DIY No-Sew Sequin Scissors T-shirt

I rarely wear simple T-shirts, but I got this pink one for our engagement photos. Since it was pretty sad in my closet, I thought I'd spice things up. And, what better way to do it than to add some sparkling scissors. This one has Pearls and Scissors (literally) written all over it!

 I made this project for the Mood magazine a couple of months ago. You know, doing DIY projects as a job is so much different than just doing them for fun. It's a little like making something for someone else and you don't exactly know what they like. But, I still try to come up with things that I would actually love to make for myself. After all, I'm the one who has them in my closet once the article's been published.

Luckily, so far I've loved most of the projects I've made. And this one is definitely 100% me!

This is what you need:

• T-shirt
• Glitter string
• Big scissors
• Fabric pen or other fabric marking tool
• E6000 glue or fabric glue (+ a match or toothpick for precision glueing)

 STEP 1

Put the scissors on the T-shirt the way you want them and trace around the scissors with a fabric pen or any other fabric marking tool (like Taylor's chalk or a chip of soap).

STEP 2

 Use a toothpick or match to apply some glue to the back of the glitter string and start glueing it along the template line. After i did the outer line, I went back and covered the inside of the scissor handles as well. Finally, I added the little joining screw out of sequins.

A tip I would have to cover the end of the string with a few loose sequins whenever you need to cut and restart.

It's a very quick and easy project, and holds up very well in the wash. Also, your kids/cousins/nephews and nieces/any other small children can pull on scissors (which they will) and the glue will hold. It's babysitter proofed, so you can take my word for it!

If the Start Sewing Club had an official club T-shirt, this would be it. I love this T-shirt more than any other I've owned. It's definitely getting a lot of wear these days, which in my book is the best indication of a DIY success.

I've been welcoming the first members to the Start Sewing Club and I couldn't be more happy about it! I'd love to have you as well, so do consider joining. (Have you seen the video introduction yet?)

There won't be another club before Fall. And, the next one will have all new projects. You will have lifetime access to the classes in this edition of the Club, so if you think you'd like to take them, get them now for a good price! Also, if you hop on the mailing list below, you could still catch the earlu bird special I have running for the list only ;)

I'd be beyond excited to have you in the club!

xo, Hanna

DIY // Stitch up a pretty and practical reversible tote bag

Summer is fast approaching. In fact, some days feel like summer already, which makes this summer-lover very happy! The warm days of spring and summer are perfect for spending time outdoors - whether having a picnic in the park, or getting sun-kissed at the beach.

For me, the best thing to have for these outdoor events is a huge bag to throw the blankets, food, magazines and board-games in. I like my bags bigger rather than smaller anyway, but these are the times I really appreciate having a fit-it-all bag. Which is why I decided to make this reversible tote bag. It's pretty straight-forward to make, very practical, and to top it off, also very pretty.

 This is what you need:

• 2 pieces of cotton fabric (both measuring 130cmx55cm)
• 135cm of 3-5cm-wide belt strap (or straps from an old bag, or even an old belt)
• 2 large buttons
• approximately 80cm of shoelace
• basic sewing equipment
• Ruler and marking tool
• Paper clamps

STEP 1

 Cut 2 rectangles measuring 65x55cm from both fabrics. Repeat each following step with both fabrics. You'll basically be creating 2 bags that go inside each other.
Also, cut the strap in half.

Take the shoelace and cut it into 3 equal part. You're going to braid them, so pinch the ends on one side between a paper clamp and start braiding. When you get to the other end, clamp the braid with another paper clamp.

Now you can start sewing.
Put 2 rectangles from the same fabric on top of each other so that all the edges line up, and the right side (the prettier side) of the fabric is inside. Sew 3 sides of the bag as marked on the above photo with a seam allowance of 1cm.

Repeat with the other fabric.

STEP 2

Fold the bag from the wrong side (where the seam allowances show) so that the side seam lines up with the bottom seam and the corner is pointed out and mark a line 15cm from the tip of the corner. The line needs to be at a 90 degree angle from the seams.

Sew the corner seam you just marked. You can cut off the corner after you're done if you want to.

STEP 3

Press all seams. Also, fold the upper edge of the bag to the inside to create a 2cm wide hem and press that down. Repeat on both bags.

Mark the center on both bags (equal distances from the side seams. The make a mark 3cm from the center mark on both sides. This is for the button loop.

Next, make a mark 12cm from the center on both sides of the mark. Those marks are for the straps.

STEP 4

 Place one bag inside each other, it doesn't matter which one, so that the wrong sides face each other and the right sides are out. Align the side seams and the upper edges with each other and pin.

