Aug 10, 2011 | Fashion
So how many of you are uber-excited about Project Runway coming back for its 9th and latest season??!
Though many people out there criticize each successive generation of designers, saying there’s never anyone as creative or talented as Jay, Christian, or Leanne from previous seasons…rather than compare and contrast I’d rather celebrate just some great ideas for fashion that appear on TV each week. I mean, this is the show that made DIY a household name – and “make it work” a national slogan, giving the average viewer an intimate glimpse of just how much work fashion really is.
Here are a couple ideas I’ve seen so far and thought they’d be great to incorporate into future DIY’s:
Bert’s design, Episode 1
Wear a v-neck camisole underneath, and use a button-down shirt (or sheet!) with strategic tying to create a toga-like getup.
Olivier’s design, Episode 1
Take a leaf from Alexander Wang’s Olivier’s playbook and replace the sleeves on a woven garment with sleeves made of sweatshirt fabric.
Viktor’s design, Episode 1
Use contrasting fabric to cover the collar of a simple dress or blouse for a graphic pop of interest.
Anthony Ryan’s design, Episode 2
Though sunflower seeds may not be the most appropriate material, adding embellishment to a high-collared dress (like beads, rhinestones, or nailheads) makes the piece utterly chic.
Anya’s design, Episode 2
Colorful ropes woven in a body-conscious pattern make a bold statement.
Danielle’s design, Episode 2
Utilize a net bag or open-stitch fabric to create an outer layer for your outfit.
Who are you rooting for? I’m drawn to Anya, because of her signature style, but for design skills alone it’s still too early to tell. Viktor or Olivier? Maybe Danielle? I can’t wait to see the next episode tomorrow!
xoxox
Carly
-all photos from MyLifetime.com
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Aug 9, 2011 | DIY
I had the opportunity to guest post for the blog Seamingly Smitten today, and I’m thrilled! They are hosting a 12-day Sew Chic Upcycling event with guest posters every day – and a ton of tutorials on how to upcycle, re-use, and re-purpose just about anything you could think of. In my post I show you how to turn a sweater into something sporty and Alexander Wang-inspired…with the addition of some mesh fabric from a thrifted football jersey. Please check it out below!
Thanks, Jenny, for having me! And definitely check out all the other guest poster’s tutorials, as well as the long Linky list at the end of the post for tons more inspiration.:-)
Happy DIY’ing!
xoxox
Carly
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Aug 8, 2011 | Fashion
Myself, Hub, and Lil Tot went on an impromptu camping trip yesterday (well, we had only started planning it on Friday) to Silver Falls, Oregon. We only stayed about a day but it was the first time we had gone camping together as a family (if you don’t count the dry run we tried last summer in the backyard where the dog barked all night since we had brought her into the tent with us).
We managed to erect the tent without throwing out our backs, managed to sleep the night without defaulting to sleeping in the car (though Lil Tot has been sniffling today; I think he caught a cold from not wearing a hat while sleeping); managed to cook both dinner and breakfast on the fire (though there were some very burnt blueberry pancakes), and managed two hikes while we stayed there.
I had no idea, but apparently this area is classified as “temperate rainforest”…I always had this image of rainforests being warm. It was overcast and chilly (in the 50’s to mid-60’s); a typical Oregon August.
We saw multiple mini-tornados (are they called dervishes or something else?? I have no idea.) springing up on farmland on the drive in; and on the hikes, an anthill seething with ants; orange raspberries; tons of foxgloves; a slug longer than my hand; and a 93-foot waterfall. It was the perfect length for a little mini-vacation, and everybody enjoyed themselves.
Maybe next time, we’ll even bring the dog.
xoxox
Carly
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Aug 6, 2011 | By Carly J. Cais, DIY
It was my best friend’s birthday this week and I had wanted to send her something I made. Unfortunately it took me a lot longer than I had anticipated to make all the bracelets I had wanted to, so I ended up popping them in the mail a little after her birthday.
It’s been 20 or so years since I last made a friendship bracelet, and I remember back in the day only being able to make the kind with the diagonal stripes. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to make the chevron, crossover, diamond-patterns, or Chinese staircase bracelets. The bracelets I made back in the late 80’s were pretty horrible; too loose or too tight, bad colors, wayyy too short… Now in 2011 there are tutorials all over the place and following one closely I finally was able to make a double diamond-patterned bracelet (the navy one above).
I was thrilled.
I also sewed in rhinestones and beads into my bracelets, and did wrap bracelets with bright embroidery floss and ball-chain and rhinestone chain, similar to what Honestly, WTF had posted on their blog a little while ago.
I figured that, no matter how old we get, sometimes something as both cheesy and iconic as the friendship bracelet can bring a little pop of color to an outfit – and a smile to one’s face.
Happy Birthday, J!!!
I hope she likes them.
xoxox
Carly
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Aug 4, 2011 | DIY
Lace is a huge trend for this Spring and Summer – and its delicate, airy quality lends it to a variety of applications. I’ve been wanting a lace dress for awhile, but I wanted to make one that was both easy and extremely versatile (I’m a BIG fan of multifunctional garments, as most of you already know;-). I finally created this pattern for an incredibly easy lace dress – that only uses straight cuts in the pattern and allows you to customize it to your size and shape – and that can be worn a multitude of ways since it – *GASP!* – contains no lining. Let’s get crackin’!
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