Random header image... Refresh for more!

A Rare DIY

• • • • • • • • • • •

Thank you so much to all of you for the lovely anniversary/birthday wishes for AsianCajuns! Your comments always make our day/week/year(s)! xoxo, Lar & Cath

• • • • • • • • • • •


DIY ruffle t-shirt, Target cardi, J. Crew necklace, H&M belt, American Apparel skirt, BCBG pumps.

Lar and I both are always inspired by all the fashion and style diy bloggers, but we rarely try to copy any of the projects. I have no explanation for this. Laziness? Dreading the mess that comes with crafting? Lack of sewing skills? It’s probably a mix of all three.

Luckily, I have some very crafty friends that can get me motivated every once in a while. A few weekends ago Julia, of Squirrel and Fox blog and Heliotrope, hosted a craft day. She’s been playing around with some diy projects she found on Made By Lex and invited a group of us over for some sewing and mimosa drinking.

Julia guiding Ali’s fabric cutting. She used the zebra pattern as the ruffle on her black shirt.

I used an old light pink shirt to get fabric for my ruffle on top of a darker pink v-neck Lar picked up for me at Rag-o-Rama in Little Five Points for $10.


Lar and I took a beginners sewing class one summer when we both thought we might want to go into fashion design. We learned quite a bit in that class; like how to thread  a sewing machine, how to adjust the tension, how to make a pillow case and a pair of boxer shorts. We also learned that we weren’t too fond of sewing and that fashion design was probably better left to those who do.

Here’s a close-up of my shirt. It’s pretty sloppy, but layering it with a cardi and dressing it up for work seemed to hide a lot of the flaws.

Thanks to Julia for getting me inspired for the day! Maybe I’ll be up for another DIY project in a few months.

22 comments

1 jenny { 04.21.10 at 10:29 am }

so cute! did you see the little girl’s dress i made out of clearance IKEA bedding? http://www.bklynjenny.com/2010/03/little-girls-dress/

i don’t think sewing gets fun until you have done it for a while.

ps – how was reunion?!

[Reply]

2 anh { 04.21.10 at 10:44 am }

it looks fabulous!!! go cath! i agree with jenny. it doesn’t get fun until you know what you are doing… and i am still at that point. its not fun so i rarely sew…

[Reply]

3 WhiskAwayNic { 04.21.10 at 11:02 am }

Same problem here: tons of inspiration, zero motivation.

Nice job!

[Reply]

4 Sally { 04.21.10 at 11:23 am }

I love it! Tres J.Crew, lady.

[Reply]

5 Snapshot Fashion { 04.21.10 at 11:30 am }

super cute! and way better than i could ever do. i hate sewing!!!

[Reply]

6 EmilyKennedy { 04.21.10 at 11:44 am }

Rad! You did great!

[Reply]

7 Deanna Heath { 04.21.10 at 1:10 pm }

I think you did a great job! I am not the diy-er either but have been endlessly inspired to try some sewing soon!

[Reply]

8 ediot { 04.21.10 at 4:43 pm }

what an cute shirt darling. i love it. well done diy! and you look so very chic in that outfit. hope youre both having an magnificent mid-week.take care lovelies.
xx ediot

[Reply]

9 Clare { 04.21.10 at 4:53 pm }

So polished and so awesome. I totally have to try this!

[Reply]

10 lisa { 04.21.10 at 5:52 pm }

Nice DIY attempt! You’re much braver than I am.

[Reply]

11 Winnie { 04.21.10 at 7:21 pm }

Oh Cath, you look so cute in that outfit! I really like the DIY top and would never have guessed if I hadn’t scrolled down to read the rest of the post. I know what you mean, when I was 15 I thought I wanted to go into fashion design but then I took classes at school and it demotivated me a little. Though, on the rare occassion I will get the family sewing machine out and make something….but completely messy and amateur!

[Reply]

12 miss a. { 04.21.10 at 10:45 pm }

Hey! Jinah and I were talking about how we should all hang out sometime. I’d love to do it before Europe, if you guys have time. I probably won’t be updating much while I’m on vacay, but I’ll probably be on my Twitter whenever I find Wi-Fi, which is apparently readily available in Europe now. Hooray, they’ve finally left the dark ages!

[Reply]

13 Julia { 04.21.10 at 11:20 pm }

Glad it turned out well after the wash! Had fun with you ladies and will start planning another craft session soon. :)

Julia

[Reply]

14 Eli { 04.22.10 at 12:08 am }

a late congrats!

[Reply]

15 ronel { 04.22.10 at 1:10 am }

a late congrats, and you guyz are great

[Reply]

16 Lesley N { 04.22.10 at 1:57 am }

You made that!?!?! I’d buy that! In fact I’ve been looking for a top like that lol. Amazing work! If I could have one skill, it would be the ability to make my own clothes. I have good ideas, but no idea how to execute them.

PS: I thought I should share that I’m officially leaving for Edinburgh in 9 days! ahhh! I’m so excited!

[Reply]

17 Orchid { 04.22.10 at 6:18 am }

Oh i love it…the softness of the color and the layered ruffles…absolutely adorable.

[Reply]

18 Katie { 04.22.10 at 11:12 am }

Great job on the shirt! Sloppy or not it is a great effort… people probably won’t even notice the flaws you see. Have you ever heard the saying: “you are all our own worst critic”? It is so true!

Well, unless you are a celebrity I guess…. haha!

[Reply]

19 WendyB { 04.22.10 at 10:28 pm }

Laziness is an excellent reason for not doing things!

[Reply]

20 Jane { 04.23.10 at 9:58 am }

Yay! I love the finished product! Hopefully I can partake in the next craft day :)

[Reply]

21 Jinah { 04.23.10 at 3:46 pm }

The top looks awesome! I have stashes of DIY projects I leave unfinished. I think I need to focus this summer.

[Reply]

22 Maeko { 05.03.10 at 10:59 am }

AMAZING. I wish I were good at things like sewing, but I’m totally not. SO I’d never attempt something like that!

[Reply]

Leave a Comment