Scrappy Cowl

Today's refashion is the story of a mess-up turning into a great outcome. Sometimes while sewing I get moving too quickly and without thinking will put things together incorrectly...which usually means I have to unpick, sew the correct step, then move on to what I was jumping ahead to.

Case in point: what was meant to be an infinity scarf able to wrap twice around my neck...

I started out with this floral (?) print skirt that I'd picked up at the community swap. It wouldn't work as a skirt for me, but had definite potential as a scarf. The eggplant colored piece was a cowl neck I'd removed from a thrifted sweater and had plans to use as a scarf...for the past two years! Also, some bits of striped material leftover from this refashion.

I removed the waistband from the skirt, then the pockets. I'd thought that the waist, once ironed flat would be fairly equal to the hem, but I still had to straighten things up a bit. I then cut open the cowl along the seam and put together a grouping of the scraps. I sewed the eggplant knit to the stripy scraps to create a loop that matched the skirt circumference. But I'd already made a mistake. If I wanted it to be an infinity scarf that could wrap around, I should have cut open one of the skirt seams, and left the cowl/scraps in one long piece rather than a loop. Then, I would have sewn the two, right sides together leaving the ends open. Once I'd turned the scarf right side out, I could have sewn the two ends together overlapping them to create the infinity loop.

However, I put my two loops right sides together, sewed along one edge, then along the other leaving a 3 inch gap to turn it inside out. I didn't realize what I'd done until I turned the scarf right side out and it was a very tall cowl instead of a long infinity scarf ;). Here's how it looked upon completion. The openings are at the top and bottom.

Once scrunched down, however, it made the perfect cowl that was loose enough to put on but close-fitting enough to be just right! I love that I still get all of the options for showcasing the different colors/prints depending on how I scrunch or twist!

I'm home again today nursing a sick boy, and picked up what he's got, so I'll be nursing myself a bit as well. Perfect opportunity to wear my new cozy cowl! Here's a look at the different ways I can wear it:

Perfect with a chambray top and some leggings.

I guess the positive out of these past few days stuck at home is that I've been able to sew, blog, and spend lots of time with my boy!

Peace,
Andrea

ThriftStyleThursday: Scarves

Just a quick post today with my outfit for Thrift Style Thursday featuring my favorite fall accessory...scarves!

It's a rainy day, so of course I'm wearing my floral rain boots (DSW 3 years back), and to go along with it a thrifted t-shirt, thrifted oversized cardigan, my free trench (traded with a friend), my favorite thrifted purse, and my newly thrifted $3 scarf/cowl!

It's kinda perfect...cozy and soft, striped, and with the bits of pink and chartreuse it matches not only my floral rain boots, but also my chartreuse wool coat that I'll be wearing soon as the temperatures are starting to drop (also thrifted).

didn't crop out my nose cause I thought it was funny ;)

Here's to hoping I get back on track with sewing, refashioning and posting sometime soon! Go check out the other's that have posted their outfits over at Thrift Style Thursday! Thanks for stopping by...

Peace,
Andrea

Mix & Match Bathing Suits and a Beach Coverup

So I should have included this tidbit at the end of yesterday's post, but it was beginning to feel a bit long ;) so I decided to hang on and save this part for today. That means that I was inspired to add a little something extra to beef up today's post...more on that later!

Now that I have completed the 'fixes' on my two bathing suits, why not take a look at how I can wear them? As matching sets...

Matchy-matchy: love all three!

or mixing sets! I think my favorite of the mixing sets is this one in the middle...the strapless top actually covers the top of the high-waisted bottoms and looks like a one-piece :o) Love the different looks I can achieve with what started as two separate suits!

Mixy-mixy: love 2 & 3 best :)

And how shall I complete my beachy/poolside look, you ask? Well, whether you do or not, I'll show ya! Here's what I started out with:

• a thin gauzy scarf...depending on the width you could use two, but mine was super wide so I only needed the one (thrifted, of course)
• elastic (I chose matching)
• matching thread
• scissors

Because I had an extra wide scarf, I laid it out folded end to end. The fringy ends become the bottom of my coverup. I folded this in half sideways and cut along the fold down about 10-12 inches. This becomes the neck hole. If you have two thinner scarves, you'd simply sew them together front and back leaving a large enough opening for your head at the top where I've cut mine. Example here. Her's is finished differently than mine (and I'm kind of wishing I'd done what she did...). Oh well! Great excuse for trying out her version ;).

