Dear Netfah,
With the Super Bowl right around the corner and my team in the running, I was interested in making those cornhole toss games for our party. I have the boards and the beans, now I just need the bags. What fabrics would you recommend ? I heard duck cloth was good.
– Bagless in Seattle
Dear Bagless in Seattle,
Hello! My name is Laura and I go to school in the amazing city of Boston where I attend Emerson College. As much as I adore school and my suitemates it can get a little crazy and a little cluttered living with five other girls. I try to do everything that I can to stay organized which is why I chose this project. These clipboards are great for keeping the copious lists that I make front and center and they add a special something to an otherwise boring part of my wall.
One of the main excuses we have for not making our own clothing or home fashions is the lack of knowledge of how to sew. The second excuse is the time it would take to even do so. Luckily with access to the world wide web and the availabilty of almost every how to video, downloadable tutorial, and quick reference/resource guides, learning how to sew just got 100x easier. The best part is that once you learn how to sew, there are several quick and easy projects that take hardly any time to complete, some in less than an hour! That’s right! In less time than it takes you to pick out an outfit for that hot date or catch up on the latest episode of your favorite sitcom, you can complete any of a number of cool felt crafts, novelty cotton fashion accesories or home accent pieces made from upholstery fabric or decorative fabric ,and still have time to exhale. From satin pillows and vintage novelty aprons, to funky nylon bags and denim pants, sewing it all together is quicker than you think once you know how.
(a) underwear exposed = warning (b)underwear exposed, pants below buttocks = disorderly conduct (c) buttocks exposed = indecent exposure
Around the country in both urban cities and rural countryside, and stretching the parameters of racial barriers, a handful of our youth have been inspired by the desire to wear their pants not at the prescribed waist line as originally intended, but to mimic a style of dress whose origins are traced directly to the holding cells of our country’s growing prison population. Without the right to wear belts to hold up their pants, the trousers would often fall below the waistline revealing the undergarments and cause the prisoners to have to hold them up with one of their hands as they walked. Eventually promoted thru rap music videos and fashioned to the ‘T’ by urban fashionistos (as) alike on the streets, the saggy baggies have made both a fashion statement and controversial headlines over the years for parents, authorities and other young adults alike.
30 copies of the ‘Financial Times’ folded and attached to a corset to create a ballerina inspired ‘tulle’ dress…
37 black logo tees cut up and hand stitched to create a long draped sheaf dress with corset waist and bustle…
42 pairs of Levi 501’s in various shades of indigo cut up and reconstructed to create a tiered ball gown with a corset waist…
These are just a few of the utterly creative, eco-friendly couture dresses designed and created by artist Gary Harvey. Recycling everything from laundry bags and Hawaiian shirts to rain coats and wedding dresses, this socially conscience fashion forward designer has found purpose in what is slowly developing into an ethical fashion revolution.
Making Pants?
Interested in making yourself or someone else a pair of pants?
Stumped on where or how to begin?
Quick guideline for fabric selection.
Depending on the inseam and waist of the individual you are making the pants for, special attention needs to be paid to the width of the fabric you are purchasing. While most fabrics are manufactured with 45″ width, there are some sold at 54″, 60″, 72″ and even 108″ wide as well. If you are using a pattern to map out your project, check the fabric requirements on the side. Most patterns base their fabric yardage requirements on 45″ wide material. More is always better if you can afford it though, so if a pattern calls for 2 1/2″ yards of a 45″ corduroy, go ahead and get 3. You never know what may happen in the crafting process. Again, the more, the better.
