DIY Fashionista!

Hey! I am featured this week as a DIY Fashionista over at Cut Out + Keep... go check it out!  

There's a little interview about my DIY style and a mini-tutorial on my DIY necklace.

Back to Beading

Sooooo... recently this blog (and my extracurricular activities generally) have been all about sewing. I've been quite smitten (nay, obsessed) with sewing.

Not that that's bad. It's just that my other hobbies are jealous...

After Colleen asked me what accessories I was planning on wearing with my leopard peplum blouse, it got me thinking that I'd been neglecting my beads and jewelry-making. I mean, the last time I made a piece of jewelry was over a year ago, for the Jenneth wedding spectacular (to be fair, I made six earring/necklace combinations for that affair, no small feat!)!!

I decided straight away that I should remedy the situation by incorporating more jewelry-making into my crafting schedule. And maybe some more cooking, too, while I'm at it.

What happened next, you might ask? In search of inspiration, I fell down a Pinterest rabbit hole, foraged through my beads for several hours, got overwhelmed and ultimately decided to start with something simple.  I decided to answer Colleen's question by making something to go with my leopard peplum!

A necklace made from round hematite beads alternating with short lengths of chain for about 30 inches, with pairs of little triangle-shaped glass danglies in between for movement.

Turns out this baby might be a bit too matchy-matchy... it basically blends in with the top when I'm wearing them together. But it's pretty and sparkly anyway and I imagine I'll be able to wear it with other stuff, too!  Plus it got me thinking about beading/jewelry-making again, so mission accomplished!

Craftin': In Progress, In the Scrap Pile, In the Queue

In progress:

1. Knitbot's Spring Ribbed Cardigan (here's the Ravelry page) in Cascade Yarns Cotton Rich DK bought at Webs during their post-Christmas blow-out sale:

2. Colette Peony, perhaps in a beautiful blue Balinese ikat once I get the bodice fit right on this one-sleeved muslin (made from an old Ikea duvet cover, below).  I think I need to raise the waist a half inch, shift the bust darts slightly and take out a wedge of fabric from the back, as I am getting a massive bulge along the seam... I think it's called a swayback adjustment?

3. Diane Kimono Dress by Sew Serendipity: I have a muslin of this one made out of some crazy fabric from Martha... the top part only (below).  I'm having a little bit of a gap problem at the neckline, hate the facings, which keep popping out, and am finding the waistband to be entirely too fiddly.  When I make the tunic/beach cover-up version I am planning to make from some batik, I may skip the waistband and just sew some elastic on the inside.  We'll see.

4. Darling Ranges Dress by Megan Nielsen: I have a muslin in the works, but the bust darts are giving me a headache.  Trying figure out a) what changes I need to make and b) how to make them. 

5. Crochet wire and bead necklaces for the Jenneth wedding party... drafted, but still awaiting final instructions: 

In the scrap pile:

1. Ug, Butterick 5561, I shake my fist at you!  I'm not sure why I thought this top would be flattering, and maybe I made a poor fabric choice, but what I ended up with looked unfortunately like a hospital gown, both in shape and color.  What a waste of a pretty fabric (Lisette lawn, to be specific)!  I tried to salvage it by changing out the ill-fitting facings with some bias tape and gathering the front... no dice, neckline still wonky.  Then I decided give the waist some shirring for some shape.  That helped a little, but it still looks like a maternity shirt.  I did learn how to use elastic thread for shirring, though, which is exciting!

2. I started this "1 hour dress" well over a year ago, but it was a hot, lumpy mess for me...  I may try to turn the material into a pencil skirt a la Mimi G?

In the queue: 

1. Bubble Pocket Shorts and Ruffle Top from Elegance and Elephants... for Zoe, of course.
2. Jersey Knit Dress as seen on Prudent Baby (free pattern!), maybe from from an old t-shirt?
2. Layer Cake Skirt, also from Prudent Baby, a good use of scraps from other projects
3. High-Low Gathered Back Shirt from Cotton&Curls... maybe a modified Grainline Scout Tee or a Tiny Pocket Tank?
4.  Newcastle Cardigan from Thread Theory when it's released, maybe?  A cute hipster cardigan for Tim, a follow-up to his Negroni.
5. Victory Patterns Nicola: Perhaps using some batik rayon challis I have in my stash... 
6. Simplicity 2684: Batik ruffle pants and tank for Miss Zoe?  Or perhaps Miss Anna! Thanks for the pattern, Chazay
7. Ella Raglan Blouse from I Think Sew: simple and cute.

8. Many, many others!