DIY Elbow Patch Sweater

In my last post you may have me noticed me modeling my new chair in a fantastic elbow patch sweater.  Or maybe you didn't notice at all...but now you have. Well, I am pleased to say I put those patches on that sweater and I am quite proud of myself.

I have been wanting a patched sweater for quite some time now. But all the ones I was finding online or in stores were like $50 at the least. And I, Isabella Kiss, will not pay $50 for a sweater with ovals on the elbows. Ludicrisness, really.

So, I instead decided I would just do it myself. And other than the fact that sewing onto the sleeves of an already made garment is a pain, it was easy. And cheap: total of the project? Around $10.

I started by scouting at Savers for a nice, tanish sweater in my size. It took me a while to find one in my size and without wool (I have a bit of an allergy to it). But I did! A nice, thick one made by Land's End. It is loose on me, but that is the way I wanted it. And a good price too: $6.99!

Then, I found some leather/suede scraps (like 8 by 10 inches) at Joann's for about $3.

I gathered some pins, a big, thick needle and some brown thread. I just free-handed some oval-y elbow-y shapes out of the light brown suede I had found, but I am sure somewhere online there must be some sort of pattern and template for making proper elbow pads. I am just not the chick to tell you where that is. Free-handin' is the way for me.

I pinned those elbows on there and finagled them around to get them even and on my elbows. Then I simply sewed them with a triple strand of brown thread.

Little tricky (probably could have punctured nice neat holes into the leather first and made my job easier and then adhesived them on there instead of pinning, but again...I make this up as I go). Took me a little while, but in the end I had a sweater with patches (EVENLY PLACED TOO!) on my elbows.

 And I am now happy. The end.

*sidenote: I realize my hair looks dreadfully uneven in this shot. but trust me, its just the position of my head here. hair is great. and getting realllly darned long.

On philosophy and throw pillows...

"The success and happiness of a person can be measured by the amount of throw pillows they possess."

I'm pretty sure some philosopher type dude said that. Or then again, maybe I just made it up. I can't seem to remember...

But regardless, I have have lots of throw pillows in my life. And I love them. A couch and a bed are not a couch or a bed unless they have like 40 pillows to squish yourself into, and about 19 blankets to snuggle yourself under. Yes. I have an addiction. To pillows and blankets.

And this week in my sewing fury I made more. Yup, I have issues. I know.

 This is my couch. With five really comfy pillows. The striped one was an extra from my bed that fit the color scheme. The two geometric ones are from Ikea. The two in the front I made. The swirly New Grange-looking one (the back is big polka dots!) was a creation for this last week. It is my new favorite!

My bed. 3 regular pillows.Throw pillows: 2 red ones made by me, also the fuzzy 70s looking one. Brown one in back was a vintage purchase, as was the embroidered one in front. That's 5 in total.
And my bed is only a twin size.

But it is a very, very comfy twin.  Thanks to my philosophy on pillows. And yes, I am very happy about it.



ps: LOOK! I used an iron to make sure the fabric for the pillows was all flat. My sister (an iron addict) saw this as a sign of Christs second coming.
For anyone who knows me, you are celebrating this miracle right along with me. For those of you who don't know me: I don't iron. Ever. My wardrobe is iron free, and perhaps wrinkly, but I am happy about that too!

Vintage Dress Restyle

So as you know I am in a sewing mood as of late. In the boxes and boxes of fabric in my house I found a handmade, vintage, crazygreenpattern dress. A big one. I think my mom bought it a looonnng time ago, probably at some thrift shop, in hopes of bringing it down to size, but she never got around to it.

So...I did.

Oh hey there, mama, yes, I did jack your dress and am now shamelessly posting about it. Don't worry. You can borrow it! I just did the dirty work for you.

Dress as I found it:

(hard to gauge what size it was, but clearly too big for me. Too long, too wide, and had ginormous amounts of room for my armpits.)

