just chic

personalized baby clothes

2012-01-24T21:25:00.000-06:00

We went with some friends to see the Night Train Show at the Train Museum last Saturday. Three families with three little boys. Victor is too little to understand what was going on ( he enjoyed the lights though) but at least he looked the part: a train was showing off on his onesies.
If you enjoy drawing you can get some plain baby clothes and use permanent fabric markers on them. You can also personalize them by adding your baby's name.
I looked for inspiration on the internet, printed out drawings of a train and a boat, outlined them on the onesies with a pencil (it washes out) and afterwards used the markers to finish the job. You have to wait 24 hours for the drawings to dry out before you can wash the clothes.

I almost lost it

2012-01-19T14:58:00.000-06:00

I'm posting this so you can learn from my mistakes.
While I was sewing last week, all of a sudden my sewing machine stopped and refused to sew further. Everything was jammed : the neddle arm, the bobbin area and the handwheel.
My Brother wasn't an expensive sewing machine so the repair might have cost me as much as buying a new machine. This was the reason why Dan decided to try and figure out the problem himself. Was did we get to lose?
It took him two evenings to fix it but he did it. I was super impressed with his job. And it's not like he knows how a sewing machine works or how to repair it. It's a blessing to have a handy husband.
Now let me tell you what the problem was. A sewing machine requires maintenance once a year(that's something I found out only now). I've had mine for more than 2 years and never taken it to a technician which means it has never been oiled. As for dusting it, I do it once in a while, but not on a regular basis. Some of dust that got inside stuck to the needle arm and as the oil dried out it jammed.

I should clean the sewing machine more often and have it serviced once a year.

another orange dress

2012-01-16T21:28:00.000-06:00

Naturally, our lives revolve now around our new baby boy, he is the center of our universe. Though it's fun to watch him grow and smile and observe how he discovers life on his own it's also a lot of work from our side. For me it's a 24-hour job. Victor still eats every 2 hours day and night.

I need some "me time" to make me go through the day. So what I do is to wake up at 6 am, when Dan wakes up for work and have the early morning only for myself. What do I do? I sew.

This isn't a dress sewn during my morning time, I made it when I was pregnant but haven't worn it yet. I'll definitely wear it this Sunday, for Dan's birthday.

I love the bright orange fabric.

from size 12 to size 8....

2012-01-11T16:13:00.000-06:00

Before getting pregnant I was size 8. Like most/all women I was kind of obsessed with my weight but wasn't doing anything specific to keep it under control. I have never been a diet person, I tried it a few times but only the idea of restraining myself from eating made me even hungrier and I ended up eating more than usual. Still, there were some little tricks like cutting down on sweets or bread. But overall I was almost happy with my figure, just fantasizing about a slimmer figure.

The pregnancy left behind some extra pounds. I look in the mirror and don't see a waistline anymore and this drives me crazy. I put on 50 lb. during my pregnancy and I'm determined to lose them all. I'm not too harsh with myself like setting a 3-month deadline. Oh, no, I'm reasonable. It took me 9 months to put on 50 lb. and I want to get back in shape in 9 months.

I won't follow any diet, because as I mentioned I'm not a diet person and secondly I'm breastfeeding and I can't cut down on food - quite the opposite I should eat more calories -, but I'll try not to eat anymore after 6 pm, eat more fruits and vegetables and eat less sugary stuff. But most importantly I'll do a 30-minute workout at least 5 days a week.

I'll keep track online of my weight loss (check the left sidebar for updates) and hopefully I'll have 140 lb at the end of July. Fingers crossed!

Do you have any tricks to share? Anything that worked on you?

Shabby Apple Sale - January 2012

2012-01-03T13:53:00.005-06:00

There are so many reasons to love the end of the year: Christmas, good food, holiday tree, family members gathered together, presents. And SALES! Endless sales!

You spent December taking advantage of the best sales to find the perfect gifts for your family and friends. But how about yourself? Maybe you managed to squeeze in a few little things for you also, but the main focus was on the others.

Good news!

January is the YOUR month when you can think of great presents only for yourself! Is it a dress? Or maybe a piece of jewelry? You can have them both as they are on sale! Shabby Apple Sale!

20% off on nearly everything

Doesn't this sound great?

Indulge yourself with beautiful dresses, skirts, jewelry and accessories!

Here are some of my favorites for under $50:

The sale lasts through the entire month of January.
Use code NEWYEAR at checkout for 20% off!

The Blue Danube dress

2012-01-02T14:07:00.008-06:00

Are you familiar with the Vienna New Year's Concert? I must confess I hadn't watched it before I got married but as Dan is a big fan, it became a tradition in our family. It's the highlight of the first day of each new year. We would like to be able to see it live some day but this is more than a matter of buying an expensive ticket to a world known concert, it's a matter of being extremely lucky. One has to register to the Vienna Philharmonic website at the beginning of the year and wait for the drawing of tickets. The registration for the 2012/2013 concert has just been opened today.

Some of the pieces are accompanied by ballet, for the ones who watch the concert on tv. It was the case of the Blue Danube by Strauss.

The ballet dancers had gorgeous outfits in a beautiful combination of blue and turquoise and different hues in between. They really looked like a river flowing in sweet motion.

As I like strong colors, I couldn't take my eyes off the dresses. How I would like to have one.

It also reminded me of Audrey Hepburn's dress when she accepted the Oscar in 1953.

Same pattern, different approach.

happy new year!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

I hope 2011 has been good to you and 2012 will be even better with many, if not all, wishes coming true.

snowman on my pillow!

2011-12-22T23:53:00.000-06:00

I made these two pillows when I was still pregnant. The idea came to me from a Crate & Barrel catalogue.

They were super easy to make with some scrap soft fabrics for the body of the pillows and felt for the decorations.
I would have liked tomake an exact copy of the holiday tree but I must confess I found it too much work so I chose the easy way: less felt circles and buttons in the middle of each circle. It turned out nice and I'm happy with the result. (It looks much brighter in real life )

I also made a neckcloth for myself to match the snowman :)

winter skirt

2011-12-15T10:54:00.004-06:00

I finished the skirt yesterday, it didn't take me so long after all but only because my dad is helping me out with the baby. I can't imagine yet how my life will be in January, after my dad goes back to Romania. I'll be on my own with Victor until Dan is back from work. I know I'll survive (after all I'm not the only stay at home mom) but I won't have much time left for myself and my sewing.
We went yesterday dowtown to visit Macy's Santaland and I had to wear my new skirt :) Don't you do the same? As soon as I sew or receive a new garment I have to wear it right away. We ended the evening with some Christmas shopping.

happy one month!

2011-11-30T13:14:00.005-06:00

Halloween won't be the same for us from now on.

I know you have already started thinking of Christmas and must be wondering why I still mention Halloween. It's because life changed for us on Halloween.
After a long labor I gave birth to our baby boy on Halloween and life has been hectic ever since :)
Victor still doesn't have a feeding schedule so after feeding him I must hurry and go out for a walk or grocerry shopping or whatever I need to do as I don't know what time limit I'll have, it can be anything between 2 or 4 hours. He's a big boy (he had 9lb 8oz at birth) and I already have a hard time holding him for too long.

I have no idea when I'll be able to reintroduce sewing back into my schedule but I sure need some new clothing: my maternity clothes aren't appropriate for this chilly weather and my normal clothes don't fit me yet. My next project will be a winter skirt - let's see how long it will take me to finish it....

jewelry organizer / display

2011-10-29T09:42:00.000-05:00

It used to be a challenge to find my necklaces or bracelets in my jewelry box because I had so many stored in there. And then, when I found it, it was usually tangled with the rest of the necklaces and took me a while to get it out.

That's why I came up with this jewelry organizer / display. Each of the 15 pockets contains one or two necklaces, organized by color. No more extra time spent to untangle them!

I placed it in the bathroom, next to a mirror - you don't see double :)

long sleeve tee makeover

2011-10-21T14:05:00.001-05:00

Jonna, my doula, advised me to include a zipper sweater in my hospital bag to get it on and off easily during labor. The problem was that I didn't have any to fit my 40-week pregnant belly. But what I did have was a 3XL long sleeve tee which could be easily refashioned into a zipper sweater. And here is how I did it:

This is the long sleeve tee I worked on.
I started by shortening the sleeves and cutting off a strip from the bottom and replacing it with another color strip - just to add a splash of color.
I measured the middle of the tee, cut from the bottom to the neckline and sewed in a zipper.
I also added some pockets and simple circle rosettes
and my job is done!

felt leaf wreath

2011-10-15T10:48:00.003-05:00

I've created this felt leaf wreath to hang over the fireplace mantel. It's super easy to make and it won't cost you a dime if you have some felt remnants. If not, you can get some felt sheets from Michael's for only a few cents.

