The Convertible “Infinity” Dress: How it almost defeated me, and what you need to make one I made this thing. It’s pretty cool. It’s a convertible dress that’s basically a circle and two straps, so it’s really easy, inexpensive, and crazy versatile. It’s been around forever and everyone seems to love it (in fact, part of the reason I’m posting this is to answer some questions for people I’ve run into), and I can hardly believe how close I came to not making it at all. I first found the instructions at a blog called rostitchery, and then I came across a second set at Cut Out + Keep. So I bought some material, spread it out in the living room, cut out my pieces, and… …stopped. I didn’t understand the next step. Turn the skirt inside out? And what’s this about making them overlap each other? There’s, like, a band of fabric involved? What? I figured I was just being thick. So I folded up my circle and my straps and I put it all back in the bag it came in. And I went upstairs to watch TV. I was wearing my new dress after about half an hour. Select a stretchy knit with spandex in it.
belle and burger: Panty Tutorial: How to make your own drawers Well folks I think I have been talkin' about this tutorial for about a year, so I finally pulled it out. There are millions( ok maybe not millions, but a whole heck of a lot) of variations and add ons but I was trying to do the simplest one first. Materialsthreadsewing machine1 yd stretch elastic or fold over elasticpaper for pattern(paper bag or newspaper)scissorsold t shirt or any knit materialpair of underwear to cut and make pattern from Make your knickers !! 1. 2. Lie the pieces as flat and symmetrical as possible on your pattern paper(I Try to use the manufactured straight edge of my paper as the center fold line, This way I know that line is straight) Trace around your fabric piece leaving about 1/8-1/4 " edge. This pattern may take a bit of tweaking to get the way you like so use up and the oldest ugliest t-shirts on your first pair then you can make adjustments to your pattern from there 3. I cut the front panel from a large enough scrap of fabric I had in my cotton knit pile. 4.
How to Turn a Scarf into a Vest in 2 Easy Steps... Fashion This genius idea {which I am in no way claiming to have originated but merely stumbled upon a youtube video of it a few months ago} is yet another way to make your scarves work for you. Light scarves, as we all know, are the perfect transitional accessory from Summer to Fall. They warm us up just enough while adding a little pop to our ensemble. This is a brilliant way to add a light layer on a chilly day without spending a dime or even pulling out a needle and thread. It’s genius I tell you… anyone can do it! Go try it now! Here’s What You’ll Need… Specifications: look for your longest scarves in your closet. Steps… * Fold your scarf or fabric in half lengthwise. * Now grab the top two corners of your folded scarf or fabric… * And tie them in a small knot with the least amount of fabric possible. * Open your folded scarf and you should see two arm holes… now go ahead and slip your arms right through those Voila! psst! Have Fun! Find all my DIYs here!
Jumper These are the pieces you are going to need. The measurements are half the garment, so make sure you get them right. First, measure from under your bust to your waist. Add a few inches for seam allowances and a hem. This is where my 10" came from. Next, measure around the largest part of your stomach. Then, decide where you want your button "strip" to go. The skirt and the straps are simple, go ahead and make them what you wish. Below are my measurements. The Designer Pad - A Private Suite On Wheels Talk about bringing camping into the 21st century. This luxurious take on the camper gives you the freedom to go, or stay, wherever you wish, while enjoying the outdoors in style. The Opera is a mobile holiday package combining tent accommodation, optimum travelling pleasure, convenience and comfort, and of course a modern look. This spectacular travel companion will open a world in which you can enjoy the luxuries of a comfortable boutique hotel against the backdrop of your favorite natural settings. The camper comes equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, two beds, a deck and plenty of storage to bring all that you need to have a memorable date with nature. Believe it or not, the compact kitchen is equipped with a stainless steel sink with a mixer faucet and pull-out faucet head and a top loading refrigerator. The electrically adjustable slats and mattresses with two comfort zones are your basis for an excellent night’s sleep under the stars.
DIY Barefoot Sandal + Shoe Enhancer Fashion A simple and fun way to add a little drama to your bare feet… however, I love the barefoot sandal even more when worn with a pair of classic pumps! Simply wrapped around my foot and ankle, I can wear any shoes {even ballet flats} and give them an entirely new look at relatively no cost. What You’ll Need… * Leather lace {I’m using a black suede leather lace} But a bright pink, purple, lime green or white would be fun too! Steps… * Cut two pieces of leather lacing depending on how high you want them to wrap on your leg. * With the center of the leather under your second toe, bring each side forward and cross over… bring them back and around your ankle {just under your ankle bone} and cross your lace in the back, bringing the sides back around to the front. * You can simply cross your lace over each other or create a little design like I did by looping the laces around each other, then back around my leg… * …and criss-crossing them in the back. Voila! Have Fun!
How To Style Maiden Braids Last month I did a makeover story with Kelsie and had many requests for a maiden braid tutorial. Yesterday she came in and we photographed these simple step by steps. Kelsie has extremely long and thick hair, but anyone with shoulder length or longer can do these braids (see my photo below for an example). Steps 1-2: Braid two strands on each side of a center part. Steps 3-5: Wrap braids around the crown of your head and pin in place with one pin each. Step 6: Arrange braids so that they cover the front of your head like a headband. Steps 7-8: Pull the rest of the hair into a ponytail and pin it into a cute messy bun. Step 9: Add final pins and spray.
