Welcome to the first day of Refashionista! I'm so glad you're here.
Our first guest needs NO introduction, but I'm going to give her one anyhow. This is Disney from Ruffles and Stuff (and her gorgeous daughter). Her blog was one of the first craft blogs I found and I fell in love with it. It wasn't just her amazing skills, but it was also her giving, thoughtful personality. She and her blog feel so real and honest and I was really drawn to both. Her blog made me want to start my own. You could give Disney $3 and she would make something that looked like it was $3,000. While she isn't currently blogging right now, I would still recommend following her. She pops back in here and there and always has something incredible when she does.
So, welcome Disney!
It's so neat to be here at Cheri's place today with all of you. I don't think I could really express how much I love Cheri and her blog. She is--honestly--one of the nicest, cutest(am I right?), most creative persons I have ever come across. I'm constantly in awe of what she's doing, and don't tell any of the other wonderful bloggers I said this, but I do have to say that hers is probably my very favoritest blog, if I had to pick one. :O)
I'm also super excited for "refashionista" event! Refashioning is one of my favorite things to do. Not only is the "before & after" effect so fun, but refashioning is sort of like taking a short cut. And since I'm a pretty impatient person, it's right up my alley! :o)
The refashion I'm sharing today is something I call the "Cozy Button Wrap". I
stole it from was inspired by this one over at the Ralph Lauren website.
Wear it buttoned..............wear it open!
Wear it belted....or as a wrap!
*These photos of me are not the most flattering, so I'm not sure it really sells the product. But at least you have a vague idea of how it looks on! :O)
So here's the how-to!
1. Start by sewing two scarves together at one end to make one long scarf, and hem the other two ends to your desired length, using a zigzag stitch. (I used these two grey scarves from the Dollar Tree and cut off the ends. Hurray for the Dollar Tree!)
2. Cut two 6"x7.5" squares of fabric (I used an old sweater for mine) hem the top if needed, and pin them on your scarf with the bottom and ends folded under. Sew on with a straight stitch, backstitching on the top corners for durability.
3. Place your buttons where you'd like (you may want to try it on to find the right placement) and use scotch tape to hold them in place. Then you can sew them on by hand (if you're fancy) or you can cheat and just use a zigzag stitch to go between the two holes. (Be sure to adjust stitch length so your needle fits smoothly in each hole, and lower your feeds dogs so the fabric stays in place)
5. Again, if you are fancy, you can make real buttonholes, but my buttonhole-maker is broken. So I cut three pieces of felt, approx. 1.5x hight and .5x width of each button, stitched them on the other side of the scarf, and put a small slit in the center to slide the buttons through. Start small with the slit, it doesn't take as much as you'd think!
A few tips:
- If you can't find inexpensive matching scarves like mine, try using two scarf sized lengths of snuggly flannel (just remember to hem the sides), or for a super-simple version, try fleece! You can also experiment with two different colored scarves for a funky color block look.
- You can also use fleece for the buttonhole pieces. Or any non-fraying fabric that is sturdy enough. I'd love to try some with leather scraps!
- Don't forget the little ones! I made this fleece version for my little Paige in about ten minutes. (No need for buttonholes, just cut small slits!) And bonus-the buttons keep the scarf from constantly sliding off during busy toddler activities. She loves it!
So there is my little addition to the refashioned pile, I hope you have fun with it!
Thanks again, Cheri. You're the sweetest thing. :o)
Have a wonderful day!
Thanks, Disney! I am seriously excited to make one of these. I especially love how it looks belted. Darling! Feel free to leave a comment here for Disney. I'm sure she'll check them out. Thanks for reading!