diy
Do it Yourself; Tips and ideas for DIY projects to give a gift that your significant other won't return.
The Purple Coat
Sewing has helped me move forward on my journey towards body positivity. I have had a poor body image since I can remember. I am a plus size person. But a few years ago, I started to discover body positivity on social media. Along with following and interacting with leaders in the field, I also tried focusing inward and doing things in my own life that would increase positivity. I took a body image therapy workshop, I bought clothes that fit me instead of clothes that were the size I preferred, and I started sewing clothes that would fit me. One of the projects I sewed was a purple wool coat. My coat is not perfect. The sleeves are too long and they're somehow too tight as well. The hem is extremely messed up. But it was a labor of love (and, honestly, a labor of work). I saw the pattern for a beautiful coat that I just had to make. The only problem was that it didn't come in my size. That's a problem with sewing patterns for plus size people. Nowadays, the pattern universe is getting much more inclusive as the body positivity movement gains traction. The coat pattern actually goes up to size 24, but patterns go by a different sizing method, so a 24 is equal to a dress size much smaller than that. I didn't know that when I started sewing, so I made a size 20 dress blindly and I couldn't even get it on my body when it was done. I decided to try to adapt the pattern to my size. I was not an advanced sewist (I call myself that because "sewer" looks like I'm a conduit for bodily waste). I had made a red wool coat before, though, without a pattern. I used an old coat for guidance on that one. The red coat is actually better than the purple coat because it has way fewer details. Other than that, I hadn't made any successful clothes for myself. I purchased some gorgeous wool fabric and made a muslin, which is a trial run of the pattern that you make with cheap muslin fabric. I learned to do that from Project Runway. I enlarged the pattern simply by adding space to the front opening of the coat. That probably wasn't the best way to do it, but it was what I did. The muslin seemed fine. I didn't make the sleeves on the practice version, though, and of course that is one of the worst parts of the finished product. I don't wear the purple coat very often because I can hardly move my arms. Nice fabric scissors are very important for cutting fabric. I'm in a few sewing groups online, and occasionally someone makes a joke or remark about using fabric scissors for cutting things other than fabric, which can ruin them. "How should I punish my husband for using my fabric scissors to open a package?" It's important to have scissors that can cut cleanly from hinge to tip. Often scissors don't cut all the way to the tip or they have dull areas along the blade, which makes cutting pattern pieces difficult. I remember cutting out my fabric pieces for the coat. It took a few days to cut out what seemed like 100 pieces. The coat has two outer fabrics and a lining fabric. Along with having good scissors, it's important to cut very precisely or else the pattern won't come together correctly. I started sewing with some silk thread, which I read was good to use with wool. It started out fine but became increasingly crooked as I went. Hopefully it's not 100% noticeable. I had to actually sew in a patch on one of the front plaid panels because I came up so short. Luckily it's mostly on the inside. I think I cut precisely enough, but I'm haphazard with keeping the seams the right size. I'm happy that I turned this project into a wearable piece for me, even though I'm less than impressed with my sewing skills. I always somehow end up with too much or too little fabric. I've thought about quilting, but I can only imagine how crooked it would end up. Each project increases my confidence both in my sewing skills and in my body. I've made a few more apparel pieces for myself since then, including a dress with an embroidered mesh overpiece and a knit top featuring a cool Picasso-type print. The purple coat does feel luxurious when I wear it, and I sense that people can probably tell I made it and think it's cool. I love doing all kinds of arts and crafts and experimenting, like I did with enlarging the pattern, is a big part of it. I do a lot of improvising on things that don't turn out right. One example is that patch that I sewed onto the purple coat. I pride myself in being able to "fix" or change things that don't turn out the way they are in my mind (which is everything). I think it's a neat skill to have as opposed to making everything perfectly. Sometimes I get frustrated, so I just need to remember that I have the ability to fix it!
By Elizabeth Baker5 years ago in Humans
Recycle, Up-cycle
Hazel is my upstairs neighbour. She’s little, old and thin and rather reminds me of my mum who died twelve years ago. In fact, they’d be about the same age, both born just before the end of World War II. Once a week or so Hazel and I have a coffee either in her flat or mine. I don’t allow smoking in my flat but I make an exception for Hazel. When I put the kettle on I dig out my mum’s green, glass ashtray from the 1970s and, with coffees in hand, I make myself comfortable while I listen to Hazel’s stories, most of which I’ve heard several times. That’s the trouble with getting old, you can only look back. But, I am very respectful of the fact that old people have lived, really lived (I’m thinking bombing and rationing) and I think I carry that respect over into material possessions too. I hate the idea of memories being lost and perhaps I place too much sentimentality onto inanimate objects but that’s what makes a possession sacred and special - the emotion we project onto it.
