Obsessed With Double Belts

UPDATE: J.Jill sells this belt in gray and black for $34 now.

I've considered getting a very simple double belt like this Eileen Fisher belt at Garnet Hill for quite awhile:

It's also online at Dillards, Nordstrom, Neiman-Marcus and Saks in various colors. I love the minimalism. No buckle to imply any style so you can take other accessories in different directions. Right now Nordstrom has the Graphite color in one size only on sale for under $50 but it's $98 everywhere else. It is Made in America, in NYC. So that's a bonus by my count lately.

I may experiment with making a similar style. You can get a 72" length of leather strip at Tandy Leather in various widths. The 3/4" width is $13.99 for 72" strip. But it's natural cowhide, so the option to color it is a plus or minus depending on how much project you want to take on. Of course Tandy has dyes, paints and stains in many colors, and Edge Kote if you want the edges to look nice and finished. Tandy also has the tools to punch holes, and if you have to purchase these just for this project, the DIY ROI starts to look not-so-good. Although I already own these from scrapbooking projects.

And for the final important piece, Tandy has the Stud Thingie. Yes that is an official term in my house.

Or for a rocker chick look, try a dog collar spike:

I don't know about you, but I've never had a dog tough-looking enough to pull off wearing spikes on its collar without looking silly. I'd probably look silly wearing spikes too!

I already have a Stud Thingie, so the only thing needed is a leather strip long enough to wrap around my waist and upper hip area twice.

Save on shipping by seeing if there's a Tandy store in your area.

I should add, I don't mean to be an inadvertent shill for Tandy only. Their brand-building works as it's the first name that popped to mind. There are many other sources for these same supplies such as Zack White Leather Company which has a larger selection, and many at lower prices: long leather strips for double belts in many widths and you can even choose a preferred thickness, button studs, a ton of dyes and finishes, and tools like belt punches.

If you want a finished leather or a textured leather, try leatherwise on eBay. You may need to double up the leather and edgestitch and possibly piece strips together to make the belt long enough. This metallic blend of copper and brass in their eBay store would make a gorgeous belt:

Or how about this brown embossed ostrich texture:

You could also call their store in Santa Cruz, CA to see what leather solutions they have. I've ordered from their eBay store many times and loved all leathers I've received.

Wa-la ... a double wrap belt for not a bad price!

Make A Birkin or Kelly Style Bag

Maybe you want to make a statement by carrying a non-animal skin bag. Maybe you don't have the money for the real H. (Uh, maybe? More like, likely.) But still want a classic style like the Birkin or Kelly bags? Here are some tips to make one. It might take some work. But it wouldn't be worth it if it was too easy, right?

-- Search for the OOP Vogue 7892 handbag pattern
-- Adapt this paper Hermes Kelly pattern
-- Download directions to make a Birkin style trash bag
-- Get kelly bag fasteners and padlocks at MacCulloch & Wallis

Trying to make a knockoff look just like the real thing would never ever look right. And it wouldn't be the right thing to do. So get a little crazy. Add your own touches. Why not use an old Hermes-style silk scarf for a lining. And frankly I find the single color bags boring. Mix colors and show your style, like these artist-designed Kelly bags on the Hermes site (to see more, click on the les Kelly de Leila line drawing for a slide show):

So as you can see, you can be inspired by your favorite home dec fabric, faux fur, remnants of tribal fabric, studs, stencils, paints. Have fun with it!

Another personalization idea -- cover the bottom with many rows of feet like those on this Alexander Wang bag:

Check out this new line called Leah & Bliss, where they went nutso, encrusting Birkin style bags with jewels. Then carrying the bags in public. How can you miss this walking down a sidewalk? So people asked about them. Now they sell them. The rest is retail history.

(Pardon me I feel a rant coming on ... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH why don't I create something fabulous and get the guts to parade it around and then ... and then ... !!!)

Finally, this Washington Post article explains differences between the Kelly and Birkin, but we're not going to worry about this too much, because this isn't trying to be anything like real, right! Although according to this article, it is fitting that Lady Gaga is putting Sharpie graffiti and spiked studs on a Birkin and not a Kelly.

Twist and Shout!

Burberry Prorsum twists ... this would really add interest to a basic black jersey dress, skirt, top or cardigan, wouldn't it?

I love to wear black but hesitate to sew it lately because it so often feels boring. How could you be boring with these twists?

Here's a how to, but it seems you need a fine light fabric so the twists don't turn out chunky and cheap looking.

Knocking Off Those Cool Indian Prints on Yoga Tops

I love-love-love print yoga tops like these at Athleta.

But do I have $49 to $64 to spare for a tank top? Nope.

However, I do have yummy cream knit from Vogue Fabrics. It's bamboo, it's incredibly soft and I can't wait to play with it and sew it up. And I have a mile-high stack of scrapbook papers, many of them with Indian and Asian-inspired prints. I go gaga over paisley print paper. I have a scanner, photo editing software, a printer and transfer paper for fabric, and of course there's an iron or two around the house. If you have these things, you have what you need to make a one-of-a-kind printed top.

