Archive for the ‘DIY’ Category
Monday, May 6th, 2013
 Inspiration: This coated linen and leather tote from Bottega Veneta, available at Neiman Marcus for $750.
Spring is finally here and that meant I needed a new tote bag to schlep my shoes and magazines around in. The black leather tote I made a few months ago served me well this past fall and winter, but I was craving something new. My caveats: a bag that was unstructured, lightweight, and combined fabric and leather. The Bottega Veneta bag, above, was perfect! (Except for the $750 price tag; yikes.)
 Here’s my version of the Bottega Veneta tote. For the fabric part of my knock-off bag I used an off-white, coated linen from Marc Jacobs, which, sadly, is all gone. For the leather portion I used a black washable leather that is very soft and easy to sew. Plus, washable! (Dmitry, our leather department manager, sewed little britches out of this washable leather for his toddler son. How cute is that.)
Sewing a tote bag is pretty straightforward. Determine the size you want and make a quick muslin first just to make sure you’ve gotten the proportions right. (I always tend to screw up a bit when I factor in the depth.) My bag measures 15 inches tall by 15 inches wide by 4.5 inches deep, with a 10 inch handle drop.
 I like that my bag is soft and scrunchy, with no hard edges. You know how packed with people this part of Manhattan is, and nobody likes to get bumped by a hard bag. I constructed the coated linen part of the bag first, then I made the leather “bottom” which I fitted and then stitched onto the linen bag. I used a pinking rotary blade to mimic the Bottega Veneta bag’s serrated leather edge. If you look inside my bag all you see is the uncoated linen, which makes it look like I lined the bag.
For the top edge of the bag, where the handles are attached, I simply pressed and turned a 2-inch facing, twice. Like the real BV bag, I didn’t even bother to stitch the edge of the facing in place. I took the bag and the handles to Star Snaps down the block from Mood NYC at 262 W 38th St, #202, and for $12 had twelve studs put in place to anchor the handles.
 A glimpse of the inside. The uncoated part of the linen looks like a lining. You can see how I just turned the facing under, securing it with the studs on the handles. That’s all there was to making this tote. I love it soooooooo much and carry it to work every day. If you’re thinking of making your own similar tote, our two stores have coated fabrics to choose from, plus I found this coated linen online (but order a swatch first as I’m not personally familiar with this particular fabric). We have a large selection of faux leathers online as well.
Have you made a tote bag that you just love? Tell us about it here!
Tags: coated linen, leather, tote bag
Posted in Accessories, DIY, Fashion Sewing | 6 Comments »
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013
Designers this Spring/Summer 2013 season are really taking liberties and kicking the shoe detailing into high gear — there’s tons of baubles and chains everywhere. As usual, I was inspired to create some of my own. So, when I saw these heels from Diane von Furstenberg with the fun ankle strap, and unforgettable back….I thought, “what a fun combo, it’s something I’ll have to definitely try.” So I grabbed some chain, closures, and glue from Mood Fabrics and immediately got to work. This takes my heels from drab to fab in no time. Tell me what you think!
SUPPLIES: a pair of heels (I got these from a thrift store for $5 instead of $10 when I mention the ankle strap was missing on one shoe. I didn’t need it anyway…but they didn’t know that), matches, large chain, smaller chain, 2 leather/metal closures, clear illusion cord, E6000 glue, wire cutters, and pliers.
HOW-TO:
1. Measure how much chain you think you’ll need for your ankle strap (allow room for the metal toggle that will be attached. I used 10 large ones in total), and the chain that will go down the back of the heel (here I used 8) — use your wire cutters to pry the links open, and twist.
2. Remove one link from the smaller chains for the left and right foot.
3. Add this one link to the base of each of the chains that trail down the back of the shoe.
4.Remove the 2 “toggle bars” and “loops” from the leather pieces. Be sure to keep the little rings attached that connect them to the leather, because you will use them in a second.
5. For the ankle strap (again, mine was 10 rings) attach the toggle bar by its ring to the chain (Note: If its for the right shoe, you will do the right side of the chain. We’ll start with the right foot).
6. Now add the loop via it’s connector ring to the left side of that chain.
7. For the right shoe, you will count in 3 rings from the toggle bar, and then pry open that link.
8. Slide this 3rd link onto the loop on the back of your heel, and close it back.
9. Next take your chain that is 8 links long (the one with the small ring at the base), and attach it to the loop on your shoe as well.
