Pants to Scarf Transformation
Yes! Some crafts, finally! I was wandering around the thrift store the other day, despairing of finding anything cool, when I saw this fabric poking out from under a pile of clothes. Hubby and I have both been working on pirate costumes for Halloween/Renaissance Festival/random costume parties our friends have, and we need many more scarves.
Someone had split the whole booty area open, in what had to be a brutally embarrassing moment, but I still saw the potential. The fabric and pattern are also pretty close to historically accurate for the time period, which is always a plus.
First, I used my seam ripper to get the pants down to their basic components.
I then trimmed down the sides to make rectangles. I also trimmed off the torn booty area. Keep in mind, this is for a costume, and a pirate at that, so I just basically eyeballed everything.
I wanted it to be a bit longer, so I took some of the other scraps, cut them to size, and pinned everything together. I hand-sewed everything together. The fairly busy pattern of this fabric hides the fact that several bits of fabric form the whole scarf. I wouldn’t necessarily try this same method with a quieter pattern, unless it’s for a gypsy or pirate costume. Gypsies and pirates are supposed to look patched up, so it adds to the authenticity.
Once the bits were assembled, I laid it out, and rolled the sides over to be hemmed. The edges were not straight, so I just folded the extra cloth under to even it out. I pinned the edges down, and hand-sewed everything again.
Here’s the finished product! The ends were already machine-hemmed, since they were the ankles of the pants, so that saved me some work. In the picture, it looks like that end flairs out terribly, but that’s just the way I laid it down to take the picture. The scarf is now complete, and either Hubby or I can wear it for our costumes. I also have some extra fabric from this project, so it may reappear someday. Overall, it only took me a few days, even hand-sewing everything. With a sewing machine, it could have been done in an hour, easily.
Crafty Gifts
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately crafting for friends and family, like the cake topper and wedding favors for my sister, Beans. This post is going to show some of those gifts, and serve as an excuse for not doing many crafting posts.
For Jessica, I made a tiny gnome head magnet (which is part of an on-going weird joke between us), and a box of Cadbury creme eggs, of which I did not steal ONE.
This is a necklace for my sis, Beans, inspired by a recycle poster, which is why the tree is made of arrows.
UPDATE: I found the inspiration pic for this:
This is a monster baby. I made it out of some fabric by running it around the sewing machine with no real plan in mind.
He’s wearing a cape with SB on it, which stands for Super Baby. He’s playing super heroes, with his pet cow.
I named the cow Moothusela. This monster baby was made for Kathy Phan-tastic for her birthday.
Nuclear explosion? No problem! Super Baby to the rescue! (The background is part of a painting by my super-talented Hubby). So it just goes to show, being friends with me has its benefits. I love giving handmade gifts whenever I can.
Rockin’ Mama’s Day Celebration!
I have been invited to have a booth selling my handicrafts at the Rockin’ Mama’s Day Celebration put on by Objects of Confection this weekend! That’s right, Saturday, May 7th from 10 am to 4 pm I will be at the Community Renaissance Market, peddling my wares.
Part of the proceeds go to support SafePlace, a charity that helps support abused women and children. It’s at 6800 West Gate Blvd, here in Austin. So come out and say hi, and support a great cause: my wallet! Just kidding. I will have mostly jewelry, and possible some crocheted goods. Ooh-la-la! I can’t wait to see you all there!
Black Purse Post
So sis-in-law was a huge fan of Dr. Stacey’s purple purse. Her birthday was in October, so I made this black and white version for her. She requested one long, skinny pocket to be attached horizontally on the inside for pens and pencils. There were two other pockets on the other side, one for her cell, and one for her keys.
You’ll notice the strap on this one is not crocheted. Sis-in-law had a very specific length desired, and since crochet tends to stretch, I used this bad ass belt instead. I got it at a thrift store, and removed the metal belt-y ends. I used tacky glue on the raw edges so it won’t fray apart, then I used black thread to attach it to the purse. I got that button at Hobby Lobby, aka my second home.
There she is, cute as a (star) button. Look at her shirt! Did I choose the perfect button or what? I love giving homemade gifts!
