Done and done

I've been working on two large DIY projects this summer, which explains the complete lack of tutorials since framing a scarf in a picture frame back in July (lame).

Although a shy midwesterner, I have included myself in this photo of my completed slipcover for two reasons:
1. Scale
2. My second huge DIY project was myself.

Until you see someone sit on this couch, it's hard to imagine just how big it is.

The great white whale is eight feet long and three feet deep. It took 20 plus yards of fabric to cover the thing, and four (four!) cans of Scotchgard to protect it.

See, huge, right?

The other reason I look so small on the sofa is that I lost 10 pounds via rigorous calorie counting and doubling my exercise.

I used My Plate at LiveStrong.com to document everything that went in my mouth and every calorie burned for the past three months. Tedious but effective.

I still need to trim the seams and lose three pounds. But it's nice to say that both projects are basically done.

p.s. A note on the outfit - all thrifted except the skirt, which was clearance from Talbots. I had the grey blouse for ages not knowing what it really needed was a pink leopard sweater (thank you Mom and Goodwill Industries).

DIY scarf tying

Here are a few ways to wear a scarf that a normal woman could pull off.

The first two are street fashion from New York Fashion Week. The last is a how-to from Keiko Lynn.

DIY New York Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week wrapped up yesterday. The above necklace by Do.Ri is on my list to do, especially since I already have some white suede cord and lots of hardware lying around.

For more DIY ideas from NYFW, visit examiner.com.

My own personal Missoni

I picked up this knit top in my favorite thrifting spot last week and wore it yesterday.

Several people said, "Hey that looks like the new Target stuff (e.g. Missoni.)"

I was surprised my non-fashionista friends were so up on designer Target lines (and besides I considered the pattern to be more Jonathan Adler than Missoni) until I found out that people in the city were killing each other to be first to grab Missoni at Target prices.

I wore my version with a thrifted orange scarf, thrifted teal shoes I found in my drawer at work, my DIY bangles and a white Talbot's skirt (to give the eye a break, natch.) Total cost: $27.

I don't think there is a color that does not go with this little top.

For those of you who did not make it to Target and aren't finding fabulous second-hand knit tops, there's a free tutorial for making your own Missoni-inspired throw.

Yet another reason to learn how to crochet.

How to sew a zipper

While the interwebs is curiously silent about how to install a zipper foot, there are tons of tutorials on how to sew a zipper.

You could skip this whole thing and visit Sew, Mama, Sew!, which was my font of enlightenment.

There are regular zippers and invisible zippers. Right now, I only know the regular. When I get further educated, I'll let you in on it.

Step 1: Sew your two pieces of fabric together along one seam where the zipper will go, leaving about an inch seam allowance. The right sides (e.g. nice sides) of the fabric should be facing in. Important: Use a longer stitch since you will be ripping this seam out. Press the seam open.

Step 2: Lay the zipper face side down in the middle of the seam.

Using a glue stick or fabric glue, apply a little glue to each side of the zipper. Try not to get glue on the zipper teeth. As you roll the zipper down, make sure it's positioned right on the seam.

Run an iron over both sides of the zipper to help seal the glue. At this point, I found it helpful to put the zipper aside so the glue could set.

Step 3: Turn the seam over so you are looking at the nice side of it. Rotate it so you start sewing at the top of the zipper.

Consult my previous tutorial as to how to position the seam and zipper foot.

Basically sew down one side and up the other. (Back stitch at the beginning and end.) When you get to the botton of your zipper, you can leave the needle all the way in, lift the zipper foot and make a 90-degree turn, sew across the zipper, lift and make a 90-degree turn and start back up the other side. You are sewing a big U-turn. See the photo below for a glimpse at what is going on with the bottom side (e.g. unfinished/ugly side of your zipper). Note the helpful sewing directions in pink.

Step 4: Holding the nice side of the zipper up, use a seam ripper to rip out the big stitches you made earlier. Underneath will be your zipper.

Step 5: Holding the fabric above your head, dance around a campfire shouting, 'I have made a zipper!'

Put the right sides of the fabric back together again and continue with sewing the rest of your seams. Turn the fabric right side out through the zipper opening.

How to install and use a zipper foot

. . . subtitled Zipper Feet for Morons. . .

In order to make my gigantic slipcover, I had to conquer my fear of the zipper foot. So, iPad in one hand and a seam ripper in the other, I searched multiple blogs to figure it out.

People, it is not that bad. Really.

The above photo shows you a zipper foot. To get it there, you have to take off the regular foot. I stared at my regular foot a long time. I could loosen it but could not get it off. I even got out a screw driver. Note: You should not need a screwdriver to remove a sewing machine foot.

After 15 minutes of Googling and staring, I finally got up and looked around at the backside of the sewing machine, an older Kenmore. Which has the lever below indicated in pink. (Newer sewing machines have some sort of red button.) Lift the lever all the way up, and the foot will fall into your hand like a ripe peach.

My next stumper was figuring out where the needle goes.

A lot of zipper feet have a notch on both sides for the needle. You can slide the foot to the left or right of the seam.

The side with the needle should be closest to your seam. So, if you are making a zipper sandwich it would be zipper, needle, zipper foot. See the photo below. If you like it on the other side, it would be zipper foot, needle, zipper.

So there you go. Took me quite awhile to figure out these very obvious things that everybody knows except for hapless pathetic people who need such details the most. See the pain I've saved you?

Next I'll show you how to sew a zipper.

DIY lampshade, chandelier and taxidermy

Line your hum drum drum shades with silver paper at Little Green Notebook.

Make that Lonny-featured chandelier way back in the dining room from six dozen martini glasses.

Decapitate a thrift-store stuffed animal for faux-animal head art. From the twisted yet creative people of I Love to Create.