Category Archives: DIY

Do It Yourself Projects

DIY: Out of the Box (Pleat)

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Blouse: Dorothy Perkins

Cardigan: Glassons

Skirt: DIY

Belt: Dangerfield

Shoes: Chie Mihara

Spotlight KILLS me. Seriously, every time I go in there I see at least seventeen fabrics that I fall head-over-heels in love with. This retro seventies-style floral print caught my eye the moment I walked in the door. It’s a heavy cotton fabric, and only $15 a metre so I snapped up a few metres straight away thinking I could decide what to make with it later.

Later, I decided it needed to be a skirt.

I went patternless again, and just made a basic box-pleat skirt with a zip fastening and a waistband.

1. Cut your fabric into two identical rectangles with the short side indicating how long you want the skirt, and the long side long enough to wrap around your body, plus extra for the pleats. You’ll also need a waistband; a long strip of fabric twice the width you want the waistband to be, and long enough to fit around your waist.

2. Fold each piece of fabric in half and mark the half way point with a pin. This is the centre front and centre back of your skirt.

3. Take the measurement of your waist and halve it. That’s how long each skirt piece should be once you’ve inserted your pleats (less seam allowance). Take the length of your fabric, subtract the length of your half-waist. The number that’s left over is how much fabric you have to put into the pleats. Divide up that measurement according to the number of pleats you want. Pinch up that quantity of fabric at equal intervals on either side of the centre pin. (Sorry – I know that step seems really confusing and mathsy but it’s pretty self explanatory when you start making it)

4. Baste the pleats closed on the sewing machine

5. To make the pleats a box pleat you have to bring the centre of each pleat to meet the seam (so you have equal amount of fabric on each side of the pleat), then pin press and baste in place.

6. Rinse and repeat for the other piece of skirt; then right sides facing, sew one of the side seams together.

7. Waistband time! Take your strip of fabric and apply interfacing. to the wrong side of the fabric. Then fold on half lengthways and iron a crease.

8. Finish the edges then pin the waistband to the skirt; right sides together, and stitch.

9. Fold the waistband over, and with the top of the skirt (where it’s been sewn to the waistband) sandwiched between the two layers of waistband pin and stitch into place.

10. At this point I’d apparently lost the plot, and stopped taking photos. I think there was wine. Let’s blame the wine. Basically you’re done though, all you have left to do is to insert the zipper and finish the second side seam, remove the basting on the pleats, then hem your new skirt!

navabi Curvy Blog Award 2012

Aussie Curves: Pastel – DIY

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Dress: Asos

Shoes: Mollini

Belt: DIY

This dress looks cream in pictures, but is actually a totally delicious blush pink in reality, so it was a shoo-in for this weeks Aussie Curves challenge “Pastel”.

I like pastels a lot, but I don’t have a huge amount of it in my wardrobe because my colouring suits deeper colours better. I had my eye on this dress as soon as I saw it on Asos, but it wasn’t until I saw it on Ellemennopee that I decided I had to have it.

I bought it in the regular size 18, and sewed the front placket up so the buttons didn’t gape (it zips up at the side, so the buttons are purely decorative).

It fits perfectly, but doesn’t really give me the best shape: The bodice gives me monoboob, and while the waist fits well it somehow flattens me out. I’ve tried wearing it unbelted, but it looks sort of marshmallowy.

But with this little ribbon bow belt it’s a lovely, classic, girly dream of a dress.

I made the belt to match my new turquoise ballet shoes:

 Shoes: Mollini

I couldn’t find a velvet ribbon in exactly the same hue, but the darker turquoise actually goes with more in my wardrobe.

 This is a very, very easy project. Quick, and cheap to boot. You don’t even need a sewing machine, just a needle and thread.

You’ll need ribbon in two widths: a short length (I just bought 20cms) in the thicker, and enough of the thinner to go around your waist twice and a bit.

You’ll also need some iron-on Heat ‘n Bond and a snap fastener.

Step 1. Fold the thicker ribbon in half with the join at the back and sew up the seam through all thicknesses

Step 2.  Pinch a crease in the centre of the bow and secure with a few stitches

Step 3. Loop a bit of the narrow ribbon around the centre of the bow & when you’re found the right length cut it off.

Step 4. Loop the ribbon into a circle and stitch up the seam

Step 5. Wriggle the loop over the side of the bow and set it in the middle

Step 6. Cut the remaining narrow ribbon in halves, and cut a single matching strip of the Heat N’ Bond. (You don’t HAVE to use a double sides strip of ribbon, I just did to give the ribbon belt a bit more structure)

Step 7. Line up the Heat ‘n Bond on the ribbon and iron it on

Step 8. Peel off the paper, line up the second length of ribbon on top of the first, and iron to seal the two ribbons together

Step 9. Thread the belt through the loop at the centre of the bow

Step 10. Sew a couple of stitches to secure it in place.

Step 11. Finish the ends, then put in the fastenings. I used poppers, but you could use a hook and eye, or you could even go with really long ends and tie it off (though a bow at the front AND the back seems excessive)

(excuse my dodgy use of green thread. I forgot to buy some that matched the ribbon!)

Voila! Ribbon bow belt!

Don’t forget to click through to check out the other Aussie Curve entries this week. Next week is “Strapless” (eep!)

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….. NOW! More important business:

Congratulations Jayne, you’ve won the $100 Virtu voucher! I hope you enjoy your Polkadot pants! Shoot me through an email with your address, and I’ll get your voucher into the mail for you :)