Parachute Paraphernalia

I am a soccer player at my high school and often end up carrying on average three or four bags to school! I could not stand it! I would have three classes and finally soccer, but in between all of those classes I would have to lug around everything that I had to bring to school. I finally decided on a solution. I was going to make a bag that would fit everything I needed.

Materials:
Two old, broken umbrellas
2 cloth belts or handles from another broken bag
scissors
18 inch zipper
6x6 square template

Procedure:


1. Separate the umbrella fabric from the metal framing using scissors.



2. Wash the umbrella fabric and let it dry.
3. Using a 6x6 square template cut out 6 squares from one umbrella and 8 from the other.



4. Lay out how you want your bag to look.
5. Get 2 of the 6 squares you cut and place the 2 squares right sides together, pin, and stitch down the bottom side.
6. Fold the seam allowance to one side and sew a top stitch to hold it in place.
7. Take another square from the 6 squares you cut and use it for a pocket, fold down the top of it twice making a small hem. Sew on the top and bottom of the hem.
8. Place the pocket where you want it on the middle panel and mark it.
9. Pin the pocket to where your marks are on the panel and sew right sides together.
10. Fold the pocket up and sew down the left and right sides of the pocket to hold it in place.
11. Get 2 of the eight squares you cut out, pin right sides together, stitch a seam along the bottom side, open and and stitch a top stitch.
12. Get 2 more squares and repeat step 11
13. Pin the 2 panels you just made to the middle panel with the pocket. Pin right sides together one on each side.
14. Stitch one panel onto the right side of the middle panel with the pocket right sides together and one panel to the left side of the middle panel with the pocket right sides together.
15. Open out each side and stitch a top seam.
16. Repeat steps 5 through 15 to make the other side of your duffel bag.
17. Take your zipper and open it up.
18. Pin one side of your zipper to one side of the bag right sides together and sew it one.
19. Fold the zipper out and top stitch it down.
20. Pin the other side of the zipper to the other side of the bag right sides together and sew it on as well.
21. Fold the zipper out and top stitch it down.
22. Remove all metal parts from your belts.
23. Pin one belt along the sides of the middle panel and sew down both sides of the strap stopping where the top of the pocket starts.
24. Repeat with the other belt for the other side.



25. Pin the two sides of the bag right sides together and sew the bottom part closed.
26. Create a circle template with the circumference equal to the length of the total measurement of the side of the bag.
27. Cut 2 circles out of your left over umbrella fabric.
28. Pin a circle to one side of the bag and sew together.
29. Repeat on the other side with the other circle.
30. Be careful when sewing over the zipper.
31. Turn the bag inside out and look at the completed project!

Red Hot Homecoming

Ohmygoodness! So I definitely have a style that is mine mine mine! Hahaha! Thats all I can really say about it. so I recently had homecoming at my school. I wanted to wear something that I had made but I couldn't decide what. So I went to a local thrift store and shopped around for dresses that I could remake. As I was looking I ran across the perfect one!! It is red with white polka dots and looks like something Lucille Ball would wear. Though it was a bit too big and a bit too long but who better to fix that than me? Hahaha!

Materials:
Red Hot dress that needs altering
Sewing supplies



Procedure:
1. Try on the dress and measure how much you need to take the size in and how much shorter you need to make it.
2. Be sure you somehow mark what you need to do whether it be with pins or chalk
3. Take off the dress and pin the area around the waist band that you need to take in
4. Stitch the area down that you pinned.
5. Measure how much you need to shorten the dress and put a pin every 2 inches
6. Using a needle and thread stitch a couple stitches to tack down the hem at each pin. By doing this you will give your dress the bubble effect.
7. Pair your dress with great make up. For me it was natural eyes with bright red lip stick.
8. Fix up your hair. I put mine to one side with bobby pins.
9. Accessorize. I wore a pearl necklace, pearl earrings, and sparkly silver shoes.
10. Be sure and take pictures!

