I don’t really consider myself a full-blown DIYer, though I pretty much always have some sort of project planned. For the most part, I alter clothing to fit me better if need be, and I’ve been doing this since middle school at the very least. In middle school it was common for me to adjust the length of my pants or the fit of a dress or shirt, and that holds true for me today. The most important thing to me about an article of clothing is how it fits and proportion, and that’s what drives me to alter so many of my things.
What currently inspires your DIY projects?
Sometimes I want something that doesn’t necessarily exist for me to purchase the way I want it. For example, I have a pair of high-waisted jeans that I patchworked with an old thrifted scarf. I don’t know why I decided I wanted patchworked jeans, but once I made that decision it just made it happen. I probably searched for high-waisted patchwork jeans online briefly, but the problem is that most new clothing nowadays is very cookie cutter, and you’re not going to find a pair of high-waisted jeans that are patchworked to your liking by thrifting alone. I probably found a bunch of patchworked jeans online with peace signs and sparkly hearts on it, and I personally think that’s cheesy and stupid. That’s when I take matters into my own hands.
Which of your numerous DIY projects have you got the most amount of satisfaction from?
I made a very simple daisy hair clip several years ago that I used to wear every day before I started blogging. I used a single fake daisy flower, a metal snap hair clip and a glue gun from a craft store. I wore it nearly every day and it ended up becoming a trade mark. I don’t wear it much if it all anymore because I’ve grown out of it as I’ve gotten older, but I loved how it added a simple dash of hippie-sweetness to basically anything, and having your own special twist is key to personal style.
Totally. I often have grand plans of altering the fit or length of some super unique vintage dress, only to realize that the fabric/cut/etc won’t allow for my alteration. Usually I just end up destroying it by accident. It can be a bit of a bummer, but I’ve learned a lot of lessons that begin with carefully choosing what I intend to alter based on the ease of the alteration and the garment’s nuances.
What one skill or tool would you invest in if you were just starting out with DIY?
A sewing machine- I used to sew by hand and that took forever.
Do you have any 'cheat' tips for other avid DIYers out there?
I would consider myself a “cheat DIYer” in an of itself to be completely honest. I try not to alter anything that seems difficult to achieve. I try to determine if the fabric I’m working with will allow me to alter it without destroying it or causing puckering with my limited sewing skills, and I also try to determine that whatever I’m going to alter has only minor alterations to adjust the fit.
The hardest fabrics to sew are silky or lacy fabrics, they tend to misalign and/or pucker, or your sewing machine simply won’t take it. Also, if you’re trying to adjust an ill-fitting crotch, good luck. If you know how, email me.
DIY and thrifting is absolutely a great solution for a tight budget. I honestly feel like I can look like a million bucks for less than $100, and it all has to do with carefully choosing very special items, paying attention to their proportion and fit, and altering them to your body shape if need be.
I wouldn’t alter something expensive because if I’m speding a lot of money, it should be perfect. I typically alter thrifted or budget friendly items because if I screw them up it’s not a big loss. I’m extremely partial to thrift shopping because I feel that’s where I find the most unique items, but at the same time, those are the items that typically need the most alteration because sizing might be out of date.
At what point do you think DIY crosses the line into 'designing' and is that something that interests you?
I am by no means a designer, nor do I have any idea whatsoever how they do what they do. I appreciate the mathematical and constructional skills designers possess, because those are the skills I lack.
Are there any trends at the moment that particularly inspire you to get crafty?
I just cropped two pairs of flare trousers last weekend. I’m not sure how much cropped flares are a trend, but I like how they make your ankles look skinny and that you can show off a cute pair of shoes with them on. Flares are also easy to find; most thrifted pairs don’t have a leg opening wide enough for them to look cool (ie-28 inches and above look super cool in their full length), but if you can find a novelty pair with a high waist and in a unique fabric or color, then you’re good to go.
I also love caftans, and they’re super easy to make. All you have to do is find a large scarf with a pattern you love, preferably with fringed edges. Fold it in half, cut a hole in the middle for your head and sew up the sides leaving enough room for arm holes. All of a sudden, you’ve got a caftan.
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