 *check out my awful tan. It is like some variant of a farmers tan, only my arms and shoulders are like four colors instead of two. Can you tell I haven't been to the beach all summer? Yes. Also I look abnormally SnookiOrange in these shots. Bad camera settings, I promise.




RESTYLED DRESS, after taking in the seams a couple inches, shortening the straps, putting in some darts and shorting the hem about 4 inches.

Awful photos, but the dress does look better, no? I have a friend's wedding to attend this weekend...this dress is now on the "possible things to wear" list.

Pattern: Easy Skirt WITH POCKETS!

Guys, I love pockets.

So incredibly much. I don't feel quite right without my cell phone and chapstick close to my left thigh. It is just how I am. So when I was thinking about  making skirts I wanted to be sure to include pockets. But I didn't know how to do that, so Google helped me out. Funnily enough the pattern I end up liking was from a blog I already follow- Tania, from What Would a Nerd Wear.

THIS PATTERN that she posted as the one I followed. And yes, I FOLLOWED a pattern. PRECISELY *well, I still didn't measure but...*. This is a huge deal for me. I have NEVER followed a sewing pattern of any kind on my own, but this one I did start to finish all by myself.I sat there at my sewing machine, laptop open in front of me, and step by step I followed that pattern! I feel like such a big girl.

Yesterday afternoon I made not one, but TWO cute skirts, one bright/playful, the other more dressy/classic, but both with pockets. Functional pockets!!!! I may or may not have seam ripped the first skirt 3 times, but eventually I did get the hang of it.

And then I obviously did a photoshoot.

Skirt #1 finished product:

 Outfit details: 

Tanks: Target. Belt: Gifted. Necklace: Thrifted. Shoes: Bongo, via Goodwill. Colorful bracelets: Dandelion Cottage (a local artsy gift shop).Hobo bag: I made it.

Skirt- red flowers and dots fabric $2.99 from Savers. Blue pocket lining was scrap from another project. I already had the thread and elastic, so basically the whole project cost me $3 and a little bit of time.

Skirt #2:

 *please feel free to ignore my awkward bird face and how short this skirt looks when I pull it outwards thus revealing my gym shorts underneath, and instead check out the legitimacy of those there POCKETS!

 *also feel free to ignore the awkward lint situation ...3 cats people. It's a losing battle.

Details: White Button Up: LOFT, via Savers. Jacket: H&M. Belt: Savers. Heels: Target. Earrings: Charlotte Russe. Bracelet: A Renn Faire (yes. truly.).
Skirt: once again, fabric $2.99 at Savers. All other material I already had.

Currently wearing: black polka dot skirt, skull and cross bones button up, leather jacket, black belt, black leggings, polka dotted heels, black hoop earrings. It's versatile!

I'm pretty pleased overall with how they came out. Pattern was easy to follow and the project took less than one hour. Black one got hemmed a bit too short, and the red one's waist is a little lumpy... but hey, good effort. Mistakes happen when you don't measure, but measuring is math and I am on summer break here! BUT I made pockets. That's all that really matters.

Now back to sewing. Not something I normally do for long periods of time but I am feeling inspired, particularly after the season premiere of Project Runway last night. I just gotta got make more STUFF. Potential photo documentation to come.

We are such stuff as dreams are made on...

DREAMS DO COME TRUE!!!!!
I'm living proof right here. (and fifteen points to anyone who can, without Google, give me the source of the quote used in the title).

Dream that came true #1- I FINISHED MY SUMMER CLASSES!

Now I get 3 weeks of summer to myself before I am back to school full time! Thank God Almighty, I'm free at last!

Dream that (sort of) came true #2- COWBOY BOOTS! 

But by sort of I mean they are not the ones I want. I really wanted plain brown ones, but due to a lot of  tomfoolery in the store (such an aggravating story I don't even want to type it out!) I had the brown ones I wanted taken away from me and has to settle for black ones until another pair of brown ones can be found elsewhere. But s'all good 'cause they were cheap on clearance!

