Skinny Ties

One of Ralph’s requests for his birthday was skinny ties. They are surprisingly hard to find — either too long or too expensive for a 13-year-old’s wardrobe. So a few weeks ago, I had an idea: I would buy some old fat ties at a thrift shop and take them to a tailor to have them altered. Brilliant, right? But then, of course, I forgot about the idea till 3 days before his birthday. At which point, I tried to rush and make it happen. But since I had the ties in hand, and since they only cost $1 each, I figured I’d try it myself. Here is the before shot. Here is the after shot: DIRECTIONS: 1) Turn your too-wide thrift store tie upside down. Keep un-stitching till you get to the skinniest part of the tie: 2) Pull the tie form fabric out of the lining (there is probably a real name for this, but I don’t know what it is). 3) Trim one side of the tie-form fabric. 4) If you traced it, then cut out the second side. 5) Your tie-form material should now look like a skinny tie. And that’s it!

http://www.designmom.com/2010/08/diy-skinny-ties/

mediatinker.com Pants Patterns It’s nearly impossible to find free sewing patterns on the ‘Net, so here are the patterns and how-to instructions for two styles of unisex casual pants I made yesterday. Now you can make your own. Thai Fisherman’s Pants These are one-size fits-all pants that wrap around and tie with a sash. Very comfy and stylish, too. You can use almost any weight fabric—from silk to lightweight denim. Techniques & Tutorials Vintage Sewing I hope these varied Tutorials, Hints, Tips & Articles have been in some way helpful, as I have a number of these planned any feedback is gratefully received!

Recycled Pallet Project Ideas » Radcrafter I have had pallets on the brain lately. My mom works for a construction company and has access to a ridiculous number of pallets. All free for the taking, as long as she can find the manpower to load them into her truck. So the most recent load was delivered to me a week or two ago and since then I’ve been on the hunt for possible projects. Of course, I first had to tackle the fun task of breaking them down into usable lumber and made the mistake of thinking I could out muscle those screw-nails.

Stitch Your Own Suspenders! Love the look of suspenders on your guy? This project is super easy and makes a great gift! Enjoy... pattern primer the vintage This post has been prompted by the many emails I’ve received on the topic of sewing with vintage patterns. Where do I start? How do I use a vintage pattern?

Legend of Zelda Treasure chest with sound! 1/4" Pine plywood. You can use whatever type of wood you want, but pine looks nice and is relatively cheap. You'll need enough wood to cut out the following pieces: Two 5.5" x 10.5" pieces One 8" x 10.5" base piece Two 8.5 x 5.5" pieces Five 2 7/16" x 11" slats Also you will need two 6 sided half a decagon pieces. This sounds confusing but I've included a template to cut these pieces out. Print the template out and cut the pieces to be 8" wide at the base. Large Stripe T-Shirt by Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair brought to you by Gilt Short sleeve cotton crewneck large stripe t-shirt. Ribbed collar, cuffs and hem. Material: 100% Cotton Brand: Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair Origin: Imported

Fit and Sizing Vintage Pattern The most wonderful sewing projects can start with a vintage sewing pattern. You can follow the pattern exactly or get creative and interpret yesterday's styles so it coordinates with today's fashions. As an experienced seamstress, I would like to share some of my tips with you so that your first adventure in vintage sewing is a successful one. Portal Level Sign Wall Hanging/Lamp After moving to a new apartment, I noticed I had a lot of empty wall space and not enough stuff to fill the void. I decided I just had to make something for it, and I came up with the idea to make a level sign from Portal. That's right, another Portal-themed instructable. Anyway, it's a very simple design. Definitely not my best work, but I had a few limitations: it had to be able to fit in my car because thanks to college, I move every three months.

Colorblock Slub T-Shirt by J.C. Rags brought to you by Gilt Short sleeve cotton u-neck colorblock slub t-shirt. Stitched collar, cuffs and hem.Front patch pocket with unfinished opening and exposed corner stitching.Graphic printed logo at chest and upper back with logo tag at hem.Model is wearing a size M. Model's measurements: Height: 6'1", Waist: 32", Shirt: 15.5, Suit: 40. Material: 100% Cotton Brand: J.C. Rags How to Make Necktie Valentines February 7th, 2014 Email 51 users recommend sewing 101: making a duvet cover I don’t know about you, but I never cease to be shocked at the price of bedding. And nothing sets off my “I could make that myself so much cheaper and better” instincts like duvet covers. It’s just a big flat case of fabric, yet even the simplest options easily soar into the three digits—but all it takes to make your own is a bunch of fabric, a few straight seams, and a spare afternoon. Not only will going DIY with your duvet cover save you some cash, it’ll also allow you to custom-make exactly what you are looking for. What’s better than that?