Sparkle Sparkle Sash

My mom had this dress that she used to wear ALL THE TIME when I was little! I LOVED it! It is the great silvery black sparkly material! I mean when I was little sparkle fabric is a GREAT distraction. Hahaha! So recently I was helping my mom clean out her closet out the with old styles and in with the new. You know? Anyways she pulled out THE DRESS and said well I guess this length is not really in style anymore so I think I am going to get rid of it! First thought through my head, "WHAT NO WAY??!!" So of course me being the upcycling fiend that I am I asked if I could have it. I took one look at it and knew exactly what I was gonna do!

Materials:
1 long out of style dress made out of FABULOUS material
Scissors
Strip of material that matches the fabric of your dress
A sewing machine
Some sewing pins
Needle and Thread or sewing machine


Procedure:
1. Pick out a out of style dress that is made of FABULOUS fabric.



2. Measure how long you want your dress and how much you need to cut off.
3. Add 1/2 to the length of your dress for hem allowance.
4. Cut off the bottom length of the dress.



5. Using your sewing pins pin a half inch seam on the bottom of the dress and stitch.
6. Using the bottom part of the dress you just cut off pin a cowl neck to the neck of the dress and stitch.
7. Using the strip of left over fabric that I had you get after you put on the dress tie it on as a sash.
8. Go out and look beautiful!!

Plunging Halter

Ok so I am going to make a disclaimer about this shirt. It plunges REALLY low so my advice wear a tank top under it or a tube top. I made this shirt early one morning probably about 7 in the morning!! It took me no time at all! I was digging around in my closet trying to find something cool and comfortable to wear to help my mom move furniture and set up her kindergarten classroom. After I could not fund anything that suited my needs a grabbed a huge t shirt that I had won at a football game and turned on the youtube video I had watched before.
Materials:
1 Large T-Shirt
Scissors
Measuring tape
Chalk or a pencil
Needle and thread or sewing machine

Procedure:




Here are some pictures of mine mid way through the process!! Enjoy!!

When I Grow Up

When I's agonna grow up I's ado creative an clothes!

Tee Shirt Sweeeeatshirt

My sister studied abroad in South America, Chile to be exact, and brought me back a soccer shirt. Not just any shirt it was a Club de Fútbol Profesional de la Universidad de Chile shirt. Have you ever heard of the term lost in translation? Well that is the moral of this story right now. My sister was shopping for something to bring back to me when she stopped at a roadside stand to get me a shirt. She asked the lady for a small which here in the United States most people assume is an Adult Small but in Chile its just a small, a child's small. My sister brought the shirt home to me and not until she unfolded the shirt to give it to me did she realize what had happened. It was hilarious! I knew I wanted to be able to wear the shirt so I made it so that I could.

Here is what to do:

Materials:
3 tee shirts
Scissors
Sewing Machine
24 inch Zipper



Procedure:
1. Cut the first shirt that you want for the bodice down the middle of the front.
2. Cut a good size band off the bottom of the second shirt. The shirt that you want for the bottom band of your shirt.
3. Cut that band down the middle and pin it to the first shirt lining up the middle and sides.
4. Stitch the seam.
5. Using a seam ripper remove the sleeves from the first shirt and save the sleeves you will be making pockets with them later.
6. Using a seam ripper remove the sleeves from the third shirt and pin them to the first shirt.
7. Sew the sleeves on to the shirt.
8. Using a piece of cardboard cut out a template in the shape of a hood.
9. Using the template cut the shape of a hood out of the third shirt lining the face edge of the hood up with the hem of the shirt.
10. Pin the hood onto the neck of the shirt and stitch a seam.
11. Turn the sleeves of the first shirt inside out and stitch the bottom closed.
12. Turn the sleeves back right side out and stitch them to the front and bottom of the bodice.
13. Pin the zipper to each side of the bodice and stitch it on.
14. Put on the Sweatshirt and Enjoy!!

Upcycling

Here is a word that describes what I do.

Definition: Re-using materials to create something fresh and modern.