Sedona Trip DIY Maxi - Double Slit

What better picture background than the red rock of Sedona.  We went hiking to the Sedona and the Grand Canyon so I decided to take my newest sewing project for pictures.

Make a new maxi dress by using an existing one as a pattern. I used a Guess Maxi that I recently bough as a pattern, added a double slit for a bit of variety... and here is the result!

Sometimes this jersey fabric will be too thin and may be a bit sheer as was the case with my Guess maxi... the benefit of making your own is that you can add lining to avoid the issue, which is what I did.  I simply traced the dress twice, but the lining only goes down to where the slit begins, if you look closely on the picture above you can see that the skirt part is less opaque where the slits begins.

Slit...

Side View ( you can't really tell but this dress has two slits)  

Guess maxi used as a pattern

single slit

The Best Face Mask You Will Ever Try

If you are serious about a deep pore cleansing mask, try this!

Bragg- Organic, Raw, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

Aztec Secret- Indian Healing Clay

Plastic container and scoop

I usually use anywhere from 2-3 scoops

Use an equal amount of Apple Cider Vinegar (2-3 scoops)

Mix into a paste.

And spread around the face evenly staying away from the eyes.

I leave the face mask until it completely dries, about 15-20 minutes.

Be careful if you have sensitive skin!

This is a very powerful face mask, it will leave your face a bit red, so don't be alarmed.

To wash off, just pat lukewarm water on your face until the clay softens to remove.

I usually prefer to use the mask at night before going to sleep to give my pores an opportunity to rejuvenate and breathe and avoid breakouts, dont clog your pores with makeup right after.

I hope you try this out, it works amazingly!

How to fix hemming mistakes on pants

So I am very short and I typically have to hem all my pants, but for some reason, even after doing this so often, there are times when I will cut too much and make my pants shorter than they need to be.
I bought these American Eagle jeans about a year ago and I just hadn't gotten around fixing the hem.

Knowing my previous bloopers, I made sure to measure twice before cutting and testing the fit....buuuuut I still managed to cut too much!  I was so upset, my heart sank when I saw how short the hem was, I had ruined my pants!! ....well, not exactly.  Thankfully, you can still save your pants! I hope this helps!

This is what I originally cut! :/

So I decided to run the actually hem in the overlock machine...

...and basically sew it back on!

Then unfold...

Iron...

Et viola! ...can you tell?

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone is having a great and safe Halloween... I will be spending mine at work being sick, but that's ok :)

I was going through my costumes and found this; I made it five years ago.  I remember being so excited about this costume, I even took a few belly dancing classes just to fit the part! And it's still one of my favorite DIY costumes I've made...

What are some of your DIY Halloween costume stories?

DIY Belt Re-Sizing

I hope you enjoy this short tutorial.  I bought this belt a few months ago, I was in the process of adjusting the size, so I thought I'd share it with you all!

HERE is the belt in a styled outfit using my DIY maxi dress.

-Erika :)

Invisible Zippers and Pockets!

I know I stated before that I don't like working with patterns but I realized that I can learn a lot from them.  I couple of months ago I was browsing online and found a sale, so I bought a few.  This one caught my attention for the uniqueness of the pleating in the skirt.  I did have to adjust the pattern to my size but it worked out pretty well.  Overall this skirt was very easy to make even though it looks like a more advanced project.  The most difficult part is the pleating but if you follow the pattern step by step you should have no issues with the application.  To be honest I was more worried about the zipper, I've always been intimidated by invisible zippers but to my surprise they are super easy to sew on. I ended up sewing this one by hand because I don't own an invisible zipper foot but even by hand the application was very easy.  I loved that the skirt has pockets too, it's so practical! ...and it's a new skill I can add to my list! 

  Simplicity pattern  Inspired by Project Runway collection #2413 Size D5  


Yo se que dije anteriormente que no me gusta trabajar con patrones pero me he dado cuenta que puedo aprender mucho de ellos.  Hace un par de meses encontré unos patrones en la internet entre ellos el patrón de esta falda.  Me llamo mucho la atención este patrón por la aplicación tan diferente de los pliegues.  Si fue necesario ajustar el tamaño del patrón a mi medida pero lo pude hacer sin ningún problema.  En total la falda fue muy fácil de hacer, aunque se vea como un proyecto mas avanzado.  Lo mas difícil de hacer fueron los pliegues pero si se siguen las instrucciones paso por paso no debería haber ningún problema con la aplicación.  Para ser honesta, a mi lo que se me hacia mas difícil desde el principio era el cierre invisible.  La aplicación de los cierres siempre me a intimidado, en especial el cierre invisible pero para mi sorpresa es súper fácil, eso que tuve que cocerlo a mano!  También me encanto que la falda tuviera bolsillos, es algo súper practico y es algo mas que puedo incluir a mi lista de habilidades de costura. :)