I've also gotten into hooping so I need some close-fitting comfortable knit tops. My sister, who is a fitness instructor, plans to teach hooping as a certified instructor, and when she told me about it, I thought (as you may be thinking) what the heck is hooping? Well watch these videos of hooping -- it looks like great fun and fabulous exercise! So I now have a Hoopnotica hoop -- I got The Vamp and my sister just ordered yet another to add to her collection, The Diva. Check out these LED hoops -- imagine a bunch of people out in the yard at night using these, what a sight!

And yes you do break a sweat when hooping. You feel it in your torso, hips, thighs, arms. Put on some music, start playing, it's fun!

So tops like the Athleta print tanks would be perfect for hooping. Here's what I plan to do:

1) Grab my favorite Kwik Sew TNT tank top and knit pant pattern, 3115. I may modify it to a scoop neck:

2) Pre-wash bamboo knit from Vogue Fabrics. They have many colors (check out the celery & olive colors, yum!!), I picked mine up at the Evanston store after petting the fabric. So so soft. Good recovery and the cream is thick and opaque. That's hard to find in a cream or white knit. I snapped it up. Bonus for working it, it's microbial fabric?!?

3) Choose a piece of scrapbook paper with a print that I'd want on a top. Something with paisley like this:

4) Scan the paper, or you could photograph it at hi-res with a digital camera. An iPhone or other camera phone probably wouldn't deliver good enough resolution.

5) Open the image in photo editing software. I use Photoshop, and I would remove elements and rotate some, enlarge some elements, and play with the image until I got a pleasing design. Who knows, I may even combine and layer images from different papers. You could do symmetrical or assymmetrical design.

Here's some inspiration, big and small prints:

Athleta

Prana

Prana

Asana Green

Gaiam

Paragon Sports (unfortunate hummingbird positioning?!)

6) Print the image on T-shirt transfer paper. Some papers leave a big unattractive plasticy splotch on the clothing. Some transfers do a better job of transferring just ink. I am not an expert on the best products but will certainly be researching this before I get to this stage. Anyone have recommendations? Also unknown is how durable the ink is over repeated washings.

 - or -

An alternative is to have your design printed on knit fabric by a digital fabric printer. Make sure you layout your design so you can cut the pattern so the design is placed in the location where you want it. Many samples shown by these services show designs covering the entire fabric, but you don't need to do that. Fabric on Demand will print on lycra spandex. Karma Kraft has a cotton jersey knit. Spoonflower has organic cotton interlock knit.

7) Sew your creative, one-of-a-kind printed yoga top!

My creation coming soon ...

OK, Maybe Not-So-Independent Style

Updating a previous post. I try not to be so imaginative as to copy an entire catalog look head-to-toe. But this time, I really don't care about lack of imagination. Why reinvent the wagon wheel.

Sundance T, it's here! I already have perfect dark dusty navy fabric and pattern to knock-off the skirt too (don't stashes come in handy). Project for this weekend when I'm back home. I also want to, carefully, bleach the T a little.

Liking Sundance's combo of beads and leather with pendant:

But can't justify the cost ($165 for beads & $110 for leather/pendant). The T is already an indulgence for just a T-shirt in these times. So, instead, Fire Mountain Gems has roundel beads of all colors for $3-$10 for 16" strand, leather, and a huge variety of silver pendants. There's even a simple chunky cross pendant that you can beat on with a hammer and run your car over it to make it look old. Ha. I'll probably go with a sterling silver prayer box pendant. Or maybe a horseshoe. And don't those of us who sew know where to find a closure similar to this:

Very likely to find a button like that in my stash too.

I remember wearing Frye boots to high school in the 1980s, a pair that my aunt gave me that she wore in the 70s. Heck knows where those are now. Maybe in a box in my parent's basement. During one of my many moves during and immediately after college, I left some things in a storage unit in one of the apartment complexes. There weren't many things in the unit. I remember a vacuum there. But there were some boxes along with the vacuum. I hope the Frye boots weren't there too. Because if not, there's always the hope they're in my parent's basement.

For this Fourth, we'll be walking around wine country (Finger Lakes Region and source of my fave, Riesling) and I like bare feet in the summertime. So, Frye sandals from Zappos ...

Summer of Love Top

So, this top from the Polyvore.com blog screams "Summer of Love?" Really? I had no idea. I'm an 80s kid. Growing up in the 80s gave me the skills to spot Flashdance and Madonnawannabe. Summer of Love, I have no idea. But this top caught my eye because I'd been planning to sew a top exactly like this with New Look 6684:


Out of this very lightweight, nearly sheer fabric:


But how to wear it?? The Polyvore.com blog answers that question with a variety of styling ideas that Polyvore members put together.

