Rose Scarflet: How to

Hey here's a post on accessories after a really long time...(I'll accept it that jewelry is much more fun to make). But now faced with an emergency (I need a scarflet desperately) I decided to make one. A re-purposed one.


When a newly bought cami tears, I find it very irritating..The only thing the comes out of it is a dust cloth that you use to clean the showcase glasses once and then you throw it away. But what if it can be made into something else more worthwhile...Playing around with my pink knit cami  I came up with this scarlet that is great to be worn when it is not very cold but still chilly. No machine sewing skills required for this project because I dont have a machine ;)
Materials Required
- Knit fabric (tubular knit). I cut mine from my cami. You could also cut from any old tshirt. Width 7" length 35" totally when cut open at one end. Extra fabric for the rosette (can be a different fabric/color also)
- hand needle and matching thread/ Scissors

There are two parts to this scarlet - the scarf and the rosette. We will do the rosette first. I am doing this rosette to resemble a rose flower that used to bloom in my childhood home. I would be so drawn to it that my mother would sometimes affectionately refer to me as "roja poo"(rose flower) after that particular flower.

Procedure

- From the extra fabric cut 5 circles of 1" diam and 5 circles of 2" dia. Aslo cut a small strip of 1" by 6".
Roll the small strip to form the bud. Secure with a few hand stitches



Starting with the smaller circles, add the petals one by one to the bud, hand tacking each petal. Next add the bigger circles. When all the circles are used, turn to the back ,pinch it in the center and stitch through the layers one or twice and secure with a knot. Cut off the thread. The rosette is now done. Fluff it up to give it shape. Keep it aside

If you cut the bottom portion of the cami/t shirt like I did, you would be left with a tube, cut one end. now when you open it the Width should be 7" length 35" totally. Fold it in half width. two layers are required to give enough warmth around the neck.

Wear the strip around your neck so that the raw edge faces inward and cross one strip over the other about a 11/2 to 2" below your neck point. Mark and remove.Lay the strip flat and cross at the marked point. It should look as in the picture.

Bring the crossed edge again to the front. Pleat the excess (you will get 2 small pleats) and secure with 2 hand stitches. Without cutting off the thread add the rosette to that point and stitch through it once again. when worn the rosette will cover the exposed neck point.
Thats all..Its done...owing to the stretch of the knit (and the given measurements) it will easily slip through your head. If you head is smaller or if you feel that too much of your neck is exposed you can make the crossing higher. The folded edge of the scarflet around your neck will act like a turtle neck- you can raise or lower(fold it in) according to your requirements.You can hem the hanging edge if you are very particular (actually not required). Instead of the rose you could even add a clip/ pin or a cameo brooch to make a variation.
Another Variation : Stitch together the pleats without adding the rose on top. Convert the rose to a pin by adding a pin back at the back covered with a piece of felt. Now your rose can be just pinned on to the scarf or can be worn with something else, as you please.
Try making it (its takes only 15 minutes). It could make a great valentine's day gift too.
Cheers
Divya N

Participate in Sayuri's Design of the month contest

Sayuri's Design of the month contest is back and the theme for this (January) month is  

Re-Invention 

The items to be used are recyled /reused material which get transformed into a new avatar by your handling and technique. The idea " why not reinvent and create want from waste?

 Almost thougtht of not having the contest this month but then, the enquiries I got made me announce it this month also.

  

You know the rules guys...

- You can submit multiple entries but re submitting your old entries is not possible

- send a photograph of your design made from these items and mail it to me before the 23th of January.

for more detailed rules check out : Contest Rules

Cheers n good Luck

Hoping to see loads of entries

Cheers

How to convert a Hairband into a Brooch/clip

Dont we all just love rosettes. I believe that there is no better way to welcome spring than with flowers. So keeping in mind my theme for this month - Reinvention or Re purposed jewelry, I would now like to show you a quick way to whip up a rosette brooch/clip in less than 15 minutes (10 with practice :).

I have used an old hairband (pony tailer) that had gotten elongated because of use. It can no longer be used as a band but that is what makes it great for this project.

Hairband brooch/Clip

Materials required: 

- old hair band with elastic,

- a shank button (I have used a stone studded shank button that I have with me from my MG days),

- Some seed beads or micro beads

- Clear Glue

- sewing thread and needle

- A piece of felt

- A brooch pin/safety pin or a Barret (depending on whether you want to make a brooch or a hair clip)

Procedure: Even though the hairband has elongated, it still has some elastic left in it.So when you lay it flat and twist it from one corner it automatically turns itself into a Rosette.

But before you begin to twist it, thread a needle with matching thread and keep it ready. Now Hand tack or go through the twisted rosette in all directions (in and out) to secure it.

Dont cut or remove the thread

Apply a thin layer of clear glue to the shank of the button and press it down in the center of the rosette.

Let it dry. Some thread on some micro beads unto the needle and stitch them (not stick as written on the pic - sorry about the typo error :() to the rosette.

I did three lines, you could do less or more.

Knot and cut off the thread.

Now is the time to decide if you want it to be hair clip or a brooch. Turn the brooch around. For a hairclip, just glue its back on to the top of a barret or an alligator clip. Remember to not apply glue on the moving parts.

