Customising Clothes.

Happy Sunday my lovelies! I hope you’re enjoying the four day weekend as much as I am; I celebrated my third blogiversary (post coming soon), have been creating a miniature greenhouse and have been customising some clothes!

You see, I absolutely love fashion and art, so it’s pretty natural for me to customise and create my own clothes. In the past I have customised a few pieces with embroidery (you can check them out here) but more recently I’ve been delving more into tailoring clothes to fit my style so they aren’t just sat in the back of my wardrobe.

Something I love doing to different pieces is drawing or painting my own design onto them to give them a bit of a pattern and personality. One of my favourite things I’ve done with fabric pens is draw line art faces all over a pair of mom jeans that I hadn’t worn in a long time, but now I wear them all the time!

I also had an old oversized mens simple white t-shirt that I had cropped in the past and wore as pyjamas, so I made the decision to chop off its sleeves, put in some darts to make it fit a little better, opened up the sides and added some small ties as the method of doing it up and then finally I drew similar faces to the jeans all over it. It’s gone from a boring old t-shirt to a completely new and shaped top perfect for summer.

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As well as customising clothes with fabric pens and paint, I also have slowly been personalising a denim jacket I picked up a while back with patches and pins, with the plan of covering it as much as I can!

Here’s what it looks like so far:

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And finally, the project I undertook today, customising a very long summer dress I picked up so it would be a bit more me; and the good news is that not only did it take a mere 30s minutes from start to finish, but I also documented the process so you can do the same to any dresses you may want to shorten and change up a bit!

For this dress I decided that I wanted to shorten it to around knee length (I’m 5ft 3 for reference) since it looked a bit like it was drowning me with it being full length and then adding in a thigh split to give it that extra little pop.

So, here’s what we were starting with:

As you can see, the hem of the dress landed just above my ankle, so I made the decision to take off about 8-10 inches from it to get it around knee length for me.

So, here’s what you’re going to need:

• Fabric scissors
• Sewing Machine or needle and thread (and a lot of patience)
• Pins
• Something to mark your fabric with – I used a white gel pen but most pens/pencils will work
• Measuring tape or ruler

Now that you know what you’ll need, onto some instructions!

Step 1: Measure from the bottom of the hem how much fabric you want to take off, for me this ended up being 8 inches. And remember to add your seam allowance to the bottom of this so you get the length you want, for me I was happy with anywhere in between 8 and 10 inches being cut off so I just cut at 8 inches. Then cut off the bottom of the dress.

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Step 2 : Fold over the new bottom edge of the dress and pin it down, I didn’t bother to iron the hem down but you can always do that if you want to be extra sure you’ve got a crisp edge.

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Step 3 : Sew down your hem, and try on you new dress! (Told you this was a quick way to change up and customise a dress)

I personally decided to style my new dress with a cute black belt to accentuate my waist and a pair of combat boots and that was that! I love this dress so much more now compared to before; I feel like it suits my personality a lot better too.

Here’s a before and after comparison for you!

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Compared to my white t-shirt transformation this probably doesn’t seem like a huge transformation but the small subtle changes make a difference making this dress feel younger and more my style.

And those are some of my customised pieces! I’m constantly thinking of new ways I’d like to personalise and change up my clothes and accessories, so if you like this post or try out some of these methods of customising pieces let me know and I’ll create more posts like this!

Do you like to customise your clothes? If so, what do you like to do to personalise them? Let me know in the comments!

Have a great weekend and Easter my lovelies!

Love,

DIY Embroidered Fashion.

Happy Saturday my lovelies! How’s everyone’s week been? Mine has just flown by, which I’m not mad at haha. Onto this weeks post! Well.. more like last weeks post to start this one. So, I had so many lovely comments on my last post and Insta about my Harry Potter House inspired outfits and my Unique Fashion post and I’ve had a few requests for a DIY for the embroidered Hogwarts tee I made, so.. of course I had to make you lovely people a tutorial!

P.S. I love getting requests for posts so please feel free to drop any of them in the comments so I know what you want to see from me!

Plus, it’s pretty easy to make! So don’t think you cant do something before you’ve tried it just because it looks hard or scary, because you’re so capable of doing everything you set your mind to! Alright, motivational pep talk over. Let’s get into it!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• An image you want to embroider (you can get this online or draw it yourself)
• Tracing paper or Baking paper
• A pencil
• A t-shirt or any other clothes you want to embroider
• Interfacing, enough for your design (You can find it on amazon cheap – here’s what I use, or you can use a scrap of fabric that’s fairly sturdy, linen or cotton I’d recommend!)
• Embroidery Thread (whatever colours you want!)
• Embroidery needle
• Scissors
• Embroider hoop the size of the design you want to embroider

Here’s the drawing I used for my tee, you can use it yourself if you want, and if you do, let me know how it turns out in the comments or tag me on insta @theweightofmyworlds !

