Easy Cable Knit Skirt – A wardrobe refashion

Make a Cable Knit Skirt DIY
Do you like cable knits? I do. I love the chunky texture of the cables, and the way they automatically evoke the feeling of ‘cozy’. I’m not a knitter but appreciate the skill involved in making all the patterns and designs, so sometimes I wonder why knitters spend so much effort making such labour intensive projects with less than pleasant yarns?

The sweater I’ve refashioned here was once a sad, shapeless and unloved acrylic sack, passed onto me by a family friend who no longer had a need for it. She knew that I like to felt knitwear, so thought it would be useful for one of my projects. Because acrylic doesn’t felt, it has sat around my sewing room waiting to be remade into something wearable.

Now that the weather is cooling down in Melbourne, it was the perfect opportunity to refashion the sweater into an Easy Cable Knit Skirt.
Both easy to make and easy to wear, I’ll be making a few more before the season is up.
Read on for instructions…
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Upcycle Style: Braided T-shirt Rug

Braided T-shirt Rug Tutorial
I love making projects that involve at least one of the following criteria: decluttering, upcycling, sewing and a need. This Braided T-shirt Rug ticks all the boxes, so when I spotted a circular rug made by Sewing For Life on Pinterest, I was itching to start on my own immediately. Here’s why…
Declutter – I’d been hounding Mr Man to clear out some of his old t-shirts that he no longer wears, the bottom actually fell out of his t-shirt draw from the weight of all the excess clothing!
Upcycle – Most of said t-shirts were well past their use by date with most of them having holes, stretching or stains, so charity donation was not an option. Usually I tear old shirts up for dusting rags, but the truth is, who needs to dust that much?
Sewing – enough said
Need – With a chilly winter on the way in Melbourne, I thought it would be lovely to finally have a bedside rug to treat my feet to some cushy comfort on a chilly morning.

This Upcycled Rug is a super satisfying project to make but it wasn’t all smooth sailing, so this tutorial is less about ‘How To’ and more about what not to do and troubleshooting solutions. Read on to see how I made mine…
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Upcycle Style: Monster Tote Bag from an Old Cushion Cover

DIY monster face tote bag
There is nothing I find more satisfying than reusing something unwanted to create something practical. This Monster Tote bag is made from an unwanted cushion cover that has seen better days. The fabric was still good but the design a bit tired, so rather than throwing it away, I put is aside for the right project to come along. I’m not one to craft or make just for that sake of it, and am more inspired to create an object if there is a need. I’ve been feeling a little uninspired to craft lately because we just don’t need much stuff at the moment, so when one of the mums at school was a little concerned that she’d forgotten to get a book bag for Library day, I came to the rescue and told her I’d make one. The truth is, she came to my rescue, because I was needing a project to get motivated to sew again.
This bag is super easy to make even for a beginner, I’ve photographed every step and even created a template for the monster face. If you aren’t into monsters, you can still use the basic steps to make a tote bag from a thrifted cushion cover you like the design of.
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Crochet Nesting Baskets with Zpagetti Yarn

crochet baskets zpagetti yarn
I was lucky enough to receive several cones of Zpagetti yarn from the lovely Gwen at Hoooked, I’d been curious about it for a while and was delighted to give it a try. It’s made from fabric off cuts from the garment industry, so it’s a sustainable product that defers textiles from entering landfill.
I am in desperate need of places to store all my crafty bits and pieces, so making some baskets was the logical option.
These baskets work up quite quickly and if you make them in graduating sizes, they can nest into each other. I’ve included basic instructions and a video, but I do assume you have some experience with crochet.
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How To: Easy Lamp Makeover & Spray Painting Tips

Easy Lamp Makover & Spray Painting tips

Do you ever wonder how or why you have objects in your home that you’ve never liked? I have a set of bedside lamps that I have always hated. They were my parent’s, bought in the early 80′s when bronze stuff was really ‘hot’. I never liked them then, yet I managed to inherit them as a teenager and they have followed me to several homes. I’m cripplingly thrifty you see, and because they still worked fine, throwing them out was not an option. I thought new lamp shades would help, but it didn’t, so as a last resort, out came the spray paint!
Check out the before and after, and some spray painting tips below.

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Six Baby Gifts to make with Fabric Scraps eBook

Six Baby gifts to make wiith fabric scraps

I’m so excited to launch my new eBook – Six Baby Gifts to make with Fabric Scraps.
It’s a colourful collection of practical gifts for new arrivals, and teaches some handy skills along the way.
 
If you are like me and love to craft, you may find yourself accumulating a collection of fabric scraps. It can be tempting to just throw them away, especially when most sewing projects require larger fabric pieces, but please don’t. Sewing with scraps can be a wonderful experience that requires a little creativity and patience, but the results are truly satisfying.
Even though I have a big fabric stash, it pains me to waste any of it, and I keep all my scraps. Waste not, want not, I say! Continue reading →

How To: Retro Placemat Bag

Make a bag from a placemat

I come across so many beautiful vintage linens in my op-shopping (thrifting) adventures, but I rarely seem to use them for their original purpose. These linen placemats with their geometric retro design, I’m particularly taken by. I’ve had them for years, waiting for the perfect project, but could never bare to cut into them.
Whilst tidying up my sewing space I uncovered a set of vintage bamboo bag handles…then the perfect project came to mind.
This bag only took me a few minutes to construct. With no cutting and only three seams required, one can be whipped up at short notice to match any outfit.
Read on to see how to make this simple placemat bag…

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