Tutorial

Tools and materials:
cardboard
scissors
felt of several colors
glue
ribbon for bow

Start by creating a wreath form from cardboard

Cut out a few inches from the wreath form.

Draw some leaves on a sheet of paper and cut them out.

Place the paper leaves on felt and roughly trim around them.

Apply glue to the back of the felt leaves and place them on the wreath form. Start at both ends and work towards the middle.

Finish by adding the bow.

All that's left to do now is to find the perfect place to hang it.

Hands - I heart faces -

2011-10-10T21:02:00.000-05:00

This is it. I finally made it to the last month of my pregnancy. And although the due date is still in a couple of weeks, I am aware that the baby can come any moment now.

We are as ready as new parents can be.

This is Dan's entry for this week's challenge at I Heart Faces.

baby receiving blankets

2011-10-07T10:48:00.000-05:00

The receiving blankets are one of the easiest things you can sew for your baby. You'll get to use them a lot (at least this is what I've been told) so you'll get a continuous satisfaction of your work but more important you'll have a product which will definitely be better than the commercial ones. Here are the two reasons why:

1. The commercial receiving blankets are never big enough.
2. The commercial receiving blankets have only one layer of fabric.

If you cut your fabric 42" x 36" you'll get a good size blanket or you can go for a square, anything from 36" by 36" to 42" by 42".
If you're having a fall or winter baby you may want the blanket to be tick and warm, so make it out of two layers instead of just one.

I have also sewn some baby burpees from the flannel remnants.

Worn out...So what!

2011-10-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

I used to be very disappointed when one of my favorite clothes wore out. I saw no other solution than toss it and go on without it. Not anymore! Sewing offers the great chance of extending a garment's life. It's like opening a door to clothes cloning. All you have to do is unsew the old one and use the pieces as pattern to recreate it. You can try and look for the same type of fabric or color but I find it more fun to go for something different. The advantage is that when you sew the new garment you know already if it needs any adjustments or not.
This is what I did with my old black dress. I wore it a lot during my first and second trimester of pregnancy because due to its front darts it offered me room to grow. Another reason I loved was that I could combine it with any color and practically invent a new outfit. But time came to let it go and sew another one.

ladybug blankie

2011-09-29T21:28:00.000-05:00

The inspiration for my blankie came from Charley Harper's ladybugs.

I love the two ladybug lovers on the heart-shaped leaf so I made it the center piece of my design.

The Madagascar bed cover whetted my appetite for design blankets. It feels like painting on a big canvas, just that instead of colors I use fabrics and instead of brush - thread and a sewing machine. And thus a simple blanket turns into a story.
I wouldn't have started working on it yet if it hadns't been for this year's theme of the Contest for National Sewing Month: a - right up my alley. The main rule is to have a visible heart incorporated in the submitted project. It can be anything: heart fabric, a pillow shaped like a heart, heart embroidery, heart-shaped pockets... Total freedom to express your love for sewing.I've just submitted my project. Wish me luck! :)

autumnal wreath

2011-09-28T08:14:00.002-05:00

I love fall in Minnesota even if it preceds a long and cold winter. I refuse to think of snow. Instead my mind is set now on the beautiful fall colors and apple orchards and pumpkin pies and upcoming holidays and a cinnamon smelling home.

pregnancy dress from man's shirt

2011-08-29T17:26:00.001-05:00

This may be the last dress I sew this summer. I've worn mainly pants during my pregnancy, I find them comfortable and because of my swollen ankles there's only one pair of shoes that still fit me and they won't be a good match for a dress. So I usually wear dresses with flip flops, unless I do my best to squeeze my feet into sandals.
I've used only the top part from the man's shirt, to which I added two layers of ruffled fabric. The dress is super comfy, maybe a wee bit too fluffy (which made one of neighbors ask if we're expecting twins :) )
You may have a hard time noticing from the pictures that the shirt has thin white and purple stripes.
Enjoy the rest of the summer!

baby hats and mittens - from a shirt

2011-08-22T16:55:00.005-05:00

Ok, it's official: I don't have a craft room anymore. I moved most of my sewing stuff downstairs (in a small closet) but my fabric stacks and dress dummy will remain upstairs (no space for them anywhere else).
I returned last week to my original sewing spot: the dinning table.. Dan did his best to lift my spirits : "the table is bigger, you'll have more space" - which is true but this doesn't prevent me from feeling outcast. Besides, I'm pretty messy during my cutting / sewing process and upstairs I could have just closed the door and cleaned only at the end of the project.
Yesterday it was refashion time: two cute baby hats from a long sleeves shirt of mine. I used a baby hat bought a couple of days ago for shape and size and because there was still much fabric left I also made a pair of mittens, using this tutorial.

my name is....

2011-08-16T20:30:00.003-05:00

I created these felt letters to write our baby's name on the outside of the nursery.

I started with paper patterns which I used to cut out two sets of letters from felt and cotton, trimmed the cotton ones along the edges and glued them together, two by two.

No thread or needle necessary, just ordinary all-purpose glue. And double-sided tape to stick the letters to the door.

animal themed bed cover

2011-08-03T18:48:00.003-05:00

Two more months and a half and we'll get together with the new tiny member of our family. Everybody tells me time will fly by quickly. Is this suppose to comfort me? We still have much to prepare, learn and read......Ready or not, the baby will still come in October and we might just do our best until then. Will we ever feel ready ready for this change of status? Probably not....
The nursery is getting emptied to make room to the baby's stuff but the are still some items that will remain in there, like my dress dummy or the Queen bed. The latter takes up so much space but we'll keep it anyway, at least for the time being, for when grandparents will come over or in case Dan will want to sleep quietly through the night.
To make the bed blend in I've sewn a cute bed cover inspired by Madagascar, the animated movie. We won't have a classical blue room for the baby (have I told you we'll have a boy?) but the theme will be animals. Featured on:
and

apron winner

2011-07-27T19:35:00.003-05:00

The apron goes to the person who entered the second comment.

Congrats!!!

I hope you'll enjoy your prize and it will help you bake delicious cupcakes :)

color changing trick

2011-07-26T20:17:00.000-05:00

I bought these pink pots especially for my craft room to give it a girly look. And now, that I moved the plants into our bedroom, the pot color doesn't blend in.

I could have bought some paint but it would have been too messy. Instead I chose to sew pot covers from the same fabric as the bed skirt and some of the decorative pillows.
Easy and painless....and no more matching issues.

cupcakes apron - GIVEAWAY closed

2011-07-17T10:29:00.001-05:00

Anne Kelle Designs is a childhood dream come to life. All the things we loved as kids are transferred into fun and colorful design on fabric, personalized stationary and seasonal paper good: spring flowers, ice cream, our favorite rock band...
The fresh and bright designs immediately caught the attention of the industry and they can be found on the shelves of boutiques and stores, as well as Barnes and Noble and Target.

The reason I'm introducing you to Anne Kelle Designs is because it's the sponsor of this giveaway. I sent an email to Kelle a while ago and she was kind to reply and supply me with fabric from her collection to create this apron. Cupcakes! Yummy....

In order to win the apron, you'll have to visit Kelle's website, take a look at her fabric collections and write which one you like best. Is it
Urban Zoologie

Remix Ready, Set, Go!
SOPHIE flannel
Izzy flannel
or Metro Market ?

You can win extra entries by linking about this giveaway to your blog, facebook or twitter (just remember to please leave me a comment about your linking).

The winner will be chosen with the help of random.org and will be announced on July 27 . Good luck!

flaming red bag 2

2011-07-06T20:28:00.002-05:00

Isn't it so much easier when you sew something for the second time? Even if you don't use a pattern.
I tried again the flaming red handbag but this time I made it wider and larger.
I will soon lose my craft room :( It turns little by little into a nursery. Fun! Fun!... but the downside is that I'll move back downstairs, to the living room table...

flower parade -a summer dress

2011-06-09T21:15:00.000-05:00

Our vacation flew by like in a blink of an eye. We shared our time between Portugal and Spain and enjoyed every minute of it.
Barcelona is an incredible city, which will surprise you with its amazing architecture by Gaudi, the location between sea and mountains, passionate people dancing flamenco, a "Magic Fountain" , which tops the ones in Vegas and Chicago, nice climate ( not too hot during day and pleasant during night)...
Barcelona has something to offer at every step you take and when you think you covered the most important touristic attractions, you'll still be surprised to discover new ones.
But if you want to eat the sweetest oranges ever, go to Portugal. I had no idea that oranges can be so sweet.
In Portugal we rented a car and visited the Southern part of the country. There you can hit the beaches, enjoy the many street markets, eat lost of fish and delicious pastry. Fun and relaxing!
I finished this dress the night before flying to Europe (pattern Simplicity 2642) and we took the pictures in the apartment we stayed in Barcelona.

easiest blouse ever

2011-05-17T22:21:00.000-05:00

I didn't want to leave on vacation without this blouse. After all it's so easy to make .... All I needed was a kick to get started.
Just a little cutting, hem and bias tape sewing and you can have a new blouse!
And if you find a fabric with a nice pattern at the bottom even better.
I'm usually not a big fan of the red and black combination but in this case not only that I liked the pattern but I was also happy to be able to find a match for the two-color ribbon. We haven't finished packing yet and we leave in less than 48 hours. We've never been so unorganized, we usually like to make plans in advance, know what to visit and where to go. Well, I can blame it on my pregnancy ( I guess it's a good excuse to use these months) but what about Dan? I have a feeling he will also blame it on my pregnancy :)

almost the same but totally different...

