Do a Palette Knife Painting

I have been getting so much satisfaction out of my creative life lately. I have been allowing myself to do what I feel like, instead of trying to stick to one project. It feels so freeing to be honoring my inner nudges again. I’m working with a counselor now! I’m feeling more and more plugged in to what matters most to me. Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of the creative life I yearned for. After I published the Faerie book, I spent a good part of two years wondering what to do next. I’m officially done wondering! I’m doing all the things that sound fun!

Today I want to share how to do a basic palette knife painting! All you need is a canvas, a set of acrylic paints, an old gift card or credit card, a palette knife, baby wipes or paper towels, and a pencil or charcoal pencil.

Step One: Start out with a background. Drop blobs of paint on the canvas, and spread them out to cover the surface with an old gift card or credit card. Wipe off the card as you go to remove excess paint and then go back over the surface and smooth out the rough edges as much as possible.

Step Two: Grab a pencil or charcoal, and loosely draw on your design. Don’t worry if you mess up, because the paint will cover the drawing. Be sure to use a color that is just slightly darker than the background to draw the image, so if the paint isn’t opaque enough you won’t be able to see the linework in the finished painting.

Step Three: Grab the palette knife and a tube of acrylic paint. Put a little paint on the palette knife, and rub it onto the canvas to create your design. Go a little at a time. Use the palette knife to create texture as you go. If you are new to creating this way, aim for a design that isn’t very detailed. If you want to add more color to an area, let the paint dry before going back in to work. Leave spaces here and there to add additional color and texture as you go. Wipe off the palette knife on a baby wipe to clean off the wet paint in between colors.

I’m really happy with my final painting! I cannot wait to display the work! My painting symbolizes the new freedom and peace I have been feeling in life and art. Happy creating!

Six Tips for Simple Living

*I initially wrote this post in 2018, and it has some great ideas!

What can I say, I love leading a very simple life!  I paint, sew sometimes, listen to music, journal, meditate when I want to, read books.  With the advent of the internet and social media, it can seem like everyone is leading glamorous complex lives.  And while that might be true for some, I worry that people might feel ashamed or embarrassed to lead a simple life.  

For a while I struggled with my simple existence, like worrying that I didn't have much to share on social media channels.  The thing is I remember a time before the internet!  When I was growing up, I didn't even have access to the internet.  I was born in 1978 and even when I went to college I had had such limited access to computers that I could barely figure out how to send an email.  Back then everyone was on AOL and it would be a long time before I actually started to use the internet for even the most basic things.

The Simple Life can be such a beautiful thing!  Lately I've decided to just be proud of the simplicity of my days.  It is so funny because a lot of people run around, with so much to do all the time.  And you better believe that sometimes those people wish they could slow down and savor moments, and take a break from the rat race.  So now I revel in my simple days.  Afternoons stretch lazily before me.  I'm free to color my world with paints and markers which brings me an unending happiness!  I do the things I do because I love to do them!  And I am free to stay true to my heart and passions, which always guide me forward to keep doing the things I love.  

A few tips to help you simplify your life...

1.  Try doing just one thing at a time!  You would be surprised how often you multi task.  Take a breath and slow down.

2.  Say yes when your heart is in it and No when it isn't.  Living true to your heart is as easy as speaking your truth and honoring your inner wisdom.  So if you don't want to say yes, then don't!  

3.  Simplify your goals!  It can be so easy to want what everyone else has, or to pursue goals just because you feel like it will help you fit in.  Say no to that way of being, and honor the fact that you are on your own journey in life.  You don't have to strive to have lots of money and fancy shiny things if you don't want to.  You don't have to have tons of friends and to always be busy with commitments to be important.  

4.  Appreciate the life you have been given.  Take time to be thankful to the people that are a part of your life, and to be thankful for the abundance you have in life.  When you focus on the good life only gets better.