I next determined where the elastic needed to be placed by putting it on, measuring how far down from the v I wanted my waistline, then added that to the length of the cut to get my total distance from the top edge. I marked my line with chalk on both sides, then used embroidery floss to gather the front and back. Next, I sewed the elastic in place with a zigzag stitch and pulled the floss out.

Here's how it came out. The sleeves ended up being very long, so I've simply folded up the ends onto my shoulders for the pics and may tack them in place later...still deciding. It can also be worn as a 'skirt' coverup by taking off the top half and tying the sleeves together in the front as a bow.

This is my favorite look with the new coverup and a peek at my 'one-piece' option with the coverup I made in January.

Mixing it up with my animal print and palm/leaf print coverup, what! 

Coverups can be a great intro to refashioning as there are some that are no-sew, and some that require minimal sewing/cutting/sizing. I, personally, love a quick project now and then and this one fit the bill today :) Here's the final before and after shot!

Happy Refashioning...
Peace,
Andrea

The Giveaway Scarf

Yay! I finally finished the giveaway scarf for Lauren :). She initially said that she loved the combination of the mustard yellow scarf with a braided scarf over top. When I asked what type of color combo she'd like, she asked for gray and mustard...but I had a hard time finding mustard! So, upon asking for other colors to go with the gray, she said Tiffany blue or greens. Well, that's more like it! I had the perfect Tiffany blue knit fabric that I'd thrifted 3 years back (I found a huge length at a large thrift store where textile companies donated fabrics and unfinished/damaged new garments).

So, I got started! I had this pair of leggings that I'd found (tagged/brand new) at the thrift store but they were too big and instead of taking them in I figured I'd hold out for the perfect project to remake them. Unfortunately I got excited and took them apart before taking a picture, but leggings are leggings. The only thing 'special' about these is that they had a stretchy lace waistband that I'll be able to use later on :). So, I deconstructed them and opened up each leg along the inner seam.

Now, I wanted to recreate the same shape and drape of the mustard scarf. It used to be a tank top with a drapey front (I basically cut off the top and rounded the drapey part). Laying the legs out I started to work out how I could make this work. I folded the end of the legs over by about 6 inches and cut along the fold.

I flipped the cut bottom portion of the legs so that the angles mirrored the angles of the top portions. I've folded over the edges to meet the smaller pieces here to show where the seams will be.

I just used a straight stitch to sew up each seam, trimmed the raw edges so that they were even and then turned it right side out.

Next I needed to get the shape cut out. I folded the scarf in half and cut a curve leaving as little scrap as possible.

This is what's left! Most of it usable and therefore heading to my stash :). And all I need to do to wear this is to fold the top inward and draping does the rest. No need to finish off raw edges; a good basic lightweight scarf.

Now, to make the braid, I cut the blue knit fabric into long strips and braided them into a plait long enough to wrap around twice. I sewed the ends together and wrapped with more 'yarn' to finish off. The two are separate from one another so that Lauren can adjust and wear them as she wants. Here's how the final product looks!

Anyone else wondering what happened to the other leg (since it only took one to make this scarf)? Well, now I have my own gray scarf to use as a base for all of my different braided scarves :). So, thank you Lauren for liking the scarf you did which prompted me to recreate it and afforded me my own version of your scarf! Oh, and to complete this post, a couple of 'outtakes' so to speak...my husband was talking to me as I got these shots and I just had to share how I look mid-word and mid-blink ;). Enjoy!

Peace,
Andrea

Giveaway Winner

Between FB and the blog, there were 5 entries to win the giveaway scarf...so your chances were good!!! :) In the end Lauren was the winner. She said, "I love all of them but especially the mustard yellow and braid accent. So pretty!!" Well, now we get to work on recreating something like this for you...Congrats!

The good news for those that didn't win, is that I'll be having another giveaway next month! So, stay tuned, and feel free to send me your ideas for things you'd like to see me do. 

Spring Scarf Tutorial: The Finale

Update: The Giveaway is now closed!

Yeah, you read right, a giveaway! I totally missed February's giveaway, so I'll make this month a good one :). But first, let's get down to business with all of these scarves! What on earth am I going to do with so many? Well, I'd planned on spending the morning going 'style' crazy, but plans came up (yay for time spent with other adults!!!) and my time got cut short. So, here are a few of the looks I came up with for some of these scarves, and a round of mixing and matching.