2011-05-10T22:32:00.000-05:00

I created my first dress about a year ago and was so very proud of it. I remember getting eager to wear it and waiting for the warm weather. But when we took the photos, Dan noticed that it made me look pregnant and his remark cut down my enthusiasm. As a consequence I've never worn it.

I'll do it when time comes...

And time came. I'M PREGNANT!!!!

If you've been there already, I don't have to tell you about how happy we are. The first trimester went by pretty good, not too much nausea, though a lot of tiredness. Now I have my energy back but I still don't seem to find the time to get sewing back into my life. I dream of making all these cute and colorful pregnancy clothes and I bought lots of great fabrics but I hardly sit at my sewing table anymore.
I'm taking little steps , starting with some alterations.

I was ready for my green dress but I sadly discovered that it wasn't ready for me anymore.
I couldn't zip it up so I took a deep cutting at the back, added a sash under the bust line to emphasis my new shape and gave a new look to the dress. I threw in a jacket, using pattern Simplicity 2886 (super easy to create) and here is a new pregnancy outfit.

vacation, sun and beach

2011-04-13T22:05:00.004-05:00

I must start by apologizing for my disappearance. I just hibernated for one whole month: no sewing, no sewing blogs reading, no...nothing. From time to time I flipped the pages of my Burda magazines, dreaming of the beautiful garments, but each time I ended up by closing the magazines and going back to my "dulce far niente" state.

What got me back to life is spring and the upcoming vacation. So, I paid a visit to the fabric outlet and bought several fabrics that would relate to "vacation, sun and beach".
We're flying to Europe for a couple of weeks and I'm super excited. It will be my first trip back to my mother continent since I got married and settled in the US.

the embellished five: pullover edition

2011-03-12T14:02:00.001-06:00

Here we are back with the second edition of The Embellished Five project. If you missed the first edition, let me tell you the main idea behind our project: five bloggers will have to embellish the same item of clothing and post about it on the same day.
The item of this edition comes from Jennifer: a white fleece pullover. When I received it in my mail, I thought immediately:" great item, it offers so many possibilities of embellishment".
This time, unlike at our first edition, I didn't drift among ideas, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the pullover. The inspiration came from two directions:
1. The morning I received the pullover I was looking at a JoAnn magazine and saw this floral big pillow. I liked it so much that I started wondering where I could adopt the idea: the solution came to me later on that day, by mail :)
2. The cowl neckline of this cute sleeveless pullover received from my mom-in-law.

I didn't do any cuttings or didn't alter the shape of the pullover in any way, I only added some fleece flowers in front, cuffs and a cowl neckline. Colorful - just the way I like my clothes. Don't forget to check out how Jennifer, Sarah, Amy and Larissa embellished their pullovers.

"Cupid found me" skirt - winner

2011-03-01T21:52:00.000-06:00

It's time to announce the last winner of Valentine's week.
randon.org helped me pick up eclairre, Harley on her real name.

Congrats, Harley! Enjoy the skirt!

If you liked the giveaways, stay tuned for another one coming up.....maybe even next week!

my turquoise Shauna dress

2011-02-28T22:10:00.000-06:00

Does it happen to you to buy fabric you love so much that, on one hand, you're eager to transform it into a piece of clothing, but, on the other hand, you know that by doing this, you'll run out of it and you don't want it to happen. Tough choice!
The turquoise corduroy was such a fabric for me....I already speak of it in the past...:( I still have some remnants but not enough even for a short skirt.
I'm pretty sure you've already seen Lilly Pulizer's spring collection. If not, take a look here. It's amazing! I fell in love with the Shauna dress (among many others)- the catalogue has the white version with the sash - so simple, as design, yet so beautiful.
I used pattern Simplicity 3744 to make an as-close-as-possible replica of the dress.It's not a perfect replica, I can't reproduce the embroidery details and I used a turquoise fabric instead of the white or navy one, but I'm so happy with the outcome. I like how the sash makes the dress look so classy.
I've brought some modifications to the pattern (D dress) but minor ones: no front neckline cut, the sleeves are shorter, no pockets.

the "be mine" headband goes to....

2011-02-27T20:51:00.000-06:00

I have unglued my eyes from the Oscar Awards to select the winner of our giveaway.and to not step out of the festive atmosphere:

There have been 94 nominees for the "be mine" headband and the prize goes to....
gustosa giveaways

Bravo!

"hot pink flower hair pins" winner

2011-02-25T20:30:00.000-06:00

Here it is time to find out who will be wearing the flower hair pins.

Is it me? Is it me?

Well, if you are humandoll, then it is you:

Congrats!

"lover letter pendant" winner

2011-02-23T20:24:00.000-06:00

It's time to announce the lucky winner of the "Love letter pendant" designed by Holly.

drums, please :)

The winner is....Kaylie

You are one lucky lady, Kaylie to have won exactly what you hearted.

"Cupid found me" skirt - GIVEAWAY closed

2011-02-20T11:00:00.001-06:00

The last giveaway of the week is offered by me.
I created a skirt from linen which makes me think not only of Valentine's Day but also of spring. I wish it would already be the time to wear a linen skirt, but you still have to keep it in your closet till the good warm weather comes to stay. Here, in Minnesota spring gave us a preview for a week and I enjoyed walking bare head.I like pockets in a skirt, though it's not a common feature, and I try to create them as often as possible. This skirt also has them.All you have to do to win it is to visit my shop and write which piece you like best. You can win extra entries by linking about this giveaway to your blog, facebook ot twitter (just remember to please leave me a comment about your linking).

The winner will be chosen with the help of random.org and will be announced on March 1. Good luck!

heart necklace - TUTORIAL

2011-02-19T11:26:00.000-06:00

Hi! I am Selina from Sisters4sayMOREismore {am am Sis#1} we LOVE DIY style... we can't afford to have it any other way so we bargain shop, thrift and sew as much as we can! we especially love to find new ways to wear old things
so here is our recycled jersey tassel necklace for you to try!

i LOVE JERSEY!!!
{its totally my favorite... } and these onsies were headed for the donation pile...

{you can use any t-shirt for this project too}

i cut out just the center of the onsie {under the arm pit and above the leg holes}
and then snipped strips straight across
i saved one for the actual necklace part...

the remaining strips get cut in 2

S T R E T C H them out...

fold a strip in half and put the loop under starting at the center point of your necklace...

bring the ends through the loop...

and pull tight...

repeat until your necklace is full...

Finally, trim your necklace starting from the center gradually getting shorter as you move out and now you have a HEART!

thanks Stefi for inviting us to guest post! you blog is so CHIC!

mwah!

~Selina

{and Sophie, Olivia & Elise}

"be mine" headband - GIVEAWAY closed

2011-02-18T11:00:00.001-06:00

Grace is a graphic designer who loves paper samples, coffee, and letterpress. Crystal is a crafter who loves ruffles, flowers, and tea. Their common love of beautiful objects and colors got them thinking, and together they created Paper&Silk in the summer of 2009.
If you are a bride to be, you'll be happy to know that they are specialized in creating chic accessories for your special day: bridal hairpieces, flower belts for your bridesmaids, veils, lovely headbands, and much more!But even if you're not a bride to be, you'll still find a big variety of adorable accessories that will be of a great temptation:

The prize for our today's giveaway will be this ruffles headband - a perfect treat for Valentine's week. It is available in many colors, but red seemed like the perfect color for this giveaway, right?All you have to do to win it is to visit Paper&Silk and write which piece you like best. You can win extra entries by linking about this giveaway to your blog, facebook ot twitter (just remember to please leave me a comment about your linking).

The winner will be chosen with the help of random.org and will be announced on February 27. Good luck!

Visit also Grace and Crystal's second shop specialized in wedding paper goods:

http://www.papersilkpress.etsy.com

roses necklace - TUTORIAL

2011-02-17T10:00:00.000-06:00

Hello Stefi's readers! I feel so honored to be here on Just Chic today! I'm Amie, and I have my own little corner of the internet called Kitty Cats and Airplanes. It's a place where I like to share my crafty endeavors, recipes, and spotlight others who inspire me. Whilst visiting KC&A, you can expect to see:

Sewing projects (upcylced men's shirt to a ruffly top for me!)

