This last year happened to be one full of changes for me. I finished graduate school and earned a PhD, went to Paris, got engaged, and moved across the country, from San Francisco, CA, to Boston, MA. This is my first time living anywhere besides the West Coast, and so far it doesn’t seem too […]
Peter Pan Collar Tutorial
A couple of weeks ago I was happy to discover an email in my inbox from a reader named Fabiola, requesting a tutorial for a collar like this one: I’m not sure where she got this image, but to me it looks like a collar on a dress Alexa Chung would wear. I swear I […]
DIY Leather Passport Cover
This is one of those projects that I really meant to do before my trip to Paris, but I just didn’t get around to it. Since I have no international trips on my horizon right now I considered putting it on the back-burner, but now it’s done and my passport is all ready for my […]
High-Waisted Pencil Skirt Tutorial
If you haven’t seen me mention it before, I have this vintage mustard-yellow skirt that has become indispensable in my wardrobe. So much so that I knew I needed to make a pattern from it so that I could make copies. I’ve made three so far (though one was a prototype) and I have another […]
DIY Leather Studded Bangle Bracelet
Have you seen the leather wrapping technique of Natalia Brilli? Too much horrible flash makes it impossible to link to photos on her site, so try this one to see what I’m talking about. Her leather-bound work inspired this project, though I in no way claim to have been able to achieve the same look. […]
DIY Tangled Chain Earrings
After several sewing-intensive tutorials, I thought it was time for some easy (but awesome) jewelry. These were inspired by some earrings I saw in a shop, and they are quite simple to re-create. Just look how short the supplies list is–you hardly need anything to make these! Several of the types of chain I used […]
Scalloped Shorts Tutorial
As rain drizzled outside my window, I sat sewing these butter-yellow scalloped shorts that just scream “Spring” and wondered when I’ll have a chance to wear them. Soon, I hope, because they’ve been on my mind ever since I saw Chloe Sevigny going wild for Chloe scallops earlier this year. Image from elle.com Since then […]
DIY Floral Waist Belt
When I started this project I envisioned a hybrid of this and this belt, and I think that’s pretty close to what I achieved. Materials: Leather (I used a recycled thrift store jacket) Fabric (less than 1/4 of a yard) 3-inch wide belt backing 1-inch buckles (2) Sewing machine Leather needle Iron Leather punch (optional, […]
DIY Bow Back T-Shirt
This is another one of those projects that I saw on the Urban Outfitters website (here), and immediately thought to myself, “Damn, I could make that!” Last week I was looking forward to making it, but just couldn’t fit it in my schedule until today. Sometimes when I can’t immediately make something that’s on my […]