Oct 6, 2010 | DIY

So this is the last of my submissions for Style Sample Magazine and New York Design Shop’s Create Couture Challenge back in early August! Whew! Can’t believe it’s taken me this long to post them all…I wanted to make a final DIY piece from the box of materials I received and my eye lit upon the beautiful “NEW YORK DESIGN SHOP” printed ribbon. I love white, pink, and black together! So I crafted up this sweet, modernist design pin – that could easily be used as a hair accessory, bag charm, ring, you name it – just by varying the size, shape, and finishing. (The weaving of the ribbon does take awhile, but the results are fantastic!
You Need:

*NYDS Branded Ribbon (or any 1/4″ wide satin ribbon) – the NYDS-branded ribbon comes wrapped around the box when you place an order with New York Design Shop!
Additional Tools/Materials:
*scissors
*fabric glue
*stiff felt
*pin back
*lighter
*iron (optional)
*piece of paper (optional)
[prep: iron ribbon if kinked or curled; draw a shape as a template on a piece of paper]
How to:
1. Cut ribbon into eighths to start out.
2. Seal ends of two of the ribbons with an open flame.
3. Glue two ends of ribbons together, overlapping them at a right angle.
4. Seal the ends of more of the ribbons, and glue them parallel to the first ribbon, alternating the underlap and overlap of their edges.
5. When you have enough ribbons to work with, start weaving in ribbons in the opposite direction, heat-sealing and gluing down the ends as you add them in.
6. When you’ve run out of ribbons, start trimming the ones you’ve already woven, in order to create the desired shape.
7. Continue with trimming, heat-sealing, gluing, and weaving until your shape is what you like. Make sure all edges are glued together.
8. Cut piece of felt slightly smaller than your woven shape, and glue together with fabric glue.
9. Hot-glue pin back to wrong side.
Now anyone can wear their heart on their sleeve…or on their NYDS-branded tote!!
xoxox
Carly
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Sep 30, 2010 | DIY
Inspired by Candace Ang‘s ruffle necklaces, I created a super-simple, super-affordable version for one of my submissions for Style Sample Magazine and New York Design Shop’s Create Couture Challenge back in early August.
You Need:
*Cream Sweater Style Stretch Trim
*Large Silver Pyramid Studs
Additional Tools/Materials:
*silver necklace or chain
*sewing machine
*hand-sewing needle
*matching thread
*pliers
*chain-cutting pliers
How to:
1. Cut the Stretch Trim in half.
2. Zigzag stitch the two halves together along the long sides on the sewing machine. (Slightly overlapping them is best.)
3. Securely knot a long piece of thread on your needle, and make long, basting stitches along the long side of the trim piece you just made.
4. Pull thread tight to gather the trim – and knot securely on the other side.
5. Sew back through the top gathers to secure.
6. Stud the trim and fold the stud prongs down on the underside.
7. Cut chain necklace in half, and stitch both ends of it to the top ends of your ruffle piece.
Fuzzy and fun – this was sooooo quick to do.
Totally tactile, this fuzzy trim makes an edgy statement with all that metal peeking out!
xoxox
Carly
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Sep 21, 2010 | DIY
Another one of my submissions for Style Sample Magazine and New York Design Shop’s Create Couture Challenge back in early August – this time, a bag makeover!
Materials:
*Pink Ethnic Stripe Sash
*Brown Ethnic Stripe Sash
*pin back
*Cream Gardenia
Additional Tools/Materials:
*ugly old clutch handbag
*scissors
*fabric glue
*hot-glue gun
*small piece of scrap fabric
How-to:
1. Squeeze out a generous amount of glue onto the flap of the clutch, and press the Pink Stripe Sash onto it. Allow about a 1/2″ overhang on each side, and cut.
2. Add more pieces of stripe sash, overlapping the edges slightly as you go all around the clutch.
3. For the back add the contrasting color stripe for interest.
4. Fold under the overhang of the Sash, securing with the glue gun.
5. Hot-glue the pin onto the back of the Cream Gardenia, and glue a small piece of fabric over the pin back to secure it.
6. Cut two ribbons (like prize ribbons) from the leftover Sash.
Glue together with fabric glue.
7. Pin Cream Gardenia over prize ribbons, and pin to front of clutch.
What do you think? Does it look better now?
Everyone deserves a makeover!
xoxox
Carly
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Sep 19, 2010 | DIY
In the home stretch now, everyone! Another one of my submissions for Style Sample Magazine and New York Design Shop’s Create Couture Challenge back in early August.
Materials:
*White Sweater Style Stretch Trim
*Gold Circle Studs
Additional Tools/Materials:
*thin headband
*sewing machine + needle for knits (optional)
*hand-sewing needle
*matching thread
*hot-glue gun
How to:
1. Sew the Stretch Trim into a tube down its long side. (I sewed it on the sewing machine but you can hand-stitch it if you prefer.) Turn right-side out.
2. Cut into 3 pieces: 1 longer for the large flower, and 2 shorter for the two smaller flowers.
3. Hand-stitch the two ends of the long piece of Trim together, to form a circle.
Make 5 loops in the circle and push inwards to the center, stitching through the center area.
4. Pull the thread tight to gather the loops.
5. Sew a few times more all the way through the center to secure.
6. Repeat Steps 3) – 5) for the two smaller flowers. I made only 4 loops (4 petals) for each.
7. Dab some hot glue in the center of each flower, and glue down a Circle Stud.
8. Hot-glue each flower to the top of a thin headband. (For more security, I’d recommend hand-sewing the flowers on, looping the thread around the headband.)
And that’s it! This of course can be accomplished by using any scrap fabric or ribbon you have – though it works particularly well with “puffy” fabric like this sweater stretch trim because it creates a tube-like appearance to the flower petals.

Everything’s in bloom during the summer!
xoxox
Carly
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Sep 15, 2010 | DIY
Project #9 in my submissions for Style Sample Magazine and New York Design Shop’s Create Couture Challenge back in early August.
You Need:
*Victoria Lace
*Cream Ruffle Stretch Trim
*Brown Sweater Style Stretch Trim
*Baby Single Face Satin Ribbon in Brown
*Large Iron-On Butterfly
*White Rose Pin (pin back only)
Additional Tools/Materials:
*scissors
*fabric glue
*hand-sewing needle
*matching thread
*black felt
*lighter
*iron
*sewing machine (optional)
[prep: iron ribbons and trim if kinked or curled]
How-to:
1. Cut Victoria Lace in half.
2. Place each side onto the edges of a piece of the Sweater Style Stretch Trim. You can either glue them down with fabric glue, or sew them down.
4. Trim the end off the Sweater Style Stretch Trim.
5. Sew or glue down the Cream Ruffle Stretch Trim in the center, covering up the Sweater Style Stretch Trim. I cut the Ruffle Trim a little shorter so it wouldn’t go completely all the way around my waist.
6. Cut the Satin Ribbon in half, on an angle. Seal the ends with an open flame.
7. Hand-stitch the un-angled ends of the Satin Ribbon to the underside of each end of the Ruffle trim.
8. Iron the Butterfly on to the felt.
9. Trim the felt around the butterfly carefully.
10. Remove pin back from White Rose.
11. Hot-glue pin back to the wrong side of the butterfly, and pin to the belt.
A pretty and vintage-fabulous result for a pretty simple process!
You can wear this piece as a belt or as a headband – and the butterfly as a separate pin.
Choices, choices…
Happy DIY’ing!
xoxox
Carly
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