10. Pulling the chain really taught while keeping it straight, slip the clear illusion cord through the small ring at the bottom of the chain that goes down back of shoe. Wrap this cord around heel a couple times right above the shoe tap, and double knot it on the inside of the heel.
11. Snip the excess cord right near the knot you created.
12. Use a match to ever so slightly melt the knot at the base of the heel tap (Note: you want to be really careful doing this or the cord will snap).
13. In the middle of the heel, place just a dab of glue just beneath the chain to hold it in place (Note: you can also add a tiny bit to the chain itself to keep it turned in the direction the desired direction). I also used a piece of string to tie it in place while the glue dried for about half hour.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. She’s also a finalist in the voting contest for ALL YOU MAGAZINE’S Smartest Shopper. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, Essence Magazine, and MTVStyle. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: diane von furstenberg, leather, metal chain, shoes, Trends
Posted in DIY | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 17th, 2013
This is my salute to camo — it’s really hot right now! We’ve seen it on runways for DKNY and even Valentino; but, I wanted a functional way to wear it. You know, an accent piece that I would get more wear out of then say with a top or a jacket. So, I opted to make a clutch. I combined the camouflage (which you can find at Mood Fabrics, here) with a few textural elements like the tassel and leather (you can grab some great faux vinyl/leather also at Mood, here)…and I’m killin’ a bunch of Spring/Summer fashion trends at once. Tell me what you think. Are you a fan of this neutral pattern?
SUPPLIES: needle and thread, zipper (11.5 inches), rotary cutter, straight pins, faux leather/vinyl, camouflage fabric, silk lining, scissors, wash cloth & iron (optional), and a sewing machine (note: can be hand sewn).
HOW TO:
1. Cut out two camo rectangles (mine were 13 x 10 inches), and two leather rectangles (13 x 3inches).
2. Pin one leather rectangle to camo rectangle. Place raw edges together, right sides facing each other.
3. Flip it over and sew on wrong side. Repeat for other camo/leather section.
4. Cut two pieces of silk out for lining. (Note: I used my new attached camo/leather rectangle as my guide for what size I would need).
5. Take your zipper face down and pin it to the top edge of the right side of a piece of your camo/leather rectangle AND one piece of the silk (Note: If you happen to find a zipper that is too long, feel free to do what I did here to shorten it).
6. Sew these three pieces together.
7. It may be a little tricky to work around zipper head. You’ll want to sew as close to the teeth as possible, so after sewing about an inch, pull zipper head back. (Note: You’ll move it back into position as you go along).
8. Right sides facing, take the other camo/leather piece and silk and lay it on top of the other side. Pin the free side of the zipper to these pieces along the raw edge.
9. Sew the zipper on.
10. Be sure to watch out for the zipper pull like in Step #7.
11. It’s time to sew it all together! Use straight pins to give yourself about a half inch seam allowance on the remaining three sides.
12. Go ahead and sew it all up.
13. Before you get to that last side….be sure to open up zipper a few inches so you can get it open once you are done sewing.
14. Cut corners of bag off at an angle on both sides.
15. Flip bag to the right side.
16. Take a piece of leather about 7.5 inches in length, and cut about 7 thin strips of leather for your tassel with the rotary cutter.
17. Fit leather strips through zipper head.
18. Take one leather strip and wrap it firmly around the head of the bundle of strips three times.
19. Hand stitch this binding strip to the bundle of strips for security. Cut off excess.
20. If your fabric is puckering at all, feel free to iron it out, applying a damp cloth over the leather portion.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. She’s also a finalist in the voting contest for ALL YOU MAGAZINE’S Smartest Shopper. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, Essence Magazine, and MTVStyle. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: clutch, DIY, leather, Trends
Posted in DIY | 1 Comment »
Monday, April 8th, 2013
So I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I’m the kinda girl that always experiments and injects loads of color into my wardrobe…but I must admit I’m a bit of a commitment phobe when it comes to adding splashes of color to my living space. Now, I’ve passed those throw pillows in Mood NYC downstairs a million times — always impressed – on my last trip I thought they’d be the perfect solution to ramp up the color factor in a way that’s changeable with the seasons. On a mission, I perused the aisles of Mood, and was immediately drawn to these canvas chevron and ikat pillows that compliment each other so nicely. I’ve never done these before but I gotta say I was SO very happy with the turn out. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
 
SUPPLIES: fabric, straight pins, invisible zippers, needle and thread, rotary cutter, chalk, measuring tape, scissors, and a sewing machine.
