FALL FASHION REPURPOSED: Crop top and high-waisted skirt DIY

With temperatures dropping in San Diego, I started riffling through my closet for some autumn-appropriate clothing.  Finding very little that excited me, and even less that still fit, I was feeling  defeated.  I was resigned to the fact that I’d be raiding my husband’s side of the closet for the next few months.  That was until I stumbled upon a dress I picked up in a thrift store a few years ago: a double-breasted knit dress.  I no longer wore it, and I had long contemplated getting rid of it, but the dress still had potential.  I love to reimagine or reinvent something that I already own, giving it a new life and saving it from the landfill.  This dress seemed the perfect candidate.  I decided to make it into a little cropped top and high-waist skirt, similar to one I saw Solange Knowles wearing.  (Yes, the girl who wears khakis and hiking boots for a living occasionally reads fashion blogs!)  

There was only one problem: I had never sewn anything more than a hem, so this was going to be a steep learning curve.  It turned out it wasn’t so hard after all and I’m thrilled with the end result.  My new (old) outfit is perfect for San Diego’s mild autumn.

Supplies:

Knit dress

8” wide coordinating knit fabric (length approx. = waist measurement + 1” seam allowance)

Thread

Chalk

Scissors

Step 1:

Try the dress on and use chalk to mark your real waist.

Step 2:

Cut the dress in two at real waist marking.

Step 3:

To make the top more fitted I added 2 darts to the front and 2 to the back. 

I used a pattern block to mark the location of my darts.  If you don’t have one available, this handy youtube demonstration will show you how to mark and sew them in the right place. 

Step 4:

Mark and sew two pleats in the front of skirt and two darts in the back. 

Step 5:

Cut two strips of the black knit fabric, one 2” wide (edging for top) and the other 6” wide (waistband).  Calculate the length of strips required by measuring the total length of cut edge of top or skirt and adding 1” for seam allowance. 

Step 6:

Fold strips in half and iron flat.  Fold raw edges in towards center and iron. 

Step 7:

Sandwich the raw edge of your top within the edging.  Pin and sew.

Step 8:

Sandwich the raw edge of the skirt within the waistband.  Pin, sew and you’re done!

I love my new crop top and skirt.  They are so much cuter than my husband’s over-sized sweaters.

 

DOT WALL HOOKS DIY

My husband, Jeremy, was obsessed with Muuto Dots coat hooks but just couldn’t bring himself to part with the dollars necessary to purchase them.  So, when he decided we needed coat hooks in preparation for the one day it might rain in San Diego, he quickly disappeared.  He came back an hour later with a big smile on his face and a pocket full of drawer pulls.  He was ready to DIY his own wall hooks.

Supplies:

Oak drawer pulls in various sizes (screws included)

Screwdriver

Wire cutter/ hacksaw

Drill 

1] Screw wood screws into drawer pulls. 

2] Cut the heads off screws. You can skip this part by using double-sided screws. 

3] Drill pilot holes in wall. 

4] Screw cut end into wall and you're done!

These wall hooks are not as large as Muuto’s, but are perfect for a small space.  They would also look great painted in fun colours.  Now I just need him to make a few more for my office. 

THE FELTED FOX GOES TO NORWAY: Felt Fox Pillow DIY

Jeremy recently traveled to Norway to visit his family.  We usually try to make the trip together during the summer, but given my work schedule this year I couldn’t take the time off.  I love these family pilgrimages - staying on the organic apple farm, picking wild berries, swimming in the lake and watching the midnight sun.  Visits also always include pulling out family photographs, apple cider and wonderful homemade cakes!  His family members are among the most welcoming and loving people I have ever met. 

Though I couldn’t visit Norway this year, I wanted to send along a few small gifts for cousin Tone’s adorable little girls.  As a wildlife biologist, I am always looking for ways to bring nature into my designs (if I had my way our home would be filled with animal figurines, wildlife-themed tea towels, duvet covers, and much more!). Having spent much of my early career working with leopard populations in South Africa, I have a particularly soft spot for predators. 

On previous visits to Norway, Jeremy and I had seen beautiful red foxes on the family farm.  Although still widely regarded as pests and persecuted for their pelts, red fox populations in Scandinavia suffered their most drastic decline in the 1970’s and 80’s, due to the spread of mange.  Thankfully, populations have now largely recovered, and I was delighted to see these beautiful creatures frolicking in the apple orchards.  They are amazing to watch: graceful, fast and usually very shy.  As I wanted to share a bit of my passion for wildlife with Tone’s little girls, I decided to make felted fox pillows.  Hopefully, the girls will grow to admire the breathtaking nature that surrounds them—especially the foxes—as much as I do.

To make your own felted fox, you will need:

My free pattern 

Inkjet printer

Freezer paper

X-acto knife

Cutting mat/board

White felt 15” x 22”

Non-toxic fabric paint in grey and red

2 Paintbrushes

Iron

Sewing machine (the pillow is also small enough to be hand sewn)

Sewing needle

Thread in white and grey

Polyester fiberfill (small bag)

NOTE: this pattern is for domestic use only and cannot be used commercially or sold. 

Step 1:

Print pattern directly on to 2 sheets of A4 sized freezer paper. Make sure to print the pattern on the matt side.  Place a cutting board underneath the freezer paper and cut out solid black lines.

Step 2:

Place freezer paper shiny side down on to the felt and using a dry iron, adhere freezer paper to felt.

Step 3:

Using small paintbrushes, paint over stencil. I used grey fabric paint to outline the body and red to fill in hearts. 

Step 4:

Once the fabric paint has dried, cut the felt along dotted line and remove freezer paper. Use the front piece as a template to cut back of fox pillow. 

Step 5:

With right sides facing, sew a ½ “ seam, leaving an opening at the base of pillow wide enough to fit you hand through. 

Step 6:

Trim excess felt around ears and tail.  This will allow the pillow to curve more easily.  Turn pillow right side out.

 

Step 7:

Use grey thread to add a few running stiches along face and tail of fox pillow.

Step 8:

Stuff pillow and sew base. 

Your felted fox pillow is now ready to put a smile on a little face. 

For those who are interested in experiencing the Norwegian countryside, the stabbur (first image of Norway) has been converted into a rental cottage. Visit grenske.no for more information.

If you have any questions/comments or would like to send photos of your finished foxes, please leave a note in the comments section or send me an email.  I’d love to hear from you, Nicole.