By Julie Murrow5 years ago in Humans
The Joy of Creating
Oh, sewing. That magical escape soothes the mind and energizes the heart by freeing my creative spirit. I sit at my work table, a blank page before me and pencil in hand as the sunlight peeps through the lace curtains I sewed last summer. What shall I create today? Staring into the distance, my mind skips from one idea to the next, as though they're stepping stones in a winding path in the forest.
By Marianna Felfoldi5 years ago in Humans
Creative Floods.
I decided to leave my job six months into COVID. I never thought making coffee was essential to the world but I was, in fact, wrong. There was more to my decision to leave. COVID was just the last straw and the push I needed to finally turn in my apron. At first, I was a little nervous about how we were going to afford our lives on just one income. So I started looking into ways I could contribute.
By Franchessica Hannawacker 5 years ago in Humans
Need I say More?
Over the last couple of weeks, Cassie’s Handy-work has really revved up, as we finish renovating. First, I attempted painting, which we all know was not my strongest suit, mainly because I get more paint on myself than the area I’m painting. I even managed to get paint on myself yesterday and I wasn’t even painting. I helped Kristal and Brooke put together the flatpack wardrobes, and really, they would have been lost without my watchful eye and expertise. The way I hammered the back of the wardrobe on was nothing short of amazing. There were 8 nails which required hammering and Kristal only needed to remove 4…or maybe 6, which is really a win for me.
By Cassie Ford5 years ago in Humans
My Socks are Folded
Everywhere I gaze I see me – I’m at my place, in my room, inside. For contrast, I open up a social media platform I still enjoy and there I see someone, in a city that I love but am away from, has dressed up as a clown and has taken to the street holding a sign that says, “bonne fête la covid” (in all capitals). I cannot laugh at this. In response, I find myself with eyes narrowed, mouth breathing and trying to understand the feelings that are arising in me. I’ve been analyzing my self, my relations, and my lifestyle a lot this past year especially. The pandemic has been compounded with some inclement interpersonal weather – including events and situations that require gear and tools I’m still learning how to use – but something that has provided me with consistent comfort and growth is organizing my place and life to be filled with more glimmers (for hope and futurity) rather than triggers.
By Helena Helios6 years ago in Humans
Valentine's Day and COVID-19: How to Celebrate Love in a Pandemic
Valentine’s day can be enough pressure all on its own; the struggle to give a gift or experience that not only delights your partner but also holds up in comparison to theirs. You guys seen one of those scenes where she gives him a pack of underwear and he hands her the Limited Edition Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie novel she’d raved about? Yikes!
By Mary Adeola Scott6 years ago in Humans
THE CHRISTMAS TREE ANALOGY FOR A LIFE FULLY LIVED
This tree is deliciously symbolic. It represents an analogy for life, for how to seize it with both hands and manifest your biggest dreams. It twinkles with all that is possible when we plug into our authentic selves, instinctively follow our hearts and tap into a universal flow that feels higher purpose aligned and, well, flowy…
By Bianca Best6 years ago in Humans
To Cut or Not to Cut
With summer just around the corner, shopping for a new bikini, getting your workouts in and sunny climes are on your mind. There's also though that one extra nagging feeling... you know the one. It's probably been lingering for years, and you are slightly apprehensive about actually doing it. "Maybe I'll just take a few off on the ends, and see how I feel about it" you tell yourself. If you're brave and consider it "just hair," more than likely you're the friend in the group who's rocking a short haircut - or should be.
By Sky Vettel9 years ago in Humans
What to Expect When You Move In With Your Partner For the First Time
Moving in with your romantic partner is a major relationship milestone these days, and it's one that most people assume will lead to marriage. And, as most people can tell you, it's a serious test to your relationship. After all, if you can't stand each other after a month together, you probably shouldn't marry.
By Mackenzie Z. Kennedy10 years ago in Humans