HOW-TO:
1. Cut out front and back forms. I have 18×18 inch pillows (Note: if you’d like them nice and snug, cut them exactly 18×18 inch, but if you’d like a little room in yours like I have here, cut them 19×19 — the extra inch is for a half inch seam allowance on each side).
2. I wanted to illustrate how to cut the form if you want to use a fabric with a design that needs centering. So here I used my ikat pillow. To center it, place a straight pin at the design’s mid point, then measure 9.5 inches to the left, and then to the right of that center point.
3. If you happen to get a zipper that’s a bit too long…no fear, I just learned a trick to shorten them. The ones I purchased were about 25 inches, but I wanted them shorter than my pillows. So, starting at bottom of zipper, I stuck a straight pin at 16 inches — my new desired length.
4. Next take a needle and thread and stitch around the teeth of the zipper at the 16 inch mark.
5. Once you’ve knotted the thread around the teeth, cut the remainder of the zipper about a half inch beyond this new point.
6. Then you’ll snip the fabric on either side of the zippers teeth up to the thread.
7. Hold the side flaps back and remove the excess teeth.
8. This is how is will look on both ends when you are finished.
9. Take one side of your pillow forms, facing right side up (doesn’t matter which side). Next use your straight pins to attach face down zipper against the top raw edge. (Note: I placed pins on both side of the zipper because it tended to move around a bit).
10. Using a zipper foot, I sewed the zipper onto the fabric, with the foot getting as close to the zipper’s teeth as I could.
11. Sew right up to the head of the zipper.
12. Lift zipper foot, pull back the zipper’s head and continue to stitch, and then back stitch to fully secure the zipper to the fabric — avoiding any weird bulges in places that might have been missed had you not maneuvered the zipper head.
13. Once this is complete, take the second side of the pillow form and place right sides together. Secure the other side of the zipper to the very top of this form with straight pins.
14. Sew the zipper on in the same way you did for the previous side.
15. You are now ready to close the pillow up. I pinned it on all sides to keep it straight. (Note: Be sure to start and end on either side of the zipper. If you want a finished look, create a little pocket for the zipper by sewing slightly below the zipper before continuing down the pillow form sides).
16. Sew down sides.
17. Before you make this last turn right below the zipper on the opposite side, be sure to leave the zipper open a few inches (even more than I did here) so you can open it once you’ve sewn it all shut). It will be tricky to open if you don’t.
18. Snip the bottom corners of the pillow form.
19. Flip the pillow form to the right side, and you are all set!
 
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, Essence Magazine, and MTVStyle. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: chevron, ikat, pillows
Posted in DIY, Home Decor | 11 Comments »
Monday, April 1st, 2013
Was I the only one who sat in awe after the Super Bowl half time show last month? Not only at Beyonce’s performance – I mean Kelly and Michelle were a refreshing throwback — but of Beyonce’s COSTUME? I literally said out loud when she flashed that winning smile at the end….”now THAT’S HOT!” So, I don’t need to tell you how excited I was to learn that the very designer of Bey’s costume (his name is Rubin Singer)….got the guipure lace from Mood Fabrics NYC. Welllllll….that’s all I needed to hear. I marched up to Mood, stalked the fancy lace section, got my hands on a secondhand leather vest, and got to work.
Supplies: Leather vest, guipure lace, rotary cutter, scissors, straight pins, tape measure, straight edge, pen, sewing machine, and/or needle and thread. (Note: you can use fabric paint or spray paint to dye lace if you’d like).
How-To:
1. Wrap lace around your body, or mannequin to estimate where lace will fall and how much you’ll need.
2. I used masking tape here, but it would be just as easy to use straight pics to section off a guide to what part of the design you want to include BEFORE you cut.
3. Cut out the “U” shaped form of lace you’ll be working with — slowly snipping pieces of the lace close to the edge that won’t be included in your design.