Parting shot, see my beautiful bluepoint baby:


She's such a poser. Every time I pointed the camera at her, she looked away. Every time I pulled the camera away, she looked back at me. She totally knew she was being photographed. She's a sly one. She's the kind of cat who peeks around a wall and watches you with only one eye.

Calorie-Free Chocolate

The post below about leather for the French Country carryall reminded me, the Anthropologie Mauritius Bag knockoff is sitting dormant on a desk because ... I need leather. Totally forgot about that project. As you see here, I have more ideas and visual obsessions than the discipline to complete a project.

And now summer is here. This is a yellow and white eyelet bag! It must be finished. Soon.

While I have chocolate color leather, it's about 2-2.5 ounces and a bear to sew, especially double thickness. I need a thinner, more pliable and drapey leather for my machine to handle. Leatherwise on eBay has never let me down in the leather department. One example, check this out, don't you just want to lick this?!




From Leatherwise, I have corduroy ribbed leather, tiny leopard print suede (which I made into a hat posted on PatternReview), silky black lambskin, delicate lilac suede, oh I love their leathers. The pieces are just enough for sewing an accessory or adding trim. The distressed pieces would make great coat/jacket collars and casual totes. Or what about making slippers to wear around the house? You could use their animal print leathers to make stuffed animals. I don't know if the dye lots on individual pieces are similar enough to buy multiple pieces for a larger project though, but probably worth contacting Leatherwise.

Cute Sewing Carryall

Here's a weekend sewing project for you. See this French Country carryall basket from Pierre Deux. Which you can buy all complete for $98. Sewing accessories and fabric swatches not included. Now look around your house. See a wicker basket in a closet or in the basement. Don't we all have unused wicker baskets tucked away somewhere? Now see a colorful fabric from your stash. See a solid heavier upholstery fabric from your stash. (The Pierre Deux version has leather wraparound pockets on the outside -- if you are lacking some leather lying around the house, check out Leatherwise on eBay where you can get smaller affordable pieces of leather of any color.) See some rectangles cut out, and contrast topstitching applied. See your very own one-of-a-kind French Country sewing carryall!

One For Me, One For You

Duh, an obvious solution to the question below. Do both! Buy one for me, and still make a knockoff as a gift for someone else. What better way to do a knockoff than to have the original in front of you? It's on sale now! It's affordable! It's possible!!



UPDATE on March 4, 2008:

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" she says ...


Mauritius BagReady to carry messenger-style or with a ladylike grasp, the detachable leather strap and handles of this tote let you decide. Either way, sunshine yellow cotton peeking out from white eyelet won't steer you wrong on island-hopping adventures.
Detachable crossbody strap
Zip closure
Cotton, leather; cotton lining
9''H, 18.5''W, 7.5''D
11'' handle drop
Imported style #843170

We're sorry. This product is no longer available.


I'm a loser. In the shape of an L on her forehead ...

To Buy Or Sew?

An UPDATE on The Birth of A Knockoff post:

Those of us who sew can get really rankled when people assume you sew to save money. Like you are cheap. Not just somebody who wants a good value, but cheap. Well here's the news for you ... you don't always save money. In fact, sometimes sewing can cost more. Sometimes you sew for the challenge of it, the pleasure of it, the satisfaction of seeing the final outcome that was once just a mirage of a vision.

Creating knockoffs to look as much as possible like the original is a fantastic sewing challenge. I chose the Anthropologie Mauritius bag as a good late winter knockoff project, to finish by the time spring hits and I'm wearing a white tee with jeans, with the white and yellow bag for color:



It would be a good knockoff because no-how no-way would I pay $298 for a bag with such limited usage potential. But its current deep-discount price of $109.95? Should I benefit from today's retailer woes? Or proceed with the knockoff as planned? I have acquired:
-- the fabric
-- the Mary Jo Hiney Designs pattern
-- some of the metal pieces

I already have brown leather. I still need a yellow fabric to go under the outer fabric and fill in the eyelets with yellow. And, a lining fabric.


It would cost under $109.95 in materials, for sure. But what about the time factor?

What would you do?

The Birth of a Knockoff

This Anthropologie Mauritius bag is so much fun for next spring/summer, with a sundress or paired with classic tee and jeans:But even on sale, it's $199.95 right now. Thank goodness I love to sew! And so plans are underway. This week, this natural/yellow eyelet fabric from Gorgeous Things arrived:

It's a brighter deeper yellow than the picture so it very closely approximates the Anthropologie bag color.

Here's a pattern that's easily adaptable, Journey Handbag pattern by Mary Jo Hiney Designs:

Next up: yellow fabric to peek out from behind the eyelets, a lining fabric, either a very thin leather or faux leather, and the hardware. Oh, the hardware. I struggle with finding great hardware. But find it, I will. I have brown leather in the stash but it's thicker and I'd rather not wrestle with it.

Track the progress to come ...