Even though these are the wrong color they still make me ever so happy. I do not care if it is July in New England. I am thinking about how country roads are going to take home to the place that I belong, my Sweet Home Alabama, and how there I am wanted, Dead or Alive.

 And yes. I just combined 3 songs. And sang them out loud all medleyfied as I typed. Yes I did. Get at me.

 *if the painting THE SCREAM was set on a farm it would look like this... no?

In other news, my dress was a tablecloth until earlier this week. I felt that my boots needed a plaid cowgirl-esk dress. So I made one.
If I were a good blogger I would have posted a tutorial but...it was a very spur of the moment creation and I am clearly not a good blogger, so...
But basically it is a tube with straps. Not much to be told.

Tomorrow I am making skirts (with pockets!) and I will be a well-behaved blogger and put up a tutorial. I promise. Maybe.

What's wrong with this picture...

Save for the headlessness of it all, does everything look to be in order? Well, let me give you a clue. My shirt is a shirt, but so is my skirt.

Meaning, yes, I am wearing a shirt as a skirt. What is even better is that I made the shirt a couple years ago.
When worn properly it looks something like this:

(fantastic armpit shot by my mom, on last year's beach vacation).

(shot from Awakening Conference 2011- me and my friend Rachael doing vocals.
Credit to Danielle Crosby)

So not only am I one of those "weird" people who makes their own closer, I also do things like wear them on the wrong part of my body.  Apparently is functions as lower body wear as well when I slap a belt on it. Good stuff, eh?

outfit details: gray tee= target. skirt=shirt I made with fabric from JoAnn's. belt=gift. monstrous wooden heels=bongo, but bought at goodwill. necklaces=handmade from bullets and vintage keys.

As soon as I am done with school for the summer (oxymoronically paradoxical, yes?)- NEXT WEDNESDAY- I am going to be making stuff. Skirts (real ones, not shirts) are on the list. Wicked easy too. Tutorial to come!

Restyle: Boy Shirt ----> Girl Shirt.

I have a lot of guys clothes.

People who have only known me a couple years are often surprised to find out that I used to dress almost completely in guys clothes. For like...4 years at least. Complicated story, but basically from age 11-15 I dressed more like a junior high school boy, than I did a young lady. It was...a problem. I was a seriously weird kid.  I didn't start wearing girls clothes again until I was around 15, and that was only like jeans and tshirts. I didn't actually dressy in a girly way until 17. I never bought a dress (for myself, by myself, without being forced) until I was 18. I never wore a dress/skirt outside of church or a formal event until...a few months ago.
Now I look, dress (and even act!) like a girl!!!! I wore skirts almost every day last week. Pretty much a 180, people.

But like I said, I still have a lot of guys clothes. I'll still whip out some ginormous cargo skater pants to do yard work in, and I am still a little bit partial to bumming around in guys tshirts and hoodies. I'm sorry, they are just COMFORTABLE. Bloody unattractive, but I don't care.

However, I am working on the whole "girly" thing. Guys clothes are not really conducive to looking like a woman so...
Also, "the boy" happens to think girls should dress like girls and guys should dress like guys. Contrary to my prior belief, I now agree with that whole first part (never disagreed with the second. Don't get me started on that rant).

But that leaves the matter of what is to be done with my teenage boy wardrobe...

I've been noticing that wide necked, baggy shirts are in style. Forever 21 sells like in like every color. I am liking this style, because I'm all about wide, loose and baggy (as long as they aren't see-through or inappropriate in anyway). Also "boyfriend tees" (and jeans) are popular; cut for girls, but made to look like you stole them from a boy. These are styles I can work with...

When going through my clothes I found a gray guy's tee I hadn't warn in years. It was just chillin, all waded up and wrinkled in my drawer. I thought about throwing it away. But instead I made it look...more feminine...so I can still get away with wearing it!