4. I wanted a slightly darker shade than what was available, but this step is totally optional. To change lace color, feel free to use fabric paint or even spray paint to do the job. (Note: I tried RIT dye initially, but unfortunately it didn’t work).
5. Use tape measure and pen to mark out the deep “V’s” of leather that you’ll remove from the abdomen area of the vest.
6. Use a rotary cutter to precisely cut the leather.
7. With straight pins, hem the rough edges of the vest that are left after you cut out the V’s.
8. With a half inch seam allowance, hem the leather V’s.
9. Hand stitch lace onto the inner lining of the vest.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, Essence Magazine, and MTVStyle. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: Beyonce, DIY, Get the Look, lace, leather, Ruben Singer
Posted in DIY | 8 Comments »
Thursday, March 14th, 2013
We saw hints of the gold hardware during the Spring Fashion Week, and it really packed a punch during the Fall Shows….so of course I had to grab some chain from Mood Fabrics and make a little something of my own. Whether you use remnants from an old tshirt or synthetic leather cord like I did here….this necklace may be easy to construct, but speaks volumes in the bling department!
SUPPLIES: gold ring chain from Mood (also available in silver), and synthetic leather cord.
HOW-TO:
1. With the two layers, maneuver chain around to decide how you want your necklace to drape.
2. Pry open the ring.
3. Remove excess rings, and reattach it to the main part of your necklace (so, now you have a complete circle).
4. Take your first piece of cord and fold it in half. Place the loop that is now formed at the bottom, through your gold ring that is your anchor point.
5. Slip loose ends of cord through the loop and pull tight. Repeat of opposite side.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, Essence Magazine, and MTVStyle. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: DIY, metal chain, necklace
Posted in DIY | 6 Comments »
Wednesday, March 6th, 2013
Now I haven’t been to many sample sales…but I recently checked out the Oscar de la Renta sale, and stumbled upon a beautifully embellished skirt — I mean metal embellishments have been everywhere lately, including the runways of this past New York Fashion Week. Inspired, I grabbed a skirt I had made from an old turtleneck (seen here), and some sparkly ornate trim I had been eyeing at Mood, and I married the two. It’s easy. It’s fun…and it takes any skirt from drab to fab!
Supplies: Skirt, embellished trim, coins, scissors, thread, needles, and chalk.
Editor’s note: Beaded trim is also available at MoodFabrics.com.
How-To:
1. Take nickel (any uniform coins) and mark out your desired layout.
2. Removing each coin along the way, mark out where each embellishment will be sewn.
3. With one long and continuous thread, first hand stitch center crystal into place.
4. Then sew in place middle row of embellishments (Note: the two silver pieces are separate pieces).
5. Next sew into place third row of embellishments below the crystal.
6. Then sew into place bottom/lower middle embellishment.
7. Now sew into place the very top row of the embellishments (Note: by doing this one last, you are able to control the height of each cluster, for perfect alignment against other groupings).
8. Working counter clockwise, sew in between each silver piece, the thin gold embellishments. On the last one triple knot the thread on the inside of the skirt.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, Essence Magazine, and MTVStyle. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: beaded trim, DIY, ornate, Trim
Posted in DIY | 5 Comments »
Monday, February 25th, 2013
I’m not sure how many dog lovers we have out there, but one of my favorite pooches to see all dressed up is Swatch of Mood Fabrics. His nonchalant and carefree trot between departments always makes me grin when I’m there. A true sport in a land of endless wardrobe possibilities, Swatch made me want to commemorate some of my favorite looks he’s rocked. From a funny Valentine to biker Swatch, I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that that dog has captured the hearts of SO MANY Mood customers. So with some colorful vinyl and snazzy zippers in hand, I created a way to carry him around with me — without further ado, here’s my homage to Swatch :)
 
SUPPLIES: vinyl, rotary cutter, mod podge gloss lustre, magna-tac glue, iron, measuring tape, thread, needles, straight pins, scissors, pen, transfer paper for dark shirts, zippers, silk, images you want to transfer, and a wash cloth.
How-To:
1. Using the rotary cutter, cut out 2 rectangles from your vinyl/faux leather. (Note: Mine were 11 x 8 inches — 1 inch was added to the length of the teeth of the zipper, and height too. I used purple on the backside and off-white on side where my images would go).