Home decor (button frame)

Grown up accessories (lace bow)

And jewelry making! (Button bracelet) I've got serious crafting ADD so you'll never know what I'll do next!

When Stefi contacted me to do a tutorial for her "Love is Chic on Valentine's week" I honestly thought "How could I possibly come up with something chic enough for Stefi??" And I kind of freaked out a little! So I took a deep breath, and thought, "Hmmm, well, when I think of love, I think of roses! But what could I do with roses..." My mind wandered to jewelry making, since it IS one of my favorite things to do, and then I thought, "What is the most chic piece of jewelry out there? Duh! Bib necklaces!"

So I came up with the rosey bib necklace! I love it! It's perfect for a fabulous night out with someone you love. To make one, you will need:

Sheets of felt in the colors of your choice

Glue gun and extra glue sticks

Chain

Pearls or other embellishments

Clasp with two pieces (not pictured because I hadn't decided on one yet)

Needle nose pliers (not pictured because I totally blanked!)

Scissors (again, totally blanked)

Now, if you've never made jewelry before, don't shy away from this project! You don't need to have any special jewelry making tools or skills to make this! (Though, if it will make you feel better, I did a mini series on jewelry making, click here to read it!) So go gather up the materials and I'll wait.

.....got em?

The first thing you'll need to do is make the roses for your necklace. Take a sheet of felt, and cut a half inch wide strip of felt that's flat on the bottom and has bumps on the top. These do not (and should not!!) be all nice and uniform. Make them different sizes, different shapes, different heights, different lengths. Go crazy! You'll end up with a bumpy strip that looks like the one pictured above.

(Is your glue gun plugged in?) Next, roll up your strip! Start at one end and roll it up like you would a crepe! There really isn't a science to this. Be amazed as the rose takes shape. Add a dab of hot glue at the end so it doesn't unroll and...

You'll end up with little felt roses! Make them all different sizes with different colors. I made some where I cut the strip on the short side of the felt, the long side of the felt, and some with two strips of felt! Go crazy again! This is a fun project!

When you've got enough, start playing with them. Arrange them into a sort of U shape, move some around, take some away, add some in, make it look nice!

When you like the shape, glue your roses onto a large piece of felt. I decided to embellish mine with different colored glass pearls. Make sure every thing is nicely glued down with your BFF the glue gun. Then, cut around the whole shape.

Measure the chain to whatever length you'd like and cut/open up the links to remove it from the rest of the chain. Turn your bib piece over and go crazy with the glue gun! (Wow, how many times can I say "go crazy" in one tutorial?) Glue the heck outta it, and make sure your chain is laid down at least an inch into the bib, we don't want it falling off!

While the glue is still hot, quickly flip over your piece and stick it onto another piece of felt. Cut around the second piece.

You're almost done! Find the middle of your chain and open one of the links (by TWISTING the link open, not pulling it apart! Click here for help if you need it.) Slid your clasp into the open link. Twist the link shut, and then repeat with the other side of the chain with the second half of your clasp. I went with this cute heart toggle clasp to go with the theme.

Once you've added your clasp you are DONE my friend! Take that baby out, point it out to your friends, and proudly say, "Yeah, I made that."

I can attest that it looks quite lovely with a little black dress. :) Thanks so much for letting me be here today Stefi! I had a blast! :)

hot pink flower hair pins - GIVEAWAY closed

2011-02-16T11:10:00.001-06:00

Pink, grey and ivory may be just ordinary colors for you but they represent the inspirational place for Jessica because they are the colors of her recent wedding. How lovely!

You'll find many lovely accessories like sashes, floral pin hairs, clutches or diva sashes in a variation of these three colors in her shop called Elizabeth's Collection.

But you'll sure have other color choices: Aren't these organza flower hair pins sassy ? Hand cut, singed, sewn and beaded with 3 glass pearls in their centers.
And they can come in many many more colors, all you have to do is to contact Jessica and she'll be glad to take your custom order. If your color choice would be pink, I can perform some magic...hocus pocus! Voila!

A set of three hot pink hair flowers ready to be shipped to you if you are the lucky winner of Jessica's giveaway.All you have to do to win it is to visit her etsy shop, called Elizabeth's Collection, and write which piece you like best. You can win extra entries by linking about this giveaway to your blog, facebook ot twitter (just remember to please leave me a comment about your linking).

The winner will be chosen with the help of random.org and will be announced on February 25. Good luck!

a bouquet for every day bag - TUTORIAL

2011-02-15T11:04:00.001-06:00

First tutorial of the week comes from Jessica at Sew Homegrown. She created a joyful, colorful bag for us. If you visit her blog you'll find so many more clothing and accessories tutorials. Enjoy!

Many thanks to Stefi for asking me to be a guest on her adorable blog!

I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day.

Hopefully this little bag will help you keep the love flowing -

A Bouquet for Every Day

It's a sweet little bag that will make you feel as though you are carrying a lovely bouquet of roses with you everywhere you go! I was inspired by this Anthropologie bag:

I read some of the reviews about the bag - and many said that it turned out to be too bulky since the flowers were on all sides - so I decided to design mine with roses on one side and with a slightly different shape.

Here's the tutorial so you can make your own!

Supplies:

* 1/2 yard of fabric for the bag (fabric A)

*various colorful scraps for the roses - thinner fabrics work best here

such as silk, voile, light cotton- you will probably need about a fat quarter of each color

*1 spool of 3/4" black grosgrain ribbon

*1/2 yard of contrasting fabric for the lining (fabric B)

( if you want to make it the same as the outside

you will have enough with the 1/2 yard)

*2 small magnets

*hot glue gun

*needle and thread

*sewing machine/thread/scissors/yard stick

*pinking shears

Step 1: Make the fabric roses. This might take a while - but I thought it was really fun.

I decided I needed about 30 roses to fill the front of the bag.

I chose 5 different colors:

I made-

6 green roses

6 yellow roses

6 light pink roses

5 dark pink roses

7 dark red roses

Begin by ironing your fabric well. On one edge of your fabric measure 2 inches and put a mark. Then measure 1 inch and put a mark. Measure 17" from that edge Make the marks again - but this time start with a 1 inch mark, then a 2 inch mark. You will need to make as many marks as flowers that you want out of that color. (if you want 6 roses, make 6 marks on each side)

Then draw a diagonal line connecting the 2" mark on the edge to the 1" mark that is 17" in.

Draw another diagonal line from the 2" mark 17" in, to the 1" mark on the edge.
Continue in this manner for all the marks. Are you thoroughly confused yet?
Cut along those diagonal lines with pinking shears. It should look like this when you have them cut out.

Notice that each strip will have one edge that is straight and one edge that is a diagonal. The straight edge is the one you will sew along in this next step.

Step 2: Using a basting stitch (the largest stitch on your machine) sew along the straight edge of your fabric strip about 1/4" from the edge. Pull on the thread to gather it.

It should be about 5 inches.
Starting at the 1 inch end roll/fold the fabric (keeping the straight edge in line with itself)

When you have finished rolling it, fold the end back

and stitch 3 or 4 stitches in the middle of the flower.
(Don't forget to switch your machine back to a regular stitch!!)

Now fluff it out. Isn't it pretty?

So just keep making these roses until you have 30!

I went color by color, and I would baste all the edges of one color.
Then gather and roll and stitch each one.
That way I could look at one whole color as finished - it made it go faster for me.

Step 3: Now it's time to make the bag. Cut a 2 rectangles 9" wide and 11" long out of fabric A

Fold it in half lengthwise(like a hot dog bun) and draw a curved line at the bottom right corner.

I used a bowl as a guide. Then cut along that line.

When you open it back up, it will look like this:

Step 4: Select one of those pieces to be the top piece. Bring over your flower collection and start pinning them on. I started in the center, and worked my way out.

Don't worry about filling up the whole space - you will adjust the size of the bag to fit your roses.

Step 5: Thread a needle and, starting in the center, hand sew each rose on. Just a couple of stitches per rose will be fine. I just kept one piece of thread going between several flowers. I didn't knot and cut off each one.

Step 6: Lay the other piece of fabric A on top of the roses.
Pin the sides and bottom of the fabric together.

Sew around - be sure not to catch any roses in your seam.

Flip it right sides out and see how much you need to adjust your bag size.
I needed to take my seams in about a 1/2".
So flip it back - inside out - and adjust your seams.
When you've made the adjustments, it should look about like this:

Step 7: You're in the home stretch! Now it is time to line it.
Lay the bag on top of the lining fabric (fabric B) and trace the bag shape - making it about 1/4" larger all the way around. Right sides together, sew around the sides and bottom of the lining.