How I did it: Basically took the shirt, grabbed some scissors and cut a good portion of the collar off, making it wider. Easy as that!


Before: SUPER WRINKLY boy tee, skinny jeans, and converse= .5 on the girlishness scale. 97 and a half on the "looking like a 13 year old boy" scale.

After: skinny jeans, my "Westley" (Princess Bride anyone?) boots, vintage keys on necklaces (I have quite the collection!), black tank and the same tshirt only with collar wider and sleeves rolled.And dangerously red lipstick, just for the effect.
Cuter, right? Other than the wideness of it, it's hard to tell it's a guys shirt, yes?

And yes. It is still just as wrinkly. Were I more classy I would iron it or put it in the dryer or something before doing photoshoots. But...really, what do you want from me!? Who do you think I am, Martha Stewart? Ma Ingalls? Princess Kate?

Now if only there was something cute to be done with my collection of camouflaged, baggy as baggy can be pants...

Yeah no. Not going there. They shall remain banished from the public eye and only come out for yard work. Because I am a girl and I plan on dressing like it. At least the majority of the time.




*ps: 2 words- CAMERA. REMOTE. Expect more narcissist photos. I know you are all sick of the couch, but it was too dark and rainy to go outside with the tripod.

Avi was a little girl...

My littlest sister LOVES books. This kid (as I frequently tell you) is amazing. Her favorite book, titled "A Mother for Choco" is a story (with an adoption theme) about a lonely little bird named Choco. He looks different from all other animals and he can't find himself a mother who looks just like him. In the end Choco is adopted by a mother bear. It's pretty cute.

But what is REALLY cute is my sister has the entire book memorized. And when I say memorized I mean MEMORIZED.

She cannot actually read yet, but it you hand her that book she will be begin at the title page ("A Mother for Choco" By: Keiko Kasza) and work page by page, word for word (and there are like 3 sentences to a page) up until the very end. 

"Choco was a little bird who lived all alone. He wished he had a mother; but who could his mother be? One day he set off to find her..."

I'm telling you, she has it DOWN. At first we were doubtful, but then we realized she didn't even need the book or the pictures to tell the story. Any one of the people in our family can say, anywhere, anytime, "Choco was..." and she'll recite us the whole book. The child is a freak. And I love her.

Yesterday was her third birthday. She is a special little girl who deserved a very special present. I, being the creative chick that I am, thought it would be fun to make her an amigurumi (crocheted) Choco. I made very sure to copy him as best as I could. the book very specifically mentions that he is yellow, has stripey legs, wings and big round cheeks. I gave him all those things. I was rather interested to see if she would recognize him out of his book context and made of yarn.

 I hand her the gift bag. She pulls out my creation and instantly, with no hesitation whatsoever, exclaims "HIS NAME IS CHOCO!"

Needless to say, I was thrilled. I had successfully created her favorite story character in such a way that she found him recognizable. She also said it was her favorite birthday gift. Major points to big sister Bella!

FASHIONABLY FEATURED!

Me and my June Cleaver self got featured for fashionable cuteness over at the lovely blog of ever so fantastic Victoria the JUSTICE PIRATE.

(Check her out! Her blog is amazingly inspirational. She dresses super cute in all her vintage clothes. She is passionate about her faith, and she is also a modern day slavery{sex trafficking} abolitionist. And she likes pirates! How would I NOT love her?)

See the post here:

http://tiedemanntribe.blogspot.com/2011/03/modest-fashion-features-15-japan.html

 Thanks, Victoria! Happy weekend everyone.

"I could make that"

^^that phrase is probably the most common thing I say when I am shopping in any store that isn't Savers or Goodwill.

It is a phrase that has been ground into my head my whole life. Never pay (especially over-pay) for something that you could make for yourself. My grandmother and mom both say it all the time. They will flip through magazines and browse through store racks announcing that they could do it themselves. (or better yet, my mom will often say "bella, can you make me this/one of these/this thing/etc").