2. Mark out a half inch seam allowance (Note: You will re-mark this when silk is applied).
3. For silk lining, I marked out a 10 x 8 inch rectangle.
4. For less fraying, make a small snip with scissors to begin with, and then I hand rip out the rectangle.
5. Putting right sides together, add straight pins to hold vinyl together.
6. Across the bottom, hand stitch along one horizontal. (Note: For neatness, sew along the half inch seam allowance line you marked out — be sure to bring needle back through, last place you inserted it).
7. Cut off excess.
8. Apply Magna-tac glue to the whole back side.
9. Lay silk directly on top of the glued side.
10. Re-mark out half inch seam allowance along sides.
11. Add straight pins to hold sides together.
12. Flip whole thing onto correct side.
13. Apply damp cloth over clutch, and then iron it to flatten it out.
14. For a center point for the double zippers, mark a mid point on the inside of the clutch.
15. Add straight pins to hold zipper in place, and then hand stitch both into position.
16. Lay clutch on top of back side of iron-on transfer with images already printed on it and outline it. (Note: For printing, follow instructions that come with the paper).
17. Cut form out.
18. Peel off images from transfer paper backing, and lay it on to the clutch.
19. Laying something like a t-shirt on top, iron on the transfer paper images.
20. Using a napkin/sponge, apply Mod-Podge to seal it.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, Essence Magazine, and MTVStyle. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: accessories, clutch, DIY, handbag, Swatch, vinyl
Posted in DIY | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, February 13th, 2013
So…I picked up a copy of Instyle magazine this month (for leisurely reading AND because I happen to be in this issue –insert squeals of delight — and I noticed that since spring is right around the corner they predicted that a hot color this upcoming season would be pistachio.
I don’t know about you….but it’s sometimes hard to keep up with every NEW color of every season. Well, that is unless you get a little box of dye and some feather trim from Mood Fabrics and do what I did — give a whole new life to an item I already had. I’ve been itching to make an ostrich feather skirt…and I thought this would be a perfect combo — flirty, fun, and fresh. Oh, and if you can’t get to Mood’s NYC store, you should check out their big selection of feather trim online.
  SUPPLIES: An old skirt, 1.5 inch wide ribbon, at least 8 yards of ostrich feather trim (Note: the amount of feathers you’ll need depends upon desired size and length of skirt. I used about 7 yards here for 2 layers on each of the 4 rows), 1 box of RIT dye, hair dryer, thread, straight pins, needles, Magna-Tac glue, scissors, gloves, and a pot (Note: your sink or a bucket will work too).
HOW-TO:
1. Follow directions on box to create dye mixture. Dip whole lot of trim into the dye at all at once for even distribution of color (I advise wearing gloves).
2. Making sure to evenly coat feathers, remove them from solution after no more than 25 seconds (Note: though they turn pretty quickly, feathers appear darker when wet).
3. Rinse feathers in cold water to remove excess dye.
4. Dry feathers.
5. You can either make a skirt from fabric of a similar color, or you can do what I did and use a light colored thrifted skirt I already had. Dip this skirt in dye.
6. Rinse skirt in cold water to remove excess color, then repeat Step 4 for the skirt too (Note: sticking in dryer is quicker).
7. Eyeball where you’ll place each row before you begin — I made 4 main rows in all. Apply glue to trim, and adhere it 3 inches above the bottom of the skirt — each row 2 inches a part. Glue from one side seam to the other (Note: If towards top you’re finding that the rows aren’t as full as you’d like, feel free to glue a sub-row in between 2 main rows for added coverage).
8. Pin row in place and then continue it around the back. Do this one more time around the whole skirt for a 2 total of 2 evolutions. (Note: for a really full skirt, do 3 layers).
9. My skirt had an invisible side zipper, so I glued back the raw edge that would lie right up against the zipper (sort of like a small hem). Here, instead of making a continuous counter clockwise evolution….I started at zipper, went counter clock wise, and when I reached zipper again, I went back clockwise up to zipper.
