DIY: Scarf, Meet Cardigan

Confession: There is now not one single solitary sweater in my closet that has not been DIY'ed by me. Yes, seriously. Between the felting and the scarf-izing, I'm all about the Leave No Sweater Behind. I'd say I have a prob but that's just statin' the obvious.

Howevers, if we're gonna point fingers, this is all Anthropologie's fault. 

Case in point: their version of a Scarf-igan now on the clearance rack for the low low price of $49 (originally $98, whah?!). I'm sorry, but Anthro, Chico's called. They want their sweater back. Love the concept, not the execution. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and make a version of my own.

I dug around in my closet and found this rarely worn, thrifted Target sweater. In my scarf stash, I had a more difficult time deciding which to choose. While many of them looked like they'd work, I hated the idea of hacking into (and possibly ruining) a beautiful vintage scarf. I settled on one that was slightly hole-y and stained. I figured I couldn't possibly do any more damage to it.

A part of the scarf I wanted to incorporate was the border. So after cutting the scarf in half, I laid it out on the sweater and tried to pretend I knew what I was doing.

After pinning the edge of the scarf next to the buttons and bottom edge, I cut the scarf with a 1/2" edge at the side seam of the sweater. Then I proceeded to stick more pins in my sweater than a voodoo doll.

Then I cut the scarf 1/2" beyond the shoulder seam of the sweater. If you'll scroll back up to that Anthro sweater and look closely, you'll notice two things: where the bottom of the scarf meets the ribbed bottom of the sweater, it is not sewn and their scarf does not meet the shoulder seam. 

Lemme address the first thing: that not-sewn-down-bottom thing. This actually makes sense as it gives the scarf some room to move. You see, the sweater, being a knit, it going to stretch more than a scarf that's made of a woven material. So when I was sewing, I did the same thing. I began by stitching the edge next to the buttons first, sewed the side sweater seam second (say that 10 times fast), did the armhole and the shoulder seam. And left the bottom open.

Now let's pause for a moment and chat about that second thing: that weird scarf-not-meeting-the-shoulder-seam business. I mean, that sweater's $49 on sale. Make the scarf fit the sweater. It ain't that hard.

Says the person who did this. Like, ewww! What happened?! Okay, lemme back up a little. Cuz maybe there is something to that gathering biz-natch. Even though I allowed myself 1/2" surplus of scarf-age, it seems I needed more as it shrunk up as I was stitching. Can you tell I'm Southern? "Shrunk up" is most definitely in the Southern Webster's Dictionary. Check it.

My solution? Add some trim and call it a day. I just happened to have the most perfect vintage flowery bits that covered my boo-boo. And, I gotta tell ya, I actually love it more with the trim.

Outfit details: While I didn't buy the Anthro skirt, everything else I'm wearing is from there! skirt: Anthro, gift from a friend; shoes: Anthro, $9, what?! Das right. Shoppin' Anthro like a boss.

Now, if you recall, this isn't my first time to the Just Scarfin' Around dance. Oh no. Check out my first scarfigan, my beautiful blarf (that's scarf into blouse) and this here skankie (if you guessed skirt made of hankies then you're like a genius). 

By the way, you mighta noticed I took a break from my weekly What I Wore. Last week was a rough one so I thought I'd just put it behind me. I knew you'd understand. Chat with you soon!

Read more »

DIY: Felted Floral Sweater

Warning: This post is full of photos taken by my hubs. Usually the photos you see on this here blog are taken by me and my 10 second timer. Press the button, run in front of the camera, attempt to look natural and SNAP!, picture taken. With hubs, it's a little different. Strangely, I'm more self conscious. Probably because of the constant commentary which has me cracking up. My favorite? After I complained that the photos didn't look so hot, hubs quipped, "well, let's take some more and attempt to put some whipped cream on this crap-pie." And, yes, I do believe I was the crap-pie he was referring to. Sigh.

So, as usual, this DIY story begins with me drooling over some uber expensive piece at Anthropologie. Case in point: that lovely embroidered number on the left. Them crazies wanted something like $198 for that thang! Do you know how much whipped cream that would buy?! Why, I'd be the best tasting crap-pie in town. And I already had this thrifted Banana Republic sweater just sitting in my closet like a blank canvas. So, in normal Cassie fashion, I decided to copy that little piece. Like I said, same DIY story, different day.

I know what you're thinking: dang, girl, another felted sweater? Or maybe that's not what you're thinking, my ESP skills have always been lacking. Regardless, can you believe I've not gotten over this felting bug that bit me way back with this first Anthropologie DIY?  Since then, I've felted sweaters of birds, flowers and my cat. I've found I really enjoy the process because it combines two things that I love: creating pictures and creating clothing. 

But enough about that. Lemme show you the basics of how I crafted the flowers. To begin, hit the thrift store or your closet and get yourself some sweaterage. Wool roving and needle felting tools can be picked up at your local craft store. I began by pulling a long thin amount of roving and folding it over my finger as shown on the left. I slipped that off my finger and ended up with the loop on the right.