Using a zig-zag stitch, sew around the raw edges of the seam.

Step 8: You can choose any strap or handle you like for this bag. I chose to braid 3/4" black grosgrain ribbon. Cut 3 pieces of ribbon, each 2 yards long. Tie a knot in one end and braid.
Fold over the top of the lining and pin.

Under the fold, place one magnet.
Put a dab of hot glue on the top of the magnet and press the folded over fabric into the glue.

Repeat with the other side.

Step 9: Slip the lining into the bag. Fold down the top edge of the bag - it should be slightly taller than the lining - you don't want the lining to stick out.
Stick the ends of the braid in between the lining and the bag.

Pin everything really well.

Put the pins on the outside of the bag - you don't want them on the inside because you might sew over them!
Topstitch all around the bag opening - go slowly, especially over the ribbon straps.

That's it! A gorgeous new bag to go with any outfit!

Happy sewing everyone! - jessica

love letter pendant - GIVEAWAY closed

2011-02-14T08:08:00.001-06:00

When is the last time you wrote or received a love letter?

Nowadays we have so many modern ways to express ourselves that pen written words on paper become little by little an ancient habit. Luckily there are still people like Holly to remind us of little things in life that bring a lot of joy. Just take a moment, open your heart and eyes and enjoy a rainbow:lollipops: or a cherry cupcake: As for the love letter:

not only you can dream of it, but you can actually have it.

Holly, the designer of these beautiful accessories, has started crafting when she was a teenager. And now, as a grown up, although busy with her job and the teaching about how to start an Etsy shop at a local community college, she finds the extra time to create darling jewelry, bookmarks and magnets and bring them to perfection. Each piece in her shop is unique, well crafted and has to match her high standards of quality and workmanship. She provides incredibly fast shipping and her packing is a treat in itself!

Holly offers the love letter pendant:

to the lucky winner of this giveaway. All you have to do to win it is to visit her etsy shop, called Holly rocks, -she really rocks! ;) - and write which piece you like best. You can win extra entries by linking about this giveaway to your blog, facebook ot twitter (just remember to please leave me a comment about your linking).

The winner will be chosen with the help of random.org and will be announced on February 23. Good luck!

Here are some links where you can find more about Holly and her work:

http://hollyrocksjewelry.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/HollyrocksJewelry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11887315@N05
http://www.myspace.com/handmadebyholly
http://twitter.com/Hollyrocks

LOVE is CHIC on Valentine's week

2011-02-10T20:24:00.000-06:00

Everybody is talking about Valentine these days: at work, on radio, tv, the craft blogs abound in love inspired ideas....you get the drift.

So, I say: Let's follow the trend and start talking about it on "Just Chic", too. Let's do it on Monday - right on Valentine's day, and continue on Tuesday and Wednesday.....till Sunday. One whole week!

"One whole week of talking?!", you may think....Not quite, I'll throw in some great giveaways and delightful tutorials. Let's indulge ourselves each and every day throughout the upcoming week.
Did I get your attention? :)

LOVE will be CHIC on Valentine's week

the embellished five: t-shirt edition

2011-02-05T13:16:00.002-06:00

To give you an insight of our little embellishment project, I'll share the few rules:
-each of the participants has to buy at her turn five identical articles of clothing, keep one for herself and send the other four to the rest of us
-one article cannot cost more than $5
-we can do whatever to the item to embellish it: cut, fit, apply, ruffle, etc as long as at the end we won't transform it into something else. A t-shirt has to remain a t-shirt.

I was the first to provide the group with the working material: a pink t-shirt, which I got from Jo-Ann.

I started working on it only this week, although we had set the deadline a while ago. It was fun but at the same time it got me edgy, especially when I did the cutting. What if something went wrong? I couldn't just uncut it.

Check out how Sarah, Jennifer, Larissa and Amy embellished their t-shirts.

Here is the tutorial for my t-shirt:
I started by cutting off the sleeves and the neck. But now, looking back I think you can leave the neck. I cut the t-shirt in two just under the bust line and then the upper part one more time in the middle:I cut from one of the sleeves two stripes of fabric which I stitched on the upper part of the t-shirt, along the middle cut, right sides together. I turned the stripes on the inside.
I made three button holes on the right side and added buttons on the left side. Overlapped the two sides and sewed them together - just to make it easier in the future, but you can skip this step if you want.
I wrapped an elastic below my bust line, add an extra 0.5" to the length and cut it. I made a little incision in the tube at the bottom of the t-shirt, introduced the elastic and hand stitched the ends together, overlapping the 0.5"

I pinned the upper piece to the elastic edge of the bottom piece together and then sewed them, paying attention to stretch them while sewing.
I cut off one stripe of fabric from the raw bottom of the t-shirt (about 2") which I ruffled along the neckline. You can leave the bottom raw as it won't fray. I also added a rick rack along the ruffles.

redecorating our bedroom: new pillows

2011-02-02T22:00:00.002-06:00

After creating the new curtains (I am so happy with them, they brighten up the room) I focused my attention on our decor pillows. I unstitched the ones we already had and used the inserts for the new ones. I also replaced the bed skirt and wanted to make two of the pillow covers from the same fabric as the bed skirt. It's a striped velvet fabric which I accessorized with some buttons on one side of the covers. As for the other big pillows, I looked for a fabric that wouldn't fray because I wanted to use this tutorial. I made one flowery pillow and created the pattern for the second pillow myself. Because the back cover(the same fabric as the curtains) is different from the front cover it's like I have two pillows in one.

featured:

why not 5 instead of 1?

2011-01-30T20:33:00.003-06:00

Show me a seamstress who isn't into refashoning.If you can find any it's only because she hasn't tried it yet :)

Embellishing or repurposing takes imagination to use all kind of means to enhance one garment's look. And the result is so much worthy.

Because after I finish a refashioning project I wonder if I chose the most appropriate enhancement elements or I could have gone for something more appealing (but well, too late now to change the outcome), an idea crossed my mind. And this is how "The embellished five" came to life. I contacted four very talented crafty women who accepted to take part in the project and we'll get started this upcoming Saturday.

The idea is to have five different persons embellish the same item of clothing. There will be five rounds of embellishment.

Round 1: the t-shirt edition

Check out the other participants, if you don't know them already, and you'll discover amazing projects:

Amy @ Positively Splendid

Jennifer @ Two butterflies
Larissa @ Just Another Day in Paradise

Sarah @ Sweet Pea & Jojo

"just chic" is on paper

2011-01-29T23:49:00.000-06:00

This project started so long ago that my mind drifted away from it. So, imagine my surprise this morning when I found in the mail an envelope saying: "Congratulations! You've been published in...." I ran quickly back to home to let Dan know that the magazine is finally out and my project is among its pages. The magazine is Altered Couture and my project is the 3 in 1 from a man's shirt.
I sent some pictures of my refashion project in June, last year and I got back an e-mail with the request to send in the actual items so they can photograph them. The publication was first set for the November issue but I guess my project was more appropriate for spring and that's why they rescheduled it. Besides seeing my name and sewing project in the magazine I was also proud because they chose to publish one of my pictures - not that I wanted to see my face in there but this means that the quality of the picture was good enough to get published along with theirs.

winter skirt

2011-01-24T22:21:00.000-06:00

Have you ever made a skirt from upholstery fabric? For me it’s the second attempt and I keep on being happy with the result. I don’t think I would have ever tried this if it hadn’t been for my mom. She made me once such a lovely winter skirt from some curtains she stopped using. I normally don’t remember many of my former clothes but I do remember this one. It was long and it kept me warm and I enjoyed wearing it. I’m a chilly person so I hardly wear skirts on winter time, but this one I worn out.

Another big advantage of using upholstery fabric is that the skirt won’t wrinkle. Doesn’t this sound heavenly? I wish I could skip ironing for all my clothes. Boy, this could save me some time…

I wanted to add suspenders, it would have given it a funky look. But the fabric didn’t cooperate at all and despite all my efforts I finally had to cave in. The first sign of difficulty came out when turning the suspenders from the wrong side to the right side. Because of the thickness of the fabric it was a Sisyphus work and I teamed up with Dan to pull it off. But when it came to stitching the button holes, my sewing machine just refused to sew through so many layers of thick fabric.

Luckily the skirt looks fine even without suspenders.

stay warm

2011-01-20T22:04:00.000-06:00

Here in Minneapolis we are getting ready for the chilliest night of the winter: -15F. It seems there will be -12F (feeling like -19F with the wind chill) tomorrow morning at 6 am when we wake up. Brrr!
One of my readers asked if the wrist warmers keep warm or they are just a stylish accessory and what to wear them with.
So I took a picture to show you how I wear them. And yes, they do keep warm - they are socks after all :) I already wore the wrist warmers at work and was very happy with the warm feeling.
And as some other reader suggested - you can use colored socks or even better - sweater sleeves to create them.

isn't home decorating exciting?

