sewing saturday no. 2... turning pants into shorts, and yes, it's as easy as it sounds. wear a bow tie.Speedtest

sewing saturday no. 2... turning pants into shorts, and yes, it's as easy as it sounds. wear a bow tie.

some handmade shorts, man glasses, and a bow tie

Black Lace Up Heels, Blue Bow Tie - H&M

Vintage Man Glasses - Tennessee Flea Market

High Waisted Shorts - Reconstructed from vintage pants

Ruffle Blouse - Target

Gray Suspenders - stolen from one of my sisters back in high school, maybe?

Sewing Saturday week two!

Last week was the first sewing Saturday.. and I promised to begin my daunting task of sewing a dress from scratch. Well, good news.. I'm two steps closer! My friend Lauren found me a fantastic peter pan collar pattern and I've chosen the dress shape I'll be making (I'll reveal it next week). The bad news is my sewing space is an absolute mess. I'm making a goal this week to clean it all up and re-organize it. When it's done (and I will be posting photos of the before and after), I'll reward myself with the beginnings of a handmade dress!.. and while I'm terrified, I'm also really excited. I'm doing this.

Instead, this week I've got another super easy project that anyone can do (proof - I did it). After seeing pair after pair of cute pleated shorts on Lookbook, I decided I needed a pair of my own. So I made some.

The waist was a bit big, so I took it in on the sides next to the elastic. I cut 20 inches off the legs, sewed the rough edges, then folded the legs and did a couple quick stitches in four places on each leg. Taking the waist in just gave the shorts a fuller look at the hips and accented the pleats that were already there.. a good reason to buy a bigger size than what you normally wear, if you're planning on making these.

The pants were actually the ones I wore in NEET Magazine's Global Fashion section this month. I think they're better as shorts, though.

So.. that's it!

While the concept has most likely been done millions of times and it's all super simple, I'm really happy with the results. I feel like wearing these shorts every day this summer.

Have I ever showed you guys my button collection? I received most of the buttons and the tin from my grandma, but some buttons are new additions - like my favorite gold bow buttons towards the bottom. I don't know how I'll be using them, but it will be for something special.

And speaking of favorites.. Vanessa and I swapped care packages, and this is what she sent me! Isn't her stuff cute? I love her taste.. and the little felted owl (his name is Finnegan after Meaghan's cat, and he is sitting on my piano staring at the Yeah Yeah Yeahs poster on the opposite wall. I think he has a crush on Karen O)! And I've been lusting after her wooden bow pendants since last fall. So.. yessss.