10. For added security hand stitch each row onto the skirt as you go.
11. Glue raw edge of ribbon down like you did with feather trim edge in Step 9.
12. For a polished look, glue ribbon around the waist band of skirt to conceal top of exposed feather trim.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, MTVStyle, Essence Magazine, and TJMaxx.com. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: DIY, feathers, skirts, Trends
Posted in DIY | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, February 6th, 2013
So I was recently poking around the trim section at Mood Fabrics — so much to choose from — and I absolutely fell in love with this jeweled trim. Not sure of what I was going to create, but assured I had to have it….I immediately snatched up the last 2 yards and headed home. A clutch? Bling up a pair of shoes — there were so many options. But after pulling out this thrifted J. Crew cashmere cardigan, I knew it was a colorful match made in heaven.
Supplies: Cardigan, Heavy Duty Thread, Needle, Trim, Tape Measure, Glue, Straight Pins, Sharp Nosed Scissors
How-To:
1. Cut jewels from trim.
2. Section off the area you want to jewel with straight pins.
3. I recommend playing around with the layout of the jewels so as not to have adjacent colors.
4. Dab a little fabric glue on the back of each jewel and adhere it to the sweater.
5. Using one long continuous thread, stitch the jewels onto the sweater for added security.
6. Using the first side as your guide, measure out the placement on the remaining side.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, MTVStyle, Essence Magazine, and TJMaxx.com. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: DIY, Trim
Posted in DIY | 2 Comments »
Thursday, January 24th, 2013
SUPPLIES: Leather, Fleece, Fabric Glue, Velcro, Heavy Duty Thread, Regular Thread, Upholstery Needle, Tape Measure, Needle, Rotary Cutter, Straight Pins, Wash Cloth, Scissors, Iron, and a Sewing Machine.
HOW-TO:
1. You are going to create two rectangles. For the first, pin a piece of leather and felt together, right sides facing each other. My Macbook Pro laptop is 13 in x 9 in (length x height), so I want to make this first rectangle 14 in x 17.5 in (Note: I added an inch to the length for the seam allowance, and then added 8.5 in to the height to account for the flap).
2. Cut it out.
3. Take the first rectangle which is 14 in x 17.5 in, and make a chalk mark 10.5 in from the bottom for the fold line.
4. Make a second mark one inch above the fold line (So it’s 11.5 in from the bottom).
5. To create my top flap, I made a chalk mark in the top center (For me, directly at 7 in).
6. I want the point of my flap to be 9 in in total, so I made a chalk mark 4.5 in on either side of the center line I created.
7. From the 11.5 in mark you made along the side, draw a diagonal up to the 4.5 in marks you made on the left and right side of the center mark.
8. Sew just around the edge of the top flap and about a half inch down the straight away of the sides.
9. Here’s what Step 8 looks like; now remove pins.
10. Turn this flap to the correct side.
11. Measure the desired length of the velcro, add glue, and adhere it to the inner flap.(Note: I add glue to hold it in place, and then later hand stitch it for added security, or sew it on with the machine with the regular thread).
12. Now you grab two more pieces of leather and felt, rights sides facing each other to create a second rectangle –this one will be 14 in x 10.5 in and will serve as the front of your laptop case.
13. Take this second rectangle and sew along the diagonal on one side as pictured (Note: Right sides are still facing together).
14. Step 13 will look like this.
15. Turn this second rectangle on the right side.
16. Take a damp wash cloth and lay it on both pieces to iron out any bulges.
17. Take the second rectangle and pin it to the front of the first rectangle (well…now, it’s more of a trapezoid); right sides together. Be sure to pin it 1/4 in below 11.5 in mark you made (So that’s in between fold line and this second line).
18. Sew the whole thing together on both sides and the bottom.
19. So you are certain you place bottom piece of velcro in just the right place; insert your laptop, stick bottom velcro onto top velcro every so lightly, apply glue, and press it into place. Let dry for a few minutes before removing laptop — I advise stitching it on for added security.
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, MTVStyle, Essence Magazine, and TJMaxx.com. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: DIY, leather
Posted in DIY | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013
When Mood’s home dec expert Danyce was offered a used armchair, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity. With the holidays fast approaching, she didn’t have the time to fully reupholster or slipcover such a large piece. Friends and family were coming over and she needed extra seating in good condition. Ever the resourceful one, she cooked up this foolproof, fake-it-’til-you-make-it DIY project that’ll give you a brand new armchair in a blink.
 The original chair. Tools:
Staple gun
Scissors
Chalk or another fabric marking tool
Pins (optional)
Hot glue gun (optional)
Fabric quantity: Consult an upholsterer’s guide or measure all angles of your piece.