Let's start with the mix-n-match, shall we? I started out with this gray silk (thrifted) top as a base. Basic, easy, perfect for brightening up. I threw on a mustard 'scarf' that I'd made by cutting off the neck and armholes of an old top, and paired it with the sweater turned scarf. I love this, and will wear this combo in the fall.

Then I got going with my braided/t-shirt yarn scarves. I love the lavender and pale pink together (so pretty) as well as the two floral silk scarves! Another fave combo is the lavender braid over this purple scarf seen on the right...

Or is it a scarf? Nope! I thrifted this nightgown brand new but never wear it...though I'm liking it belted and bloused. I think I love it more as a scarf, though ;).

Then I got to styling. I started with the lavender and polka-dot mix and decided I should throw another print in there with this thrifted floral maxi. An army green jacket tones it down for cool days, or I can go bare arms in the summer and let the scarves stand out!

Next, I put on this thrifted silk dress...in my favorite color!!!! But, I didn't love the scarves as much with this one. I threw on the cobalt blue, which was fine, another bold silk scarf layered with polka-dots, and then the mustard and blue floral braid. Meh. I think I'd love the floral silk scarves with this, but I didn't try that combo.

This next scarf will be less conducive for the mix-n-match aspect as it already has so much going on. And I like it just as it is with this silk coral top (thrifted and refashioned).

As I ran out of time, I threw on a pair of jeans I'd bleach tie-dyed, a blush sweater that I thrifted this week, and the sweater/braid/lace scarf, then the tribal/lace infinity scarf. I'm kind of in love with this sweater...the loose knit makes it perfect for the days that are cool but warming up, the color is just so pretty and scarves bring it all to life :).

And now, for the giveaway!!! Ok, so all you need to do is leave a comment letting me know what you liked, didn't like, whatever (though, make it constructive, please) ;) and you will be entered to win your very own scarf! You can pick a certain style, or mix-n-match a couple of pieces that you like and give me specifics on colors/patterns/prints that you like. And I'll custom make a scarf for ya! This is only open to readers in the U.S. (for now, I'll go international eventually, promise!) and you have until Tuesday, March 18th at 9 a.m. EST to enter. Good luck!

Peace,
Andrea

Spring Scarf Tutorial: Part VI

Did ya miss me yesterday? I had a job to finish for a client...my first! Simple panels of fabric to be placed over a ceiling. Seemed simple, anyhow, but I had my share of mishaps and learned A LOT! But on to the tutorial that I missed posting yesterday!

I started out with a thrifted t-shirt that had some tiny holes here and there but was a pretty color. It also just so happened to coordinate with two pieces of silk fabric that I'd thrifted several months back.  Now, I had different ideas on how to make these scarves but in the end I went the easy and safe route. 

I started by making my t-shirt into yarn. I did not pull it, but instead folded the entire length in half, then in half again, and then into thirds. Each 'strand' of my braid would therefore have four strands of yarn. I braided up the length which turned out to be long enough to double over. I used scraps to tie over where I'd sewn the two ends of the braid together. If you want it to be absolutely no-sew, just tie the ends of the braid together nice and tight or use some strong fabric glue before wrapping.

Now, here's where I balked a bit on my original plans. I had thought to make an actually infinity scarf with each of these pieces of fabric, but in the end couldn't do it! So, I decided I'd go the route of knots. The piece on the right was folded in half and where the corners met, I tied double knots. The bottom piece was closer to a square shape so I folded it into two triangles; the outer corners will be tied together.

Once I'd tied each one up, I looped the first around my neck just once, laying the braided scarf over the top! Again, I put on the second, looped twice around, and layered the braid over it. Two looks, and I didn't make any 'permanent' changes to the silk so that if I want to do something else with them later on, I can :). And I probably will.

Leaving the raw edges of the t-shirt yarn and the silk remnants visible may not be to everyone's taste, so feel free to do more finishing work if your fabrics require it. Otherwise, be creative with what you have and feel free to play with scarves you already own, and layer them with some of these simple braided ones.

One last look at the before and after:

Because I'm a day late, I'll do the post with all of the styling shots and mixing and matching tomorrow. Happy Saturday!

Peace,
Andrea

Spring Scarf Tutorial: Part V

We are nearing the end of the week, and today you get two for the price of one! And that's because I didn't do a 'real' tutorial for either one....oops! But I'll talk ya through it, k? Cool. First things first, grab some old t-shirts, tank tops, scraps, whatever! Make tubes...you can either do this by taking a squarish shaped piece and fold it over, sewing along the long open side and then invert (make sure you are sewing right sides together); or, you can cut two long rectangles, sew up the two long sides and invert. To make a long chain of these tubes, you turn one inside out, slide it over another and line up the ends and sew around the edge...and continue to add another length until you have a scarf long enough to wrap as many times as you want.

