Tutorial: Hi-Low Ruffled Pencil Skirt

If you like my mermaid inspired skirt, then get excited because I made a little tutorial for you so you can make one as well!

While it seemed to suit me perfectly for my mermaid endeavors at the beach, it's a fun and comfortable skirt to wear out in general - best of all, it only took me a few hours on my serger!

If you don't have a serger, you can still make this with a regular sewing machine. I would recommend a zig-zag stitch for the seams and your choice for the gathers. (My usual method is here, but I think this new way looks fun to try!)

Supplies 
2-3 yards of stretchy jersey fabric - more if you're a larger size or want to line it
matching thread
serger or sewing machine (or needle and thread!)
scissors
chalk
sewing pins

Directions
1. Measure your waist and subtract 1.5 inches - it's jersey so you'll want negative ease. Cut out 2 long, rectangular pieces with this new measurement in length and 4.5" in width. (For example, someone with a 28" waist will cut out 2 rectangles that measures 26.5" x 4.5")

2. With right sides together, serge one of the long edges together. Turn and press. With RST, serge the two ends together with a half inch seam allowance to create the waist band.

3. Using the below picture as a guide, cut out your main pieces for the front and back sections of the skirt. The widest part of the skirt should be 1.5" less than your hip measurement. Using your waistband as a guide, grade the top of the skirt until it reaches your hip measurement - because jersey is stretchy, you don't need accurate measurements here. From the top to the side hem (not including the waistband), I have 16" and you can see the adjustments for the front and back piece. With the adjustments for the front piece, the center measures (not including the waistband) 14" in length. The center back (not including the waistband) measures 18" in length.

4. Sew the two sides together with a half inch seam allowance. Attach the waistband.

5. Measure around the bottom of your skirt to find the ruffle length and multiple that by 3.19. For example, if your bottom hem measures 48" all around, cut out strips for your ruffle at approximately 153" in length, with 4.5" in width. I like to ruffle on my serger - though if you prefer to gather by sewing machine you may. Gather until have the proper length of your ruffle.

6. Pin your ruffle into place and serge the ruffle onto the bottom of your skirt with a half inch seam allowance. You can finish the seams if you want, but jersey doesn't unravel so I left mine unfinished.

DIY Gift Idea: Memory Candles

If you've been friends with me for any length of time, chances are I've given you a memory candle for some celebration or event in your life. If you're lucky, I've even shown you how to make them yourself as it was shown to me. Well, now you no longer have to wonder how I pulled off this magic because today's post will teach you how to make them.

(No time? Not crafty? Check my etsy store to purchase your own!)

Supplies
candle/ glass candle holder
picture(s)
photo editing software and/or Word
printer/photocopier
packing tape
water

Instructions
First you should find a candle or candle container that you like. It should be clear, with smooth, straight edges (i.e. nothing that's small at the bottom and widens out to a larger top).

Next, you need to find photos that you want to use and modify them. You should make them black and white, and you need to resize the photos to fit on the candle container.

I turn them black and white and adjust the contrast in an online image editor like Pixlr or PicMonkey, and I re-size them in Word using the handy rulers next to the margins.

Via Guides and Tutorials

Once the photos are black and white and the right size, print them out. Make sure to give each photo a little white border which you'll need in a few moments.

Once you've printed it out, make a photocopy of the pictures. Copier toner is cheaper and the picture looks worse, but that's the kind of ink we need for the project. If you have copier toner at home, perfect! If not, I make photocopies at work or the library and every so often at Staples.

See the difference? We need less quality!

Take packing tape and place it carefully over the picture. You'll want to create a border on each side of the picture. If you have a larger picture, overlapping tape is fine.

Smooth out and press down the tape so that the ink can be picked up by the tape. Make sure there are no bubbles!

Fill a bowl with warm water and let your taped photos soak for 5-10 minutes.

When you notice the paper separating, take the packing tape photo and gently rub to remove the rest of the paper. I find it's easier to remove the last bits of paper under running warm water.

 Shake the excess water off the packing tape and set it aside to dry. As it dries, you'll notice little bits of paper that you missed. You need to run it under warm water again and rub the last bits of paper off.

Repeat a few more times if necessary until all the paper is gone.

Once the tape completely dries and you don't discover any pesky bits of remaining paper, carefully line up and press the packing tape onto the side of your candle holder. Smooth it out so there are no bubbles.

And there you go! You can add more pictures or just leave the one.

Add a candle to your container and you have a wonderful, sentimental gift that can keep forever!

Finished: Silhouette Pillows for Valentine's Day

Remember how I mentioned the week of Valentine's Day that the bf and I were celebrating a bit late because of work? Remember how over the weekend I mentioned that I was still working on his gifts? I'm finally finished! I was afraid it was going to be a month late, but it was only a few weeks late.

Yes, you're seeing correctly. I made a grown man some pillows.

I knew I wanted to make him something, especially since I bought his Christmas gifts (and um, may have skipped his birthday), but I wasn't sure what to do. Last year I made him some terribly awesome paintings (here and here). To be fair (to me), it was the first painting/artistic thing I had done since middle school, which was about 15 years ago. I was generally proud, but I knew it could be better.

His reaction last year? "I love it because you made it." Not quite what I was going for, but I'll take it. I asked him recently and he said the paintings not only grew on him, but he actually loved them because they were reflections of our personality. (Awww!)

So as I was brainstorming for ideas, I saw this painted pillow idea from Cotton and Curls and I knew that was it. But I didn't want to have a bicycle because we're subway people. We're also vain so I knew I wanted to feature us. He's a cameraman in real life. I love dressing up all the time. He loves taking my picture. Perfect! 

As I was searching for silhouettes to use, I came across the vintage couple image having coffee and a smoke.  One of my favorites things to do is to sit over tea or coffee and chat so I wanted to include that one. I cut out the cigarette from the picture because I'm trying to instill good habits!

Okay. So while Cotton and Curls had a great tutorial, I took photos of my process because it's slightly different. Also, I want to add that I know it seems like it's a lot of work in theory, and while it is a lot of steps, this was pretty simple to create.

All right, so once you find the silhouettes you want to use, you need to print them. Because I didn't want to waste black ink, I converted them into a vector outline. I looked up how to do it on photoshop, and it seemed like there were a lot of steps involved. Since I'm not a photoshop expert (or even beginner), I went back to my tried and true Picasa and just clicked on "pencil sketch." Voila.

I made my pillows 15"x15" so I had 4 fabric squares of that size. I printed and cut out the vectors, then taped them to the fabric. In hindsight, I would center them a bit more because adding the stuffing obviously stretches them out, but place them however you like. Use a ruler to make sure everything's level.

And watch out for cats.

The couple vector had a lot more detail, as you can see from the original, on the above right side. I used small pieces of tape where I wanted detail, like in the chair, the legs, parts of the table. You'd think it would need to be perfect, but it's nowhere close.

After lining up and taping the vectors, I used sponge paintbrushes to transfer the black paint. I suppose fabric paint is best, but I used acrylic because it's all I had. According to the internet, acrylic is just as sturdy, but the dried result is just stiffer than fabric paint. Fine by me.

The aftermath.

And the result!

Then I went through my suitcase of fabric scraps and picked out colors and weights I liked. Some of the lighter fabrics weren't as good for this project because they were so flimsy. I loved the satin, sateen cotton, and the heavy lace the best. I cut out my shapes, arranged them appropriately, and pinned them into place.

Then I top stitched the hearts into place. I used the same blue thread, and I was afraid it was be a terrible contrast (but too lazy to change the thread and bobbin), but it actually turned out quite nice I think.

After top stitching, I took some yarn and a needle and I threaded the balloons. I tied knots behind each ballon and had the strings come through the girl's fingers.Instead of tying them at the end, I used fabric glue to secure them behind her hand and again where the strings are loose.

Then I just stitched up the pillow, leaving a small opening on the bottom for the stuffing. After stuffing, I topstitched the small opening shut.

As for the vintage couple, I decided putting hearts around them would be too much. I didn't want to leave it alone because while it was very classic and simple, it wasn't overtly Valentine's Day and it didn't match with the cheesiness of the other pillow.

I was thinking about putting an outline of a tree next to them because I'm obsessed with regular furniture and scenes taking place outside at the moment. But then I stumbled across a very beautiful photo of some hot air balloons that seemed so nostalgic and romantic. I just loved it and decided I would have hot air balloons.

The boyfriend was more than a little shocked that I gave him pillows for Valentine's Day, but he loved them. (Of course!) He was terribly confused until he saw the little cameraman and he exclaimed, "That's me! Oh, and that's you! This is great!" Ha, I actually thought he would like the couple better because it's simpler and less flashy, but remember how I mentioned we were both terribly vain? Turns out he likes the one where I'm hot and he's being a big shot the best. ;-)

Even Franklin approves!

Finished: His and Hers Coffee Cozies

If you're looking for the knitting pattern, the page has been moved. Please go here for the PDF.

 

Notice: These knitting patterns are based on the cozies I previously completed from Twisted Fibers Designs, whose website and ravelry page have been down for over a year. These are my versions of the patterns based on what I remember.

These are both really quick and easy basic cozies, and I really love them. They're really perfect for gifts or if you like sitting in front of a window/fire during the winter.

I first knitted these as a beginner and I found them terribly hard and confusing so don't be put off if you're also new and can't get the hang of it - it's the perfect project to learn how to cable, knit, purl, and switch back and forth between them all.

The "his" is the basketweave cozy and the pattern is easily adapted if your mug is larger than mine.

The "hers" is a cabled XO pattern with a cute border around the edge.

Both can be adapted fairly easily and certainly one is no more masculine or feminine than the other. You know, just in case you weren't sure. :-)

If you're looking for the knitting pattern, the page has been moved. Please go here for the PDF.

Finished: Mug Cozy with Hot Chocolate

Are you all finished with your holiday shopping? I like to give homemade gifts to my friends and family, and it's even better if I can make them myself! Just in case you're struggling for ideas, here's one that I made this. (Don't forget the memory candles from last year either!)

Here's one that I'm so, so pleased with. I only took up knitting a few weeks ago, and really, I only took up crafting a year ago, so the fact that I was able to make this and it turned out so well makes me so happy and proud.

I was looking around for a cable coffee cozy when I found the Hugs and Kisses pattern from Twisted Fibers Design (the link goes to the etsy shop, as the website went down last week). Unfortunately, the cup I picked out for my friend is much larger than a regular coffee cup, so through trial and error, I set about enlarging the pattern. If anyone's interested, let me know and I'll write up the pattern for you!

As I mentioned, I was looking for cables and when looking at the finished product, I didn't notice that it wasn't cable like I was expecting, but an XOXO pattern. How perfect to give to one of my friends!

Here's a better shot of the finished pattern:

 Once I finished the cozy, I had to come up with buttons. It was my first time using buttons in anything, and I really hated the experience. Who knew finding buttons perfect for your project would be so difficult? And who knew that once you found appropriate buttons, they'd be so expensive??

I shrugged it off and bought some overpriced buttons, only to discover that the color looked awful with my orange yarn. So I painted them. You can see the original color on the bottom right:

After securing the buttons, I made cords to secure the cozy to the cup. There was a bit of a design flaw in my pattern because the bottom of the mug was narrower than the top. I made up for that by making the second cord smaller than the top, which helped secure the cozy in place.

But you can't just give an empty mug to someone!

I couldn't find cellophane paper, so I cut up a sandwich bag to make it stand on end like cellophane would. I added enough hot chocolate mix for the mug and marshmallows and secured it with twine. Just so there was no confusion, I cut out a cardboard gingerbread person and wrote instructions on the back.

And there you go! I think it's just perfect!

DIY Skull T-Shirt

While I was home on vacation, my brother walked over with a stack of men's white tshirts, sized large, and handed them to me.

Somehow, even though I'm not a man, nor am I into oversized white tshirts (that coincidentally fit him), he was convinced that the shirts were mine and had somehow ended up in his room. He was returning them. I laughed and gave them back, but then, of course, I ran across across a site explaining how to make a skull tshirt. And you guessed it! I needed a large, white tshirt.

Luckily, my brother was willing to part with one, though it became a battle! The website tells you to print out a skull shape and transfer it to the shirt, but where's the fun in that?

I had my sister trace my bra straps (since I had no intentions of going braless!) so that I could then draw the skull around them. I drew it in pencil, then cut it out.

It was pretty easy, but I ran into one problem: if the nose isn't pointy, but more rounded, it looks rather like a gorilla. And that's not cool. Ha, luckily it was an easy fix, though the skull face is still a little friendly, and I think the point is that it's supposed to be scary. Oh, well. I'm a friendly person, so I guess it works.

