Join the Pearls & Scissors Etsy shop send-off party!

It's time to wave goodbye to my Etsy shop and celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in Pearls & Scissors' history. Fill up your Martini glass and join the dance-party!

I've poured my heart and soul into the Etsy shop and now it's time to re-direct my creative energy to a new venture. So, let's give it a proper send-off.

Use the coupon code ENDSALE to get 50% off on all items in the shop AND get a very special gift from me with your purchase. 

The virtual doors to Pearls & Scissors' Etsy shop will clos at 2am CET tomorrow. So, you'll have 11 hours to crab what you want for the shop and receive an awesome secret party-gift in the mail along with your purchase.

Shop right here and keep the dance-party going!

Thanks so much for your continues support! It truly means so much to me.

xo. Hanna

Words for the Week No.29 // The next chapter

This awesome art poster is from The Watermelon Factory

As soon I saw this poster on Etsy, I knew I wanted to make it into this week's words. This is exactly what I've realized in the last couple of weeks, or even the last couple of years really. I've gone through so much change in recent times (marrying, moving to Germany, starting to build a business) and when we experience such immense change in every aspect of our life, it causes a lot of stress. Every big change starts a stress reaction in our bodies - that's just a fact. But, the other side of the story is that we get to choose the long-term effect it has on us.

If we believe that it's bad for us, that's exactly what's going to happen. But, if we believe that stress is just a way for our body to help us cope with the situation at hand, it will become an asset instead of a threat. (I love this TED talk on this matter)

It's all about the way I look at it.

I've found that one of the things stopping me from embracing change is the constant look in the rearview mirror. Thinking and re-thinking about things that have passed - the chapter that's ending. I think about all the things I miss. Or, about what I wish I'd done differently. And, while learning from mistakes is certainly important, I can get stuck in the has-been or would-have-been land. 

Sometimes we hold on to the "good old days" so hard that we miss out on all the better days ahead. We fail to see how this new chapter might help us get to where we really want to go.

Fear, anxiety and worry over what's to come are not foreign to me. I experience them all the time. But, what I've started to see is how they are just signs of growth rather than a threat to my being. Jumping into unknown waters is scary, and it should be! I mean, think of what would happen if we weren't afraid at all and were always ready to jump off cliffs. That would be a very dangerous gamble. 

Fear is here to protect us - like a guarding dog. It's our job to let it know that we're ok and ready to take on the risk of doing something new. Stress is here to help us. It's our job to use it to our advantage. 

But, there might be one more thing that keeps us re-reading that old chapter. It's the fear of failure. We might feel that letting go means we've failed. This is the exact reason why the decision to close my Etsy shop was so difficult to make. I had known it wasn't working for a long time. I knew that it wasn't my dream business, but I still kept on going, because I saw myself as a failure if I'd call it quits. The truth is though, that dragging my feet and not taking the necessary steps to move on was the real failure here.

I wasted to much time and energy to work on something that couldn't have succeeded. And that's just stupid!

Although I'm not completely sure what's next for me, I'm glad I'm finally able to end this chapter in my business. It's freed up so much mental space and got me excited to plan a new future. 

To end this little chapter here, I'd like to remind you that there's only 2 days left to buy something from my shop before the doors close for good. And, you can get 50% off everything with the coupon code ENDSALE. 

Have a wonderful start to an amazing week!

xo. Hanna

Refashionista // Sweater into cropped cardigan

When you look through my refashionista archives you'll probably notice that I love making over sweaters. Whether into skirts or socks, or cardigans. Knits of all kinds are my favorite material to work with, and although I know that most of you don't have a serger/overlocker nor a cover-stitch machine, I still recommend giving knits a try. There are ways to work with knits on a regular sewing machine (a post about that coming soon), so don't shy away from them even if seems intimidating.

My number one favorite thing about knits besides the comfort factor is how easy they are to fit. Woven fabrics can be temperamental when it comes to getting a good fit. So, I would pick a knit over a woven any day. But, enough of the praise, let's talk about today's refashion, shall we?

This loose-fitting cropped cardigan is an iteration of this sweater into cardigan refashion I did over a year ago. While my first version was super simple and quick to make, this one has more bells and whistles and therefor takes a little more time as well.

The style was inspired by the cardigan in my spring sewing inspiration post. As soon as I saw it, I knew the sweater in my stash would be perfect for recreating the look. 

