Written by Jessica of The Ladyette. Today I have a super useful DIY project for you...a sunglasses case with an outside pocket. It's perfect for taking along your sunglasses and a few small things like lip gloss and a credit card or ID. It will fit in your purse or you can carry it around itself because it's so cute. sunglasses case tutorial Supplies Needed: cotton fabric, faux leather fabric, thread (possibly in multiple colors), a needle, scissors, measuring tape, a few pins, and a sewing machine (which is optional, because you ...Continue Reading
zippy top hack: gathered loose blouse
Today is the last day of the Zippy Top sewalong! Boo hoo! It has been so fun though..thank you for participating! And keep on sewing if you haven't finished yet! This is double sided double gauze from Miss Matatabi, it's so amazing! The other side is polka dot so I had a hard time deciding which side to use. But you know how I love gingham... I made a blouse by following the basic directions of the Zippy Dress hack. The only thing I changed is the ratio of fabric. It's much shorter in the width than the dress version. I belted it with a ...Continue Reading
DIY bow shirt!
I love bows, as you probably know. This DIY bow shirt project is a quick girl's top refashion. It involves straight stitches and a little handsewing.Of course, beginner projects are fun for everyone! I bought a simple blank shirt at Target and used scrap material. This refashion is a great way to spruce up an old shirt or one with a stain on the front. Use the bow to cover the stain! DIY BOW SHIRT Materials 1 blank topscrap fabricprintable pattern pieces BOW PATTERN PIECES Download the pattern by clicking on the button below. ...Continue Reading
DIY Wood + Copper Necklaces
Written by Mandy Pellegrin of Fabric Paper Glue. I don't know if I'm allowed to say this about my own project, but I am so in love with this DIY. The materials -- wooden beads and copper tubing -- are so raw and simple, but the possibilities are practically endless! Whatever your technique, the result is a unique, modern statement necklace perfect for practically any outfit. DIY Wood + Copper Necklaces Supplies: wooden beads in various sizes (3/8" - 1.5"), black paint, paint brush, 1/2" copper tubing, 1/2" tube cutter, 1mm ...Continue Reading
zippy top hack // decorative pocket tutorial
This is actually a double hack! I made a zippy top with a front zipper (see tutorial here) and then added a little tiny pocket to the side. I shared this fabric the other day on the Miss Matatabi fabric giveaway post (still time to enter, the giveaway ends 4/25!). I LOVE it. It's a cotton lawn called Japanese fabric forest. It has little tiny animals like squirrels and owls and bunnies hidden in a gorgeous floral print! The bright primary colors are a little out of my comfort zone, I'm trying to stretch myself with colors. I used a navy zipper ...Continue Reading
zippy dress hack tutorial + a goose dress
Yesterday I shared my pink dress that I made from the zippy top pattern. Today I'm sharing another dress, the geese dress, plus a zippy dress hack tutorial. It's a loose dress, so you can either wear it loose, put elastic in the waist or cinch it up with a belt. This fabric is c/o Miss Matatabi on etsy. It's a linen blend voile fabric with little geese all over it. It feels a lot like gauze, lightweight but really strong! t's so soft and has a nice drape! I love the colors in this dress, almost a Neapolitan color palette, but ...Continue Reading
maxi skirt + curtain dress mashup // my pink ALT dress
I'm so excited to share this Zippy Top dress hack today! I first made myself a dress with the Zippy Top pattern for ALT Summit (a design conference), way back in January when the pattern was still in production. I had a maxi skirt with a stain on it that was craving a refashion. I also had a lot of extra curtains laying around because I had cut them too short. So I mashed them together. I used a light pink fabric underneath the lace so it wouldn't be see-though. I didn't put a zipper in the back of this one, mostly because I was rushing to ...Continue Reading
zippy top hack: front zipper tutorial
Happy Monday Friends! If you participated in ZIPPY TOP WEEKEND, you have a brand new top to wear today! If not, there is still time to sew up this seriously fast top for yourself! The sewalong goes until April 30. This week and next I'll be sharing inspiration and and easy hacks to customize your Zippy Top even more! I'll be featuring lots of fabrics from Miss Matatabi fabrics. You might not know this but I have a serious weakness for Japanese design. The colors, the patterns, the prints, everything is just so cute! So I'm excited to share some ...Continue Reading
zippy top weekend day 3: finish the top!
Last day! You are almost done with your Zippy Top! Today is the last day of zippy top weekend. If you missed DAY 1 or DAY 2, check those out. Today we will finish the top in 3 steps: 1. Finish armscye (step 3-4) 2. Sew side seams (step 5-6) 3. Hem bottom (step 15) Good work! Be sure to share your zippy top with hashtag #zippy top on instagram, post it to my facebook wall, or add it to my flickr group! See you tomorrow for a zippy hack! ...Continue Reading
ZIPPY TOP WEEKEND DAY 2: neckline and zipper
Welcome to Day 2 of ZIPPY TOP WEEKEND! Today we will be doing 3 steps 1. Sew shoulder seams (steps 1-2) 2. Finish neckline facing (steps 7-12) 3. Insert Zipper (steps 13-14) This should take you about 20 minutes to complete! We're going out of order so that today is the hardest day and tomorrow will be super fast. So you're almost done! Tomorrow we'll finish the top and you'll be ready to wear it on Monday! See you then. If you missed the details of ZIPPY TOP WEEKEND, this weekend we're kicking off the Zippy Top ...Continue Reading
ZIPPY TOP WEEKEND: collect materials
Zippy Top Weekend starts today! To kick off the Zippy Top Sewalong, I'll be breaking the Zippy Top steps into 3 days worth of sewing for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It will be about a 20 minute commitment each day, this top is, well, ZIPPY! The Sewalong ends April 30, so you have lots of time to finish and share your top! Share on instagram with the hashtag #zippytop (tag me! @seekatesew), post it to my Facebook wall, or add it to the flickr group. I've already seen some and I will be featuring them soon! Buy the top here if you ...Continue Reading