5.  Dedicate a couple days a week to simple living.  Let yourself off the hook sometimes, hire a babysitter or take a couple days off of doing chores.  Put your feet up with a journal and a good book and revel in simple living at it's finest.

6.  Enjoy some silence every single day!  Silence is a great way to clear your mind and tune inward.  So turn off the tv every once in a while, shut down the music and give yourself some quiet time.

Simplicity is a beautiful thing!  It is a part of worship in many religions and spiritual traditions!  And with minimalism being all the rage, simplifying is becoming more mainstream.  So just appreciating my mellow simple life this afternoon, watching gray clouds lazily drift by on a rainy day.  I feel closer to God on days like today, so fortunate for my simple life!

"Soul Force" by Joseph Arnold

I have a little book club going. Honestly it is me and a woman I met on Instagram! And both of us keep fizzling on the book. Life has been hectic, and we both just dip into the book when we feel like it. I keep flipping open the book, because I’m trying to figure out a new way for my art! Yes! I want to write books! Yes! I want to create graphic novel adventures.

Beyond that though, why do I feel like selling art is the only way to make it worthwhile? It is like ingrained deep in my psyche, that art doesn’t matter unless you sell it. What the fuck is up with that? I mean, why does selling something give it worth? Since when was something more valuable if it had a price tag on it. I call bull shit on the lie that so many artists have taken in deep into their soul. It is a lie that is so destructive. I don’t know about other artists, but personally I have cried so many tears and felt so much shame because of trying to sell my art.

“Soul Force” is like an awakening! Art is for inspiration, healing, and connection! I mean…big breath! And a deep feeling of satisfaction comes over me when I digest that. It is like something I used to know along the way for many years when I was trying to make something of my life. I was making things, and made to feel like that wasn’t enough.

The outside world was putting so much pressure on me to make something of my life! Meanwhile, I was working on my art. I was showing up at my art table every single day, rain or shine. For about 16 years! Putting in the time. Trying to get better at what I did. Trying to heal myself along the way. Supporting other artists, taking classes, enJOYing the process. Stringing together a life of creative moments and memories.

I’ve done a lot of art I’m super proud of! And that is enough for me. I no longer sell my original watercolors and paintings. They mean too much to me. Way more than a dollar ever could!

How to Dress with More Bravery

I just wanted to pop on tonight. I’m drafting up a harem pants pattern tonight. I need pants, and unfortunately my money doesn’t go as far as it used to. I do have fabric though, so I’m going to whip up a few pairs of knit pants to wear.

My Mom and I were chatting about wardrobes, and being comfortable wearing whatever you want to. If you have been on the fence about wearing the clothes you dream of, don’t fret! Everyone has levels of bravery when it comes to clothes. Some people reserve their bravery for special occasions, and that is perfectly ok! I find myself being more brave under certain circumstances than at other times. I used to try to wear whatever felt good no matter where I went. The thing is, here in the Midwest people are so rude if they think you stand out too much.

I’ve been heckled by the nurse at the doctor’s office, I’ve been shunned in places where you shouldn’t have to worry about being accepted. I’ve walked into gas stations and been made fun of. I’ve walked through department stores and heard people whispering just loud enough that I can hear it.

So I have clothes I wear when I have to be around “normies”…lol, when I have to be around people with small minds and small hearts. Then I have clothes I get to wear when I am with my husband, and when we go places together. Experiment with your wardrobe at home first! Start very small. Maybe you wear a jacket around the house that you wouldn’t normally wear. Or you do a handbag that is a little more colorful than you would normally use. Starting with accessories is a great place to begin.

Have fun with your wardrobe! I swear, people take life so seriously. There are times to be serious and times to just have fun. It’s important to know the difference!

Fashion Sketching

I haven’t written much about fashion sketching, because it’s just something I do when I sew. I never got that much into sketching clothes as an art form. Sure, I have a book on the subject, and I keep meaning to learn how to draw different fabrics and styles! But for the most part, unless I’m basing a work of art on a photo, the clothes I draw are usually pretty simple.