Glass Beach – The Dump You’ll Want to Visit Before you say anything about the content of this article, I hate people who litter. I’ll judge you if I think you’re too lazy to recycle. I hate pollution and the death of our fragile ecosystems and all the rest. It’s like a little Inuksuk… I’ve been trolling around for lesser known landscapes to road trip to and explore, and stumbled across this chunk of multicoloured west coast paradise. These days, Glass Beach is a protected part of MacKerricher State Park, but in 1949, it was the site of an unrestricted dump. Eventually, California realized that dumping automobiles, appliances, toxic substances and razor sharp shards of glass into the water was probably a bad idea, and looked elsewhere for a dumping site. The beaches under the cliffs lay polluted, cluttered and ruined, and were basically treated as a forgotten ‘mistake.’
DIYing with Delilah: Glitter Cap Toe Shoes {for kids or adults} Fashion Last year for Delilah’s birthday, I got these adorable pewter lace up oxford style shoes for her and unfortunately she wasn’t a fan and rarely chose to wear them. I didn’t take it personally though, she has a fondness for all things pink and purple at the moment and I know she’ll grow into her own style over time… oh and also, because she’s a toddler But since the adorable lace ups still fit, I thought maybe if we sparkled them up a bit together, she’d be more inclined to wear them before she outgrows them in a few months. The teeth marks I found on one of the toes led me to believe one of her 3 adorable, but feisty doggies may have thought they were a snack! I glittered up a pair of my own lace ups to join in the fun. Note: there will be far more photos than necessary in this DIY tutorial {which is very similar to these glitter sneakers} simply because of the cute factor going on here. What you’ll need… Steps… * Dip your shoe into the glitter… Voila! * Note the second coat technique above
Easy Origami Envelope | If you’d like to make these cute little “Flap Lock” Origami Envelopes–all you’ll need is a piece of square paper…any size. I used Christmas scrapbook paper. 1. Fold the paper in half to form a triangle. Make sure your edges are even. 2. 3. fold the right corner about 1/3 of the way to the left. 4. 5. 6. 6. 7. 8. 9. And there you have it! Now scurry off and make a million of these–or at least 24 if you’re using them for the Family Advent Countdown Calendar. Not in the mood to fold your own?
How I Can Afford My Life Of Constant Travel I’m confused. I’m simply confused as to how it’s possible that I have so far failed to properly explain how I’ve managed to travel/live/work abroad nonstop for 12 years straight (and counting). The questions are still pouring in every single day: How do you do it? How is it possible to travel for so long? And while I thoroughly enjoy communicating with readers (I’m being completely serious and encourage you all to continue sending your emails to me as often as you wish), the fact that these very questions are on the minds of so many of you out there has led me to believe that I need to do a better job at providing the answers. While it’s true that I’ve already written plenty of posts on the matter, clearly all of these posts, even as one collective entity, still fall well short of proving that a life of travel is not some crazy fantasy but a perfectly reasonable and easily attainable lifestyle option instead. So what am I to do? December 25, 1999: March 2000 October 2000 January 2001 April 2003
Easy T-Shirt DIY: Cut Out Back Fashion I love a great t-shirt DIY and this one is extremely simple! As shown above, you can wear it two different ways… the first is simply sliced {and reminds me of one of my favorite artists, Lucio Fontana} and the second style, by creating pseudo-bows out of each sliced section. You can choose to wear nothing underneath or wear an alternating colored t-shirt or tank top to show through. What You’ll Need… * A crew neck t-shirt. Steps… * Carefully cut out your “crew neck”. * Flip your shirt over and lay it flat. * You can measure it out, or if you have a steady hand, carefully cut 4 straight and parallel lines or slits down your back. NOTE: To get your cut edges to curl a little, use your hands to carefully stretch out your slits. Wear it like this… or create “bows” down the back… * Depending on the number of sections you have, cut 1-1/2″ sections of your lace or trim. And wear it like this… Have Fun!
Uni-ball Jetstream Ballpoint Pen - 0.7 mm - Rubber Body Series - Metallic Orange Body I wanted a smooth-writing pen that writes with a very fine line. Not knowing what to choose, I bought a Pilot Hi-Tech-C 0.25mm, a Pentel Slicci 0.25mm, a Uniball Signo 0.28mm, and the Uniball Jetstream 0.38mm, all with black ink. The Jetstream was really an afterthought - I expected the gel pens to be superior to a lowly ballpoint. And how fine could a 0.38mm ball write, anyway? To test the pens, I wrote several pages with each one on two kinds of paper. The Signo, the Hi-Tech-C, and the Slicci were very smooth but offered resistance, like moving a canoe paddle through water. As far as comfort goes, the Signo and Jetstream were easily the best and the Slicci was the worst. Skipping was really not a problem with any of the pens, although the Hi-Tech-C and Jetstream did skip just a tiny bit once in a great while, with the Hi-Tech-C worse than the Jetstream. The Jetstream ink, being a ballpoint, dries much faster than the gel pens, pretty much instantly. Hope that helps.
T-shirt bag diy « the tragic whale I got this shirt at Target without trying it on first (mistake) and didn’t know what to do when I discovered it didn’t fit. It wouldn’t have been a problem but I IMMEDIATELY rip all tags off of new clothes and throw them away after I go shopping. Every time. I honestly never learn. And by that time the receipt usually has chewed gum in it so… Yeah. But I’ve wanted to make a t-shirt bag for a while, and this turned out to be the perfect opportunity! The shirt: How cute is this, though? First I sewed the bottom shut: Then I did that thing (insert technical term here) where you sew the corners to give the bag a boxy shape. I cut off the arms and the collar, over-exaggerating the collar so the bag would have a bigger opening. I edged the handles with some black bias tape. And, that’s it! Use it for groceries, bring it to the beach, whatever, and it’s so easy to wash! Like this: Like Loading...