Now, at this point you need to do something to join the ends, and I chose lace. Similar to the first scarf, I'm wrapping a section of lace around the raw edges of the jersey knit and sewing it in place. You can go a step further and finish off the edges of the lace, or make another tube as with the other pieces of fabric and then topstitch it over the scarf ends as shown below. 

And there you have it! I chose a mix of mustard, blush, and tribal print along with the white lace, so that I could add interest to a basic outfit (which most days my style is pretty simple). Easy to throw on for a bit of color or print and can be easier and cozier than jewelry :). Though, I love jewelry, so this can just be another layer to your accessorizing!

This next scarf/necklace is one that uses a common finger-weaving technique. A great tutorial for learning how to do this (if you don't already know) can be found here. I made this t-shirt yarn from an old stretched out top that I wore through/after my pregnancy. I loved the floral print and combination of rich colors, but it had seen better days as a top (it was thrifted and already slightly worn). This is also another example of a fabric that, when stretched, covers the print and so I weaved it trying to keep the outside of the fabric visible. Once I'd reached a length that I liked, I simply knotted the ends together and trimmed them to be the same length. I like all of the colors and raw edges (a minor obsession of mine).

And paired over a simple top it really stands out. I definitely see this as more of a necklace than a scarf, but it could also be layered over another scarf to create a different look. And, the fact that it's no-sew makes this such a quick project! Love it :).

One last day for scarves and I'm thinking this final one will be my favorite! Stick around to see how it turns out...

Peace,
Andrea

Spring Scarf Tutorial: Part IV

Midweek already and on to scarf #4! This one is a happy scarf. Bright. Bold. I love it! I started out making t-shirt yarn with a top my mom had donated to my stash. This yarn required the fold-over-zigzag-and-invert method so as not to lose the multi-colored print. I then grabbed two different widths of cobalt blue jersey knit that were offcuts from a thrifted remnant I turned into a skirt. Finally, I grabbed the cutoff cuffs-turned straps that I'd originally thought to use on my green granny silk top found here.

I looped the braids around and sewed the ends together, then sewed the braids together at the ends. All of the raw edges and stitching will be covered up in the end.

Next step was to convert the two lengths of cobalt jersey knit into tubes by sewing up each side, inverting and then sewing the ends together. I lined up the braided knit so that all of the seams were in the same spot.

Finally, I grabbed my straps and buttoned the two together to make one long strap. This I wrapped around and around joining at the front with the button closure effectively hiding the seams! Now you can tack this in place with hand stitches to ensure that the strap doesn't slide down revealing the seams, or if your what you use is tight enough, you may not need to.

Here's the final product! I cut everything to be long enough to just hang at the perfect length without having to wrap a second time. There's no need for adjusting it to make it lay just so...its just so easy to throw on and it completely amps up a basic outfit. Can't wait to style this one :). My favorite color is green and my second favorite is blue, so this color combo is right up my alley!

You could definitely make this longer if you wanted to be able to wrap it, and any color/pattern/print combo will completely change the feel to the one you're after. So far, these scarves have been great stash busters. I'm finally finding use for some pieces that've just been sitting for a loooong time! And hopefully this convinces you that having at least a small stash of scraps and such really can be useful when looking for a quick project to brighten up your wardrobe.

Just a couple of quick alternatives on making this one 'less-sewing' or potentially no-sew. You can absolutely just tie your braids ends together or glue them with fabric glue (making sure to glue each strand together). I'd suggest glueing so as to avoid a lot of bulk where everything connects. You don't have to create tubes with your base fabric if you have wide enough strips of jersey knit that can be pulled and curled over. Also, if you want to use a cotton, silk, or other fabric for the yarn or the base, you can! Don't be afraid of raw edges (as long as its not fraying to the point of falling apart). Cotton strips can be braided and look so cute with raw edges and a mix of patterns and colors. Oh, and pinking shears can help to check any fraying as well as add a pretty detail. I've got a couple of silk remnants that I thrifted that'll be showing up in a later scarf to help illustrate the use of raw/frayed edges as a feature instead of a flaw...so stay tuned!

Peace,
Andrea