DIY - Lacey Edged Top

Recently I have seen a lot of the same top designs across a few stores on the high street. It is a very simple top, quite boxy with simple lace edge detail on the sleeves and hem. I really loved the design but because I am a fashion student and have sewing machine skills I thought why not make my own!

Examples of the existing design 

(photo taken from Tesco website)
Tesco - £12

(photo taken from Dorothy Perkins website)
Dorothy Perkins - £16 now £14.40

To make you will need:

A striped top - mine was from the charity shop for £3.99
Black lace edging - I used two different ones but you could use the same - £4.90
Black thread
Pins
Scissors
Sewing machine or hand sewing needle

How to make

1. Start by deciding if you want to shorten your top before you sew on the hem edging. I decided to leave mine the length it was but its up to you.

2. Pin black lace edging to the bottom of the top. When you get to the join leave a 1cm extra on each end.

3. Where you have the 1cm extra turn put them together and sew a seam. Open the seam and them pin onto the edge of the top. This create a neat join and finish. Then sew around the bottom to sew on the edging.

4. Repeat the same process for the sleeves and then thats it!

Before and after photos

It is such a simple top and for just under £9 it is such a bargain and something a bit more unique than one you would get in the shops.

(I actually ended up taking off the edge on the bottom as I didn't realise how stretchy the top was and when I put it on it wouldn't go over my hips but oh well I still think it looks pretty around the sleeves, just be warned if you have a stretch top stretch it while you sew the bottom edging.)

DIY: Bags

Recently I have been making bags for some family and friends. They are just canvas bags and really good to keep in your handbag in case you need a bag for something.

These bags were for my Nanna, Auntie and a friend's birthday present.

For these I used some wide patterned fabric ribbon for the handles and I also added beads to the appliquéd butterfly design.

This bag is one I made for myself as I bought the fabric from a market a few weeks ago and thought it would make a great bag, I love the print!

To make one of these bags you will need:

Calico or some kind of cotton fabric (can be plain or patterned)

Small pieces of fabric for the appliquéd design (if you want to do one or you could just do a plain one)

Bondaweb (if you don't know its an adhesive that is ironed to the back of appliquéd designs to keep them in place while sewing)
Thread
Sewing machine
Scissors
Chalk or a pen to mark fabric when measuring
Pinking Shears (to stop raw seams from fraying)

Measurements of bag

2 Bag pieces - can be any size depending how big you want your bag but I did mine 38cm x 38cm and then added 1cm seam allowance al the way around

2 handles - from 60 - 70 cm x 8cm depending how long you want it and make sure to add about 2cm seam allowance of each end (can either be fabric pieces or wide ribbon)

2 pieces of fabric that leave a neat finish on the inside where the handles are these should be the width of the bag x 8cm

Instructions

1. Cut all pieces out. If doing appliqué iron bondaweb on the back of design.

2. Iron design onto bag pieces and sew design using either straight or zig zag stitch.

3. Add any extras to the design such as beads.

4. Sew the two bag pieces together along three side with 1cm seam allowance and then neaten seam with pinking shears.

5. Turn the bag right way out and then start on the handles. If using fabric iron in 1cm from each side of the strip and then iron in half. After that sew down to create the handle.

6. To attach handles sandwich them between the top of the bag and the other small pieces of fabric. Sew around the top of the bag with all the layers.

7. Make sure to do it so that the handles are the right way when you have sewn around the handles stick out of the top and the small pieces of fabric fold inside to create a neat edge and strengthen the top.

8. Finally sew around the top of the bag again to keep the inside piece of fabric flat down inside the bag. You can do this with a decorative stitch if you wanted.

Hope you liked this kind of post and hope my instructions make sense if not please comment and I will try and explain if you don't understand what I have wrote

DIY: Make up organiser

So today is something a little bit different. Recently I had a sort out of the place where I keep my make up, hair accessories, moisturisers and hand cream etc and I moved alot of it and got rid of some stuff so I had more space. Before I kept all my make up it a big make up bag but I didn't like that I couldn't see what I had so first decided to have a look on line at make up storage and saw some acrylic make up drawers which I really liked but didn't want to pay loads. As I was searching I came across some make up organisers that were made out of boxes. They were really simple decorated boxes with dividers in so I decided to give it a go and here is the result...

Before

After

This is how I did...
You will need:

• 1 Cereal box
• Ruler
• Pen
• Scissors
• Glue
• Patterned and plain papers
• Cardboard

1. First open both ends of your cereal box and then measure and cute the sides in half so you have two halves.
   
   
   

2. Next get rid of one half and then lay out the box (the outside facing up) and decorate the edges and and bottom with patterned or plain paper of your choice.

3. After that glue the corners together to make a tray and trim the ends if they are too tall.

4. Then cover the inside with paper. (thinking about it now I probably should have done this before I glued the box together)

5. Then make the dividers from cardboard. Do this by measuring the length and width of the box and trimming a little more off so it fits in the box. Then cut slots in the cardboard and slot them together along the centre piece of cardboard. You can choose how big you want each compartment.

6. Finally sit the dividers in the box. You don't need to glue them in as they should stand up in the box on their own.

I think its a great way to see all your make up and separate everything. I put my lipsticks in one, foundations, concealers and mascaras in one, eye shadows and bronzer in another two, powder and blushers in one and eye liners and other things in the last one. I also just have a pot at the side with lip crayons, pencil eye liners and lip glosses.