Merry Christmas

just a quick post to wish you all a Merry Christmas and an abundance of God's blessings! would be back soon enough with goodies, have a blast! :-)

How To Make A Necklace Out Of a Safety Pin: 5 minute DIY

'Time is a funny thing, a decade can flash by in an uneventful second'

                                                                     - Carrie Bradshaw.

Following these 'oh so true' words by Carrie Bradshaw from Sex And The City 2, I couldn't help but make up my  mind to maximize every second of every minute of every day that God blesses me with, because if I don't  all i'll be left with would be regret, gloom and worry, and thanks to my temperament, I do worry lots :-( 

Anyways, to the matter at hand. I just whipped up a DIY while trying to figure out what to do with some left over safety pins I've got. I loove statement pieces, odd, strange and even weird accessories so I just had to with a neckpiece :-)

A picture speaks more than a thousand words, so i'll let these pictures do all the talking (translation real reason of course is that, I'm tired,sleepy, and it's 1:06am)

(please pardon the not so clear pics.)

 

..more on the other side....

How to create a Princess Seam - Free Hand

Here's a quick and easy way to make a princess seam without using a pattern. This post came as a result of an email i got from a reader who wanted to know how to create one, while making a nicely fitted dress.This is a 'rush - post' so stay tuned for a more detailed post on the cut, sewing, and a completed dress with prominent princess seams, as well as definitions of the term 'princess seams'.

more on the other side...

Mighty Thanks!

Hello beautiful readers!

This is just to say a huge thanks to all of you, who contributed to getting us to over 10,000 hits in our first three months, it is a big deal to me, so I say: thank you so much and keep visiting!

xoxo,

Onnari

New Feature On Our Blog!

Next Door Diva

I'm so excited, why? because I always am whenever I get to include a new feature on the blog. You might be wondering what I mean by 'our blog' well, it is ours right? you and me. 

recently, during one of my routines, I randomly though about doing a feature on the blog that would showcase and celebrate everyday divas (after all it is a form of DIY right? Do It Your Self styling lol!)- well,we've seen enough of celebrated celebs, so let's celebrate you and me, everyday, beautiful, ladies with style :-)

Today, I'm celebrating  Oyebola Trish Mabun - a London based fashionista and ex -model, truly  stylish and non - apologetic about it! Read on flip through the photos and you'll see why :-)

more on the other side....

DIY Inspiration - Proenza, Pichulik, Holst + Lee

"She wore her sexuality with an older woman's ease, and not like an awkward purse, never knowing how to hold it, where to hang it, or when to just put it down."
— Zadie Smith

Now those were the words that confronted me when I first visited the Pichulik website. Did they have to do that to me considering the fact that I had already fallen in love with thier accessories and am a SUCKER for poetry, colour, as well as rope accessories? phew! 

So I've been lusting over accessory bands Proenza and Holst + Lee for their brilliant rope accessories so you would understand my delight when I 'found' Pichulik, a South African based label during the Solange shoot for Elle South Africa! Pichulik also does rope accessories, and I must say these labels inspired a DIY craving and so I decided to make  a pre -  post lol!

check out my previous rope accessory here

Here are pieces from the labels:

Pichulik

  Pichulik

more on the other side

DIY Ankara Fabric Bangles 2: Smaller Bangles

Hello all! hope you had a great weekend?  So here's the deal, it's 5 am-ish and I just had to do this quick post before rushing off to begin my day. If you are a regular visitor to this blog, you would know that I posted a previous DIY on ankara fabric bangles albeit a big bangle and so promised a diy on smaller bangles so here it is.( I hope my ankara DIYs aren't becoming 'too much' it's just what readers require the most when they write in lol!) 

you can read all about my previous bangle post on here

more on the other side....

DIY - How To Turn An Earring Into A Brooch

Hello guys! Had such a looooong and tiring day but it does feel good to be here after it all. Tonight i'll be sharing a quick and easy DIY I created over the weekend, (hope i don't fall asleep while posting, lol!) 

So I got this neck piece along with a pair earrings some two weeks back and looking at the earrings, for some reason I decided I wasn't going to wear them but turn them into brooches (please don't ask me why! :-))

more on the other side...

Oh Time! Where Have Ye Gone?

Here’s how you create a statement ‘bracelet’ in an instant… so less talk, more pics *grin*

Guess Who's Got A Magazine Article?!