 Start sewing together the two layers of the bag. Keep the strap and button loop (braid) at hand. Start from one of the side seams and sew about 3mm from the edge, until about 4cm before the first marking. Make sure your needle is lowered and stop for a second.

 Place one end of the first strap in between the 2 bag layers at the first marking (that's 12cm from the center). Tuck in about 4cm of the strap end. Hold the strap in place with your fingers and slowly sew over it.  Repeat that when you get to the second marking on the other side, but first, you'll need to add the ribbon loop. See below!

Ok, so now you've got on end of the first strap sewn in and you're approaching the first button loop marking. Take the shoelace braid, remove the clamp and insert it between the two layers of fabric, just like you did with the strap. Again, hold it in place with your fingers and slowly sew over it.

Repeat once you get to the other marking.

You only need to insert the loop on one side, so once you get to the other side of the bag, you only need to insert another strap.

Keep sewing the edge of the bag until you get back to the beginning full circle. Now you have your straps and loop fastened, and bags attached to each other. Just a couple more steps and you're done!

STEP 5

To make the straps more durable, sew a box with an X inside on top of the strap end that's tucked between the bag layers (see photo above). Repeat with all 4 strap ends.

STEP 6

 Lastly, sew buttons onto the center of the other side of the bag, about 4cm from the upper edge. One button to one side (floral on my bag) and the other button to the same spot on the facing side (the beige on my bag. I found that the best way to do that is to sew them on at once, like a reinforced button. And, keep a toothpick between the layers of thread so you don't sew the button on too tight. After the buttons are secured, circle the thread between the button and fabric to create a little "foot" for the button. I hope this makes sense.

BONUS STEP

In case you want to reinforce the button of the bag to give it more body, you can craft a simple bottom from a plastic paper folder. I just cut off the cover and sides of the folder, and covered it with fabric, which I glued to the plastic using a glue gun.

Whew! That was a lot of steps, but it's totally worth it. Also, I guarantee you that the actual process of sewing this takes less time than it did for me to write out all these steps. The joy of blogging, eh?

I hope this inspires you to bust out that sewing machine, and stitch up something useful for your summer adventures! And, if you like the dress on the photos, here's the tutorial.

I'm going to keep the blogging load a little bit lighter this week in order to work on the Start Sewing Club. But, I will see you on Thursday to share a cute refashion.

Speaking of the Start Sewing Club - sign up below! You'll be the first to get all the news, and some early bird bonuses that I will only offer to the awesome people on that list. And, of course, you will receive a free Start Sewing Guide to get you started. I'm all about #startsewing !

xo. Hanna

DIY a pair of sparkling sequin stud earrings

Sometimes, ideas come to me out of the blue. Well, not exactly out of the blue, but unexpectedly, while I'm creating something else. So, when I was making these sequin and pearl earrings, I was thinking about what a great texture a pile of sequins create, and boom, the idea for these earrings was born. Because, wouldn't it be cool if you could incorporate that texture into a piece of jewelry? Of course it would!

You will need:

1) Felt

2) Scissors

3) Sequins (c/o Pandahall)

4) Super glue (like E6000)

5) Earrings studs

1. Cut out 2 pieces of 2x2cm felt.

2. Cover one piece with glue and start glueing the sequins to the felt. I started by placing the corner-sequins first, and the filling the outer frame and moving inward from there. 

3. With E6000 you can adjust the positioning of the sequins when the glue is still wet.

4. This is how one of my earrings looked after the first layer of sequins. Now would be a good time to let that one dry and do the other.

5. Add another layer of sequins on top of the first layer. Make sure to place the sequins in between the lower layer ones, not directly on top of. This will create a cool texture.

6. Once the glue on the sequins has dried completely, glue the studs to the backside of the felt. Let dry and start sparkling!

I'm totally diggin' these studs! Now, all I need is a party to go to, so I can sparkle around in these. Of course, you're welcome to wear them every day of the week if your shiny like that.

Cheers to unexpected ideas!

xo. Hanna

P.S! If you want to get even more DIY ideas, news, and behind the scenes peaks into new products, join the mailing list by clicking the button below!

DIY Upcycled Knotted Jersey Headband

As promised, I'm here to share a quick and easy project for all of you who want to give sewing knits a try. This headband takes you just half an hour (tops) to make and makes the perfect project to practice those knit stitches on. Try it once and before you know it you'll have a stack of pretty headbands. It's addictive!

