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 click on the picture to link to YouTube A fast invisible zipper DIY tutorial. Easy directions simplify what is normally viewed as a difficult task, using your own machine's zipper foot. See this tutorial & many others on the How to Love Your Home channel on YouTube!
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Lagenlook Restyle - Tie at the Waist Blouse with Scarf
If your blouse does not tie at the waist with a narrow tie, you can redesign your existing shirt. The photo below illustrates how to make it short at the waist and long where the two front sides tie. At the middle back of the waist line, cut a curve from the center back to the bottom hem of the blouse front. Being high at your waist in the back, will give a slimming effect & create more of a tulip style garment. *Before attaching scarf, prepare with hems around perimeter. The scarf being wider than the blouse will create a more tulip like effect. *Fold scarf lengthwise in half to find center. Pin center of scarf to center back of shirt. Pin outwards toward edge of shirt hem. *Top stitched, double seam is about 1/2" wide. 
Cut at dotted line. Recreate waistline with a double 1/4" hem.
Pin scarf to blouse, outwards from center back. Excess width of scarf helps create a more tulip like look.
When top stitching, keep seam close to edge.
2nd row of top stitching, helps structural integrity.
 To see all of the post so far from Personal Project Planning – The Year of Doing . . .
Personal Project Planning - The Year of Doing Personal Project Planning - #18 Cover Mismatched Fabric Boxes Personal Project Planning - #19 Finish Painting That Vintage Bed Personal Project Planning . . . #9 - Mother Nature Stalls Progress Personal Project Planning - Architectural Challenge - How To Personal Project Planning: Architectural Challenge   I created my PPP list to help me stick to an agenda of things I have long-time wanted to accomplish. I offered myself a disclaimer to shift and adjust where needed. Many of the items on my list proved to be simple and making the time seemed like a piece of cake. Easy was not simpler to get to, than hard projects. . . who was I fooling?
This project began at Lowe's Home Improvement's book department. When I shop anywhere, I can never resist the book/magazine section. Last fall I leafed through a book that was full of beach inspired home décor ideas. I do love the look, but that is not where my house would be categorized. There are "beachy" elements that I love and can sometimes adapt to fit my style. I was struck by a photo of a piece of wall architecture, quickly drew the idea in my trusty note book and it kept coming to mind for months. Project hauntings are common in my mind. I keep going back to the idea, it never really leaves me in my moments of dazed, design zombie-like state. You know? Just sitting there staring into nothing, thinking of all those things that flood the back of your mind and want to be produced. You ignoring it. It fighting it's way in when you are thinking of nothing...and everything at the same time!?! This one won the mental battle. It resurfaced enough to get done. Persistent and Productive was what this image was. My husband and I make a pretty good team when it comes to certain projects. His precision in cutting wooden pieces for me is quite well known in these parts! It is a project I could tackle alone, but my speed does not out way his accuracy. I created the pattern and handed it over to him. It is time consuming but can be tackled by someone who has patience and drive to get it done. Between September and December he pushed through and got it done. I on the other hand, I stacked the 16 cut-outs and bounced them from one annoying spot to another. I always think if they are in my way, I will eventually get to it. I felt I was in competition with this wacky project and it won. December to August....really!? I could have done better I suppose, but time has not been on my side this year. I made this PPP to light a fire under myself to get things done, but work & life got in the way of my progress. But alas, I got this darned thing done. I guess I knew it was going to be difficult and was avoiding the commitment it was going to take to get it done. From priming, painting and readjusting my pattern slightly with the jigsaw to make it lay right & mounting on the back plywood, it took a total of 7 hours. That is not counting the numerous hours it took Paul to painstakingly trace and cut the spokes out of the 1" x 8" boards. He is a stickler for the sanding process, so I would hate to guess his time on this. I must say, I am over the moon about the finished product. Every time I come to my front porch I am reminded of the hard work and the personal value I have for this piece. We both worked hard and it all paid off. My next post I will have the tutorial on the pattern idea, process and hopefully you can dig deep and try it yourself! As I stated in my original post about this wooden piece, it is quite the intricate project. Worth every minute you spend on it! You will need:
Begin with your design of choice. I made 16 spokes but you may want to simplify and use my design your inspiration. Put your spin on this project, you can use new wood, an old pallet or scraps from your stack of artistic materials. I prefer the pine for the of cutting, the sharp edges and clean look. Create your pattern and trace your pattern onto the wood. My spokes measure 15" long x 6 1/2' wide. Yours may vary with the size you choose to make. This thing is really quite large and very heavy. if you make a wider pattern, you may need a wider board. We used a stacking method to maximize the wood we used. Once cutouts are finished, lay out your spokes to ensure fit is proper. I used toothpicks as spacers. I also painted the front & sides prior to attaching to the backing board. Go for the look you are interested in; layered colors, sand down for vintage look, stain or put a wash on it. After completely dry, prep the plywood by cutting a circle, large enough to put 2 brads or screws between the center section and the cut out near the outer