2011-01-18T22:04:00.000-06:00

How do you decide what colors to use when decorating your place? The spectrum of colors is so large and the matching possibilities are simply infinite. Do you start from your favorite colors? Or do you begin with buying the main piece of the room and then you figure out what color would match it?
After moving the pair of lamps from the living room to the master bedroom, we needed new ones to replace the empty space. So it was time to fulfill a dream and get Tiffany lamps. There are so many lovely Tiffany lamps out there and this makes the decision process so difficult.
We looked for a color combo to match a tapestry made by my dad and which is hanging on our living room wall.
These pictures don't really make justice to the lamps. When I turn on the light and make the lamps come to live and they reveal their beauty, I am just mesmerized. I can't unglue my eyes from them.

Let's boogie at a 70's party

2011-01-16T23:31:00.000-06:00

Throwing a birthday party isn’t an easy job and if you want to keep it a surprise, then you’ll have to come up with inventive excuses to keep it away from the birthday boy. What about adding a new ingredient, such as a theme party? This would definitely spice it up.

An important anniversary was coming up for my hubby Dan, the big 40 and I thought a surprise birthday party would be just the right present to keep his mind off things. Why not a 70’s party? It seemed like a good excuse to have fun: go back in time, dress up as hippies and boogie oogie for a few hours.

Besides figuring out all the administrative details I also had to create the costumes for both of us. I looked on the internet for inspiration for my dress and I found this: As for Dan, I wanted to buy him a costume from Party City and when I couldn’t find anything else but a tie-dye t-shirt, I knew I had to create the pants myself. So, when Dan decided to toss one of his old jeans it was perfect timing for me. I added jeans stripes to make them wider at the bottom and also one flower - power on one side.

Unfortunately one tiny careless thing I did gave the party away just a few days before the big day (Dan didn’t tell it to me but till after the party) but at least he never suspected the party would be yesterday, one week before his actual b-day, and that he would have to wear a 70’s outfit, with a wig and everything :)

redecorating our bedroom: new curtains

2011-01-09T20:33:00.002-06:00

I'm planning on doing a full redecoration of our bedroom and I started with new curtains. The former ones are of a thin fabric and although of a dark color they wouldn't always prevent the rays of sun from going through. I am the one sleeping on the side of the bed next to the window and I usually sleep facing the window. There were several summer weekend mornings when I was waken up by the sun....No fun! But this won't happen anymore.
The new curtains and thick, so thick that I must say I was pretty impressed by my sewing machine with its brave stitch through several layers of fabric. Bravo my Brother!
The starting point in this redecoration was the change of lamps. We replaced the unmatched lamps we used to have in our bedroom with the pair from the living room. The lamps were the ones to dictate the colors: green, gold, orange and dark red.
Making curtains isn't a difficult sewing challenge: easy, straight stitches - who could ask for less, but installing the curtain grommets made me edgy till I figure out how to do it the right way. Gathering the curtains would have been easier but I find the way I did them to be neater. Don't they look more professional?

And here is a trick I found out from HGTV on how to make the windows look wider then they actually are. Get a longer curtain stick than your window. This way, when you pull the curtains open, they will hang on both sides of the window, not covering part of the window.

wrist warmers for a freezing January

2011-01-04T22:51:00.007-06:00

Happy New Year!

I'm still not used to refer to 2011 as the current year and when I speak of last year I have in mind 2009. It's good that people around me bring me back to reality :)

I hope you spent a lovely weekend with fun and tasty food.
We went to Wisconsin Dells with some friends to celebrate the New Year's Eve. It's a nice place especially if you have kids, there are so many activities for them. But even without children you can enjoy the many pools with waves or lazy rivers. It was so enjoyable to get rid of the many layers of thick, warm clothes and spend time only in the swimming suit.

But now we're back to our cold Minnesota and it's time to bundle back up. We have two or three more winter months ahead of us- if you ask me the nastiest moths of the year! I don't mind the freezing cold or snow in December - the holiday atmosphere makes it bearable. But now....argh

On a freezing day like today, for instance, you can use some wrist warmers. Right?
I saw this pair of wrist warmers in the Burda magazine and fell in love with them. I wish I remember how to knit because I suppose they aren't too difficult to make.
Anyway I found another way to make some: I refashioned a pair of socks.
Choose some plain socks, with no Nike or any sign on them. Cut the foot part from the rest of the sock.
Sew the ribbon along the raw edge of the sock right sides together. Use a zig-zag stitch to prevent the sock from fraying.
Fold in the edge of the sock and sew along the edge. Add three little buttons on each wrist warmer.
Here is a variation with wavy edges and a fabric flower only on one side - some asymmetry will make them look more appealing.

This is my first creation for the Project ReStyle organized by A Beautiful Mess.

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two necklaces with tutorial

2010-12-29T22:08:00.000-06:00

Here are two necklaces I created last week. They are easy, cute and make great presents, especially for little girls.
Here is the tutorial for the pink necklace. Some of the pictures won't be too clear as the fabric is on a white background, sorry about that.

I started by cutting several strips of fabric. Make the strips of the same length but the width can differ.
I basted the strips along one edge.
and pulled the thread to create ruffled flowers.
I made six flowers: five of the same size and the sixth a little larger.
I hand stitched them together one by one
and glued two strips of ribbon to each of the two external flowers.
Done!
Wear it with a colorful garment to show it off.

I started the blue necklace by cutting three strips of fabric but because I didn't use knit, as for the pink necklace, and these three fabrics would have frayed, I had to use another technique. I sewed them closed, lengthwise, on the wrong side. I turned the tubes right sides out.

Sewed the ends together,
basted along the edge and pulled the thread to form ruffled flowers.
In the meantime I prepared a chain with two larger links at the ends.
I used ribbons sewn on the larger links

I attached the ruffled flowers with pompons glued in the middle to the chain with the help of little links.
Done!

I'm thinking of making a blue necklace for myself, too :)

ladies in red ;)

2010-12-25T01:08:00.000-06:00

Santa must be a mind reader because he brought me exactly what I was wishing for: a dress form. I've been dreaming of this for some time. Without one, making a garment is sometimes a challenge, especially when you don't have a pattern and you design it as you go.

It's a dress form that can be adjustable at the bust line, waistline and hip. And it's red. Lovely!

I'm so very happy! Last year Santa brought me the sewing machine, this year the dress form. Generous guy Santa! :)

I hope you also got what you wished for! What did you wish for?

pink headbands for my little niece

2010-12-20T21:48:00.000-06:00

The blue headbands were a success. So the other niece expressed her wish of getting the same treat but in another color. She's 5 and passes through a pink phase.
I don't usually buy pink fabrics so it took me a while to have the headbands ready.

orange celebration

2010-12-18T23:52:00.001-06:00

One year since I first posted on this blog. Already! And I have to thank you, my followers, for keeping me going. For inspiring me, for sharing your thoughts and ideas, for your nice words about my garments.I remember my first "unknown" follower. Someone else besides my family and friends was interested in my blog. wow! :)I wanted to have this dress ready for my one year celebration and here it is. I succeeded in finding time to finish it despite the busy period of the year. I went to the usual fabric outlet looking for something else and found this vaporous orange and white fabric. I was simply mesmerized by it and placed it on top of my to-do list. The inspiration for the dress came from this photo found on the internet: Marc Jacobs collection for the summer of 2011.

the Gail dress, second version

2010-12-07T21:44:00.000-06:00

Do you remember my Gail dress? I sewed it some time ago, in October, and now that I'm writing about it I realize I haven't sewn any garment since....shame on me... ( a clutch bag and a refashioned cardigan don't really count as sewing )
Well, not only I haven't sewn since but what I did this past weekend was to unsew what I once created. My Gail dress.
Don't get me wrong, I liked it a lot just the way it was but something was missing for me to be 100% satisfied. So I detached the bodice from the skirt part and created another skirt.
What I forgot is the pockets, I would have enjoyed them but now it's too late...unless I want to experience one more time the unsewing...just kidding...Once per garment is more than enough.

Christmas wreath

2010-12-02T22:11:00.001-06:00

I made this Christmas wreath for which I used only a wreath form, some ribbons and an ornament. I bought the ribbons and ornament from Target last year.

I started by wrapping the three color ribbon around the wreath form. I didn't have to use glue because the ribbon has a a metal thread along the edges and I could shape it well around the wreath form.Unfortunately I didn't have ribbon enough to cover the entire wreath form. No worries, I have another ribbon to complete the coverage job.A Christmas ornament finishes the job.

