Quilt Patchwork Patterns

How to Make a Unique Pair of Board Shorts

Board shorts were once worn only by surfers but these days they are must have beachwear essentials. A pair of board shorts are beachwear essentials, even if you’re not a a surfer. Saving money on a summer wardrobe is always good so I thought I would share my tip on making your own customised board shorts.

Probably the simplest way to make a pair of board shorts is to take an old, worn pair of jeans and cut off the legs above the knee.To make these really simply you don’t really need to hem the legs. Letting the hems fray just adds to their character.

Unfortunately wet denim can be quite heavy and abrasive so this style of homemade board shorts is not likely to be suitable for surfing or other water sports. But they look really cool with a vest or t-shirt, a pair of flip flops and a cool pair of sunglasses.

To customise your new shorts with a few neat embellishments you will need to be useful with a needle and thread. One of my favourite modifications is to remove the rear pockets and add some nice, brightly colored summer material. I also like to add a few decals and patches to them and sometimes I embroider the front pocket edges. I like to wear my shorts with a long silk scarf used as a belt. My boyfriend loves the way they look.

You might like to start off with a pair of old suit trousers rather than a pair of jeans. Cutting these down into a pair of shorts and adding a few custom embellishments is really cool. You will need to hem most old suit trousers to stop them coming apart. I always like to personalise my home made board shorts with a few custom features. You might like to add some handy side pockets made from brightly colored material or maybe embeillish the waist band.

You can find plenty of old trousers at your nearest charity shop. You will find plenty of old trousers to choose from, ideal for recycling into a fresh and funky pair of board shorts.

How to Cross Stitch

Cross stitching is not only a pastime that we can do whenever we have free time. Most people find that cross stitching is a relaxing activity, while creating something that is usefull (and wonderful too).

Using our cros stitch creations as a personal gifts for someone special on special occasions and holiday is a briliant idea to make the people we care about feel important as it took considerable amount of time and patience to finish the stitch.

Measuring For Cross Stitch

If we want to start on this hobby now, it’s not difficult to learn. A few basics need to be understanded in order for us to start on the right track. For instance, Dimension Cross Stitch is not measured by simple inches and centimeters.

Sizes in cross stitch when it comes to determining the amount of cloth will be needed as well the size of the finished project, are measured using the the number of stitches both in width and height.

Dimensions Cross Stitch that measures fourteen-count aida – aida being the cloth specifically made for cross stitching – means fourteen stitches to one inch; an eleven-count aida is eleven stitches to one inch; and so forth.

The height of the design is also measured in the same way; so a pattern that measures one 140W and 63H would mean, the pattern when finished would be one hundred forty inches in width and sixty-three inches in height.

To determine the actual size of the cloth including the extra fabric that will be used for framing; there are cross stitch calculators that we can find on the internet (you can ask Mr Google for that).

The Essential Factors in Cross Stitch

Other than the cloth, there are other essentials that we will be needing in order to start on our cross stitch project. The needle that is good for those of us who are only starting to learn, would be #22, you can read more about Sewing Needle Size Chart.

There are also patterns that are designed for beginners which are basically small so it won’t be to difficult to finish the project.

The thread, also called embroidery floss, is the next thing we need to think about. Basically, the embroidery floss has 6 strands that are twisted together and we need to separate these as per instructions on our pattern.

The last item is the hoop. This will hold our cloth together while we do our cross stitching.

We can then begin with our first attempt at cross stitching once we have all the necessary materials to start on our cross stitch project.

By following the instructions that come with our cross stitch kit, we can easily complete the design with just a little bit of patience and determination.

further reading: Wedding Dress Size Guide

Learn How To Make A Tutu

In this editorial I am going to offer you a few guidelines on how to make a tutu. Tutus are skirts that you regularly see around a ballet dancer. They can be as impressive as a ballerina with a rigid material making them sit up firmly or they can be gentle and flowing and an supplement to a few of your clothes.

As with any project of this type you will be required to unearth the foundation supplies. Depending on what style, colour or type of Tutu you want to make up you will need to get hold of the suitable quantity of tulle. You can probably locate the fabric in your own neighborhood craft store or anyplace else that sells supplies. You might even do a search on the web to learn what it is you need and get it shipped directly to your home.

Clearly if you have a pattern you will find this a lot easier otherwise it is time to commence taking a number of dimensions. To work out how much material you could do with the number one thing you will have to do is calculate from the widest part of the waist down to the knee. This offers you the measurement lengthwise of your tutu and is as well best measured if the beneficiary is at full stride out. The next dimension is around the widest quantity of the waist itself.

To give your tutu a little body I merely keep adding material around the waist band until the tutu takes the form that I desire. I can typically use three times the fabric it takes to wrap round the widest part of the waist and tie it to the waist band. If you’re looking to feature layers when you create a tutu then you can try this also but it’s a little more of complicated.

Making your waist band ought to be simply as much of] fun as it is to make a tutu itself. You’ll be able to add all types of things to the waistband itself like ribbons and bows. Use a bow to hide the join or leave enough material so that you can use the actual waist band itself to form a nice bow at the rear. Of course this might prove a little tough to put on yourself.

Once you begin putting my tips into practice you may learn how to make a tutu in pretty short time. They are really simple to make and with a sensible pattern and some simple tips. Use your imagination and knock them out either for fun or maybe for a little profit. As you get better you may be in a position to sell them at the local markets or even craft stalls and the like.

There is nothing more fun than to sit and do things with the children. One issue I really like to try and do is teach them How To Make A Tutu. Other than spending time with the kids you’ll also smarten up your own clothes and add a little bling to those older exhausted outfits or do what James does and turn your passion into a small business after you learn How To Make A Tutu.