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tutorial: simple nook sleeve

This post has been a long time coming.  It's been sitting, half composed, in my queue for two months!  I wish I didn't lose my blogging mojo when I get stressed out, but so it is.  Oh, and the pictures are from my phone, taken when the camera was still broken (it's still having some minor issues, but I'm hoping that it pulls through).  As a glass half full sort of view, I like to think of the pictures as being really great for coming from a phone, but if you have any questions because you can't quite see the details in the photo, feel free to ask!

So, here is how I made a super simple sleeve for my Nook:

What you will need:

13x9 piece of felt, fleece, or some other soft, but not too stretchy fabric

13x9 piece of wool or sturdy cotton 

2 snaps (optional)

13 inches pretty ribbon or other trim (optional)

1. Cut your fabrics pieces - each 13x9.  I left a raw edge on that plaid piece that then became the top.  It made a nice fringe. 

 2.  Place wrongs sides of the wool and felt together.  Sew a straight stitch along the top edge.  I used wool and left a raw edge which looked good.  If you don't want a raw edge, you will have to sew a seam at the top by matching right sides, turning, and pressing the seam out instead of  having wrong sides together - feel free to e-mail me for further explanation if you need it.

3.  Place trim/ribbon over the top stitch line on the outside of the cover and stitch in place.

 4.  Fold the fabric layers in half so that the outside fabric has right sides together.  Pin in place and stitch using a 1/2" seam.

5. Trim the seams.

6. Turn it inside out, press a bit if needed and slip your Nook inside.

Optional Step: Sew snaps, just on the inside under the ribbon.  You could also use velcro here.

Again, please feel free to e-mail me if you have questions!

refashion tutorial: sweater to cardigan

I love cardigans.  I love that I can easily put one on when I'm cold and take it off easily when I'm warm.  I love adding a little color to an outfit with a cardigan.  I love that you can wear a cool shirt underneath them and still see it or you can wear a tee and add a little more finesse to your outfit with the cardigan.  I love them in all colors, with or without buttons, and with short, long, or elbow length sleeves.  That's why I decided to turn this sweater into a cardigan.  I picked it up last fall at the thrift for $2 and wore it a couple of times this winter, but I felt so, well, yellow, in it.  Then I had this idea that I should turn it into a cardigan so I would use it more.  

Here's how I did it...you will need to start with a sweater that has a tight weave - something small and preferably somewhat thin.  

1.  Lay the sweater flat.  Mark the center line by taking a tape measure and making a mark every 2-3 inches.  Cut the sweater along this line - make sure you cut only the front and don't catch the back of the sweater when you do this.

2.  If you would like to change the sleeve length, measure and cut one sleeve and then lay it on top of the other sleeve, matching the shoulder seam, so you make sure to cut both sleeves the same length.

 3.  Next you will bind the cut edges.  For the front center edges of the sweater, cut two strips of fabric 2.5- 4" wide (you get to choose how wide you want this strip - a wider strip will give a wider binding on your edge) x the length of your sweater plus 4".  ie. If the length of your sweater from neck to bottom is 20", you will cut your strip of fabric 24".     For the sleeve, cut two strip of fabric 2-3" wide x the diameter of your sleeve plus 2".  Fold these strips in half and iron.  Then fold each edge into the middle fold line and iron again, creating the binding.

4.  Take the binding for the center edge and pin the right side to the right side (outer side) of the sweater.  Leave 2" free on each end.  Sew down the fold line closest to the center cut.  Then, turn the sweater so the inside is facing you and the binding is folded underneath the edge.  At the ends, turn the extra 2" down (you can trim this if you want less excess right here), and then fold over and pin the entire binding so that it covers the cut edge.  Then stitch next to the  edge of the binding  closest to the sweater fabric on the front side of the sweater, making sure to catch the bottom edge of the binding as you stitch.

