Aw man, the prospect of warmer weather, eating beautiful and bright summer fruit and the option to wear only one layer has made me giddy with excitement though it's also made me think about accessories that I can wear to liven up my wardrobe staples.
Instead of spending a fortune on new clobber this summer I'm going to recycle, remake, create a few key pieces which I can mix and match and wear confidently with the knowledge that I'm not adding to the huge global problem (waste, unfair/ unsafe conditions and exploitation in the textile industry etc. etc. etc)....
Though this a very little gesture it can also be a step in the right direction. We definitely need to make do and buy less.
And because of that I came up with this cute little diy tutorial which I think looks just fab with my stripey top and will fit with other bits and bobs I already have in my wardrobe!
Plus as it's also made from fabric scraps that means no wastage here!
I think it looks pretty good with stripes, block colours and/or patterns too...What do you think, how will you wear yours?
So why watermelons?
A) they are very of the moment (hooray finally!!!) and B) watermelons are one of my favourite all time fruits so if you are a lover of the ruby red, super juicy, super sweet sphere of gorgeousness... then join me in wearing it with pride!
What you'll need:
*fabric*felt (red/pink & green)
*interfacing
*ribbon
*thread & embroidery thread though you can opt to use a fabric pen (Black)
*a bright yellow bead -or a button
*pins, sewing needle and scissors
*sewing machine -though you can use fusible fabric if you don't fancy sewing it.
How to make it:
Step 1:
Print out the pattern and cut as indicated... you'll need 2 x red felt shapes, 2 x green felt shapes and 2 x pink fabric shapes which should be backed with interfacing
Step 2:
Embroider the watermelon seeds or use a fabric pen to draw these on...
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| embroidered |
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| drawn on with a black fabric friendly pen |
*This is your front and the back... The shapes will be layered over each other so you'll notice they are slightly different sizes. Though you can trim if you need to...
Step 3:
Pin into place and sew... I've used a black thread so you can see what I'm doing but if you want a super neat look you'll need to use red and green thread as needed...
You can also use fusible fabric if you don't want to see any stitching or if you haven't a sewing machine at hand.
Step 4:
Overlap slightly the edges of the middle of the collar. Check in the mirror to see how it sits on your neck/chest. Sew a few stitches so they (the two segments) are kept in position. Finish off with a bead.
*I've used a bright yellow bead to give it a little extra cute umpf BUT you can leave it plain or use a button instead...
Step 5:
Sew on the ribbon to the reverse of the collar on both outer edges of your collar. This is your fastening.
Note: I've dabbed a bit of fabric glue on the edge of the ribbon to stop it from fraying but you can use metal chain, chunky plastic chain or even a leather thong with a lobster claw fastener.
(Also see the post make notes on the print out pattern!)
Step 6:
Tie around your neck and wear it like a fruit loving chicka!
I would have gone for the whole Carmen d'Miranda look but I'm saving that for summer...
Hum, what about a fruity head piece for our next tutorial? Now there's a great idea!
P.S. And you don't have to stop there, you can adapt this tutorial to make many fruity based collars! So think of any fruit which can be segmented like:
Apples, pears, lemons, oranges or even a couple of mini bananas would look awesome so just go for it.
Now you're set to make fun accessories which are totally Tutti Frutti!
Share your creations with us on twitter, tag us (@craftguerrilla) and post with the hashtag #CraftLovers and we'll re-tweet your amazing handy work!