Although I love the outcome, I do have a few regrets. First, I wish I would have measured the width better. It came out a tad too loose, and the front overlap is also too big. I should have just taken it in more at the back seam. The shoulders a little bit wide as well. I was going for a droopy shoulder, but the fit didn't turn out to be perfect. I have a feeling I should have sewn the shoulder seams slightly curved. I just thought I'd share the messy behind the scenes details as well. Not every refashion I make turns out exactly the way I envision.

Here's how I did it:

1) First, I removed the sleeves. You can do this either with scissors or a seam-ripper. 

2) Second, cut off the upper part of the sweater, just below the neckline. Sew a straight seam at the dotted line. This will become the center back seam. So, moving forward, the width of the sweater becomes the height of the cardigan and vice versa.

3) Cut the sides of the sweater straight, eliminating the armpit curve. 

Measure your back width (from shoulder tip to shoulder tip). You can add a few centimeters to that measurement if you want your cardigan to be more loose-fitting. Mark the sides of the soon to be cardigan using this measurement, so that the center back seam (the only seam there is at this point) is in the center of the marks.

4) Fold the sides of the long sweater panel towards the center, so that the side mark is on the fold. The folded part will become the front of the cardigan.

Next, mark the shoulder seams. I wanted my finished collar to be 5 cm high, and my shoulder width was 10cm, which meant I needed to mark a 10x10 square (since the collar will be on the fold later) to the upper corner of both sides. Your measurements might differ a little. 

5) Cut and sew according to the lines. You should have a sort of bottle-like shape to your cardigan at this point. 

I will move on to the sleeves now, and come back to the cardigan after that. I straightened the sleeves and cut them to elbow-length, but you might not need to make these steps. 

Back to the cardigan:

1) Place the sleeve to the side of the cardigan and mark how big of a hole you'll have to cut to fit the sleeve in. Cut both armholes. Sew sleeves to the cardigan.

2) Since my cardigan was already pretty short, I decided to make a faux hem for it. I used the cut-off side strips of the sweater to piece together a long band for the hem. Then I sewed it to the bottom of the cardigan. If your cardigan is long enough to fold and sew the hem as is, you don't have to do this step on your version.

3) Now is a good time to give the garment a good press all around. To stretch out the ribbed part in the front, just stretch and pin it to the ironing board and steam well. Let cool before removing pins. With some fibers, you'll need to do that after every wash, but some fibers will also stretch out completely and stay that way even after washing. 

Also, fold and press the hem and sleeve-hems. And, Fold the collar in half (along with the whole top hem) and press well. 

4) Finally, sew the top and bottom hem, and the sleeve ends.

Quick tips for sewing all of this with a regular sewing machine:

1. Use a narrow zig-zag stitch or the knit stitch (that looks like a lightning bolt) to sew the center back seam, and the shoulder and sleeve seams. 

2. Use a wider zig-zag stitch to cover raw edges.

3. Use a twin-needle for the hems.

I'll go more in depth on this topic in an upcoming post.

I feel I'm gravitating more towards boxy cuts these days, which is something new for me. I love that I can wear this cardigan wrapped and sealed with a pin, which is a more sophisticated and feminine look, or leave the front open for a more modern and edgy look. I also love that the sweater is made of cotton, which makes this the perfect spring/summer cardigan. I know I'll get lots of wear out of this in the coming months. 

I hope you got some inspiration to take on a sweater refashion yourself, and a good idea of the process behind making this one. If you have any questions about this tutorial, or requests for upcoming posts (what would you like to learn?), let me know in the comments.

Happy sewing!

xo. Hanna

P.S! Don't forget there's still time to crab something from the shop half off with the code ENDSALE! 

Scissor Talk // What's your dream sewing project?

Whether you're new to sewing or you've been at it for years, everyone has a sewing Mount Everest they'd like to climb. You know, that project that you'd love to make, but are scared to start because you feel you're just not ready yet. You don't have the skills, you lack the time, or money, or all of the above.

You pin pretty pictures to your "I would like to make" board, and seek out patterns for months, only to make absolutely zero progress on the actual making process of that project. Sounds familiar?

My sad Mount Everest story is a coat. 

I've been wanting to make myself a coat for years now. Every time I think now is the time - I'm finally going to make it - I get one step closer, but still no coat. The first time I vowed this, I got to buying a ton of lovely wool fabric in peach pink. Somehow, everything after that just fell apart. 

Fast forward a couple of years, and I was looking for just the right pattern, more determined than ever to just do it. Never happened.

Another year or so pass. Still no coat, but so much more skills and confidence this time, or so I thought. I got as far as the muslin before the fear got the better of me.