So I got a weekly article on www.bellanaija.com and as a result of that, have been ecstatic for the past couple of days. For those of you who haven't visited the site yet, it is a media, fashion/style,entertainment (and looots more) online magazine and really popular I must say. My weekly article is a fashion/lifestyle DIY one (of course) and while it is so great to think about, I began wondering how I'd juggle creating DIYs for the magazine as well for you guys over here on my blog! I can't even keep up with regular posting! eeeesh! Anyways,  I wont fret. Its a challenge. God would see me through it all. I know. :-)

I'm posting before and after pics of my first DIY on the magazine, to read the whole article, please click on this link: 

So...What's In a Name?

So I decided to tag this post the way I did because I am having a bit of a name 'dilemma' at the moment and thought to write about it and seek you opinion on it as I wouldn't want to go it alone :-)

Now it all began with a thread (That's Sew Naija)I created on a popular Nigerian forum www.nairaland.com
<more after the jump>

DIY: Ankara Fabric Covered Notepads

Hello all! It HAS been a while right? Yeah I know…. However, I happened to whip up a DIY which would take less than 20 minutes on the average (well, if we exclude waiting for the glue to dry out, lol!)

So this DIY is about wraps – wrapping up our notebooks (not the ones with keypads and wires and circuit boards and things but the ones with paper, and a cover? Those ones) So having said that, let’s get to it shall we?

See updated post on making this notepad with a closure snap( kinda like a clutch) here : http://thatssewnaija.blogspot.com/2014/02/diy-fabric-notepad-ii.html

more on the other side

DIY - Stella Jean Studded Ankara bangles

Hello once more and to my muslim brothers and sisters, I say Barka Da Sallah! Has this been a great week or what? Well, it has been for me and I hope it's the same for you as well cos most importantly we should be thankful cos we are alive right? right :-) Now as you may now know, i'm currently crushing on Stella Jean, so in my search (more like stalking), I happened to find these bangles of hers amongst other 'treasures' and decided to DIY them.

Stella Jean Bangle - retailing at 201 USD

there's more on the other side!

Diy Tutorial - How To Make a Fabric Covered Button

If you are like me and need loads of fabric buttons to work pieces like bib neck pieces or other embellishments, but then own scores of unused fabric buttons which you would rather have a different fabric on, or then again if you haven't got a machine to create those buttons, this tutorial is for you. I'll be using both instances:

1. an 'unwanted' fabric button

2. a metal button to be converted into a fabric button.

..more on the other side...

FALLen Leaves - Wall Hanging

This DIY project was created years ago, 2007 to be precise. I was actually inspired by fallen autumn leaves and decided to crochet a wall hanging with the 'leaves' in mind - only I couldn't crochet leaves and created flowers instead :-) It applies right? lol!

More on the other side

'Ankaracstar' - Celeb inspired Denim/Ankara vest

Bend, Mend, or Spend???

So I have been seeing celebs such as Tiwa savage and Davido rocking denim and Ankara and being so sew naija at heart, I decided to do some justice to my Miss Selfridge denim vest. I actually have never worn the vest so it was up for the debate – ‘Bend (toss), Mend (reconstruct/fix), or Spend (splurge on a new one)?’. At this point, you should know what my choice was J

 

More on the other side

DIY - Wire Ring

Hello all you beautiful people! I sure missed you and hope the feeling is mutual J the lack of posts were due to techie issues with my laptop as it decided to embrace the silly season for no just reason.  Anyways, now that ‘normalcy’ has returned let’s get to it – I have a quick DIY I whipped up yesterday thanks to my lovely friend Kizzy who came visiting from Abuja over the weekend. She came over to my place sporting a really cool ring and I knew I had to DIY It!

Here’s kizzy’s ring on her finger of course J

look beyond the line, there's more!

DIY Inspiration - Stella Jean SS 2013

I haven’t posted a DIY project in ages and by ages I mean for about two weeks now. That however, doesn’t mean that I haven’t been getting my hands dirty with some diy, I actually have – I’ve just been overwhelmed with work and other activities life requires J and so since they are all half way done, I’ll just wrap them up and present them to you in a bit!

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your braids!

Let me break it down like this – I love am obsessed with braids. I began wearing braids since like, 1995 but actually began DIY- ing or should I say DIM – ing (do it myself :-) my braids circa 2003. Unluckily for me though, I didn’t inherit the ‘good’ hair genes in my family so I have been extra careful on my braids journey with my hair  and hair line so it doesn’t recede or totally disappear -  scary thot!  

How to make a Bib neckpiece

Hello all! Hope you having a great week so far? I know I am J well, asides the too few hours the days seem to have.