When I’m designing an upcycle though, sketching often plays an integral part in the design process! The sketches I do when I’m sewing help me to figure out the best design, fabrics and look I’m going for. Sketching comes in handy regardless of what you are sewing! I used to keep a composition book handy in the sewing room, along with Sharpie markers and a pen. And I would sketch out each quilt idea I had, or pillow or other project before it came time to sew. That way I could make the mistakes on the paper instead of wasting fabric.

Sketching fashion is great when you are struggling to decide on which elements to bring to a design. On this particular project, I had a couple of elements that were forming the basis of the design, and I was struggling to figure out what fabric to go with for the underskirt. I was also struggling to figure out which overall design to use on the top. After drawing a few different looks, it was easy to see which one I like the best!

When you sketch a design for a project you are making, let it be a rough sketch. Unless you plan on sharing the drawing as part of your process, feel free to make it scribbly and messy. I keep my sketches to myself most of the time when I make things. You don’t even need a set notebook, just grab a sheet of paper. I’ve used printer paper in a pinch!

The next time you cannot figure out what you want a project to look like, take it to the page and get visual! Try out your ideas with pen, marker and paper before you get sewing! It can help you commit to a look and avoid energy wasted.

Button Down Dress into Goth Jacket

I’m getting back in that sewing room, and loving every moment of it! I had a series of setbacks. But when you love doing something, you will always come back to doing it. I say the same thing about people! The people who belong in your life will always come back around.

Onto the project for today! Do you have a button down dress in your closet that either doesn’t fit, or that you just don’t love? I have just such a dress. I bought it and then never felt like wearing it, so it sat in the back of my closet for a couple of years. I’ve decided to turn it into a jacket, perfect for fall!

Grab a button down dress that you don’t entirely love, and collect up some old grubby t shirts to go with. Because my dress is black, and I have an abundance of black t shirts, I decided to use up some junky black t shirts from my stash. The white star t shirt was a ringer t, but I felt stupid wearing it! It was one of those things where it just looked a bit too “something”, like maybe trying a bit too hard! LOL. I’m hoping the star might be a cool addition to this fall jacket!

First, I trimmed down the t shirts. I cut around the imagery on the shirts, not perfectly centered but close enough works for me! Then, I cut right up the middle of the back of the dress. There was a large seam there, so I cut on either side of the seam and removed it.

Add inserts wherever you want to add more fullness. I wanted the jacket to be a little less form fitting around the bottom, so I added the insert into the middle back. I created a patchwork of t shirt scraps, then sewed them into the slit. Sew the inserts like a big triangle, similar to what you would sew into bell bottoms. This will make the dress more roomy and flowy, perfect to layer long sleeve shirts under. If the sleeves are tight, you might want to add some panels into the sleeves too for layering space.

Next, make it patchy! I used a wide decorative zig zag stitch, and attached patches on the front and back. If your t shirts are too thin to sew on as is, turn the logos into patches. Make sure you leave room around the logo for sewing, then attach it to piece of muslin that is big enough to include everything you want on the patch. You could add some text appliques, fabric paint and a bit of lace. T shirt fabric slips around a bit when you are sewing it, so use fabric glue or a glue stick first and let it dry overnight. Sew everything onto the muslin. Then attach the patches onto the jacket.

Add pockets if you wish, along with any other details that make it sing for you! I’m so ready to wear this jacket everywhere this fall! A quick level up to my style is much appreciated!

Turn a Tank Dress into a Patchwork Skirt

It’s finally fall! And I’ve got an equinox project just in time for the cool temps. Outside, the summer heat is being replaced by foggy nights and cool overcast days. If you have a tank dress in your closet, it might be getting too cold to wear it now. But if you turn it into a skirt, you can wear it all year round!