I've made progress, though. In my attempt to go around that beast of a coat, I've made a simpler jacket (this one), and and changed the lining on an old coat. Slowly gathering experiences and conquering the smaller mountain tips to train for the big one. 

I still don't feel ready. Not enough skills, not enough time, not enough patience - the same lame excuses.

The funny thing is, I never had these fears when I was a complete novice at sewing. Then, every project I made was a freakin' mountain top to climb. Because every new garment was something I had never made before. I gained new skills by DOING. And I was never afraid to screw it up. So what if the lines are crooked? So what if I wouldn't wear it in public? So what if I have to google my way through and end up with a few more grey hair?

There was never an expectation of perfection.

Somehow, I've lost that fearlessness along the way. I want to succeed every time. I'm even afraid that maybe I won't love sewing as much if I fail. So silly really.

Of course, the projects you complete AND love are the ones sewing dreams are made of. But, that doesn't mean it's not ok to fail sometimes. It's a good place for learning and growing. I'll bet you my sewing machine you learned something when making a total fail. Which is not always the case with the perfect outcome.

Here's to climbing higher and higher, until we reach our mountain top. Here's to being a fearless seamstress, and just enjoying the ride - no matter rain or shine. The journey is still more than worth it.

The bonus point you get after a failed attempt? A cool story to tell. How much rather would you love to hear about the time I sewed a corset that ended up fitting my dog better than me, than about the time I made a shirt that fit like a glove? The latter is about one sentence long. I made a shirt and it turned out great. Snooze...

What I'm trying to say is to just go for it. Even if you think you're not ready yet. You might never feel ready. If your dream project is making your first garment - just pick a pattern and go with it! If it's drafting your own block pattern - pick up a book and just do it! Whatever it is, there's no way to do it without doing it. 

Just start, and you'll figure everything out along the way.

I'd love to hear about your dreams and sewing goals. What's that project you'd love to make? What's your biggest sewing fear?

I'll see you in the comments!

xo. Hanna

DIY Sequins and pearls hoop earrings

I've been getting back into jewelry making lately. It's funny how my craft-craving always come in waves. There are periods where I only want to sew for hours on end, and then there are times when I can't make enough earrings, followed by a knitting frenzy. That's just how I roll. I guess it's jewelry making time again. 

I wanted to try and make something with flexible wire, and came up with these fun sequin and pearl earrings. I made them in a bunch of colors. I love when I get into a zone while crafting and just play around with stuff. That's fun!

What you will need:

• Flexible jewelry wire
• Earring hooks in silver
• 2mm round crimp beads
• Flat-nosed pliers
• Colorful sequins (c/o Pandahall)
• 4mm colorful beads (c/o Pandahall)
• Wire cutters or scissors

 1. Cut a 12cm long piece of flexible wire. Add sequins and pearls (11 sequins and 10 beads per earring) to the wire.

2. String the wire through one crimp bead, so that one tail of the wire is very short and the other is about 1.5cm long. 

3. Press the crimp bead together with the flat-nosed pliers. 

4. Add another crimp bead to the longer tail of the wire. Then, string the wire tail through the earring hook and back through the crimp bead. 

5. Again, press the crimp bead together withe the pliers. Cut wire tails.

6. A more advanced way of making this would be to use only one crimp bead to tie the wire loop. In this case, you would skip steps 3 and 4. 

Make one more and you have yourself a lovely pair of earrings.

 

This technique has so much potential. I can already imagine making these with bigger pearls and wooden pearls, and all sorts of combinations. I'm thinking I could make a few more variations and do an inspiration post. Would you be interested in that? 

I hope this tutorial was helpful also to those not that familiar with jewelry making. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

xo. Hanna

Words for the Week No.28 // The next step

For me, life these days is a bunch of steps. I'm not moving by leaps and bounds, but I am moving. I'm keeping my chin up, my focus on the future, and just taking that next step. At this point, so much of our lives is sort of in limbo-land. There are so many loose ends that it's hard to see where all this is going. So, all I can do is take another step, and another step.  

Right now, it's doing my best on this blog. Writing and creating with passion and love. It's doing my homework in B-school and learning as much as possible. It's dreaming big and finding new ways to move towards those dreams. I could either look at this point in our lives as something very difficult, demotivating and stressful. Or, I could look at it as a time full of countless possibilities to create the future we want. Nothing is decided. Which means that everything is open. 

I'll be the first to admit that choosing the second outlook is not easy, and I don't succeed every day. But the days I am able to see the good are the days that inspire me to keep moving on the bad ones.