It is so true though. I am an artsy and creative person from a family of people who are also artsy and creative. We make stuff. I think you have all noticed that I make a lot of things- crocheted, knitted, sewn and otherwise. I think of it as art. It makes me incredibly happy to take an idea in my mind and create a real-life, 3D thing. It makes me even happier if I get to do that and I can also save money. I do so as often as I can.

If you've been around my blog for any period of time you've probably also noticed that I love the store Anthropologie. But I don't mean I love shopping there. I love STANDING in it (and I often do). I don't think I even so much like the merchandise as much as I like the store atmosphere. They do sell wonderful, artistic things, but they are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO overpriced. Maybe non-artsy people like to pay hundreds for that sort of thing, but I know I could probably like 60% of what that store sells myself. And it would be cooler because I did so. Also a good lot of the stuff I couldn't make I could get somewhere (even thrifted) else for a lot, a lot cheaper. Funky sweaters, sundresses. vintage glass wear, old looking jewelry? Oh for sure! I take it as a challenge. People pay for brands. People pay for convenience. Silliness, I tell you.Maybe I am weird and very cheap, or maybe I am really smart and frugal. You pick.

I was in the store this past week, soaking in inspiration and artfulness and afterward I went on the website and composed a list of things that I could (though I don't necessarily ever want to) make. Here it is some of what I found.

Ahmara skirt. $68

I could make this, in a different pattern but same shape. Couple fun fabrics. Done in like an hour or just a bit longer. Way cheaper.

Convergence Skirt- $78

I could pull this off in an afternoon out of a men's XL dress shirt.

Which by the way I am going to do.

Cost probably under $10.

 Zuma shopper bag-$275

If I found a nice fabric I could make this in a day. For like $8.

Knotted Tagalong Tote-$498 (!?!?)

Not that I would ever want a bag with a giant bow on it, but it someone else did I could do it. 

For so much less that $500.

Sometimes always I wonder know if that women are absolutely insane!

Study of Shapes Dress- $158

The colors in this are great, but other than that it is a simple dress.

If I set my mind to it I could pull it off. 

I'm sure I could find a cheap curtain or bed sheet to use as fabric at some place like Ikea.

Merveilleux Necklace- $428

I don't know why ANYONE would wear this weirdness, but even more so 

I don't know why they would pay that much for a ribbon and 5 plastic beads.

I could seriously make 98% of the necklaces listed (though most are unattractive).

Firecracker Necklace-$428

This one is kind of cool. I like all the random stuff.

But what is super random is that PRICE!

I could do that. In a half hour. With stuff I already have. 

I think I will!

Dutch Wax Collage Cuff-$38

So ugly...?

But if I wanted something like that I could buy vintage stuff from Savers, 

all for about $6, stick it on a cuff and get the same effect.

From a Seed Clip-$18

These I have already made.

Scrap fabric, button, glue gun, bobby pin, half hour.

Ombre Gardenia Pillow-$128

Do these all the time. 

Scrap fabric, or better yet, dinner napkins, with some stuffing or existing pillow. 

Probably like $12 at most.

Sari Throw- $198

This is nothing but a loosely crocheted combination of miscellaneous yarn.

Could do it if I wanted to...

Climbing Vines Curtains- $108-$168

I could easily make most of the curtains on there in an afternoon.

The only thing unique about them is the fabric patterns. They are just simple panels.

This would be so simple to duplicate with fun patterned king sized bed sheet.

Like $20.

I hope I just challenged you in your way of shopping. I do understand that not everybody has the craft skills I do, or even the willingness. But maybe next time you are in a high price store take a better look at what you are paying for. The actual product, or the store label? Could you make it yourself? Could you get it elsewhere? I promise you that it is so much more fun (and money saving) that way. And you also get bragging rights. Stuff, saved money and ability to brag? What more can you ask for!?

All that being said I am now off to the 50% off, President's Day sale (clothes for sale, not dead historical figures) at Savers!