I bought a patchwork tank dress from Healing Heart Design Co on Etsy, and I already knew I was going to alter it in some way. It is pretty challenging to find clothes in my size on Etsy. Most upcyclers don’t get into plus sizes, and often the ones that do are not in my style. What is a woman to do? I bought a couple dresses and a sweatshirt from Healing Heart, knowing full well that I was going to upcycle the dresses.

If you have one too many tank dresses, get out your fabric scraps and give this project a try!

1. Cut off the straps of the dress. Be sure to cut below the underarm seams so that it is a straight line across the top. Then, cut along the side seams of the dress to create two pieces.

2. Figure out how wide to make the patchwork! Measure your waist and low hip, and see which measurement is bigger. Take the bigger measurement of the two, and add eight to ten inches. Write that number down. Then, measure the width of the front and back pieces. Add those measurements together. Subtract that number from the waist or hip measurement you wrote down. Divide by two. The resulting number is the width of the side patchwork panels. The length will be equal to the length of the dress panels.

3. Create two patchwork panels for the sides. If you want to add length to make it a longer skirt, add panels to the bottom to add that length. Add patchwork along the sides, then sew back together. I already had a stack of patchwork squares, so it was simple to just grab squares and sew. I added two rows of squares along each long side of the front panel, then reattached the back panel.

4. Trim off the excess fabric along the top and at the hem.

5. Add an elastic waistband. Fold over the waist of the skirt, and press. Then sew along the raw edge, leaving a two inch opening. Feed elastic through, and sew the ends of the elastic together. Then close the opening.

6. Hem the bottom! Add trim, lace, or just a basic zig zag stitch all the way around. Add pockets or an applique at this stage too! Make it something you can’t wait to wear.

I hope you are enjoying the first day of fall! I’m rocking my new skirt in patchwork heaven!

Five Tips for Creating Fabric Art with Meaning

At the most basic sense, sewing is a utilitarian skillset. Sewing clothes, home decor and quilts satisfies basic needs. When you sew a dress or handbag, or sew a quilt to keep warm, it automatically feels special because you made it yourself! Making meaningful art starts on a personal level. Making something that means something to YOU is where it all begins.

I started out sewing handbags and bellbottoms, and at the time the pieces I was creating didn’t feel very meaningful. When I sewed my first quilt, I realized that fabric art can take on so many layers of meaning! I mean, sure, you can make things just because you enjoy making them. There is no shame in that; none at all! But when you infuse meaning into a work, it becomes elevated somehow from the other stuff you have created. Suddenly it becomes an heirloom piece. It becomes part of your legacy.

Truly, meaningful art and fabric art can share part of your story. It can also share your opinions and be a way to share about your values. Infusing your works with meaning can ultimately make a difference! You can use your art to spark a conversation, to get your point across…it can become your mouthpiece to say what you want to say.

Here are five tips to infuse your fabric arts with meaning!

1. Colors tell a story! Colors mean different things in different cultures, and colors have a lot of personal significance. The colors you choose for a work can help get the overall mood across and set the tone for the message behind the work.

2. Prints and patterns speak volumes. Fabric arts are kind of like collage in visual art, because there are so many different fabrics to choose from. This might sound obvious because seamstresses are used to choosing fabrics for various projects, but the prints you use can either add meaning or make the meaning more challenging to decipher. Let the prints and patterns be part of the storytelling in your fabric art.

3. Surface design as a design element can add a lot to your toolkit. You don’t have to know every extensive way to add your own mark making to fabric, you just need a way to write and a way to paint. A lot of seamstresses simply print designs onto fabric with their home printer! That alone can add so much meaning if you print a photo or other imagery that means something to you. Printmaking and block printing are two additional ways to get an image on fabric. Let your method be thoughtful to the message you are trying to convey.

