Tuesday, October 24, 2017

DIY Little Black Clutch, pt 2



   Last week, we made the inner pocket of our clutch. If you missed that post, click here. Now, we're going to make the shell of our clutch. 

   Take one piece of black cloth (the 6 1/2" by 10 1/2" piece) and lay it down, good-side up

   Take your second zipper and lay it good-side down on top of the black cloth, lining it up with the top edge of the fabric. 

   Take your second piece of gray lining and lay it on top of the zipper, once again lining it up with the top edge of the fabric. 

   Pin everything in place and sew along the top edge.






   Flip the fabric over so that it hangs at the bottom and the zipper shows on top. 





   Take the inner zippered pocket that we finished last week and lay it down, good-side up

   Take the second zipper with the two pieces hanging off it that we just sewed, and lay it on top of the zippered pocket, good-side up

   Take the second piece of black fabric (the 6 1/2" by 10 1/2" piece) and lay it on top of the piece below, good-side down.

   Make sure all the edges are lined up, pin in place, and sew. 






   Unfold the fabric so each piece lays nicely on either side of the zipper. Then sew a straight line on either side of the zipper.





   Your clutch should look like this from the side:



   
   We're almost done! Now we have to make the wrist loop and sew together the sides. 

   Take your 1 1/2" by 10" long piece of black fabric, fold it in half, zig-zag sew along the edge, and turn inside-out. 





   Lay open your clutch so that the two pieces of gray lining are at the top and the two piece of the black shell are on the bottom. 

   Fold your wrist loop in half and sandwich it between the two pieces of the black shell, near the top. 



    

   Sew around all the edges, except for the top of the gray lining. Leave that open. 


Unfortunately, when I first measured the material, I made my lining a little smaller than the shell. 
I ended up trimming the edge of the black shell so that the widths would be even. 


   Turn your clutch inside-out.





   Tuck the edge of the lining back into itself, pin in place, and sew.





   Push the lining into the shell of your clutch.





   Woohoo! Your clutch is complete! 











~ Gloria




Tuesday, October 17, 2017

DIY Little Black Clutch, pt 1




   With both a main compartment and an inner zippered pocket, this little black clutch is perfect for carrying all your necessities without having to drag along your entire purse. Here's how to make your own! 


Supplies:
- Two 6 1/2" by 10 1/2" pieces of black fabric (shell)
- One 1 1/2" by 10" long strip of black fabric (wrist loop)
- Two 6 1/2 by 10 1/2" pieces of gray fabric (lining)
- One 6" by 10 1/2"piece of gray fabric (pocket of lining)
- Two 9 1/2" long zippers (color of your choice) 
- Sewing machine
- Thread (black)
- Sewing chalk
- Pins 

   Before getting started, you should be warned this is a complicated project only for the brave and adventuresome in heart. Proceed with caution! 

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Long-Sleeved Blouse to Cute Peplum Top





     There were two reasons I wanted to rescue this shirt. First, it was my mother's when she and my father took their engagement photo 21 years ago.




   Second, I really like the peplum-style frill at the bottom of the shirt. 




Oh, did I mention it's 100% silk?




     Now, for the upcycle. First I turned the shirt inside-out and unpicked the sleeves, being very careful not to rip the material. 

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Tailor a Shirt in 15 Minutes






     Surprisingly, this was one of the easiest sewing projects I've ever attempted!


Supplies:
- Sewing machine
- Black thread
- Scissors
- Sewing chalk 


     First, figure out how much you need to take in. I ended up taking in half an inch from both sides. Turn you shirt inside out and mark along the edges how much needs to be taken in.


Monday, February 6, 2017

Tri-Fold Birthday Card

     We have a fairly large family so when it comes to birthdays, we always have difficulty finding a card with ample room for all of us to write a birthday note. Recently, I came across a great idea for a large card.
Introducing: the tri-fold card!


Supplies:
- 1 sheet of thick, patterned paper
- 1 sheet of construction paper, the color of your choice
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Decorative edge scissors
- X-acto knife (or in my case, box cutters)
- Calligraphy pen


     First, cut your sheet of patterned paper in half.


Friday, January 20, 2017

How to Remove a Turtleneck

     I've never liked turtlenecks. They're like built-in-nooses designed to choke the very breath out of you. Imagine my joy when I discovered there's a way to remove them without ruining the sweater! 




Supplies:
- Turtleneck sweater 
- Thread-picker
- Pins
- Sewing machine
- Sewing chalk (optional)