You can play with different types of knits and different colors and patterns to mix up your own variation of it. I tried three different styles, and love them all. I might even make a few more - one for every outfit, haha. And these are not just for adults. I tried one of mine on my 4-year-old cousin, and she looked so adorable. (Granted, she hates having anything stuck on her head, but she looked dang cute for those 30 seconds).

 What you will need for this project:

1) A little bit of jersey fabric (or lace) - I cut my material from old t-shirts, lace tops and scraps of left-over fabric.

2) Basic sewing equipment (machine, needle and thread, pins, scissors, iron and ironing board)

4) Cardboard for the template

5) Ruler and pencil

STEP 1

First, you need to make 2 templates. One for cutting out the pieces, and the other one for ironing. You can see the measurements of the headband template on the upper picture. It includes 1cm wide seam allowances, but if you have a bigger than average head (I measured my head the way I would wear the headband and got 55.5cm), you might add a couple of cm to the length of the piece.

NOTE! I've had a reader point out that their headband came out too short. This might be due to different stretch of the fabric, or partly because of wider seam allowances or just a slightly bigger head. For this reason, I suggest measuring your head before making the pattern. Given that the fabric has good stretch, the headband should be about 10cm longer than your head circumference. Also, don't be afraid to stretch the headband when knotting it. I stretched mine quite strongly to make the knot comfortably. I'll try and add a video of that soon!

The ironing template is slightly smalles and will come in very handy later in the tutorial. The ironing template needs to be cut from cardboard. 

STEP 2

Cut 4 pieces of fabric using the headband template. Sew 2 of them together (right sides facing) and press the center seam allowances on both other pieces.

STEP 3

Place the two single pieces on top of the sewed piece right sides together and pin them in place. Be sure to pin to match the centers.

I don't know if you noticed, but I pinned the pink piece to the pink and white to white on the above photo, but I had to do it over, because I wanted to be like a chess board (white on pink, and pink on white). 

STEP 4

Sew the pieces together with a 1cm seam allowance. I used a lightning bolt stitch here, but you could use any of the three stitches I showed in this post. 

STEP 5

Cut the seam allowance to just a few millimeters to reduce bulkiness, and give the seams a good press. 

STEP 6

Turn the headband inside out. 

STEP 7

Use the ironing template to press and form the headband. Just shove the cardboard template into on half of the headband and give that side a good press. Then remove and repeat with the other side. This makes getting a good shape very easy. 

STEP 8

Lastly, hand-sew the center opening shut. 

Now, wasn't that easy? But if you have any questions, you can always just ask in the comments, and I'll do my best to clarify.

A little-known fact about me is that I have a very oddly shaped head. It's narrow, which makes finding a headbands that fit pretty hard. Also, most fabric headbands (and scarves for that matter) won't stay on for more than 2 minutes. But, I actually managed to wear this one for a whole day. Wow! So, I made myself three (lol). 

Happy sewing!

xo. Hanna

DIY Lace Stud Earrings

Happy April Fools! Did you get any good pranks today? I'm very easy to fool since I forget about the date, even during the day, and so I'm just thinking it's an ordinary Wednesday. Or I'm simply naive. But, let's go with the first version, ok?

I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who participated in the Etsy send-off party with the purchases. The shop is now officially closed, and I'll be removing the link from the menu bar as well. I'll be writing more in depth about all the lessons learned soon.

Enough of chit-chat - let's get down to business! Lace earrings have been on my mind for a while, but somehow I haven't gotten around to making any before now. In my earring-making frenzy last week, I suddenly had a burst of inspiration and voila, lace earrings. These are so easy to make, it almost feels like cheating. So, if you've ever wanted to get into jewelry-making, but been intimidated by the tools and wires and techniques, simple stud earrings are the perfect place to start. You cannot do it wrong! 

 Supplies needed:

1) Venice style lace

2) Scissors

3) Mod Podge

4) Small painting brush

5) Earring studs

6) Super glue

7) Plastic bag 

 Here's the how-to:

1) Cut 2 suitable motifs for the earring from the venice lace.

3) Add a drop of water to Mod Podge (until it's runny) and paint over both sides of the lace motifs. Protect the underlying surface and the motifs by laying a plastic bag under them for this step.

4) Let completely dry before gluing the studs to the backside of the lace. Once the glue has dried, you can wear your new studs.

Ridiculously simple, right? You might be wondering why I messed with the Mod Podge in the first place. Well, the lace itself is soft, but I wanted the earrings to have a good form, and be at least somewhat stain-resistant. And infusing them in Mod Podge did just that.

Happy crafting!

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!