Freckled Face DIY Adventures: Bow Ties

Bow ties are an item in a man's fashion repertoire that will never go out of style.  Inspired by Mr. Goodwill Hunting, I thought I would try my hand at making a couple bow ties.  Now, keep in mind that I haven't been sewing for long and have only taken one sewing class in my life.  These bow ties are based off of a McCall's menswear pattern. 

Here is the finished product!



Tell me what you think!

My Favorite Things (October 2011): Zipper Earrings

                                       

I love to support homegrown folks and businesses!  I found these cute upcycled vintage zipper earrings on one of my favorite websites.  Yep, Etsy! 

You can get them too at the benjamin2008 shop on Etsy. 

For my Do-It-Yourselfers, here is a helpful site, to get you going, DIY Zipper Earrings.

Some people are just so dang creative!
                                                                           

Freckled Face DIY Adventures: Cupcake Onesies

So, my closest friends know that I am a Martha Stewart wannabe.  I make pillows, baby blankets, reupholster chairs, repaint and repurpose items and have been known to make jewelry.  In this week’s episode of the Freckled Face DIY Adventures I take on creating my very own cupcake onesies for a baby shower I am scheduled to attend in a few weeks. 

I have never made this type of gift before and must say that I hate to toot my own horn, but this project came out way better than expected.  So, TOOT, TOOT and BEEP, BEEP!

Here is what I started with.


5 - Baby Onesies
3 - Baby Bibs
4 - Hair Barrettes

And this is the finished product. 

Tell me what you think?  Do you like this baby shower gift?

What’s the Fascination with Fascinators?



Image courtesy of fashionshoppings.com

 



Kate Middleton has definitely brought plenty of attention to fascinators through her trendsetting wardrobe and royal wedding.  For those of you who have been living under a rock and haven’t a clue as to what a fascinator is, a fascinator is a headpiece that is commonly made with sinamay, feathers, flowers, veiling, grosgrain, Swarovski crystals and/or beads, to name a few.  The materials used to make fascinators are endless.  The hair accessory is typically affixed to the head with either a comb, clip or headband and are a trendy and very modern replacement for a hat. 

Since going natural, I have decided that fascinators were my headpiece of choice.  Most importantly, due to the bulkiness and thickness of my hair, which usually makes for a tug-of-war for me with most hats.  For someone with my dilemma (thick hair), fascinators are the perfect choice with their ease of use and one size fit all design. 

Most likely, many of us will not be attending any royal weddings anytime soon; at least not of Will and Kate proportions, so where can we common folk wear such fancy hat pieces?  My recommendations are to have fun with this trend, that I think will be around for a long time to come, and don them to church (at least a fascinator is more visual eye candy than those big bothersome church hats we all hate to sit behind), to brunches, weddings (but, try not to upstage the bride by bringing all the attention to the contraption on your head), the Kentucky Derby, Prom and many other events where headpieces would have proper place.  Some fascinators are toned down enough that they can even be worn to work.



Image courtesy of http://carolinepaige.tumblr.com/


Fascinators can be found all over the place these days and can get rather pricey, but don’t fret, there are economical options out there for you frugalistas!  Here are a few sites that offer these trendy pieces at affordable prices, or, you can  try making your own creation:

Hats by Cressida - Etsy

Fascinators NYC - Fascinators NYC

DIY: Fashion Indie

Image courtesy of media.onsugar.com





Fascinators are fun accent pieces that come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors and styles and can be as conservative or outlandish as you prefer, so make a fashion statement, represent your personality and fascinate with your fascinator!