inspiration: Sewing
DIY RED JEWELED SKIRT
13th February 2013
Although the proverbial ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ often rings true, rhinestones of all shapes and sizes come in a close second. And what could be better than a rhinestone adored piece of clothing that’s not only sartorially appropriate for your Valentines Day festivities (whether it be with a man or your gal pals) but also ticks the ‘one must wear red on Chinese New Year’ box (if that’s your bag obviously). Perfect for paying homage to the incoming year of the snake, as opposed to any other type of snake (cue winky face emoji). The best part about this project? It’s another sneaky before & after piece that won’t leave your bank account gasping for air. Hurrah!
Wearing: DIY Skirt, Zara singlet, Tony Bianco pumps, Coach watch, Mac ‘Lady Danger’ lipstick.
You need:
- A red skirt
- approx 15 black tear drop rhinestones
- approx 15 black round rhinestones
- approx 15 red round rhinestones
- Red thread
- A needle
- Chalk/pencil
How to:
1. My skirt was a long one from a local thrift store so I first shortened and hemmed it to a length I liked.
2. Lay out your rhinestones on the skirt to decide the design you like.
3. Try to keep is symmetrical, in lines but alternating the height.
4. Once you have decided on the pattern, use chalk to mark just above where the rhinestones sit so you know where to sew them.
5. Remove the rhinestones and then start to sew them on working from the top to the bottom. This is the point at which if you are very short on time you can use glue, although sewn on beads will last longer.
6. Sew them together carefully so they they sit in the pattern and the tear shaped beads point down. Cover the whole skirt matching the chalk marks you made, and the rub off the chalk with a cloth or dry sponge. Because I had shortened a longer skirt, the final step was for me to sew the hem of my skirt.
And voila! I’m looking forward to enjoying this red number over and over regardless of whether I get a Valentines Day date or not.
DIY MESH PENCIL SKIRT
1st February 2013
There’s just something so right about the sport luxe vibe I’ve been seeing everywhere recently. Adding a little bit of mesh and bomber jacket action to an otherwise girly outfit can take your look from feminine to laid-back-off-duty-chic quicker than you can say ‘isn’t mesh more of a stripclub thing?’. You probably remember my post from a few weeks ago with a whole lot of inspo on the subject of luxe mesh, and so I thought I would show you how you can make a little bit of mesh all of your own. This project is dedicated to my friend Sara, who got me thinking about how to make a mesh skirt when we were in New York last year. Better late than never!
You need:
- a simple black mini skirt (either a stretch one or one with a zipper). Mine was actually a long thrifted skirt I converted into a mini.
- Some black cotton mesh fabric
- Scissors
- Pins
- black thread
- A needle (if hand sewing) or a sewing machine
How to:
1. Take your skirt and lay it out wrapped in the mesh fabric. Mine was the perfect width to go around twice but if yours isn’t, cut it to size.
2. Cut it to the appropriate length, leaving some at the top to fold over and ensuring it is pencil skirt length at the bottom. You may have to put the skirt on and play around to check the length, that’s all part of the process.
3. Align the seam of the mesh with the zip (be it the back or the side), or if there is no zip align it with the back for symmetry
4. Sew up the seam, leaving an opening for the zip if there is one or going all the way to the top for a skirt with no zip.
5. You should have a mesh layer (a ‘sock’ of sorts). You may want to allow for it to be little longer at the back (to cover the bum) and still be horizontal at the hemline (mine was at least).
6. Fold the top edge of the mesh over the waistband of your skirt and sew it down. Also sew the mesh on up the edges of the zip (making sure to leave the zip open for easy removal!) if your skirt has one.
Ta dah! This skirt looks just as good with wedge sneakers and a monotone bomber jacket as a pair of heels and red lipstick.
Wearing: DIY Mesh Pencil Skirt, J Crew grey t-shirt, Tony Bianco heels, Karen Walker Number One sunglasses, Coach watch
Welcome TO MY NEW SITE!
31st January 2013
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