Something Old, Something New.

So I had this clock for a while now, er quite a while cos I remember getting it around my freshman year so it has beeeeeeeen a while! Ok, and after many battery changes and all and probably getting better and more interesting clocks, I kept it tucked away until recently when I stumbled across it and thought to make it more useful to me.

I got some ankara fabric, and here's what I did - mostly, I got around doing this tutorial out of curiosity :-)

DIY Sequin Top

Hello! Thought to share my just published Bellanaija DIY article with you before rushing off to church lol!
Check it out here

Hanny Y version

My Version

How To Decorate Your Space With Corn Tassels

 Hello! So I did mention some time ago about guest writing for the online magazine Bellanaija? Well here's the DIY project I put together for my last article. 

Sika Scope Wrap Dress Sew - Along #3 > Sewing the bodice

Following the princess seam tutorial as seen here, cut out yours according to your body measurements.

Princess Seam Tutorial

After I got the first couple of mails regarding princess seams, I decided to post a tutorial here. But then again, I got yet another request from a dear reader on the same, and so I thought to make a 'clearer princess seam post'

The labels 'A', 'E' and 'B' stand for the Apex(nipple or highest point of the bust), Empire (that area under the bust, normally measured from the top of the shoulder to the underbust i.e. where your bra rests), and Bodice (your belly button, normally measured from your shoulder to belly button)

 The determined width would read as technical if I explain it, so I would just advice that you add about 12'' to half your bust line measurement and if you are making a dress, add to your hip measurement. If you are bigger however, feel free to add incremental inches so you don't make errors and waste your fabric.

Fold your fabric in two: measurements used here - bust(34), bodice(17 x 26), empire(27)

At the apex, measure out the 'gap' from one apex to the other. Here I used 8'' as that is my perfect fit or rather 'gap' :-) so you are seeing 4.5'' because the extra 0.5'' makes for seam allowance.

At the bodice, measure out the same 'perfect fit gap', here I used 6''. As you 

connect the dots from bodice to apex

now, I made different lines so you determine how high or low you would prefer your princess seams. Here we would make use of the lowest one (the curve with the arrows). Note that the lower the curve, the pointier the curve at the apex.

 make a 2'' mark from the bodice gap you've created

connect the dots all the way to the apex, following whichever curve you want 

cut out...

open up the pieces and join each side piece to the center piece, sew from the bottom upwards.

xoxo, 

Onnari

DIY: How To Prepare Your Hair Extensions Before A Braids session

So you want to have your hair braided and want smooth, light, lovely braids, and most of all, 'an absence of tangles' what do you do? you boil some water and get dipping! I'll show you how:

SSWD Sew Along #1 – BODY MEASUREMENTS.

Hello everyone! Today our Sew – Along commences and I am so 

happy! I worked a few hours today, got back and rushed to begin 

posting!

So we begin by taking our body measurements.

Asides the basic measurements we come across and are more 

familiar with (as in the image above), there are a few more we 

would require in making garments, so in that regard, I’ll type out a 

list of what you’ll need to get measured  and how.

 The Basic Blocks in garment making include the bodice (torso), 

skirt(below the torso), Sleeves(arms) and  trousers, but for the 

SSWD see – along, we would only require the bodice and skirt 

because it is a sleeveless dress, and no trousers involved obviously! 

So here’s what you’ll need to get measured: ( Stand erect and have 

someone assist you, and try to take this seriously as the success of 

your dress depends on this J

Shoulder (measure the length of your shoulder from one end of your collar bone to the next)

Armhole (measure around your armpit)

Bust (measure your breasts at the fullest/highest point)

Apex (measure the length of your shoulder to your nipple)

Empire (measure the length of your shoulder down to your under bust, as well as the circumference)

Natural waistline (measure the circumference of your waistline. This is the narrowest part of your torso and is normally about an inch or two inches above your belly button)

Bodice (measure the length of your shoulder down to your belly button, as well as the circumference)

Hips (measure at the fullest part of your hips) - we wouldn't be working with this though.

Dress length.

PS. Take your measurements as you would like the dress to sit on you i.e. do not add any allowances.

see you on the next post.

xoxo,

Onnari. 

Photo credit: www.fashion.blogorganization.com

That's Sew Patternless!

Ever thought about a DIY route to garment construction? well here you go!

Celebrity Inspired DIY - Rukky Sanda

So I made a pre-post a few days ago on Rukky's pearl/lace necklace here

and decided to make mine in form of a bracelet... You could also use the same procedure in making a necklace as it's just the length that varies.

