As some of you may know, I’ve been working part-time at a local video production company and stage rental house. We did a promo video for the Portland Saturday Market Fashion Show (Hustle & Bustle) last month, and I wanted to share the results.
I did all the titling and motion graphics for the piece, so I’m showing off a bit.;-)
A little bit of Portland fashion for ya.
xoxo
Carly
New Dress a Day: The Ultimate DIY Guide to Creating Fashion Dos from Thrift-Store Don’ts is the book based on Marisa Lynch’s popular New Dress a Day blog. In Summer 2009 Marisa lost her job, and in the interim of job-hunting and being bummed out, she happened to catch a screening of the movie Julie and Julia. She left the theater inspired to do exactly what Julie Powell did: create a blog, and post a new recipe on it every day, for 365 days. But her “recipes” would be not cooking but sewing projects: “dressipes” that she could whip up daily and show other people how to emulate. And her choice of materials were thrifted items: the only things she allowed herself to purchase for the entire year.
By November 2010 her blog was receiving huge traffic, media requests poured in, and Marisa was suddenly a name all over upcyling, eco-friendly, fashion, and style blogs. This book contains many of her most talked-about projects, as well as projects, tips, and ideas she’s never shared before, all punctuated with her unique sense of fun.
As you can tell, Marisa is a great model: photogenic, funny, and quirky. The downside to this is that many shots of her finished creations are taken from unusual angles, cropped, or in poses so it’s hard to really get a sense of how the final project looks once done. Some of the photos could be better quality.
The design of the book echoes the design of her blog: homsepun, cute, and stitchery-inspired. She offers a HUGE variety of tips and tricks about refashioning garments, from small fixes and ideas to entirely overhauling the garments from the seams up. Some ideas are not geared for the longevity of the garment (like using duct tape to hold a hem up); they’re more just as ideas for what you could do.
The book starts off with a lesson in the basics: sewing machine parts, stitch types, safety, and choosing the right needles. Essential to any beginner to start with, or any expert who wants a refresher. The majority of this book focuses on sewing, and it’s definitely geared towards people who are at least slightly comfortable with sewing (even if just by hand!) and are looking to learn a little more. (There are some no-sew projects in the book, though.) The projects Marisa shares are more jumping-off points for what you could do with garments you have or thrift; a compendium of ideas that could be applicable in many refashioning projects depending on what you do. Unlike her blog, however, the steps in many projects are not fully or carefully photographed, so unless you already are familiar with the techniques being used, you might have some difficulty following along.
She includes sections on Accessories, Leftovers, and Trimmings, but judging by the number and results of the projects in those sections, it’s clear that her skillset lies more in the sewing and upcycling of garments into…well, better garments, rather than into small pieces and accessories. Some of the finished garments may not be to one’s personal taste or look particularly modern (there is only so much you can do with polyester, after all!), but you can always take the techniques and ideas and apply them elsewhere.
The book is also chock-full of little stories, sayings, and vignettes from Marisa’s life that add to the feeling that she is truly sitting beside you, chatting with you as you work. References to current and recent pop culture abound, which make for fun and current reading, but which could date this book quickly. Flea-market shopping ideas, how-tos on how to fix mistakes, where to shop, and a project ideas section and mood board page make this potentially a useful resource for your future shopping outings and project planning.
Last but not least, seeing the author in her many ensembles and how she’s been styled can also give you some great ideas for how to style similar pieces in your own closet.
Rating: 
(3 out of 4)
Overall: Amusing, entertaining, and full of ideas. A little tough to follow in places unless you’re an intermediate sewist; project techniques sometimes limited to that specific cut/style of the piece. But Marisa’s can-do attitude is infectious, and you’ll find yourself smiling by the last page…even if you use this book only as a technique reference in the future.
Have any of you guys checked out this book, or read Marisa’a blog? What do you think?
xoxox
Carly
FTC Disclaimer: I received one copy of the book New Dress a Day for review purposes. I have not received any other compensation whatsoever. The review and opinions above are my own. To read more about my Disclosure Policy, click here.
I’m such a hoarder.
Ever since the year 1998 or so, I have kept every magazine I ever bought/received/got in a subscription…to some degree or another. As I read each glossy I turn down the corner of each page where I see something I like – either something as a piece of design inspiration, a possible “I’m gonna make this!” for the future, or simply because I just want to buy it. I may re-read a favorite magazine again soon after the first reading, but usually I let it sit for a month or so. Then in one afternoon of feverish scissoring, I cut out every picture I marked or page I dogeared, stack them together, insert the stack into a manila envelope, and write on the envelope what magazine, and from what month and year, is broken down in there. Then I recycle the rest of mag.
I can usually fit the clippings of around 15-25 magazines in one envelope, depending on how inspirational and covetable their products seem to me at the time (Lucky Magazine and Vivi Magazine are my biggest bang-for-the-buck glossies, providing me thick piles of clippings ripe with possible DIYs and design inspiration, amazing trends and items I just can’t live without…Vogue offers up only the occasional “I could make that!” photo, for instance).
Over the years the clippings have increased in number, the manila envelopes multiplied…and now I have an entire banker’s box filled to the brim with manila envelopes bursting with clippings (and if the truth be known, I bust out of that box with my envelopes 2 years or so ago). These manila envelopes (well, a singular envelope in the beginning) have traveled with me from Japan to Vermont to Virginia to Philadelphia to Honolulu and now here to Oregon. I call them “the archives.”
And yes, I do often go back to them to find new DIY ideas, re-examine a trend, or in search of an item I suddenly want RIGHT NOW but can’t remember exactly where I saw it. And I have enough of a system so that I can usually find a tiny 1″ clipping inside that huge pile of paper – exactly where it should be.