Step 1 : Find or draw the image you want to embroider, then if you’re using an image your found online you can either print it out or place tracing paper over the screen and trace the image you want, or draw it free hand on the paper!

Step 2 : Cut out interfacing the size of your design. Then iron it (shiny side goes to the fabric) to the underneath of where you want your design.

Step 3 : Put your fabric in the embroidery hoop and make sure the fabric is pulled tight. (I wouldn’t recommend using super stretchy fabric because the embroidery will shrink once it’s taken out of the hoop and it’ll be harder to embroider).

Step 4 : Place the image on tracing paper over your hoop on your t-shirt. Then thread your needle with your chosen embroidery thread and make your first stitch through the paper, so the paper will no longer move when you’re sewing.

Step 5 : Using small stitches go over your line drawing, tracing your drawing with the stitches to complete your design.

Step 6 : Carefully tear away the paper (I used an unpicker to get under the tiny pieces of paper, you just need to be careful to not unpick your stitches!) to reveal your design!

Step 7 : Optional – if you’ve got a ring where your hoop was, you might need to iron it out!

Finally : Wear your creation with pride!!

And that’s it! Depending on the size of your design this can be a really quick DIY or it could be one you do over a longer period of time; I managed this DIY in 2-3hours on and off from start to finish.

I love being able to make clothes my own, and having that sense of pride and achievement wearing something you’ve made is amazing. Embroidery is also pretty therapeutic to do whilst watching the TV, so why not put on your favourite show of film and get creating! My next piece I’m customising is an old denim jacket which I can’t wait to show you when it’s done!

So.. what do you think? Are you inspired to make your own? Or do you already personalise your clothes with little touches? Let me know in the comments!

I’d love to see your creations so be sure to tag me in them on insta (@theweightofmyworlds)!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Love,

Unique Fashion.

Happy Saturday lovelies!! This heatwave is certainly going on for a bit longer than I’d like! Do you like the heat? Or are you more of a autumn/winter person?

Anyway, on to the subject of this weeks post: DIY Unique Fashion! I couldn’t decide what to call this post for ages and I think that title sums it up the best. I toyed with DIY Fashion, Personalised Clothes etc. but unique fashion fits better.

Where did the idea for this post come from? Well.. as you know, I love wearing whatever I want, no matter what other people think; and because I’m a creative I often dream up outfits in my head with pieces I don’t own or that would cost way too much money that I don’t have.

And voila! The decision entered my mind that since I have some sewing skills I could probably create some of these pieces myself.

First up I had to decide what I wanted to make, and for my first project I chose shoes. Floral embroidered ones to be exact. I got the idea for these from seeing some checked vans when out and about shopping, those shoes take me back to my teens, everyone used biros and sharpies to draw the check pattern themselves haha.

So to start, I had to work out what shoes to buy as a base, and I figured some cheap converse would be a good plan since there’s loads of fabric to work with. I got mine from Primark in the end because they’re cheap and cheerful and if my idea went horribly wrong then I wouldn’t have wasted a load of money.

Then I ordered myself an embroidery starter pack from Amazon. If you’re wondering which one, you can find it here. It cost about £16, and it came with everything I needed. One thing I will say with this set is that the needles aren’t massively strong so I bought some extra needles which worked a lot better with the thicker fabrics.

Now, if I was smarter, I would’ve drawn out the design I wanted to create. But I decided to just wing it and see what happens. If you aren’t sure what design you want, I’d suggest drawing it out first to be safe.

Then comes the fun part! Time to start sewing! If you’re struggling for ideas on what you want to sew or how to sew certain stitches, there’s hundreds on embroidery tutorials on Pinterest, TikTok and YouTube.

My trainers took me about 2-3 weeks, and that was by working on them on and off in the evenings. Then I got myself some weatherproofing spray and gave them a good covering.

And after all that, I’m super happy with my results!

I love my trainers, they’re unique and no one else has any like it! Plus I have the satisfaction of knowing I made them, and you know, you gotta celebrate your successes no matter how small!

Onto my next 10 minute project that anyone can do, I had a pair of dungarees and I kept envisioning a pretty sunflower on them, so that’s exactly what I did. And it took no time at all. All you need is a needle, some embroidery thread (or even thick normal thread would work to be honest) and some interfacing if you’re working with stretchy and flimsy fabric.

Interfacing is something you can buy in two forms, iron on or sew on. I use iron on interfacing for clothes and adding small designs onto things, but if you were to make your own handbag for example, you’d probably use sew in as it tends to be a bit thicker.

And here is my super cute dungarees! It’s such a small simple thing to add, but I feel like it’s brought a bit of new life to them.