Fabric type: Go for non-stretchy, mid- to heavyweight wovens. Beginners, shy away from patterns that require matching or fabric with an obvious nap.
Estimated time: 4-6 hours
 Draping the fabric over an arm. 1. Measure, measure, measure. Drape your fabric over the chair to determine pattern placement and cut lines. Drape front to back and inside to outside. You’re going to be pulling and fastening everything to the back and bottom.
2.Once satisfied with placement, cut away any excess fabric. Tuck, shift, and pull, pull, pull before you fasten. If you think you’ve pulled the fabric as tight as it can possibly go, pull it one more time, just in case. Once everything is taut, staple away!
 Excess fabric gathered in the corner, reader to be pleated and snipped. 3. Let the chair be your guide. Follow its lines to make pleats or corners. Once everything looks good, iron or hot glue your folds in place.
4. If your fabric is too bulky at the corners, use chalk to mark a cut line then shear away the excess.
5. When all folds and sides are secure and you’re satisfied with the look of your chair, staple fabric to the back and bottom of the chair. Reattach legs, if you have any. If you’re as obsessive as we are, you can cut away the excess fabric from the fastenings and make any last-minute adjustments.
 The finished product. There you have it. An afternoon armchair that’ll be ready for company in a snap. If there’s a spill, you can unstaple any component of the covering and toss it in the wash. If you get a bit tired of your fabric choice and long for a switch, the whole pieces are large enough to transform into throw pillows or use for smaller upholstery projects. We’d call this a win.
Ready to get started?
We’ve got this cotton woven in nine colorways that’ll be sure suit to your decor, we quite like the stone color.
If you prefer a bit of texture in your life, this basketwoven upholstery poly is just gorgeous.
Interested in a challenge? Try this woven cotton in a country-chic plaid.
If you find yourself stuck on a step, please contact us at info2@moodfabrics.com. We’re happy to help!
Tags: upholstery
Posted in DIY, Home Decor | 1 Comment »
Saturday, January 12th, 2013
Denim has been a mainstay in our wardrobes for what seems like forever. Intially used for work, this durable fabric has been a favorite since as early as the 1800′s….and just about everyone has a denim jacket tucked away in their closet somewhere. Well one night while watching an episode of DON’T TRUST THE B— IN APT. 23 I fell in love with a studded collar black denim jacket Krysten Ritter was wearing. Totally inspired, I took to my closet to scrounge up this thrifted Armani Jeans jacket that I hadn’t even worn; however, I wanted to take it a step further. Yes I’d do studs (galore), but I’d also take this amazing perforated leather that I saw at Mood…and give my jacket the ultimate touch of “cool.”
SUPPLIES
1. Heavy Duty Thread
2. Denim Needles
3. Straight Pins
4. Seam Ripper
5. Denim Jacket (I got this one for .75 cents)
6. Thimble
7. Tweezers
8. Scissors
9. Studs (I opted to mix my metals and use both silver and gold)
10. Leather
11. Sewing Machine
1.Take each lapel followed by the collar of the jacket and insert each nailhead with a thimble in your desired pattern. Remember to separate the layers with your fingers, so as to not have prongs from nailheads protrude to the underside. (Note: I recommend laying them out to begin with to get a visual sense of how many you will need spatially in each row).
2. Cut the denim sleeves from the jacket (Note: Take my advice and measure twice, cut once). You should leave yourself about an inch allowance. Measure it on both the front and back.
3. After you’ve removed the sleeves, take one sleeve along with a seam ripper and take apart the two pieces (I didn’t bother to remove the cuff). This way you can use the two “halves” as a pattern for the two leather sleeves you are now creating.
4. Double up two large portions of the leather. Lay out the two pieces of the sleeve you just took apart, and use the straight pins to secure them to the two pieces of leather.
5. Cut out these 4 forms, giving yourself a couple extra inches for allowance at what will become the shoulders, and then remove the straight pins.
6. Now that you have two pieces from each layer of leather, take the first layer and begin pinning the sleeves together inside out at the seams, just like the denim sleeve you just removed.