So to share with all of you some ideas I’ve pulled out lately (and to kick off a running article series here on my blog), I’d like to introduce you to:
<The photos are not arranged according to any theme, date, or trend – just how they come.>
1. Check out that double layered cardigan from Anthropologie (I believe)…just stitch together two thrifted cardigans at the seams!
2. A furry Rebecca Taylor coat is an easy DIY adding some faux fur to the sleeves. In fact, I think Lipglossandblack shared a tutorial on how to do that.
3. This pretty army jacket from Anthropologie may only be $79.95, but you could easily save yourself most of that by cutting out the back of the jacket and adding a sweater back instead.
4. This Erickson Beamon + Bauble Bar Dirty Glam Necklace is no longer available, so you might as well just hook together 3 vintage brooches, and hang your homemade bauble from black silk rattail cord.
5. At $798, this James Nares for Coach Tote could be had for a steal with a little white paint, a wide paintbrush, and a fearless hand.
6. Hand-paint your colored suede ballet flats like these Taika Flats from Anthropologie…and yup, there’s a tutorial for that too (I know I’ve seen it…or linked to it on my blog…but can’t remember where…)
7. Stamp or stencil a pair of nude tights or pantyhose in card suits (like in my tutorial here!)
8. Create some colorblocking like on these J. Crew Heels with some Angelus leather paint.
9. This cute take on the smiley-face tee by UNIF is totally do-able with some metallic foil transfer sheets (available at Jo-Ann’s, Michael’s, or other craft stores).
10. How cute is this pearl-studded bow-tie necklace from Japanese brand MIIA? Find a man’s bow-tie, and some chain to the sides, hand-stitch some pearls on, and voila! A sweet little accessory.
Hope they provide some great ideas for DIY for all of you!
xoxo
Carly
Swarovski recently contacted me about their in-house magazine, asking if I’d like to check it out. And of course I said yes! Anything that celebrates fashionable creativity – especially with the high-end name of Swarovski attached – is a must-see in my book!
See the beautiful heat-embossed texture on the crystals on the cover!
The Create Your Style with Swarovski Elements magazine, founded in 2007, is published once a year in Austria [the birthplace of Swarovski]. It typically includes new products in the Swarovski line, tons of tutorials using the crystal elements, ideas and tips, and interviews with artists and makers. It is mainly available online here, but is also available in select Swarovski Elements retailers throughout the world. 
With this fifth issue (Issue Sound), the editors have included the many instances of how Swarovski has collaborated with the music industry for show-stopping costumes, accessories, and stagewear in the past, as well as music-inspired projects that would get any crystal enthusiast excited. 
Covering a wide range of techniques from stringing, bead-crimping, papercraft, resin-coating, sewing, and bead-ironing (!), the 10 step-by-step projects can easily be customized or adapted to your own personal taste, and feature large step-by-step photos that are easy to follow. 
(You can also find some of these projects available at www.create-your-style.com.) The Swarovski Create Your Style community celebrates DIY and crafts utilizing Swarovski Elements, including makers and crystal-lovers from all over the world.
I personally love Swarovski crystal (the brilliance, cut, sparkle, and quality is unmatched by any other crystal brand), and have used Swarovski items in many of my projects and DIYs before (see: Subversive Jewelry Sunken Treasure Necklace; Gossip Girl-Inspired Crochet-and-Bead Necklace for example) 
Though not all the projects in the magazine are things I personally would try, I can easily follow the directions for some of the more unfamiliar techniques to apply them in different projects (can’t wait to try that Cocktail Decoration Bead-Ironing project (pictured above), for instance!)
Swarovski has generously sent me an extra copy of Issue Sound to give away to one lucky Chic Steals reader. Here’s how to enter:
How to EnterEdited 5/26: The entry period is now over and the winner will be announced shortly.
3. Swarovski is also offering another copy of the magazine for giveaway on their Facebook page. So visit their Facebook page and enter there (daily, if you like), to increase your chances of winning a copy of the magazine. (unlimited daily entries until May 31). This giveaway chance is unaffiliated with Chic Steals.
Total: 1 entry per person for the Chic Steals giveaway, daily entries from now until May 31 on Swarovski’s Facebook page.
Giveaway open to U.S.-based readers only.
I had the pleasure of taking a trip to Portland’s own Museum of Contemporary Craft awhile ago to contribute an article to Cut Out + Keep‘s online magazine Snippets. And it’s finally live!
Thanks so much to Cat and the whole Cut Out + Keep team who included me!
Though the museum is small, it does highlight the strong craft movement and history of a variety of disciplines, mainly focused on the Pacific Northwest. It was really interesting to gain a sense of time, place, and handiwork as displayed there.
Have any of you ever been to Portland’s Museum of Contemporary Craft?
xoxox
Carly
~If you have a friend who loves Portland, museums, or crafting, please share this with them! Thanks:-) ~
I’m so honored to have been chosen to participate in the Mother’s Day Campaign, sponsored by Martha Stewart Crafts and PLAID. They sent me a HUGE box chock-full of lovely crafting items to create a unique Mother’s Day craft tutorial!
So I made an unboxing video, complete with sound effects supplied by Lil Tot and with Final Cut Pro dropping frames every step of the way due to my slow-as-molasses computer.
The tutorial/s will be posting April 25, so stay tuned!:-D
xoxox
Carly
~If you liked this post, please share it!~
Carly J. Cais I am a DIY’er, designer, sewist, maker, and marketer. Chic Creative Life is where I share what I do, and help others bring their unique style into their own lives.