edge. See photo for what that looks like. I also created curved pieces to encircle the outer edge. Both plywood sections are necessary for stability. The outer plywood backing is used for hanging the piece. Next, lay out your spokes to ensure proper fit, make any adjustment & get ready for gluing and attaching. Using epoxy or fast acting glue begin with the first spoke, clamp or weigh down while glue dries. Using a compressor or screws & screwdriver, turn over & fasten together from the back side. This may take a little longer, but there are no holes to fill, sand & paint. One by one, glue & fasten each spoke to the plywood. The toothpicks are placed between each spoke to keep even as they were lined up, glued & attached I used 2 brads per lower section of spoke (or 2 screws) for stabilization. Once all the spokes are attached, get the outer circle pieces prepared. You will be working on the plywood side. Again, using the toothpicks as spacers, attach the plywood pieces all the way around the perimeter of the architectural structure with 2 brads or 2 screws. Whew. The eye fish mirror is epoxied (or glued) to the center. The inspiration photo I found had a wooden hemisphere painted like the rest of the piece and was very interesting. I love fish eye mirrors and couldn't resist using it on this. Hope your project goes smoothly. Be patient with the attaching the plywood to the spokes portion of the process. It seemed to want to shift around while I was putting it together and never stopped shifting. Alas, once it was finished I was as relieved the whole thing was over and it did look like something!  I vowed to myself and to the rest of the world that I would complete more personal projects this year. Many on the list are outdoor related. The unfortunate thing for me is that Mother Nature has had a different plan. Her attempt at weekly rains, some of them with absolute fury, has all but squashed outdoor/spring accomplishments. Between the cold season and rainy spring, I did get one big item on my "to do" list done. Attaching the screens and shutters on my back deck. I am so glad I did. The weather has been beastly and it really helped protect my furniture from the elements. I need a few more to find to fill a couple spots, but over all, this porch project is pointed in the right directions. I have gaps between doors & screens, but I never intended for it to be completely enclosed...it is a porch and the airflow is very important. I will check #9 off my list! Being practical is important when you don't have a great deal of living space, so function out-weighs fancy! I use the space for building furniture & cornices and such. I mix my concrete there along with having my breakfast al fresco. The photo shows you the enclosed area. I still have work to do on the upholstered chairs and table on the opposite side of the space. Looks like I need to reorganize the mustard colored, glass pane cabinet with all my gardening bits & pieces. That darned snow ball effect . . . one thing leads to another! This list is not going to complete itself, so I just keep pecking at it, bit by bit. Life does get in the way of my progress. I try not to pressure myself too much, there is supposed to be a little pleasure in the journey too!    I was given a pair of 1922 Chippendale beds from my sister-in-law which were inherited from her grandmother. Her name was Christine also & she was from Electra, Texas. My in-laws also lived there just after WWII. To be accurate, I actually put two headboards together & sold the footboards at a garage sale. I hated the footboards because they were half the height & had music lairs. They sat in my barn for years & when my youngest daughter moved out I brought them in for the spare room. This is the space where I've put our manly-family mementos. Although feminine, this room is a tribute to my Northern California, outdoor lifestyle. Living a "Huck Finn" childhood, I cherished the masculine treasures as much as my mother's old cookbooks. Fusing our families' memories, creates the perfect visual connection. I digress, everything has a back story for me - but that is how I connect to everything I own! That is why I continue to make improvements to the things I already have. This is where I tell you how I upcycled this old bed . . . I neither sanded nor stripped this bed frame. I used my homemade chalk paint recipe. My first 2 coats of paint were a dark, charcoal gray. Next I did another 2 coats but in white. I will admit I used a bottle of $2.99 white craft paint with the chalk paint recipe. I sanded to taste & applied a coat of wax. The dark base coat gives an extra dimension after lightly sanding.  The "Secret" Chalk Paint Recipe 1 TBSP unsanded grout to 1 cup of paint, add minimal water to retain smooth coverage. Store in covered container.     Introducing my first Personal Project Planning of 2013 - this is really #18/2.0. In the process of being organized this year, I started with my notions cabinet. #18 on the list was covering my unsightly fabric boxes but having to empty them made me reorganize them also, hence the 2.0. I did a double project, I LOVE when I trick myself like that! I used the iron-on transfers that you can print from your computer. I found those butterflies on some gift wrap & followed the directions on the iron-on transfer paper. I cut them out & ironed them onto some fabric. Then hot glued them onto the box fronts. Updated & organized, I'm pleasantly surprised when I reach in for something I need. Ok I have more than 4 fabric boxes , these are the only ones that I can reach right now. This stuff takes time baby, but I'm off to a good start! I promise that there is not a mound of stuff out of camera range--