4. Embroidery and stitching can add layers of meaning. I have not ever been a hand stitcher, however if you love stitching by hand, taking the extra time to stitch on your pieces adds so much. Hand stitching is an act of defiance in modern culture, where everything can be purchased with the click of a button. Machines do most of the heavy lifting nowadays, and when you stitch by hand it adds an imperfect, human element to a piece.

5. Shapes and applique also tell a story! The shapes and applique elements you add to a piece can completely infuse your piece with meaning. Applique is the fastest way to add an element of surprise or to tell the story you are trying to convey visually. If you are trying to express meaning visually without words in fabric art; applique is a simple way to do that!

I hope this sparks some ideas! As a seamstress, I’ve tried a lot of different ways to get my point across in my sewing. And I bet you have some tried and true methods that you absolutely love too! Be open to trying new things and think outside the box the next time you create a fabric piece! When you create fabric art with meaning you will treasure that piece for years to come!

Books Now Featured at Beaverdale Books!

My husband and I went to Beaverdale Books today, and dropped off copies of my books! IT IS OFFICIAL! If you live in Des Moines or if you are visiting the area, stop by Beaverdale Books and ask for books by Kathryn Sturges!

When I self published “The Faeries of Octo Bay” a year ago, I had no idea how ground breaking becoming an author would be for my creative life! Writing and illustrating books have become two of my favorite things, and I hope to do both of them for years to come.

When my friend Isaac Beltran of Curiosity Comics proposed that I do a faerie book, I jumped at the chance! That book took me about a year and a half to create. Each illustration was hand drawn on 11x14 inch paper, then carefully painted and inked. It was a true labor of love!

Swing by Beaverdale Books, or find my books on Amazon! I’m just getting started creating books! There are more on the horizon!

Tips for Decluttering the Sewing Room

Don’t seamstresses just have a way of collecting? It’s funny, because I have spent a lot of time thinking about only buying things I need to get by. The truth is, as a creative, I’ve adapted some mindless habits of collecting materials and just plain “junk” that I don’t really need.

Every single time I start getting into the flow with sewing, a new wave of junk manifests in the sewing room. I’ve slowly started decluttering! I gave away some clothes to upcyclers, and still have three trash bags of clothes that I’m not wearing! I’ve set them aside to upcycle and alter. The thing is I have nowhere to put them! I was going to donate the clothes, but the struggle is real! When you can think of ten ways to alter or upcycle each piece, it feels wasteful to get rid of them.

Here are some tips for decluttering in the sewing room!

1. Everything was purchased for a reason, but pretty quickly you can find yourself swamped with supplies you never got around to using. What is with Amazon selling sewing supplies in bulk?! Gone are the days when you can just buy one zipper or button. Every time you need one buckle, you wind up with ten! Do you feel me?! If you bought multiples of an item, but still haven’t used a single one, keep a few and then get rid of the rest. You can sell the extra or donate them. When in doubt just throw it out!

2. Accuquilt GO! sounded fun, but I literally only used the thing ONE TIME! Get rid of any flashy equipment that didn’t live up to the hype.

3. I have a bad habit of hoarding scraps! When I sew I cram the excess material and scrap fabric into my polka dot bins, and they sit there for eternity. Go through your hoards of scrap material and only save what you will actually use. Also, if you have scraps in bins from quilting days gone by, it might help to go through that material and pitch anything under a certain size. Let’s say you love working with 4 inch squares. Cut the scrap materials into four inch squares, and pitch anything smaller.

4. Stacks of old magazines and paper products…anyone?! I save all my old magazines…to a point. Eventually it comes time to thin the herd. I got into bookmaking and bought a bunch of old magazines and a vintage catalog. The thing is, it isn’t doing me any good just sitting on a shelf never to be used. Put things where you will use them, and if you don’t plan on using the magazines within the next year, give them the heave ho. For quilt mags and project magazines, scan the pages with projects you want to remember and then recycle the magazines. If you are an artist, keep a collection for collage and put it where you can easily get to it. Then get rid of the rest.