Lay it onto the sweater...

...and commence stabbing. As you punch the roving, it's fibers sink into and interlock with the sweater. This causes the size of the roving to shrink a bit. That's why the blue flower on the left looks so much smaller than the one I'm punching.

Once finished with one flower pedal, follow the same steps to create the second one. They resemble heart shapes and already have me thinking up a Valentine's Day sweater. Never too early to get a jump start, says me. For the dot in the middle, I used a very small piece of felt that I rolled between my fingers and punched into place.

For the flower stems, I initially used green roving. But I just couldn't get the felt to cooperate. So I discovered a stash of 100% wool yarn in my sewing room (the things I have buried in there!) and decided to try it instead. It works beautifully. In the photo above, I've simply laid the yarn out where I want it to be punched and started stabbing away.

And this is a little what the end result of that looks like. For such things as the flowers with multiple pedals, I followed the same steps as the heart shaped flower. Really, you can create any ole shape with roving. Just use your needle tool to shape the flower, strawberry, leaf, stem, you-name-it as you go.

Wait! This pie needs more whipped cream! By the way, that dip-dyed blouse under my sweater is yet another Anthro-copy that I plan to share with you next week.

Probably my favorite photo from our day out. You can see the back of the collar and the little sprinkle of flowers on my shoulders. Did I tell you I kinda love this sweater? You know what I really love? $198 in my pocket.

Now I'm not gonna lie, this sweater took me ages. Mostly because it was one of those work-on-here-and-there projects. But I'm happy I finished it even if I've only got a matter of weeks to wear it. You'll have to let me know if you've given felting a shot. I'd love to see what you've created!

Read more »

What the Art Teacher Wore #42

Full of Hot Air Monday: Because my first graders are learning all about hot air balloons, I decided to dedicate some of my wardrobe to this theme. I was thrilled when I found these hot air balloon tights on etsy...and even happier when I discovered they were made in Nashville! top: anthro, gift from a friend; skirt: vintage, picked up in an antique shop in Germany; tights: Carousel Ink; boots: vintage, thrifted

 Greetings from Slacker-land. Apart from the loooong hike hubs and I took today (eight miles! total keister-kicker!), this week has found me doin' a whole lotta nuthin. Which I blame entirely on a book I've had my nose stuck in. Because we don't know each other that well, I'm embarrassed to tell you what I've been reading (I swear it's not 50 Shades!). What I will tell you is that I'm not allowing myself to read the next book until I complete some unfinished DIY bidness. But enough about that.

Have you met Jim Flora? I've loved his cartoon-y kitsch style of paintings, drawings and prints for some time and I thought I'd share them with you this week. I love how his work is so energized that is seems to wiggle around the canvas. I hope you enjoy seeing his work as much as I do.

The artist and a self-portrait. James "Jim" Flora is an American artist born in 1914. He's best known for the album covers he created for RCA Victor and Columbia records during the height of awesome design: the 1940's and 50's. What I find more interesting is his personal work that often had some biazzro overtones.

Florals and Balloons Tuesday: When I'm attempting to mix and match patterns, as I tried to here in the above ensemble, I hold garment after garment side by side until a sudden "ooohh, that works" happens. Later, I often think, "what in the world was I thinking?!" but today, I think I'm okay. dress and belt: sale, Anthro; sweater: Ann Taylor, thrifted; fishnets and tights: Target; boots: Frye

Mambo for Cats, 1955 I mean really. How great is this? I love the Picasso-style face one the middle cat as well as the mustaches. You can listen to this album here if you are interested. And you should be because it's fantastic. Apparently, Flora was a huge lover of music, calling it his muse, and I think this album cover shows that love.

The Panic is On, 1954 I noticed that in many of Mr. Flora's work, he'll either use a solid white or black background. No interference from the background for his imagery in the foreground. Simply awesome.

Dirty Looks Wednesday: So I'm at the bookstore buying that paperback I haven't been able to put down, when I turn around to see an older gentleman nudging his wife and pointing at me. She looks at me and makes this flinch-y face at my outfit, particularly my blue-fishnet-over-green-tights legs. By the time she finally looks up at my face, I made sure to give her the biggest I-just-caught-you-staring-at-me smile I could muster. Despite my annoyance. I mean, it's one thing to not like what someone is wearing, but do you really have to be rude about it? Me thinks not. still on our hot air balloon kick top: Anthro; tights and skirt: Target; shoes: Dolls by Nina

I can't seem to find the title of this work, but it looks very similar to one titled The Big Bank Robbery. You know my love for It's A Small World artist Mary Blair. This work reminds me of a wonky Small World. Both artists worked during the same era but it's apparent that Mr. Flora had a different wacky flair.

Manahattan. Not only did Mr. Flora design album covers, he's also the author/illustrator of 17 children's books. I'm dying to get my mitts on them. While he worked on books and album covers, he also worked on his personal art which is often described as playful, erotic and macabre. And subtle. Apparently during one of his last exhibits, his body of work had a nautical theme. Inside the tiny boat images where naughty little scenes that could only be made out by magnifying glass.