I really did organize! http://www.avery.com/avery/en_us/Products/Crafts-&-Scrapbooking/Fabric-Transfers/T_Shirt-Transfer_08938.htm http://www.familydollar.com/pages/home-decor.aspx  Now that were are in the post holiday funk, it's time to look forward to spring. OK, I'm going to back up a little bit--that black whole between January & March is going to be filled! I usually kinda dither my time away trying to figure out what to do at this time but somehow waste it away over thinking it. I ping. . . bouncing ideas without direction and no true commitment to finishing anything. This year will be different, I say that every year, but this year will be different. I am creating a . . . "Personal Project Plan." I will pull out my bulging files of magazine cut-outs, small pieces of paper I'd stuffed in books & make a monthly line up of preferred projects. I usually get 40% of my own projects completed, they are usually done on a whim without plan. So, there is an additional 25% sitting in the back of my closet (or in the barn) crying to be re-recognized. You know how you have those ideas, & you think it will be the bomb & it BOMBS? That pesky idea that just doesn't do what you wanted it to? Now, what you say to yourself, "off to another idea & hope it percolates into a full cuppa. This is where my P3 comes into play. I'm going to place my ideas & whims onto a calendar to give myself structure. There is nothing like a completion date--just like projects for my work- I will achieve my goals for myself. Now creative goals are different than work goals, they are further down the food chain of To Do's. This year they are climbing their way up. The only way to do this is with action. I am by no means a lazy person, I do more than most people, but I can do better & I can do more. So, the calendar is coming out, and with pencil in hand (I do need an eraser) as I will plot out my top 10 projects of the year. It's going to be hard picking the top 10 because I want EVERYTHING. The calendar makes the ideas a little bit more of a reality. I go to the dentist, I celebrate other people's birthdays, why can't I do this for myself? And again I think this year will be different.  My Top Ten list includes 20 things. If a project doesn't run, I still have a horse in the stables. So saddle up & let's get ready! Personal Project Plan - P3 20 ideas for 10 projects - a girl can change her mind, even with a list! 1. Create my favorite dog photos into silhouette pillows or prints 2. Make envelopes from old shopping bags or vintage paper 3. Make totes from recycled fabrics 4. Paint a painting of a photographed animal  5. Create a felted, flower pillow 6. Make vintage, sewing notion jewelry 7. Photograph and blowup a picture and frame artwork 8. Make trendy looking, monogrammed or stenciled hand or tea towels 9. Finish enclosing my back porch with screen doors and shutters. **This is a biggy** I have been collecting doors & shutters forever! 10. Get the "baby" dresser from the attic. Clean, repair and find a place for it   11. Tile my back fireplace & hearth (spending allowance only $40 - ReStore Store visit in order!) 12. Paint a fresh coat on my outdoor furniture - it's a massive undertaking 13. Make a Christmas runner with the vintage patterns I scanned from a client's project I created in 2011 14. Make those Christmas cards I have talked about for 15 years! 15. Do something with those GIANT acorns I have stashed for a year 16. Paint a bird on silk again using a light box 17. Finish that neglected trellis (paint it too) 18. Cover all those mismatched fabric boxes with something I like, 19. Finish painting that vintage bed 20. Rewire at least 2 of those hanging lights in the barn and do something with them  Wow, this is a drop in the bucket of my running list of "wanna do's", but is a good beginning. No more pouring through the magazine "tear outs", no more wandering from room to room, gazing at each wall - trying to inspire myself - then going off doing some laundry. Lucky #13- 2013!
P3 has been chosen . . . some are easy, some - well not so simple at all! These are things that have been waiting in the wings for ages. I will see how I can cut through this list. What does your list look like? I go into this year with a full heart, hand full of artistic materials and a true desire to get it done!   Supplies:
Use jigsaw to cut board (you can use 1/4" plywood) to fit into the louvered space in the shutter. Use drill to create pilot holes in the board to match the shutter. Line up and mark your board so you know which piece goes to which shutter. We numbered and put arrows on each board & shutter insert so everything would line up when the bolts were attached to both. Put the bolts into holes & attach the nuts to the backside. Helpful Hint: Add a dab of hot glue at the base of the bolt after it is slipped into the wood to keep it in place. Using polyfil batting, we cut one piece of polyfil to size and the other 1" larger to wrap around the board. Miter the corners and hot glue down. Find the center point of the fabric (we found the center of the words we stenciled) horizontally and vertically. Pin to the batting to hold fabric in place. Flip it face down and begin with the corners. Stretch the fabric slightly at each corner & hot glue as you go. Clip the corners of the fabric and miter as seen in photo; glue to board. Begin at the center of each side, pulling it taut and gluing towards each corner. Remove the nuts from the bolts & line them up with the appropriate louvered space. Push the bolts through (this is not easy) and attach the nuts. We used plastic shutters so we also bolted those together. To mount on the wall, we used drywall screws. If you have trouble finding a stud, you can use a screw-in molly bolt. We used the same paint to cover the screw heads. Stand back & admire your handy-work!  To see our related post & videos:
The Science & Art of Painting Fabric The Science & Art of Chalk Paint YouTube – Painting Fabric YouTube - Padded Shutter Headboard |
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AuthorsWe are all worthy of feeling satisfied about where we are in our homes. Our approach to the adventure is as important as the results. The journey of finding our design ideals shifts with seasons & people passing through our lives. We are more likely to enjoy the creative process when things are made easy and How To Love Your Home's passion for finding & sharing tools, tips, & triumphs is here for simplifying the journey to a commonsense approach to homemaking & design! Archives
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