I can’t remember where I read it, but I recently came across the idea that a great room design incorporates varying pattern, texture, and shine. When I found this amazing faux fur fabric, I knew it would make the perfect pillow to help fulfill the texture part of that recommendation. Plus, it reminds me a […]
Plaid Skirt Makeover
Yesterday I finished the dress-to-skirt transformation I mentioned last week. As a reminder, here’s the frumpy dress before: And here’s the after: To accomplish the transformation, I took apart the waist seam and one of the side seams. I put in an invisible zipper on the side so I could get it on and off. […]
DIY Glasses Case Tutorial
My eyes are rather sensitive to light, so rain or shine, I pretty much always carry a pair of sunglasses in my purse. For a long time I just tossed them into my bag along with my keys, bobby pins, pens, and whatever else I was carrying around. After badly scratching a few pairs, though, […]
DIY Napkins Sewing Tutorial
Cloth napkins are one of those things that can class up any meal, plus they’re much more environmentally-friendly than the paper version. (We love our trees out here in the Pacific Northwest.) Often I find myself reaching for cloth napkins when I’m photographing food and drinks, and I was sorely lacking in options. So I […]
DIY Hair Tie Tutorial
Thanks to my shop, I end up with quite a few beautiful fabric scraps. Last week I came up with a wearable way to use some small pieces of fabric. You really don’t need much to make these hair ties, which makes them perfect for those scraps you just can’t throw away.
DIY Infinity Maxi Dress Details
Ever since I posted the maxi infinity dress I sewed to wear to my sister’s wedding, I’ve been meaning to share a more detailed account of how I made it. In my original post I linked to some tutorials that I found helpful in making my dress, but here’s a rundown of what I did.
DIY Maxi Infinity Dress
A week before my sister’s wedding, I decided to sew myself both a travel bag and a dress. The travel bag took way more time to complete than I expected, and the dress took way less. I wanted to try making a maxi infinity dress, which seemed easy enough. But there are a lot of […]
My Handmade Travel Bag
After my most recent trip, I realized that I needed a better travel bag. Since I’m flying down to California this weekend for my sister’s wedding, I decided to whip one up. I thought it would only take a couple of hours to design and sew a large, fully-lined bag. This was a vast underestimate. […]
DIY Waxed Canvas Tote Bag Tutorial (Part 3)
Finally, the last part of this three-part tutorial. First I sewed the body of the bag, then I waxed it, and now I’ll show you how to add leather straps. This bag, by the way, is super sturdy. It’s designed so that the bottom, which carries the most weight, has no seam, and the addition […]