate and ironed my ruffles flat. Did the trick.
8. Try it on and wear it out! And, for heaven's sake, don't tell anyone you made it. Let them think you bought it at J Crew! The first time I wore my shirt I got stopped at least FIVE times in an hour asking where I got it. Ah. The perfect craft for the egoist. [Insert evil laugh here.]
When I "blog-around" for inpiration and new ideas, sifting through other people's vacation photos just slows me down. My fault, I know. I probably shouldn't be poking around in the first place... So, this blog will be home to my creative victories and speedbumps. All crafts, all the time (with a few outside inspirations thrown in along the way). Promise!
My mother (Mrs. W) teaches some amazing students, who have been hit hard by the downturn in the economy and high foreclosure rates. They are eager and smart students that just need a boost! Click the link above to help.