5.  For the sleeves, you will repeat the process described for the center finishing in step four, except the edges will be finished a little differently.  Start by opening the binding on one edge and folding an end of the binding over about 1".  Then pin that folded binding end to the sweater, making sure that right sides are together.  Continue to pin the binding to the sleeve edge until you come around to the folded end.  Then place the end of the binding over the folded end.  Pin in place and sew down the fold line closest to the edge of the sleeve.  Next, fold the binding over the sleeve edge and pin in place.  Stitch next to to the edge of the binding closest to the sweater fabric on the outside of the sleeve, making sure to catch the bottom edge of the binding as you stitch.

Trim your threads and you're done!  

I'm pretty happy with how this turned out - I do like that I can break up all that yellow with a white tee now.  You can also see that it goes very nicely with the outfit I wore today.  I have another sweater that I bought with this idea in mind and I think I'll make a more narrow binding down the center on that one.  The wider binding seems to lay a little funny at the top - probably because it doesn't make the right curve with the neck of the cardigan.  It is a minor complaint, but I would like to see if I can make a simple fix with a narrower binding.  Feel free to ask questions (especially if there's something that doesn't quite make sense)! 

wardrobe refashion tutorial: skirt to skirt

Remember a few months ago when I told you I was really trying to buy more of my clothing at the thrift store?  Probably not, but that's OK.  I'm here to tell you that I've been fairly successful at accomplishing that goal.  I wear at least one thrifted item at least 90% of the time and more often than not, I am wearing a few different thrifted items.  I'd like to work more on some refashioning so that I feel like I have even more options at the thrift store.  A few weeks ago, I picked up this skirt at the thrift store.  I loved the print and thought it was great for summer, but it was two sizes too small and way longer than I would like it to be.  I almost left it, but then thought about how easy it would be to refashion - give it a new waistband and bring up the hem.  And it was!  Here's how I did it:

You do need to start with a full skirt.  The key is changing a waistband that doesn't fit into an elastic one that will fit comfortably.  But, you still need plenty of fulness to fit around your hips and still give you the fulness you want.

1) Cut off the waistband - make sure to trim carefully so you can get a straight edge.

2) Cut a length off the bottom - leave an extra two inches for hemming.  I ended up cutting 8" off my skirt.

 3) From the piece you cut off the bottom, cut a waistband.  You  will want to cut a piece that is double the width of your elastic plus 1".  I used 1" elastic and cut mine 3" wide.

4) Iron the waistband in half and pin to the top of the skirt with right sides together.  You may have to readjust the length of your waistband if you skirt isn't the same width at the top and bottom.  Mine was, so the fit was almost perfect.  I just overlapped the finished edges at the center front and this is where I inserted the elastic.  Cut your elastic by just wrapping it around your waist and cutting it at a comfortable length for you.  I always cut mine too long at first and then check it before I sew it together and end up cutting a few inches off.  

5) Stitch the waist band to the top of the skirt.  I used a serger here (I didn't tell you that I got a serger a while back - I did and it's wonderful!) and I think if you have one this would be a good idea because there are several layers of fabric here.  Otherwise, make sure to reinforce the seam with a zig zag.

6)  Iron the seam allowance toward the skirt and topstitch over it to hold it down.

 7) Measure your elastic by pulling it around your waist.  Then use a safety pin to insert it into your waistband/casing.  

8)  Finish by hemming.  I ironed the hem up 1" and then turned up another inch and sewed.  And voila - frumpy to fun!  

 I'm thinking this could work either way - if you find a skirt that's too big or too small.  I think it would also work great to just use some of that wide band elastic on the top.  I may have done this, but it was Saturday night, I wanted to wear it on Sunday, and the nearest fabric store is 40 miles away.  

p.s.  The belt and cardigan are also thrifted.  The tee is from an closeout outlet store and I got it for $2.50.  The shoes are new, an impulse buy.  I've been wanting shoes that color of yellow ever since I saw them on the AT&T agent that helped us change our phone numbers when we moved last year.  They were on sale for $20.  I think this brings the grand total for the outfit around $30.