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gift wrapping idea: button design

2010-11-30T21:07:00.000-06:00

Last gift wrapping idea for last day of November. Buttons can be used not only for fastening but also for creating nice designs on the wrapping paper.They can be attached directly to the wrapping paper or on a scrap paper which is then glued to the wrapping paper.

gift wrapping idea: newspaper and ribbons

2010-11-26T12:59:00.000-06:00

The ribbon made it on to the front page of the newspaper ;) You can use the comics and games page of the newspaper......or tie the ribbon in a big, fun bow

new cardigan from an old sweater - with tutorial

2010-11-22T21:15:00.000-06:00

I must apologize for my late lack of sewing related posts. But last month, after more than one year into my new life in America, my status changed back into a working member of the society :)I got a job. And hand in hand with that came the constant struggle for free time. If only I could trade in the one hour commute with one hour in front of my sewing machine…I hope to find soon a routine that will include back my hobby.

“Embellish Knit Month” @ Grosgrain inspired me to transform one of my sweaters into a cardigan. It was in fact an old sweater from Dan’s closet, which he stopped wearing but which I couldn't find the heart to toss because it was still in a good shape. It had an outdated pattern but it was still good to wear.

The makeover gave it a new, fresh and more feminine look.

I measured the middle of the sweater and cut from waist to neckline.
I cut off the ribbing at the bottom.

I cut off half of the sleeves.
I double folded the raw edges of the sleeves and bottom and stitched them.
I stitched the raw edge of the new opening with a zig-zag stitch, folded it and stitched it.
I created the buttonholes and sewed on the buttons.

Gift wrapping idea: scrap wrap

2010-11-16T21:39:00.000-06:00

Scrap paper is another idea on how to embellish the brown wrapping paper. You can use almost anything for scrap paper.

I cut out a picture from an invitation to the Minnesota Orchestra and simply glued it on one side. I also added a flowery ribbon with pom poms on the other side. A colorful fabric placed between the brown paper and the scrap paper would make the latter pop. A paper napkin with a beautiful color printed pattern can also be used.

I heart faces - Silhouette

2010-11-15T22:10:00.001-06:00

Considering it already snowed in Minnesota, I should be posting the silhouette of a skier, not a surfer :)This is a photo taken by Dan in one of our vacations.

Gift wrapping idea: hole-punched paper

2010-11-06T23:35:00.000-05:00

The brown wrapping paper can be combined with hole-punched colored paper.

You can keep it basic and use only one or two wide strips of colored paper or add some stars to it. I cut mine out from a Macy's bag but you can draw some and then cut them out. Make them as small or as big as you wish. You can also make a bow or a flower out of the hole-punched paper. In case you're not saving the chads for confetti, you can also use them to brighten up the brown wrapping paper .

Gift wrapping idea: pom poms

2010-11-02T21:56:00.001-05:00

Don't let the brown paper scare you away from using it for gift wrapping. All you need is a fun and ingenious idea to make it dazzle. And you can turn anything into an accessory. The repurposing possibilities are just unlimited.

If you knit and have some leftover yarn, you can create some lovely pom poms.

This is how to make pom poms using your fingers:

Begin by wrapping the yarn around your fingers. If you want a small pom pom use only two fingers and if you want it bigger use four fingers - you can also spread them apart (as I did)
The more yarn, the fluffier the pom pom.
Bring the end of the yarn through the middle of the pom pom bundle...
and make a knot.
Cut through the loops of the pom pom.
Fluff it...
and start trimming any uneven length to make give it a tidy look.
You can use any color of yarn to make one color and multicolor pom poms.
Add a strip of fabric underneath the pom pom for more color.
Or use a cluster of pom poms: bigger
or smaller.

Forget-me-not clutch bag

2010-10-29T23:10:00.001-05:00

One would think creating a bag is easier than sewing a garment. Wrong! The small size won't be proportionate with the use of the sewing skills, quite the opposite. You'll have to apply several techniques, like buttonhole, magnetic snap, zipper, lining and interfacing - all these for only a 10" bag.
I added a beaded turquoise flower at the bottom - first time I used beads. It is discreet and stylish.
You want just the right amount of beads, not too many and not too little, not too dazzling or kitschy, but just enough to draw one's attention towards the bag.

gift wrapping November

2010-10-27T21:23:00.005-05:00

Holiday season is just around the corner. Some of you may have already started looking for gift ideas. I must confess I even bought some of the presents for our family.
But finding the perfect gift isn't everything. Wrapping it up will make the whole process complete and will also add a special touch, only if you want to make it personal and chic ;)

Throughout November I will present several wrapping ideas and in the spirit of staying as much environmental friendly as possible, I will show you how brown paper, fabric remnants, buttons, etc. can make unique and beautiful wraps.

These ideas will be helpful not only for Christmas but also for any other occasions round the year. Knowing how to wrap a present in a charming way is a helpful skill and will guarantee a big smile on the receiver's face even before revealing the content.

Remember that it's not just inside that counts! Also you don't need to spend too much for wrapping, a couple of things you already have in your household put together in a creative way will do the trick!

My collection of gift wrapping ideas: (click on pictures)

Have comments for me?

2010-10-27T13:04:00.000-05:00

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Form Maker by - Privacy

military shoulder bag - with tutorial

2010-10-22T12:40:00.001-05:00

What can you refashion a man's shirt into? A skirt, a dress or a woman's shirt. But when it comes to a military shirt the first choice that pops up into your mind is a shoulder bag. The military fabric is stiffer than a regular shirt fabric and there are so many elements, like the big number of pockets, that you can creatively add to the bag.
I really tried to use each and every element: pockets, zipper, cuffs, velcro, even the size tag. The only one left out was the collar.

Here are the steps I took to refashion this military shirt into a shoulder bag:

1. I cut off the sleeves and then cut along the inner seams of the sleeves. I carefully removed some of the pockets on the sleeves with a seam ripper.

2. I cut off a part from the back of the shirt and stitched the pockets to it - this is the front of the shoulder bag.

3. I cut off the cuffs from both sleeves
4. and created the back of the shoulder bag from one of the sleeves
5. I cut off the zipper leaving about 1.5" of fabric on both sides of the zipper
6. I cut the bottom and the sides of the bag from the front of the shirt. The bottom is just a rectangular with the same length as the length of the front & back of the bag (the width is up to you).
The dimensions of the sides:
length: about 2" longer than the height of the front & back of the bag
width: at one side = the width of the bottom
at the other side = about 3" (to equal the width of the zipper)
7. I cut all the pieces from lining
8. I sewed all the pieces together: front to the bottom, then to the back and the sides
9. and attached the cuffs on one side
10. I sewed all the lining pieces together after having attached the rest of the pockets
11. I created the handles from remnants and as there wasn't much left from shirt, I also used lining
12. and stitched the handles to the sides of the bag
13. I sewed the zipper
14. and created a bias tape from lining to cover the stitch
This is a big roomy shoulder bag, that will fit a laptop, several books and anything else you may need for a full day at school or work.

BOO Halloween wreath

2010-10-15T15:44:00.001-05:00

Here it is: ghosts, black, orange and BOO - my first Halloween wreath.It's not exactly my ideal Halloween wreath but it's made by me. I'll count it as experience and hope to do a better job next year.

Wednesday find: Halloween wreaths

2010-10-13T14:48:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking of making a Halloween wreath and here are some nice ideas I came across on the internet (each comes with a tutorial).

BOO wreath by Linda at Craftaholic Anonymous
Tulle wreath at Baby Rabies Halloween Hoedown Wreath by Melissa Marie at Huckleberry Prairie

I've never had a wreath before, for Halloween or any other holiday. They aren't common in Romania and in Belgium I didn't pay attention to see if they are used or not.
So, I was wondering how many wreaths do you use throughout a year? Do you have one for each holiday? Do you use any?

I heart beef photo challenge

2010-10-12T00:07:00.000-05:00

This week's challenge at I ♥ faces is a "I heart beef" theme.

My part was to cook Dan's favorite dinner: a hot beef steak with vegetables. The rest was done exclusively by him: photo taking and eating. He's a big fan of hot peppers, he would eat them with anything.

my fall version of the Gail dress

2010-10-09T12:45:00.002-05:00

Another month, another "Frock by Friday" at Grosgrain. For this new sew along project, Kathleen gave a choice between two patterns, both from BurdaStyle and the winner was the Gail pattern: a lovely dress with lace along the neckline. Kathleen's idea was to modify the pattern so it would look like a Modcloth dress: a fitted dress with lace not only along the neckline but also at the waistline.