5. My sewing room also doubles as a closet, and all my handbags and random stuff goes in there! You can only fit so much into a space before it is no fun to be in there! Make space for life, and store or donate the things you don’t plan on using again. If you need money, throw a garage sale. Or share the wealth and gift things to family and friends.

Summer is here, and I have a bunch of new projects coming to life! But first, I need to get a handle on my stuff. The best time to declutter is at the start of something new. It opens up room for fresh inspiration to come in!

Stop Making Space for New

I donated two big bags of clothes to ThredUP, and now I find myself torn. What happens when you stop making space for new things? I guess that is one way hoarders get into the problems they find themselves in. Because they stop getting rid of things but keep buying and collecting.

I have two closets, lucky me! I live in an old house that was built in 1916 (or so) and the closets aren’t as fancy or stylish as modern ones are. They are just regular closets which jet out from the house. On the back of my home you can see an area that sticks out, and that is where the closets are. Nearly all the homes on my block have them.

Both closets are pretty jammed with stuff. In my bedroom closet, I store bags of blankets, hats and lingerie bags in the bottom of the closet. And then there are the clothes. Lots of them! In the sewing room closet, clothes are crammed in. And the bottom is filled with nearly all the art I have made in the last ten years, along with sewing supplies and other miscellaneous stuff.

So I ponder this…what happens when you stop making space for new? Can you live with the things you have right now, or alter them and mend them to make them last for years to come?

Joseph Goldstein teaches something the Buddha taught. Stop craving sense pleasure, stop craving to be somebody special, stop chasing desire. Then you will know the joy of the present moment as it really is. I’ve been thinking about those things a lot lately!

Coming up in January I am beginning a personal challenge! I tried it a couple of times before, and failed. But this time I feel prepared to go the distance! And it starts with not chasing desire. It starts with stopping craving new things. And really tuning in to the abundance I already have!

Buying a Responsibility

I’ve been trying (and trying) to catch up on laundry. I feel frazzled and like I will never “catch up” on my household responsibilities. Truthfully, most of the time I prioritize creative projects over household projects, nearly all the time truth be told. But lately my allergies have been pretty bad, so I’m doing what I can to get all clothes and linens mostly washed and put away. I have also been trying to go through my wardrobe. I’m trying to get down to a manageable amount of clothes and store the rest, or alter them.

Today, when I was putting away a load of laundry, it really hit home. When you buy clothes, you buy a responsibility! It is so easy to put something in your shopping cart and press purchase. But once you get the clothes home, the work begins. Keeping things clean, making sure things are put away, tending to tears and stains, hemming or ironing if you are into that…it all amounts to a whole lot of work! Which can be really time consuming when you have too many of a good thing.

My fashion break is off to a good start! I’ve gone nearly a month since I bought clothes. The last time I did was right around Black Friday. It does help that I have abundance, almost too much of a good thing. Because the punishment of trying to get everything washed and put away is reminding me why less is sometimes more, and why I don’t need one other new thing!

What Happens When You Stop Buying Fast Fashion?

I’m over four months in to not buying fast fashion! I caved and bought some pants, and then I bought a hoodie. I also ordered a few tops and some jeans! OY VEY! Breaking up with fast fashion is not easy. Especially when you love updating your look often and enjoy browsing all the latest styles!

Fast fashion is a huge contributor to greenhouse gasses. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, one of the best ways is to stop shopping so much and to focus more on using what you have. Fast fashion is terrible for the environment! Just on the production side alone, endless chemicals and waste are spewed into the environment. People are paid mere pennies to sew the garments that people buy. If something only costs $10 to buy, you can bet that the person who made the item was barely paid at all for their efforts.

