DIY Pleated Chambray Maxi Skirt

I've been wanting to make a maxi skirt for a few months now. I go to get dressed in the morning and imagine my outfit based around a maxi skirt and then realize that I don't have one! I wanted it to be a neutral, casual fabric that I could wear most any day. I had about a yard and half of chambray left over from these shorts that was perfect for this. The fabric is lightweight and has great drape.

DIY Outfit – Paisley Maxi Dress

Continuing my springtime boho theme, today's DIY Outfit is a Paisley Maxi Dress. I've had maxi length skirts and dresses on my mind for a few months now and obviously just can't get them out. One of the perks of a maxi skirt is it keeps you a little warmer than a short skirt which means it will be easy to wear starting in spring and going through summer and and fall.

DIY Tutorial – Ombre Stenciled Pillowcases

The Spring season is upon and as you may have noticed from my posts this week, I have all things pastel on the brain. I've also been working on sprucing things up around my apartment. So when I received these Stencil1 stencils by Ed Roth and FolkArt multi-surface paint, I knew that I wanted to make something for my apartment with soft pastel colors. And because I can't stop myself from sewing, I put a little twist on the traditional use of a stencil and used it to create an embroidery.

DIY Outfit – Pleated Floral Maxi Skirt

Today's outfit inspiration combines two of my current obsessions – maxi skirts and wild floral prints. It's very 70s bohemian but the pleats give it polish and the hyper bright colors make it very modern. The pleated skirt has always been one of go to DIY's. They're so easy to make and so very classic. I even have a tutorial and worksheet so that you can make your own pleated skirt.

DIY Horseshoe Embroidered Clutch

Here's a quick little St. Patrick's Day themed clutch I made over the last week. I used the pattern for the Artsy Clutch from the book Bend The Rules Sewing by Amy Karol (see my review of the book here). I made the clutch once before and really love using it to take small knitting sewing projects on the go. I made this one just a little bigger than last time but otherwise followed the instructions from the book.

DIY Tutorial – St. Patrick's Day Lapel Pins

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner and it's time to start thinking about what to wear. No one likes to get pinched but most people don't want to dress in full leprechaun regalia. To solve this I created two little DIY lapel pins for St. Patrick's Day that add just a touch of green to any outfit. They are both easy and fun to make as well as being great gifts.

February Works in Progress

I'm feeling a little scattered this week. I have so many projects I want to do and so little time. So, in lieu of a finished project, I'm sharing my current works in progress. In addition to my usual knitting and sewing I bought this mini loom to try my hand at weaving. I'm having a lot of fun but I'm such a newbie. I have ideas but don't know how to execute them. I'm planning to go to the library this weekend and pick up some books. Do you have any weaving advice? Have you done it before?

A couple of weekends ago I seriously binge knitted on these socks and finished one up. The pattern is the Jane Bennet socks from Jane Austen Knits Summer 2012 (available for purchase here). It's a lovely pattern and not difficult once you get the hang of it. I have not blocked the sock and probably won't because I'm lazy but once it's on my foot it looks beautiful!

I finished my DIY Winter Wardrobe last week and can't help but think about what I want to sew next. I have a number of sewing patterns that I've never used not to mention loads of fabric begging to be sewn up into something fabulous. Have you started any new sewing projects? Have you started to plan for Spring yet?

Related:

Sewing Posts

Crafting on Pinterest

--

Follow along with me here:

Bloglovin // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram

DIY Winter Wardrobe Recap

Hi Friends! You may have noticed last week that I've finished up my Winter Wardrobe sewing plans. I love everything that I've made and have worn some of the pieces several times already. And while I'm happy with everything I've made I'm now in the withdrawal phase and unsure what to do next. I've a few projects in progress that I'm playing around with but I've lost the motivation that these sewing plans provide. That said, I do have lots of plans on the horizon that I will be sharing with you soon. What are you making these days? Are you feeling inspired and excited about what you're making?

Earlier posts in this series:
Winter Wardrobe Moodboard
DIY Winter Wardrobe Plans
Winter Wardrobe No. 1 Pajama Shorts
Winter Wardrobe No. 2 Knitted Socks
Winter Wardrobe No. 3 Zippered Sweatshirt
Winter Wardrobe No. 4 Leggings
Winter Wardrobe No. 5 Striped Top
Winter Wardrobe No. 6 Triangle Bag

Related:
Fall Sewing posts

Summer Sewing posts
Spring Sewing posts

Knitting posts
Sewing Posts

--

Follow along with me here:

Bloglovin // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram

Winter Wardrobe No. 3 Zippered Sweatshirt

Today I'm excited to share number 3 on my DIY Winter Wardrobe list, the zippered sweatshirt. The inspiration for this item came from a few places. First, I've noticed a lot of cool sweatshirts in stores lately as well as unique zipper details. Next, I found this amazing Japanese knit. Visions of zippers, sweatshirts and lounge pants danced in my head. And the rest as the say is history.

DIY Outfit – Zip Back T-shirt

In my moodboard yesterday, I shared my love for a decorative zipper. I love an unexpected back detail almost as much as a cool zipper accent. Today I have another inspirational pick that combines both of these elements. Our inspiration top is super cute and trust me it's super easy to DIY yourself. Read on to see how.

Winter Wardrobe No. 5 Striped Top

Hey there crafty friends! Today I have number 5 on my list of DIY Winter Wardrobe sewing projects share with you. This is a knit striped top made from the (free!) Mandy Boat pattern by Tessuti. The pattern is one-size-fits all which will probably either make you gasp in horror or squeal in delight. To be honest during the sewing process, I wasn't sure if I was going to like this top. It was just so loose fitting. But after I tried it on I fell in love and did not take it off for the rest of the day. 

Craft from the Past – Valentine's Day Tote Tutorial

This DIY Heart Stamped Tote bag project is perfect for the Valentine's Day season. It's an easy, satisfying project and I put together a complete tutorial telling you how to make one yourself. The tiny hearts are made with the eraser end of a pencil carved into a heart shape. Super easy and fun!

My favorite part of this bag is the contrast handles. If you ever hesitated about bringing in a contrast fabric I think this one will convince you to go for it. So in case you missed it the first time or are just in the mood to make your self a "love"-ly tote, go check out my DIY Valentine's Day Tote Tutorial.

Related:
Totes Posts

Tutorials

Crafting on Pinterest

--

Follow along with me here:

Bloglovin // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram

Winter Wardrobe – No. 4 Leggings

Hi friends! I'm really excited to share my new DIY leggings with you today. These are number 4 on my list of Winter sewing plans. I've been wanting to sew leggings for a while now. I've seen so many great versions out there in the blogosphere. Plus, I spend many a weekend lounging in leggings. They're so comfy. It's an irresistible DIY. So irresistible in fact that upon finishing one pair I immediately made a second!

DIY Outfit – Drapey Top and Leggings

I love this casual, cool outfit of a drapey top and patterned leggings. It's easy to wear and super easy to sew yourself. Even better, I've found free patterns so it won't even cost you a lot of money. And that's the best kind of DIY, right?

DIY Rope Handle Tote

Would you believe that I started this bag over a year ago? If you're the procrastinating kind of crafter that I am then yes, you can easily believe it. This was one of those projects that just stalled out, got shoved in a bin somewhere and wallowed. I was all ready to finish it back in August of 2012 when I failed attaching the eyelets. I was a little afraid to hammer hard on any of the surfaces in my apartment and trust me those eyelets need a good beating. So, a few months ago I took the bag and eyelets to my parents house, borrowed a brick from my Dad and hammered away. And voila! Eyelets.

Winter Wardrobe No. 6 – Triangle Bag with Tutorial

A while ago, probably more than a year ago, I was in this hip boutique that featured Japanese products in a very hip area of town, when I spied a very cool tote bag. It was sewn on the bias and made a triangle shape. It was so cool and looked deceptively simple. I went home and started playing around with fabric and even paper. And then I found this tutorial from Between The Lines and thought "wow! she's really figured it out!". And now at last I've made my own Triangle Bag.

DIY Tutorial – Hand-Warming Muff for Dottie Magazine

Today I'm really excited to announce a new collaboration with Dottie Magazine. Dottie is a new online fashion and lifestyle magazine. Their first issue went live recently and it is gorgeous and inspiring. I was thrilled to be asked to contribute a project to their website. When I was a little girl, one of my favorite dress up pieces was a white faux fur muff. I always felt glamorous and girly when I wore it. So to celebrate the winter season I developed an easy DIY tutorial to make your own hand-warming fleece and flannel muff. This is an easy sewing project that doesn't require a sewing machine and is sure to keep your mitts nice and toasty all winter long. I hope you enjoy!

--

Follow along with me here:

Bloglovin // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram

Winter Wardrobe – No. 1 Pajama Shorts

All week I've been sharing sleepwear inspiration and today I have my own actual DIY sleep shorts to share. These shorts are number 1 on my list of DIY Winter Wardrobe plans. I used the Lakeside Pajamas pattern from Grainline Studio and fabric from a thrifted, vintage dress.

Winter Wardrobe – No. 2 Knitted Socks

To kick off my DIY Winter Weekends Wardrobe, I have a new pair of knitted socks. In the interest of full disclosure, I need to admit that I actually started these socks back in May. And I finished them last weekend. Are you wondering why one toe is black? Well, these socks were stash busters. I had one ball of blue variegated yarn that I bought years ago and I thought it would be just enough for one pair. When I got to the end of the second sock and realized it was not quite enough, I substituted in some black yarn leftover from these socks.

Mini DIY Tutorial – Origami Paper Wrapped Candles

Happy New Year! For the first post of the year, I have a little mini tutorial. It's the perfect quick craft project to spruce up a drab corner of the house. The other week I was at the grocery store and found these tall candles in glass jars for just $1.50. I decided to spruce up the plain white glass with a little origami paper and washi tape.