Great idea but I took a step further and made even more alterations to the original pattern. To be honest, I didn't even download the Gail pattern, I used a pattern I had used before for my red roses dress - for the bodice part. I transferred the neckline from another Gail version created by BurdaStyle because I liked the buttons both in the front and in the back.
As for the skirt, I used the Vogue V1042 pattern but kept the "lace waistline" from the Modcloth dress. As a matter of fact I didn't use lace, it doesn't match my idea of a fall outfit, maybe because I'm afraid of being cold. I used two kind of fabrics, an orange denim for the main part and a dark blue stretch woven for the neckline and waistline.
Now, that I'm writing it down, I realize I used a great mixture of patterns to create this dress:
In this case, can I still call it a Gail dress?:)
The dress is featured on the FaveCrafts Blog Hop for October: and on the DIY show off Fall Festival:

Wednesday find : symphony of accessories in blue

2010-10-06T16:57:00.000-05:00

I always complement my outfits with matching accessories : bags, earrings, bracelets... in vivid colors.

If one day I extend my crafting abilities I wish I could create all the beautiful blue accessories featured below. (They all come with a tutorial)

It would be nice to be able to express my creativity also through knitting, beading or crocheting.

What other crafts are you proficient in, besides sewing?

Clutch Bag by Craft Passion

Blue Pouch by Kitchen Sink Dyeworks

Wrap Bracelet by Robin at Ruby Mines

Arm Warmers by Julia at Julia Crossland

My dinner recipe in photos

2010-10-05T11:15:00.001-05:00

I use this week I Heart Faces theme to feature one of my dear friends' delicious photos. Her name is Claudia and she is the talented cook of my group of friends.
Each time she shares photos of her meals I have to restrain myself from drooling over the keyboard :) If we lived closer to each other I'm sure I would often invite myself to dinner to her house. But she lives in Germany...

She uses Jamie Oliver's recipes for inspiration.

Enjoy!Vegetables

Aubergine Parmigiana

Salmon rolls

Cress and Piccalilli

Pineapple with mint

Berry muffins

Chocolate muffins

Smoothie

Tiramisu

give an adorable, vintage touch to your bolero

2010-09-30T10:35:00.001-05:00

I bought this bolero many years ago but didn't wear it too much because of the sleeves: they were way too long. Still I didn't toss the bolero, instead, I put it in my luggage when I moved from Romania to Belgium, and then when I moved from Belgium to the US.
If the bolero came through two moves and it's still in my closet, I must have believed in its potential. And now, after so many years, my new sewing hobby comes in handy and I can actually do something about it.

Here are the steps I took to give my bolero another look:

I cut off a portion of the long sleeves and added ruffled cuffs made of a wide black and white ribbon.
Because the sleeves were large, I sewed an elastic band on the wrong side.
I added a decorative black button, a black ribbon bow and a black and white ribbon butterfly on each sleeve.I sewed a ruffled black and white ribbon along the front edge and added a tie to keep the bolero closed.Not only I solved the long sleeve problem but I also gave another look to the plain bolero - a little imagination can make all the difference.

brown fall dress: McCalls 5466

2010-09-27T00:16:00.000-05:00

McCalls M5466 makes a lovely pattern for a fall dress: fitted bodice with pleated neck and a pleated straight skirt.I have previously used the skirt part of the pattern for my deux-piece fall outfit and, though I like that skirt, I've decided to make some changes this time. I don't find the pleats (front and back) too flattering, it makes the skirt look too puffy and you don't want this, especially when it comes to your behind. The solution is to replace the pleats with darts.
There are two pairs of pleats on each side of the skirt (front and back ) but I didn't want two pairs of darts, I only wanted two darts on each side. I started with the ones in the front and took care to align them with the darts of the bodice. But making a single dart from two pleats means you'll get a rather bulky dart.In order to get smaller darts in the back I decided to cut out about an inch of the two fabric pieces of the back skirt . I did get normal darts in the back this way but I ignored another fitting point of a skirt: the hip. I have now a VERY fitted skirt and, though I like how it looks on me, I would have appreciated an extra inch of fabric. But what's cut out can't be added back...the only thing that can still be added is a slit.As for the bodice, the only alteration I made was to leave the sleeves out.If I were to sew this pattern again, I would pair the bodice with a fitted skirt pattern or maybe replace only the back pleats of the skirt with darts.

why not a bag collection?

2010-09-20T09:51:00.002-05:00

My orange purse has been attracted several compliments lately. Someone even asked me if I had designed it (having no idea that I'm an amateur seamstress). I wish I could have taken credit for it but it's just a regular mass-produced purse. Anyway, the question planted a seed in my mind and here is the first fruit of that seed:
I once saved a magazine from being tossed because of a picture: a beautiful, expensive leather handbag - Moni Moni Lily Bag- It had braided handles and a big leather flower on the side. These two embellishment elements were the starting point in the creation of my bag.
I used a red denim and a turquoise fabric for the lining. It's a color combination I find eye catching and which I've used before. The flower is made from the same fabric as the lining and has tulle red petals inserted between the turquoise ones.
I followed Craftapple's tutorial on installing a magnetic snap. I have never done it before and I found her tutorial very easy.
As I really enjoyed creating this bag, I thought of starting a small collection for my shop. Stay tuned! :)

featured on:

blue headbands for the b-day girl's sister

2010-09-18T23:29:00.000-05:00

Not having kids makes it difficult for us to choose a present for any of our friends' kids: be they babies, toddlers or older. We have no clue what the children' wishes are, if they don't have it already, if it's not too big or too noisy, etc.
Lesson no. 1: Ask parents for a hint.

Lesson no. 2: Get a small present for the b-day kid's sibling (unless you want to cause a torrent of tears).

So, I figured I could sew something for the b-day girl's sister. I would enjoy doing it and it would make the present more personal. The sister is about 9 and she loves the blue color.
After browsing the internet in search of idea, I came out with: headbands. Blue headbands!
I followed Cally's tutorial as I liked the look of her headbands slid in the fabric strips. The alternative would have been to wrap the headband in a fabric strip using glue. I trust my sewing more than a glue and I think this way it looks neat and professional.

flaming red strapless dress - Butterick 6591

2010-09-11T20:03:00.000-05:00

Ever since I created the strapless dress for my cousin, I've been meaning to sew one for myself. That dress made me overcome my fears and opened a new door for me.If for my cousin's dress I drafted out the pattern myself, this time I bought a pattern: Butterick 6591 .My main concern about a strapless dress was to find the right way to make the bodice secure so it would stay up against any sudden movement of the body.
And here come the advantages of buying a pattern: you don't have to reinvent the wheel and break your head to find the right solutions for any problem you may encounter, they are printed there in front of you.
These are the measurements I used, according to the pattern, to secure the bodice:
-facing ( = a strip of fabric which is sewn to the garment edge, on the inside)
-interfacing applied to the facing
-elastic inserted into castingThe pattern is nice and the instructions easy to follow. Funny enough - the most annoying part for me was the insertion of the elastic into casting. I used a safety pin, which got opened halfway through, and I had to pull the elastic back and start all over.
I used a denim fabric, perfect for the season.

"deux-piece" fall outfit

2010-09-03T23:59:00.001-05:00

If it's Friday it means it's the last day of the "frock by Friday" challenge at Grosgrain. It's the day to show off the creations of each seamstress who took part in this one week challenge.
Here is mine:
Kathleen's idea was to attach the BurdaStyle's Alexandre Blouse to the skirt piece of the McCalls Pattern M5466 and create a dress- a faux top and skirt, as she calls it. But I preferred to keep the two pieces separate, leaving me the liberty to pair them with any other blouse, skirt or pants.
I started by sewing the skirt and there is not much to say about this part. I followed the pattern, no difficulties, no alterations. What I like about the skirt is the side pockets which are about 2" inches extended out.Still, if I were to do the skirt over again, I would replace the front and back pleats with darts. It would give the skirt a perfect fit look and would help avoiding the puffy look when you put your hands in your pockets- which I love doing.
Sewing the blouse took me more time because I wanted to alter the pattern and tried to figure out how to do it best. So I did a lot of reading before cutting the fabric. BurdaStyle was very helpful in this sense as I got to read about previous experiences with the pattern and recommendations. It helped a lot. I found The Slapdash Sewist 's suggestions particularly helpful as well as BurdaStyle's pattern alteration notes.The blouse is created to have buttons in the front as well as in the back and though I find the design detail in the back original I don't consider it to be comfortable. Imagine yourself sitting on a chair and leaning against the backrest, you would start feeling all those buttons in your back.
I didn't replace the back buttons with a back center seam, as many have done so far, but I folded the fabric and cut the back in only one piece.The lack of buttons in the back triggered the alteration of the back facing, which didn't have to come anymore all the way down to the waistline but I cut off the bottom and left it just around the neckline.
Here is a list of other changes I made after reading the reviews on BurdaStyle:
-added 1" to each of the front pieces so they could overlap
-added 1" to the length of the blouse
-added 2" to the length of the peplums
-replaced the back pleated with darts

Here are the two pieces matched with some other garments: