Infinity scoodie

A few months ago I had a nice break from classes, and decided to pursue a new craft project- an infinity scoodie.  I wanted to make my own pattern and after some trial and error, pulled it off!  A friend saw mine and asked for own of her own and it turned out so good.  Here are some pictures of the final result of what I made for her:

Nicole picked some colors that I wouldn't have chosen on my own, and they were so perfect!  After I started, I couldn't get over how much I loved them together.  The yarn I used is super soft and the whole piece is really comfortable to wear.

I added some details that weren't on my original, including a cord with tassels to tighten the hood and a satin liner to help give the hood shape and for more warmth.  

The scarf part is really long (it reaches the ground when hanging straight down and loops around 3-4 times.

I love this scoodie and am looking forward to making more.  If you are interested in one of your own, feel free to contact me, either through blogger or my Etsy store.  (There isn't much on my Etsy shop right now, but you can send me a message and we can consult on an item.)  Thanks!

Wedding Planning 1: Dress Inspiration

Since we got engaged 6 months ago, I've been looking for the perfect outfit for the big day.  I spent a lot of time searching through Pinterest, Etsy, and random Google inquiries, and found some really unique ideas to help inspire me!  

Here are some of my favorites:

This dress by Wai Ching stuns me every time I look at it.  There are photos submitted by brides with custom colors they chose for their dresses, and every single dress looks amazing!  I love the sheer areas and the color layers flowing out underneath.  If it was in my budget, I'd definitely go for this dress.

This embroidered dress by Aida Coronado on Etsy.  I like the simplicity of the design, with the pop of color on the bust.  This would be such a great (and comfortable) dress for an earthy bride.

And this handmade dress by Rai Alexander, also on Etsy.  It has stunning appliqué of a forest scene that reminds me of dressed-up patchwork festival dress.  I also like the detail of the bride and groom on the bottom of the skirt.

While I didn't pick any of these dresses for our wedding, I think I found something that captures my personality perfectly, fits my budget, and that I'll feel comfortable and beautiful wearing in May!  Can't wait to share more of my wedding ideas soon!

You can check out my ideas on my Pinterest wedding board, there are a bunch of ideas I've gone through in the process, including black and white, separate pieces, casual and fancy ideas, and accessories (part of what I'm wearing is posted too, can you guess what it is?)

Summer crafting: apron top

Summer has been super busy so far, between music festivals, outdoor activities, grad school, and work, but I've still managed to complete some projects that I'd been meaning to get to!  Here's something that I whipped up this weekend:

(Gin & tonic, the ideal summer beverage)

I bought some corduroy remnants at the craft store this past winter and knew I wanted to make some sort of patchwork project, but I waited until the right inspiration struck.  After five festivals so far this year, I decided a patchwork apron top would be best for this fabric.  I considered making a dress, but my wardrobe is definitely lacking cute tops to pair with shorts.

I made the top of the shirt a little longer, with one panel of black and pink right below it.  I pleated the bust, so it's more fitted than traditional apron tops, so it looks a little less "maternity" wardrobe.  I also top-stitched everything to give it a finished look.

I can't believe how well the fabrics all go together, and they were in the same remnant bin at the same time!  I figure someone else mixed those fabrics as well.  (I also love that remnants are generally 50% their current price, meaning if it's already on sale, I get a double discount!)

The back of the top is pretty open and revealing.  I wanted it to cover a little more, but really, who cares?  It laces up, so there's some detailing over my back.

I added an applique lotus on the front of the top.  I recently bought a different brand of fusible webbing than I'd usually used, and it's a little trickier to apply.  It stuck to the front of the appliques and looked bad, so I had to double up on the layers of my lotus.

I love how this project turned out!  It was just my second totally from scratch, no pattern, homemade clothing item, so I'm pretty proud of the results.  Summer may be almost over, but I'm sure I'll have a few opportunities to wear this before autumn starts to roll in!

Etsy Weekly Wants #7: Keeping Warm

So, here's the deal.  I've been absolutely terrible about posting lately.  I was designing a calendar which took up much more time than expected and seriously stretched my graphic art skills.  However, it was a good professional experience and I'll be excited to see it in print. 

Well, our weather here in Minnesota has gotten cooler.  We had a close-to-70 degree day this week and managed to hit up a patio one last time.  New priority: fighting off the cold!

First I need some cozy sweaters.  I feel like I struggle to find ones that are warm, but breathable.  This one looks perfect (especially the colorful granny squares!).  It's from hausofmirth.

This is such a nice felted blanket!  So many lovely sweaters all in one thing.  We have a lot of blankets, but I'd  have no problem replacing some of the older grungy ones for something like this.  By laprincessa.

A door draft stopper from ogsplosh.  Our house has beautiful old doors, but unfortunately, they are a little drafty.  This cute veggie print would look great in our house and keep the chilly air out.  Maybe Ican even try to make my own...

I need some new slippers!  I got a cute pair at Urban Outfitters for $5 last year, but they wore pretty quickly and it would be nice to replace them soon.  I saw lots of felted pairs on Etsy, but these by Simonascrafts really stand out with their owl detail.  

And finally, something for the kitties too!  This felted bed by elevele looks like a delightfully warm spot for the animals in our home to curl up on cool evenings.

And now I really hope to be back to posting regularly.  I have a great Halloween costume I'm working on that I'll definitely need to show off!

Bella Fiore: what I bought.

So, this post will make it seem like all I did at Bella Fiore was shop, but I'm really just waiting on other people to post the pictures that I failed to take.  I did take some, but not nearly as many as I would have liked.  I danced and enjoyed some music, camped out while it rained, lounged in the sun, napped, socialized... pretty great weekend overall.  

1.  Sweater for Mark's new niece.  It's such great colors and covered in felt animals.
2.  Printed card by Phil Lewis.  I used to have a larger print of this and wanted to replace it, but it was sold out so I settled for this smaller version.
3.  Embroidered headband from the Chicken Thief.  This guy had the best merchandise ever and he picked it all himself.  He doesn't have an online presence and only does occasional festivals, but he is definitely worth checking out.
4.  Pins!  Mushrooms and Day of the Dead Storm Trooper.
5.  Purse, also from the Chicken Thief.  Great adjustable across-the-chest strap and detailed stitching.
6.  Yoda finger puppet... Chicken Thief again.
7.  Little stone dinosaur.  Had his twin a year ago, but broke it.  Looks like Little Foot.
8.  Peridot ring. You can't see it here, but it's the best.
9.  Printed disc from Phil Lewis.  For Mark.  To throw.

 Chicken Thief merch. 

Phil Lewis.

Dino and ring.  

And my Star Wars fare.

I really hope to post about the rest of the weekend soon!

My DIY peacock feather dress

My most recent completed big project:




Plain dress embellished with felt peacock feathers with yarn plumes.



This was the old dress I started with. The beading fell off the first time I wore it, and I just shoved it in a basket after that with the intention of re-beading it. That was a year and a half ago.


Recently, I was anxious to embellish another item in my closet, but I also like to keep some basics around so it was hard to pick what to use. Then I remembered the dress! I had to rip out the original beading, which took some time, but then it was perfect!


I made nine peacock feathers with this method.




I used a bunch of different colors of felt and mixed up the color combos. I think they all turned out very pretty. Also, I used beads that were originally on the dress to add detail to the feathers.


I sewed the feathers on with embroidery thread and made feather plumes with several colors of yarn using a backstitch.




The fabric had a lot of give, so it stretched pretty well to accommodate the yarn and large needle I was using. I also pulled the fabric taut every five stitches or so to make sure it wasn't bunching up and the stitches would have give when I move around. I wasn't sure how well the fabric would hold up, so I used a fray preventative around the holes on all the stitches. That part took a while, but I hope it helps the dress last longer.

*If you are going to try this, I would not recommend using yarn, but rather trying embroidery thread or something thinner. I expect that some of the parts I stitched through will eventually become holes that I will need to repair. Another thing you could try would be a fabric paint!



This project took quite a bit of time, but I love the dress and I'm so excited to wear it this spring and summer!

My sweater project

My finished project! I love it!



This was what I started with:




Scoped out some tutorials.

Added about 20 flowers. Here is my tutorial .




Kept the detail around the neckline:




And on the pockets:




It took quite some time, but I love the results!

$5 find of the week!

So, I went to the Mall of America yesterday. I really dislike that place (partially due to a year and a half of employment there), but when looking for a very specific type of ensemble for the most fabulous gay extravaganza of the year, it does the job. Generally, I'd rather thrift, but I knew the chances of finding the right getup within the next month were slim-to-none. Not only did I find my outfit (which I will post after the event) for $12 AND another fabulous dress for $8, but I got these:



The most wonderful slippers in the entire world. $5. Urban Outfitters. I want to wear them forever.

Winter = sweater weather.

I had time to kill before class tonight, so I went to Unique Thrift. I'd never been there, but I'm always down for a new thrift store, so I checked it out. I noticed right away by the displays and tagging that it was operated by the same company as Valu Thrift, which is good, as there's a huge amount of stuff, but not so great because they mark up name brand clothing a LOT (e.g. $30 for a pair of Born flats).

So, I found a few cute sweaters. $10 and $6 for two longer cardigans. I generally prefer longer sweaters because they're comfy, warm, and I'm not constantly tugging at the hems.

After I bought them, I had a moment of inspiration and decided I'm going to embellish them! Initially I was thinking that I'd throw some felt patches on the pockets and add some birds or something, but I decided to look online and see what ideas I could find. Here are my favorites:


I adore this idea! Sachiko at Tatertots and Jello refurbished an old cardigan with bunches of flowers and I love how whimsical and fun it turned out!






This one is from The Sisters 4. I like the simplicity of it, but it's still very cute. It could probably be done with more colors for a little more excitement too!





This is actually just a dress from ModCloth, but I love the details, and it's very much what I was originally thinking about doing with my pockets.



So, once I get these sweaters washed and decide on some ideas, I'll be ready to go! Hope to finish this project within the next few days!

What I Wear, pt. 1.

I always want to blog my outfits, but since I can't seem to get the timer on my camera to do what I need it to do and mirror pics are just an epic failure for me, I'm never able to. So, here's a very MySpace-y shot of a favorite item in my closet:



I simply adore this dress. I found it at the Mall of Saint Paul, where I find most of my awesome vintage scores. I think it was around $20, but it's been awhile, so I can't remember exactly. The colors are absolutely exquisite, and it's in phenomenal condition for something 30+ years old. It's a bit large in top area, so I may make adjustments at some point, but for now, it looks just fine and is super comfy!