Tips for starting a creative project:

• Plan what design you want to do/what you want to make.
• Do some research into different techniques.
• Make a list of everything you’ll need.
• Make it in your own time.
• Take progress pictures if you’re making it over a long period of time. (It’s always great to see how much you’ve progressed!)
• Wear whatever you’ve made with confidence.
• Celebrate your creativeness!

And that’s about it for today’s post! I love being able to channel my creativity into my style, and I’ll definitely being making some more changes to my clothes to make them unique. And I can’t wait to wear these shoes out and about to show them off! And as for my dungarees, well I’ve got visions of wearing them with either a bottle green, red wine, mustard or deep purple coloured jumpers in autumn/winter. After all, I am a winter gal at heart.

What do you think to my dungarees and trainers? Let me know in the comments! Has this inspired you to make some of your own personalised clothes/accessories? It’s really rewarding and therapeutic to do. Perfect for days when its pouring down or something to do whilst you lay in the sun.

If you’re out in the sun today make sure you’re keeping cool and hydrated, and wearing sun cream! Have a great weekend everyone, see you next week!

Love,

Valentines Day Gifts

The first month of the year is coming to an end already, and you know what that means.. Valentines Day. Now, I personally think that we should all just show each other how much we love one another year round, but I get that Valentines is a nice way to make someone feel extra special.

I also think that Valentines Day is a day that we can all use as an excuse (even though we don’t need one..) to give ourselves some love, and remind ourselves of how amazing and special we are.

I know that a lot of us search for ‘Valentines gifts for…’ when it comes to finding a Valentines Day gift for our special someone, so I’ve done this gift guide in categories with gifts I would buy for my other half and of course what I would like myself! Both will include unisex, personal, DIY and funny gifts from different price ranges! (*all images taken from the websites linked and do not belong to me)

A lot of these gift ideas are the same for both sexes in my opinion but everyone knows what they like and have a idea of what their friend, partner or special person likes.

Valentines Day ‘Guy’de’ (get it haha):

1 . Personalised Jewellery.

You can get each piece of jewellery here – the letter necklaces, the minimalist bar necklaces and the personalised birthstone bracelet here.

2 . Watch.

You can grab the first, black watch here, the white one here and the rose gold one here!

3 . USB Mix Tape.

This is a DIY one, but you can buy the cassette tape with the memory stick here and the personalised memory stick here! This is one of my favourite ones, because it requires so much thought, ans we all know that it’s the thought that counts!

4 . The Five Senses.

This one is personal to who you’re buying for, which is why I love this one!

5 . Makeup Vouchers.

This one doesn’t need a photo, because we all know what gift cards look like! If you have a makeup lover, they will love this.

6 . Memory frame/box/bottle.

You can get the frame here, the bottle here and the memory box here.

7 . Breakfast in bed with a surprise day out.

Here’s a pretty breakfast for the photo for this one, because the day out is personal to the person, pick something they’ll not expect you to have picked that you know they’ll love!

8 . A personal piece of art or an inside joke made into a gift.

You can grab the ‘things I love about you’ piece here, the photo collage here and the wooden planisphere here!

 

Girls Guide to Valentines:

1 . Watch.

The first watch here is more pricey than the others, but you can grab it here, the silver watch here and the pocket watch here!

2 . USB Mix tape.

This is exactly the same as the mix tape from the ‘Guy’de’ so I will just leave the link for the cassette tape and USB here and the personalised memory stick here!

3 . Favourite Sweets Hamper.

You can grab the post box sweets here, the haribo and marshmallow tree here and the wonka inspired chocolate box here!

4 . The Five Senses.

This is the same idea as the one above, but with slightly different items!

5 . A new game, with snacks for a game day/night.

I don’t feel like this one needs a photo, because everyone has different game preferences! It doesn’t even have to be a game night, it could be binge watching your favourite series or movies!

6 . Remember when box – with funny and sweet memories handwritten memories.

Very similar to the other memory box one, but this one is with handwritten memories inside, ideally write as many as you can to fill the box or book or page! You can get the poster here, the box here and the book here.

7 . Wallet keepsakes – a photo of you together or even a cute saying or inside joke you have!

You can get the silver card with a map (it comes in other colours) here, the gold card (also in other colours) here and the photo with tiny letter here! I personally love the tiny love letter and photo one the most, and think its perfect for everyone; including if you’re getting it for yourself, because why not send yourself a reminder of how lovely you are!

8 . Surprise day out.

I won’t include a photo for this gift either purely because it’s very personal to every person! It doesn’t have to be an expensive day out, it could be so simple, why not a surprise picnic at lunch? Or even more romantic, bring blankets and candles and have a candle lit picnic!