I'm a dreamer through and through. I love creating alternate futures in my head, envisioning how my life would pan out. I've done a lot of dreaming and planning lately, and each time the dream gets more clear to me. Each time the path to that life is a little less foggy. So, I will keep dreaming, planning, and moving forward. Because this is my time to turn the vision in my head to my everyday reality.

Do you have a dream - a vision of how you want your future to be? Do you know what your next step will be to make sure you will get there?

I'd love to hear your dreams and thoughts in the comments!

xo. Hanna

Favorite Finds // Wander often, wonder always

Goodies: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

I love this saying! It's what I live by nowadays, especially the second part. I would never have thought that having so much uncertainty and wondering in my life would be something I appreciate. But, while it is stressful, this time is also filled with discovery and freedom to choose. And that is something I wasn't too willing to allow myself to do before.

The end of shop sale is in full swing, and I'm already daydreaming of new horizons. In the mean time, use the coupon code ENDSALE to get 50% off your purchase in my Etsy shop until there are goodies left. Some of the bags are already down to the last one. 

Also, I hope you will have a little bit of time to wander and wonder this weekend!

xo. Hanna

The end of my Etsy shop // Closing SALE!

It's time to say goodbye! At the end of March I'm closing the virtual doors to my Etsy shop for good. But, it's not a sad goodbye. It's a happy farewell. It's been a journey I'm grateful for, but one that I won't continue anymore. I've simply realized I want to redirect my energy to this blog and other creative endeavours.

So, it's time to kick off the end of shop mega-sale! I've decided to offer all of you a 50% discount code to my shop. Everything's half off, people! Just enter the code ENDSALE at checkout to receive the 50% discount.

The sale ends on the 31st of March or once the shop is empty, whichever comes around first. So, if there's anything you've had your eye on, now is the last chance to snatch it up. And since most of the items are one of a kind, I suggest you make your move fast.

Happy shopping!

xo. Hanna

Refashionista // Faux fur jacket to trendy vest

This has got to be the easiest refashion I have ever done. It took me a whopping 10 minutes to complete. Working hard these days, you know? Just goes to show how sometimes the smallest alteration can make the biggest impact and turn a slightly outdated look into a trendy must-have.

I got this jacket from an awesome Clothing Swap Party I was invited to last weekend. Thank you, Daniela! Basically, with one night Daniela and her girlfriends turned into sponsors of the Refashion series here at Pearls & Scissors. So, I should probably have a disclaimer at the bottom of the page that says "This post is powered by Daniela & Co." Also, I highly recommend getting your girlfriends together and having a swap party. It's so much fun!

At first sight, nobody was feeling this jacket, but I loved the color, and automatically had the idea to turn it into a vest. I mean, faux fur vests are all the rage these days. Plus, they are very comfy and warm. Perfect for the cooler spring days. So I crabbed the jacket, and had myself a vest the very next day.

The process of this refashion is pretty self-explanatory, but I would like to point out a few things to take into account when refashioning this type of garment, or whenever working with faux fur. 

I knew I wanted to remove the front tie-ribbons. I was never going to tie them, and to be honest, I didn't like this design feature in the first place. So, I took my seam-ripper to the scene and got to work. One thing to keep in mind when removing things from faux fur is that the seam is going to leave a mark. So, be sure you're ok with the mark and the seeming being visible after you remove something before doing it. 

 The next step was cutting off the sleeves. I tried two different methods for this and they both have their merits and faults.

The carpentry knife was really good for cutting the parts that had no seams. The benefit of the knife is that you can cut only the surface, meaning the fur hair beneath it will be left intact. This results in a nice clean cut and no short fur on the edge. Also, it's pretty easy to use and fast. But, it doesn't cut seaming. That's just too many layers for the knife to cut through.

 You can of course cut the sleeves only with scissors. Just make sure that you slide the blade as close to the base fabric as possible so you won't cut the hair short. That's just going to look like a bad haircut later. I cut the seaming with the scissors as it was too thick for the knife, and also the parts where the fur had got caught in between seams and I couldn't pull it loose. 

There's no need to sew the edges of the arm holes, so all you've got to do is cut those sleeves off and you're done.

Sadly, the vest turned out just slightly too big for me. I might still keep it to myself, since it's super soft and warm. I really do love it. I might have a cool mini-me version in the works using the cut-off sleeves. We'll see if that pans out. 

The takeaway from today's refashion - look for potential! If you'd love a trendy faux fur vest, go and shop at a thrift store this weekend. I'm sure there are more discarded faux fur jackets out there that need a little love.

xo. Hanna