If you want it to be a brooch, first glue a safety pin or a brooch pin into a piece of suede. I have used flesh color suede here so that you would be able to see what is going on - I recommend that you use a matching color of suede.Now glue the suede along with the pin into the back of the rosette. Let it dry for sometime and then its done. Your own rosette brooch/pin/clip in a jiffy.

I hope you had fun making it

Contact me in case of any queries or suggesstions...would love to hear them

Cheers

Top 10 Trends of the Decade -2000s

Just a few days back the 2nd decade of this millennium started. Though the Y2K scare that marked the beginning of this millennium died without a whimper, last decade saw a lot of twists and turns. Things that were considered impossible a few decades ago became possible through great advancement in science and technology.

 From fashion point of view,  the 20oos is most a hodgepodge of style and trends that surfaced in the last 100 years that preceded it. The 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and nineties were reinvented over and over again. Antique and vintage styles were also quite prevalent. Almost feels as though nothing of new came up in this age where there is so much new technology yet no original style.

But what defining trend will encompass the past ten years? The '60s had go-go boots, bell bottom jeans and psychedelic prints, while satin polyester and hot pants defined the disco era of the late '70s. What fashion will we remember the 2000s for? So I complied a list of 10 ten that created a storm internationally and in India in the 2000s.

Click these links to read these articles of mine on She.Sulekha

Top 10 International Fashion Trends Of The Decade!

Top 10 Original Fashion Trends Of The Decade In India! 

Collecting all this info was not easy...had to do some good research. So would love to get feedback 

Cheers

 

How to make a Gold Spiral Pendant

Welcome to the first of my Re-purposed jewelry tutorials...

India's love of gold is legendary and every Indian woman longs for a special piece of gold jewelry that is distinctly hers...It could be a Yazh kada (a cuff), it could be a Kasumalai (coin necklace) or it could even be a polki jumkha....For me it is a coiled pendant. Ever since I saw one in the D'damas ad in the mid nineties, I have fallen in love with it. I still remember the visual - a design akin to a serpent coiled around its stone (the nagaratnam).

That's how far my love for spiral stuff (remember my wire swirls post) dates back to. So Instead of creating a knock off of the original, I decided to make my own design of a Spiral-coiled pendant..Incidentally some time back my mom had got a fake gold chain for RS.35 from a street vendor and it was too shiny to be worn but perfect for this design.

Spiral Pendant

Things required : 1) A long gold chain(those cabled - close looped ones are good- the size of your pendant will depend on the length of your chain - so choose accordingly)

2)clear Glue (I use fevibond - it sticks fast and the bond is really good)

3) a piece of  fabric felt - in flesh/skin colour (the nib painting varieties - where it is soft on one side and rough on the other)

4) some jump rings (I used 3 apart from the one that was already attached to the chain)

5) any other matching chain or cord to string the pendant in

 

Process: It is an effectively simple process. Fold the chain in two and lay it out after removing the clasp(leave the jump ring on) to make sure it is flat without any turns and knots. Now lay it as is on a piece of felt. (I prefer to cut the felt only after sticking down the chain..its much easier that way). Make sure that the strands are always parallel to each other..

Apply a dab of glue in the centre, hold the chain in place (with a plier or your hand) and start twirling the chain in the glue.

Now you have got the centre of the pendant.

Apply a concentric trail of glue and continue to twirl the strands "Strictly one at a time". If you turn both strands together, you'll lose the shape and there will be gap in the middle.

Keep twirling till you come to the end of the chain where there is (or you have pre-attached) a jump ring.

Let it dry for atleast an hour

Cut off the extra suede around the pendant as carefully as possible (the glue would have hardened your pendant by now) and set it aside for some time. Then add as many jump rings as your want (I added 3) to make a good bail.

For all purposes you pendant is ready. 

Now you can string it to a piece of heavy braided cord or multiple cords or like me in another chain and you can keep changing it as per your mood :)

Have fun making it

Cheers

RePurposed Jewelry

A New Day, A New Year...and a start of something of New......!!

This being my motto for the New Year, I thought why not implement it in my blog also. So here I am metamorphosing a lot of old things(habits) that surround me into new." Wherever there is an end, there is a beginning"

When I wrote my Reinvention post, Pearl of Beadinggem encouraged me and lauded my work. She even featured it in her blog. Its when I got this idea " why not reinvent and create want from waste? but I didnt want to alter things so drastically that they bear so resemblance to their original form nor did I want add new stuff to them in the name of reusing them" So here I begin with the stuff in the cupboard, right behind me, where I keep all the jewelry and accessories I own and manipulate them, without too many extra additions giving them a whole new look.In the next two months my blog will be filled with posts and tutorials of reinvention..

Earrings will change mood...

Chains will become pendants....

hairbands will become brooches...

there will be wrist cuffs and corsages everywhere....

and a bangle will get a makeover.....

Featured here are two earrings that have be made from 5 pairs of existing (read old, boring and unused) earrings. I just combined them to make these new ones and have been wearing them ever since. (I guess even now :) ).So thats it for the inspiration...as all good things come in doses my tutorials shall start from the next post...

Have a great begining guys...

Cheers