So The tutorial we going to be having today is on how to create a neckpiece using fabric buttons and a minimal amount of beads and trimming, although I prefer to use more of the beads and trimming when making mine. With a  bib neckpiece, trust me – u can jazz up a simple outfit  ‘just like that!’ so without further ado, let’s get right to it.

you'll require:

fabric buttons

scraps of fabric

trimming (optional)

now, out of nothing but sheer laziness, i'll show how to create the 'foundation' and then continue with a previous one I already had sewn because i really can't get on a machine right now :-)

they look like this basically after being sewn/before being embellished or accessorized - i'l be making use of the pink.

and from scratch.... fold a square piece of fabric in two, measurements would be determined by what size you actually want.

cut out a piece for the 'neckline'

cut a second piece which would act as the interfacing

iron on some stay to ensure thicknes 

after this, u sew up the bottom curve all the way up, and insert string at the top. Please have a look at the finished ones above.

this is what it should look from the inside out, well, if you used white stay of course :-)

then you begin sewing on your buttons

roll up your fabric scraps thus...

and stitch to your bib, it should look this way

same goes for the trimming, only you roll it up in a circle

after you've stitched them all on - beads, buttons, fabric rolls, you should have something like this..notice the top is unfinished

stitch it up neatly in a hem and cover up with trimming or fabric which ever you want. I normally use decorative stitches though but they all serve the same purpose of giving a neat finish.

and here's our finished bib!!! have fun making yours and be sure to post pics! would love to see!

here's one I made recently...no buttons involved tough! :-)

xoxo,

Onnari.

I apologize for picture quality!

twitter: @thatssewnaija

Trending Bags

Get ready for some eye-candy and also to be shocked at some of the bag trends for fall you’ll be seeing. For example, Items such as clutches which are not really ‘fall’ bags are very on trend!

Shoulder Bags

Making Trends Work For You

Welcome to a new feature on this blog! – TSN Nugget: its all about say, 3 to…..8 lines? Or not,  of helpful useful tips and tricks we can use to add last minute touches, creative tweaking ideas and so on, to our clothing, home, etc so watch this space!

      Combining style/fabric/trends in a flattering way requires skillful use of design elements such as line(silhouette),detail/texture and colour.

As three basic influences on our decisions are current trends, - ourselves, trends, other people, the trick is to play those influences together.

More after the jump.

Fall Trends

Gearing into the spirit of fall/winter 2013 and what influence 

 the new trends would have on me, my wardrobe and 

 designs, I decided to study them and think of ways to work  

  with them in different ways, fabrics, and interpretations – 

and of course share some of those trends with you.

More after the jump

Fringe Benefits (2)

Hi all! as i promised earlier on the 'fringe benefits' post, here's the 'eye full view' of the fringe neckpiece worn with an ankara skirt. 

Collar Me Bad

It’s been a rush of events, tasks and activities lately and more so being the start of a new week, a lot of plans to be created and carried out but however, I did make out time to create some fancy detachable collars inspired by my love for all things African as well as vintage. Jump in and see the tutorial cos we are making ‘em together!

Charmed In Seconds!!!

Today being Sunday, I kind of had some ‘free time’ to myself after church so I decided to de - clutter my closet and re – organise it. I came across two pairs of ear-rings I have never worn, and I mean NEVER, plus a pendant I haven't worn in a looooooong time so I decided to keep them aside to create something I would appreciate wearing, and soon too! So that birthed yet another DIY J

The Hunt For Fed Sequined Fabrics

I went fabric shopping the other day, as I was supposed to get a red sequined fabric for a particularly stylish lady J I really enjoy working with her. She thinks outside the box when we discuss fabrics, designs, aesthetics etc. and most of all she IS NOT scared of colour!  I searched through the fabric shops and this is what I came up with, along with the emerald green number. Couldn’t leave it behind.

To See Or Not To See?

''are those sunglasses?’’ ‘’Where did you get those earrings from?’’ …… these questions and more greeted my ears back in school and whenever I put on my ‘aviator earrings’ J

I first created these earrings circa 2007(I always like to look distinctive and as such, i'm not very comfortable when I am not – even if it’s just a little tweak here and there. Life looks better that way , at least to me it does!)when I saw a pair of aviator sunglasses and got them with the intention of not wearing it on my eyes or forehead. So I am going to share the tutorial with you so hopefully you’ll try it too because it’s pretty and trust me, would get you loads of compliments!