PS. this is also the same procedure used in making the ankara bead necklace, you can also go through that tutorial here

YOU'LL NEED:

Lace.  (this is ombre but hey! it's what I've got! :-)

more on the other side...

Celebrity DIY Inspiration: Rukky Sanda

So I was seeing the movie, 'THE SEARCH' written and produced by Nollywood actress Rukky Sanda (not the reason i'm doing the DIY i.e that she wrote and produced the movie :-)  fellow actors including: Nse Ikpe Etim, Yemi Blaq, VanVicker, Susan Peters, and spotted the neckpiece worn by Rukky. I really hearted it and thought to do a DIY on it so i quickly grabbed my camera and snatched up a photo off the TV screen lol!

more on the other side...

How To Remove Ankara Fabric Labels

Hello you!

Now you might have some ankara fabrics in your possession, and would actually like to work with them (personally though, because if you were handing it over to a seamstress, peeling the label off would be her headache not yours :-) and this tutorial would be of no use to you!), but find peeling off the labels to be quite daunting as some ankara fabrics have not-so-easy-to-remove labels phew! So is why I've put up this tutorial, to make the 'task' easier.

more on the other side 

Pin Tuck Detailling - The Diagonal Pintuck

     Pintucks make for very fine and interesting detailing; so here's a moderately easy and quick way to create  a diagonal pintuck. Know this, you can use pintucks in beautifying  your clothes, slim fit your blouses, shirts, dresses etc, throw pillows/cushions ans lots more!

more on the other side...

DIY: How To Make A Fabric Bead Necklace

Hello all! So this is a quick, lightning speed post  bothering on how to make an ankara bead necklace! I happen to have receive tons of requests on this and so I just had to make it/post it. However there is a little er 'twist' :-) Due to time constraint I made the necklace and documented the steps about half way through, and took a photo of a completed necklace I had previously made as I haven't completed the DIY piece even as I type! But not to worry, I chose a sample photo of Ituen Bassey's which you can look at with regards to finishing off the necklace before I make a post - post (lol!)on finishing off the necklace (you can call it a do/sew/make - along , whatever really! *grin*) together. Come to think of it, that isn't a bad idea, we should plan that, could be so much fun!

more on the other side

:

TOOLS

Beads

Sewing Thread and fabric strips, wide enough to accommodate your beads.

Sewing Needle

STEPS:

Fold your fabric strip in two,

Check for proper fit by placing your bead atop your fabric, you don't want it to be too small or too big when you are done stitching the fabric together. Then stitch together.

Now this step is optional. you may use this procedure of making an 'anchor' or just insert the beads one after the other, into the sewn fabric.

(Attach a piece of fabric to the knotted end of your sewing needle/thread. This would prevent your beads from moving.)

pass the needle through each bead, tie some thread around it, then move on to the next bead.....and the next bead, and the next bead.....and.......so on.....

this is what we would later arrive at only here, I made use of black thread as against the yellow used in this tutorial. you can also experiment with gold threads, silver threads, etc

that's all folks! do have a productive week ahead!

xoxo,

Onnari.

twitter handle: @thatssewnaija

Do remember to subscribe to the blog, it's super easy! Click the SUBSCRIBE button on the right hand side of the home page! Thanks!

How To Make A Fabric Bead

So I just got back from work about 20 minutes ago, and thought to do a quick DIY post as I've had this tutorial on my hard drive for a while now- yeah, I put together tutorials when I get the urge, and store them away lol! So straight to it, i'v got to get dinner! 

Unfinished Business - Rope Accessories from Holst+Lee,Pichulik,Proenza Schouler

So it's been a vast age! :-) and I'm really sorry about that plus you really have to forgive my absence on the blog. It's been a crazy period really - all the clients, all the work, time shortage etc I could only kick the wall for not being a super blogger/time manager or else I would have been able to blog despite all the challenges *grin* 

Now, this was meant to be a 2012 post after my Holst+Lee, Pichulik, Proenza lust :-) which you can see from a previous post  here so I decided to upload this post before I even dare make a new year post!

I got my tools ready (as usual), and decided beforehand just to go with the flow and not make an exact replica of the pieces I shared with you earlier. As a fallout of this decision of mine, I made a headband, two different bangles, neckpieces and a belt all inspired by the brands I just named. However, I'll be sharing just  2 neckpieces and a bangle today and the others in a later post. Enjoy!

more on the other side

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....

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...

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: 

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