The other problem was that I'm pretty pale, and in order for the shirt to really stand out, I needed to wear a darker color underneath. I'm thinking of dying the shirt to a gray or black color so there's more of a contrast.

What do you think?

Finished (Kind of): Buttercup Bag

I've never been into purses. Growing up, I saw them as being difficult, not only because you had to carry them because girls can't carry wallets (or maybe my jeans were too tight?), but there was all the added pressure of making sure it looked good so you could fit in. Not that you could ever truly fit in when you're a teenager, but everyone wants to at least stress out about it and try, right?

Anyway, in college, I was left out because everyone started carrying designer bags. The affordable ones were SO UGLY and the ones I adored, were of course, way out of price range. But because I really wanted one, I ended getting a Coach bag as a gift for Christmas (thanks, ex-boyfriend's mom!). I carried it everywhere. I actually still have it and it held up pretty well. So maybe it is worth the money?

I was planning on a nice photoshoot
in the park, but it's been cold and rainy.
Forgive my appearance.

Anyway, it didn't work ALL the time because it was brown and purple and I needed something black as well! So I used up a gift card and bought a cheap-ish purse on Amazon. It served me well until I finally decided to toss it. I don't mind things falling apart, but this purse just looked so sad. Conveniently, a friend just gave me a Kate Spade purse to replace it.

Which is what I'm currently carrying until it disintegrates. But for some reason, I want to branch out and carry something else. It sucks only have 2 options. I like the bright red color of the Kate Spade bag, but sometimes I don't like carrying such an expensive purse. Or one that's that large.

I saw this purse on Pinterest, and I was immediately intrigued. Perhaps with my newly developed sewing skills I could make a purse? Plus, the pattern was free, so how could I go wrong? (Ha!)

It said it only used a fat quarter. At the time, I wasn't aware that was a proper sewing term, so I bought half a yard. I'd rather be prepared, just in case. Plus, I'm pretty sure I'm going to use all my scraps for SOMETHING. Just have to figure out what.

Anyway, as I was cutting and tracing, I had a revelation.

My fabric was muslin, and I couldn't use it. I was so upset because it's this bright green/blue color and I had visions of running around in the park with it. Regardless, I figured it would be good practice anyway, so I continued to make the bag, just very sloppily. When my matching thread ran out, I just used white. I didn't care that one of the handles' stitching was visible, or that the decoration flap wasn't finished, had holes, and just flapped back and forth. I was pretty proud of my first effort at a handbag.

Even though I sewed the other side of the strap to the seam allowance, somehow this side was wrong. And I couldn't figure out how to fix it! I was going to add a bow or something to hide it, but that didn't work at all.

My sad decorative flap. I thought about fixing it. Or maybe making it a little smaller, with better edges, and perhaps with some buttons, but then I just decided to remove it.

Then I had a friend over for dinner, and she looked perplexed when I explained my actions, and said, "This isn't muslin. Muslin isn't usually a color, anyway." Curses. Another friend confirmed.

So I went back and added some lining. I could have taken it apart and done it properly. But who's going to examine the inside of my purse, but me? So it looks a little nasty. I did try to take some silk and go around the exposed edges at the top, but that didn't really work.

A quick peek inside reveals some nice lining. (Also looks a little dirty, no?)

A closer look reveals my laziness. Sure, I could have taken it apart and added the lining properly when I found out it wasn't muslin, but where's the fun in that?

But generally, from the outside, it looks very cute, and it fit my wallet, book, and keys, so I don't really care.

However, when I carried it for the first time, it had some issues. The handles started to come loose and the zipper looked like it was also ready to jump ship. Luckily, it's an easy fix. I just wonder if there's a way to avoid that in the future?

One handle coming off.

Two handles coming off.

Something strange is happening with the zip. I blame my machine.  More on that later.

All in all, this was a pretty successful first purse, I'd say. Clearly I have some more work to do, but remember, I cut corners on this because I thought I would just throw it away. I can sew better this. I promise!

I REALLY want to get some heavy duty gorgeous fabric and make it into a fancy purse, but that will come in time. As for now, I'm happy to carry it around like this. Seems perfect for summer!