Pencil Perfect Thursday: My goal for Thursday was to have completed my DIY Hot Air Balloon dress...but that book! I couldn't stop reading! So, it still hangs in my sewing room, mocking me. So I went all pencil-y instead. sweater: Urban Outfitters, on sale now!; skirt: DIY by me here; shoes: another DIY, look here; pencil hairclip: yeah, that's by me too. As if you couldn't tell.

Would you just look at that tiny wood cut?! Amazing. I spent last weekend at an art teacher conference where we carved into linoleum blocks. And I thought mine was at least kinda sorta detailed. Mr. Flora put mine to shame. I'll share my block and what I did with it in an upcoming post.

This print reminds me of another of my favorite artists, Thomas Hart Benton. I love the crooked street lamp.

Tiger Run Friday: It was our school's third annual Tiger Run! I think I ended up going a good four miles around the track with the kids. It was the perfect day for it. tie-dyed shirt: tie-dyed in art class, DIY'ed at home with ribbons and scissors; skirt and black top: Target; tiger tights and tiger ears: amazon; shoes: Earth Shoes

Connecticut Shore, 1954. Jim Flora lived a long life that ended in 1998. His artwork seems so familiar to me mostly because of how many other artists have since been strongly influenced by his style. His style is so popular that when googling around, I found that you can even purchase Jim Flora wallpaper. Pure awesomeness.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Read more »

DIY: Anthropologie Style Part 2

I promise you I'm not wearing some make-shift neck brace for an insurance scam. Our fall mornings have been just crisp enough for a little scarf-age. Of the neck-swallowing variety. Outfit details: belt and hair clip: Anthropologie, sale room (I don't even bother with the rest of the place); boots: Frye; scarf: Germany; dress: Anthropologie-copy made by me!

So I once heard in a meeting that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I have many a problem, but my biggest one of all is (drum roll, puh-lease): Starting 5,000 projects. And finishing one. 

I blame it on my begats disease. As in, one idea births, or, begats another. For example, my students are currently learning about how the first hot air balloon flew over Paris. Which begat the (unfinished) Hot Air Balloon Applique Dress. But there were a few hiccups in that project, so my frustration begatted (?) another Halloween dress. Which begat-a-micated a third Halloween dress. This one with a skull fabric. And then I saw these amazing skull flower pots on pinterest which lead to the begatimacation of some Day of the Dead painting. 

And when all of that became too overwhelming, I decided to feed my other addiction: online shopping. At which point I stumbled upon the above dress at Anthropologie.com. In the sale section of course. What a dream dress for an art teacher, right? But for $129 (and that's the sale price, people!) I declaired: "I can make that!" and another idea was begat's'ed.

Oh sad, rumbled Target dress. I thrifted you for a mere $7.99 but your boringness put you at the back of my closet.

What's that? You wanna make a Anthro-knock-off? Lemme tell you, it is so stinkin' easy. Here's what you need:

• demin-ish dress. Or really any dress that's drab and just sitting around in your closet unworn
• fabric paint. I picked up Tulip Soft Fabric Paint in Matte Sunshine Yellow, Marine Blue, Turquoise, Chocolate, Linen Matte and Azalea at Joann's. By the way, never go in there without coupons: they have a mailing list (get on it), feature them in the Sunday papers, they take all competitors coupons and they offer 15% teacher discounts.
• paint brushes. Duh.

Now you might recall that this isn't the first time I've tried my hand at replicating Anthro looks. I made a copy of another too-expensive sale dress and a pair of sandals. So much of their clothing has a DIY look about it that it's easy to mimic.

Now I have to tell you, I am not an abstract painter. In fact, not long ago, I took a class on painting abstractly and the instructor laughed at my work. Laughed, I tell you! So I was a little nervous painting on this dress. I attempted to copy the Anthro dress at first...but that was...boring. After I started loosening up, I thought of my amazing kindergarten abstracts and realized: if they can do it, so can I!

I really enjoyed painting with the Tulip fabric paint. It worked just like acrylic. In some cases, I had to brush on two coats but that seemed to add to the dry-brush-stroke look. I used the brightest of colors like yellow and turquoise, for accents.

And then I went all crazy town and splatter painted my shoes. This is, of course, what the students liked best. I used the same fabric paint just diluted a pinch to make it more splatter-able. You can see more DIY shoe madness here , here, and here.

The fabric paint is dry within four hours. After 72 hours, it can be washed. But I was too excited to wait that long. I spent two evenings painting it (I had to allow paint to dry before painting other areas. That slowed me down a bit). Just enough time away from the other 4,999 projects I've yet to finish.

Today a kindergartener said to me, "Mrs. Stephens, your legs are purple!" To which I replied, "That's what happens when you eat too many grapes." Looking at me in horror and taking a step back she whispered, "...really?"

I gotta tell you, painting this dress was a lot of fun. I hope you'll be inspired to do the same! And save yourself $129 while you are at it. Thanks for dropping by!

Read more »