DIY Inspiration: Free People October 2011 Catalog
I personally love the Free People catalog – it’s always chock-full of inspiration (both styling inspiration and DIY!) and on every page emanates an ethereal, dreamy beauty. I’m digging all the rust- and caramel colors, reminiscent of Fall foliage, and the beautiful 70’s-style textures that are just begging to be touched. Here are a couple DIY inspirations that struck me as totally do-able this season:
Update a jacket with a printed fabric glued onto the back of it and decorated with pompons. Add a yarn fringe trim around the edges, and more printed ribbon at the cuffs.
Break away from boring stripes by sewing in gray jersey at the sleeves.
Create a convertible coat by cutting a wool overcoat in half just below the waist, hemming each piece, and adding heavy-duty snaps to hold the whole thing together (you’ll lose about 1.5″ of length though).
Easily re-create this necklace with a scrap of leather, a rhinestone, and some wooden beads. Looking for a fur vest? Try P.S. I Made This‘ tutorial using faux fur here.
Glue bright, striped fabric over the outers and tongues of a pair of black combat boots. Leave the toeboxes uncovered.
This dress totally reminds me of A Pair and a Spare‘s DIY Bodycon rug-dress. Could you not use the rug fabric in different orientations to create the front of this little number, layering it on top of a black bodycon dress? I think you could!!
Find a pretty lace crocheted doily/throw/tablecloth, and if needed cut out parts of it so the design stands out, and use it as you would fabric to create a cropped tee. The necklace? A piece of gold embossing metal (available at Jo-Ann’s Fabrics) lying on a sticky-foam backing with jumprings attached to it. Anyone can do it!
Browse the full Free People October Catalog
xoxox
Carly
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I am soooo backlogged with DIY’s! It’s so frustrating to walk into my office every day and see a pile of stuff that I’m just dying to finish up, but can’t spare even an extra minute to do right now. Yes, I’m still working on the Balenciaga Cut-Out Boots. Yes, I’m still working on the Gothic Lolita Bunny Bag. My office is a complete mess, I can’t see my desk, and I can’t even get to my sewing table. But I’m also dying to do a project involving the above…since they just arrived in the mail and are tempting me with their ethereal beauty. I find jewelry projects so more satisfying since usually they can be finished fairly quickly, and enjoyed all the more rapidly.
It’s early October again, which means Portland Fashion Week (truncated to only 4 days this year) once again begins nightly runway shows down at Vigor Shipyard. PFW is the only fashion week in the world that is entirely carbon neutral, and this year the runway is made entirely of PET textile provided by EarthTec. Many designers are showcasing collections made not only of organic fibers, but also recycled plastic bottles, videotape, and locally-sourced and woven wool. 
If any of you peeps happen to be in the NYC area, there is a great sample sale happening this weekend at the Brooklyn Winery where items will be up to 90% off! 
I love M&J Trimming so much – they’re like a virtual candyland filled to the brim with all the tools of the DIY trade!! – and so I was just thrilled to be able to work with them as 
