Category: Cloth

Sew a Silky, Lace-Tipped Scarf

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It’s a well-known fact that making presents for people makes the world a better place. Not only are you taking time to create the perfect gift for your mother, brother, or girlfriend, you’re making sure there’s one fewer person at the mall and lessening the chance that someone will get trampled to death by the shopping masses. If you’ve got a little extra time and want to use your very own hands to show someone you love them, this is just the miniseries for you.

The thing is, just about everybody likes scarves. Whether you rock a soccer/football scarf, a pashmina, a keffiyeh, or a wooly plaid number, chances are you’ve wrapped a bit of cloth around your neck, head, or waist a time or twelve.

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This scarf falls on the feminine end of the spectrum and is a good gift for anyone whose idea of gay apparel is pretty and shiny. Continue reading →

Make a Handy and Cute Tea Wallet

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It’s a well-known fact that making presents for people makes the world a better place. Not only are you taking time to create the perfect gift for your mother, brother, or girlfriend, you’re making sure there’s one fewer person at the mall and lessening the chance that someone will get trampled to death by the shopping masses. If you’ve got a little extra time and want to use your very own hands to show someone you love them, this is just the miniseries for you.

Maybe you need a little extra something to go with the tea you bought your friend. Or maybe, like me, you happen to have a roommate who loves tea, appreciates a good sense of organization, and travels a whole lot. Enter the tea wallet.

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This little guy holds four tea bags so that your tea-aficionado friend is never stuck drinking boring-but-ubiquitous Lipton.

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Quick and Dirty Oilcloth Travel Bags

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Living in cities for the past seven years has taught me that a good bag can mean the difference between aching shoulders and complete comfort or the difference between buying a new metro card after losing it in my bag (again) and getting to work on time, cool and collected.

I handle a day out with the matryoshka method: bags within bags to keep things organized. In the past I’ve used ziploc bags and bandanas, but in my new capacity as a Working Woman, I decided I needed something a little more official. Desafortunadamente (say it, it just rolls off the tongue), tiny bags cost way more than they should. Afortunadamente (considerably less fun to say), bags are really easy to make.

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Tying the Knot: Make Your Own Skinny Tie

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Let’s talk some more about DIY clothes. Sometimes that’s what has to happen: you’ve got to do it yourself. When it comes to girls who like “menswear,” it can be hard to find what you’re looking for. I know that lots of times I get frustrated when I go shopping because they don’t have what I want, and if they do it’s priced outrageously. There’s really no good reason why you should have to spend twice as much for the women’s version of the exactly same shirt that’s sitting over in the men’s department but isn’t quite made to fit your body. So we’re going to do something about that. This is mutiny: arts and crafts style.

This projects is fun for bois and grrrls of all genders. Are you having trouble finding anything but black skinny ties? Have you been dying to raid your dad’s/brother’s/uncle’s/grandpa’s closet for ties but just can’t figure out how to make their giant ’80s ties work with your getup? Well, the slump is over. Gather up your craft boxes and your nimble,nimble fingers. This one is just as easy as last week, but it requires a little more finesse. Despite traditionally being men’s clothing, ties are delicate silky things that require a light touch and low iron settings.

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This is a Holdup: Make Your Own Suspenders

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Maybe you’ve caught yourself staring longingly at the expensive pairs at Urban Outfitters or American Apparel, maybe you dig the JBeals look, or maybe you’re just looking for something new, but I think we both know that it’s high time you get your own pair of suspenders.

Suspenders — which are apparently called braces by British people — are slick little babies that make pretty much any outfit look just that much better. With jeans and a t-shirt? Obviously. Over a button down? Hello! Clipped onto a high-waisted skirt? Why not?

Today I’m going to teach you how to make suspenders for yourself. It’s the first in a few installments I’m going to be writing on DIY clothes because sometimes that’s what has to happen: you have to do it yourself. When it comes to girls who like “menswear,” it can be hard to find what you’re looking for. I know that lots of times I get frustrated when I go shopping because they don’t have what I want, and if they do it’s priced outrageously. There’s really no good reason why you should have to spend twice as much for the women’s version of the exactly same shirt that’s sitting over in the men’s department but isn’t quite made to fit your body. So we’re going to do something about that. This is mutiny: arts and crafts style.

If you have no idea what you’re doing, don’t worry! We’re starting small. Grab a friend to help you with measurements, pull on a pair of pants, and you’re ready to go.

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Craft A Bow Tie With Your Own Two Hands

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58_party-1Ahh ze ineffable necktie. First we have the traditional tie. That utterly incomprehensible piece of silk worn around the necks of men and bois everywhere. Next, we come to the ascot. Seen at polo matches, horse races, and on the uniform of one Mr. Fred Jones (of Scooby-Doo fame), the ascot says “I have money and I’m not afraid to use it” unlike anything else. And the bolo tie. Who could forget the bolo? Once the domain of cowboys and their southern counterparts, vaqueros, bolos are making their sartorial comeback with the rockabilly set. Finally we arrive at the bow tie. While skinny ties and scarves each have their place in a dignified queer’s wardrobe, it’s the bow tie that lends a certain je ne sais fab to any outfit. But where does one find a bow tie? How exactly does one procure a properly sized and attractively styled cravet? Thrift stores, to be sure. Perhaps at the shop of a gentleman’s clothier. But there is another way to go about the selection of a bow tie. It is, of course, to create one with your own hands.
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