Well, those are my ideas for Valentines Day gifts that you can get yourself or that special someone in your life! And although these are categorised, I think that you can get these for anyone in your life. It doesn’t matter if you have that special someone yet or not, you might not want a special someone in your life right now; it’s your choice and Valentines is a great day to show yourself some self love!

I know these are all gifts that cost money, but they also don’t have to! You can always use this gift guide as inspiration for gifts that you can make with things you probably have around the house! (the remember when memories are an easy one to do, along with the mix tape!) If you DIY any of these gifts let me know how it goes in the comments below, I always love reading and replying to them!

So have an amazing weekend and Valentines Day for the 14th my lovelies!

Love,

10 Mother’s Day Gifts Mums Actually Want

When Mother’s Day comes round it always feels like it’s getting earlier each year. Well, it feels like that in my house anyway! All you see in shops are mushy pink and red cards and chocolates. This year I decided to actually ask my mum what she likes getting for Mother’s Day and I thought I’d share some gift ideas I came up with; they’re all budget friendly so if you’re like me and are low on cash, don’t worry! I gave myself the task of all ideas being less than £30 or free.

Why have I decided to do this ideas list? Because all of the card and gift shops have the same stuff in them and they’re never very thoughtful. And when I asked my mum what she wanted she said this to me:

“Creme Eggs.. And I don’t mind what else as long as it’s thoughtful or useful, none of this cheesy crap.”

Haha, I love my mum.

So armed with my mums idea of something useful or thoughtful, and of course some chocolate, I’ve come up with 10 gift ideas you can try this Mother’s Day.

1. The handmade card and flowers combo.

If you’ve got any funny memories or inside jokes with your mum like I have, then this is a great opportunity to make her laugh and remember good memories. You could add a photo of you both to it and get some flowers for her too, you can’t go wrong with flowers!

2. You could make coupons of vouchers for jobs you know your mum hates doing.

If your mum is anything like mine, then she probably dreads doing the ironing and washing. So why not give her homemade vouchers that she can use and you do the jobs she hates! Or if you don’t like the voucher idea, then stay up late the day before (if you live at home still) and do all of the jobs before she wakes up in the morning. She’d love the surprise!

 

3. Wash her car.

Now, this one obviously applies if your mum owns a car. But if she does, with what the weather is constantly throwing at us, I doubt she’s has some time to get her car washed or do it herself. And there’s just something great about that fresh clean car smell!?

 

4. Cook.

This one’s a classic. If you’ve thought about taking her out for lunch or dinner and then realised that funds are low, why not cook her favourite meal instead of forking out for it a restaurant (get it? Haha I’m too funny..). It’s often a lot cheaper to actually buy all of the ingredients for the meal than it is to have it cooked for you. Also, make sure you wash up after yourself, because the last thing your mum will want to do is tidy up the kitchen!!! Plus you get to keep any yummy leftovers!

 

5. DIY hamper.

Hampers always goes down well, not only for days like Mother’s Day, but birthdays and Christmas presents. The good thing with hampers is that you can personalise them to whoever it’s for. For a Mother’s Day hamper, why not buy or make some bath bombs, add a few tea lights or pillar candles, some chocolates and a film and you’re good to go! All of it probably comes to about £17? Not bad if I say so myself.

 

6. Mum Survival Kit

This one is very similar to the above, but you can add a few joke pressies in here. Get a cheap tote bag or gift bag, add in a bottle of wine or spirits, chocolates, ear plugs, a face mask and other little things like tissues etc.

 

7. Take her out for lunch or dinner.

This one is the pricier of the bunch, but if you don’t usually have the chance to take her out for a meal, then it’s a nice surprise. And if you’re not an only child, you can always get your siblings to pitch in, that way it doesn’t break the bank too much!

 

8. Make a photo book.

Photo books or blocks are good for any occasion. If you’ve got loads of family photos then pick out some of your favourites, maybe even some of your mum from when she was little, and create a photo book. You can get some printed for really cheap, I’ve used Tesco printing before and delivery was fast too.

 

9. Homemade chocolates.

If you love cooking than this is a good one for you. Making chocolates doesn’t take too many ingredients and are pretty simple to make, just make sure you clean up afterwards! They can really impress your mum, especially if she never sees you in the kitchen! (A chocolate truffle recipe post will be here on Sunday!!)

 

10. Magazine Subscription.

Does your mum love putting her feet up with a good cuppa (or glass of wine 😉 ) and sitting down with a magazine? Then why not find out which magazine she loves and get her a years subscription, some cost under £15 for the year, and that way your mum gets a little something every month!

 

And obviously if all else fails, then breakfast in bed is always a good shout, just make sure it’s not too burnt!! I hope this gives you a hand in picking our a good present and all the mums out there have a lovely Mother’s Day (it’s the 11th of March in case you weren’t sure)!!

Love,