7. Now pin the second seam of the sleeve to close it up.
8. Sew both seams on each sleeve.
9. Turn the completed sleeves on the correct side.
10. Make sure the jacket is inside out, and slip the sleeve into the arm hole on the correct side (Note: You’ll know you did it correctly when both finished sides of the sleeve and jacket are touching).
11. I didn’t take my own advice and measure twice before removing denim sleeves. But if you left yourself that inch, you should be able to pin the leather sleeve to the jacket and recreate the same seam as before.
12. Sew the leather arm onto the jacket (Note: Start and finish sewing at the under arm — this way any excess can be concealed here if necessary).
Tags: DIY
Posted in DIY | 6 Comments »
Wednesday, January 9th, 2013
Over the holidays while browsing the lovely pieces on the Stella & Dot website, I happened to fall in love with one of their absolutely stunning mixed metal bib necklaces, but lost a little steam when I peeped the price tag. Not one to let finances dictate fashion…I took to Mood Fabrics for my jewelry supplies, and let the creativity fly to create my own.
Supplies:
Multi-purpose glue, bib template (download here), satin ribbon, tiny individual glass and plastic beads, straight pins, needle and thread, tweezers, felt, black rhinestone chain, loose leaf chains (purchased from another store), clear rhinestone chain, wire cutters, and scissors (Note: I also at the last minute added a bit of gold chain around the neckline for an extra special touch).
Step-by-Step:
1. Download bib template here.
2. Fold a piece of felt or ultra suede in half, and then pin the template to these two layers.
3. Cut out these two forms, and then remove straight pins.
4. Choose one layer of the cut out felt; set the other layer aside.
5. With wire cutters, remove leaves from their chain.
6. Cut rhinestones and beaded chains to desired length (Note: I suggest playing around with beads to get an idea of layout before doing any gluing and sewing).
7. Add a tiny bit of glue to back of chain to adhere it to the felt, following up with stitching where necessary for added stability.
8. Glue beaded black rhinestone chain within the body of the necklace; cutting where necessary to wedge into tight spots for a seamless appearance.
9. Apply a tiny amount of glue to fix leaves in place. Let leaves dry for at least 20 minutes before stitching them into place, and then repeat.
10. Take a needle and feed a single thread through top necklace layer, knot the back, thread tiny plastic beads onto the string, and then remove needle for ease of applying beads.
11. Once you reach your desired amount of beads, add needle back to thread and use it to drive this string back through this layer, and knot the back (Note: I also added a tiny bit of glue to the under side of the finished row of beads just so they wouldn’t move).
12. Cut 2 pieces of ribbon to your desired length (Note: You can cut one side straight across, and then cut the exposed side at an angle for added effect).
13. Apply glue (or clear nail polish) to ends of ribbon to avoid fraying.
14. Turn top layer of necklace over and glue each ribbon about 1.5 inches from top of each side. (Note: Feel free to also stitch ribbon to necklace).
15. Take 2nd layer of felt that you set aside in Step #4 and glue it to the back of 1st layer.
Enjoy!
Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, MTVStyle, Essence Magazine, and TJMaxx.com. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze is a Fashion & Style Writer and Video Contributor for Newsday Westchester, and provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.
Tags: DIY, jewelry, necklace
Posted in DIY | Comments Off
Monday, January 7th, 2013
 Marni embellished cashmere sweater available at Net-a-Porter. $1,230US. This gorgeous Marni sweater got us thinking about how easy it can be to glam up a basic sweater, just by adding trim around the neckline. Below, we took a Gap sweater we recently bought on sale for $26 and added some beaded trim from Mood NYC’s ever-expanding trim department. (Beaded trims available online here at MoodFabrics.com.) You only need about a yard (or less) of trim for an average neckline. Stitch by hand to sweater, then admire how easily you turned an inexpensive sweater into a designer knock-off!
 We added beaded trim to a Gap sweater, instantly transforming it into a more expensive-looking top. Tips: When choosing trim to fit around a curved neckline, look for trims with a soft and pliable edge that can easily be shaped around curves. The trim we worked with here has a mesh backing, perfect for following a neckline. You also want to match the weight of your trim to the garment you’re adding it to—a heavy trim placed on a lightweight sweater or top will cause the neckline to sag and droop.
Do you have any favorite ways to glam up or customize your RTW? Leave a comment and share them here!
Tags: Trim
Posted in DIY, Fashion Sewing | 1 Comment »
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