Sweatshops still exist, and the USA is the biggest contributor to keeping them going. We want to buy things on the cheap. I’m not pointing fingers here, because the dollar doesn’t go very far these days. I shop sales too! I look for discounts on goods all the time. Reality is though, I have a wardrobe full of clothes that I’m not all that excited to wear. Stores have mastered the art of making you feel like you aren’t good enough unless you buy a new dress or jacket. But the truth is…we don’t need all the endless clothes to be fulfilled!

What happens when you stop buying fast fashion…or clothes in general?

1. You save your heard earned money! Suddenly I have cut my budget in half, which means my husband and I can pay down debt faster and have more money to get by on.

2. You have less tedious laundry chores to do. I mean, I have heaps of clothes. And when I was buying more I would stew over the fact that every time I bought more things it would just add to my weekly laundry pile.

3. You start focusing more on actually doing all the things you had put on the back burner. You start to focus on becoming who you want to be, instead of just shelling out money to shop all the time. A big wake up call here…you were not just born to buy things. I know that sounds stark, but the entire economy is focused on everyone paying money for things they don’t really need.

4. You begin to have more free time! If you are a big time shop-surfer, and believe me I used to be; when you stop wasting so much time browsing online shops you have more time to pursue your passions, live a life you love and go after your dreams.

5. You begin to focus on what matters most to you! That is the greatest gift of all. Once you disengage from being a cog in the consumerist machine, you start to have a lot more say over how you are going to spend your life! What I’ve come to realize…which should have been a no brainer in the first place…is that the people in my life and my creativity matter most to me. Shopping is just a way to meet a need, it shouldn’t be a hobby to fill your time!

6. You let your values lead the way, and make more conscious decisions about how you spend your time and money. I have a friend who prints t shirts! It is his art, and I choose to support his t shirt business. I also choose that I don’t want to shop from stores that don’t care about people or the planet. When you take a break from buying things that you were addicted to buying, it leads the way to living more closely to your values. And that feels so incredible!

It’s funny when you realize how duped you have been by consumerism! You can completely lose touch with who you are and what matters most to you! Now, that being said, my own personal convictions tell me that it is ok to shop second hand because that keeps clothes out of the landfill and extends the life cycle of garments. I will also continue to support upcyclers. I love me some upcycled clothes! And I love sewing and altering clothes too. When you shop second hand and support upcyclers, you are making a difference for individuals instead of the corporate machine. And what’s not to love about that!

My Last Receipt

My Last Receipt From Fast Fashion! It was from Avenue on November 24th, 2023.

Marion Tunic - navy

SKU: 93466393449571

Pocket Print Tunic - gray

SKU: 93466397049661

Charlene Side Tie Top - red

SKU: 9359219358817

So there it was, I bought three more tunics I didn’t need! And it hit me like lightening. It was time to stop buying clothes and just sew what I need instead! I’ve been feeling so guilty about my consumeristic, hedonistic ways for far too long. And really, I probably have enough clothes to last me for many long years to come!

I am feeling giddy with anticipation!

There are a few rules to my fashion break. The start date was November 24 and I’m hoping to go as long as I possibly can into the distant future.

Rule One: No more buying anything brand new. That includes clothes, handbags, and fashion accessories.

Rule Two: Shopping upcycled and thrifting will be ok, on rare occasion.

Rule Three: Undergarments are still ok to buy.

Rule Four: I will be transparent on my blog if I mess up and buy new clothes.

Rule Five: I will only allow myself to shop for new clothes five times in 2024, and that is if I absolutely need something.

Rule Six: Shoes and handbags are obviously great, and I will still buy those new. But I am putting a limit on how many I have, and only buying them if I absolutely need to.

Alright, my friends….I’m stoked! If you want to try your own kind of similar challenge, let me know on Instagram! We can take our power back from consumerism, and help slow fashion become a way of life.

Update! It is now March 24th, and I’ve bought new clothes four times! Pants, a hoodie, a handful of tops and two pairs of jeans. I’ve also purchased some upcycled clothes from Epolstyle on Etsy! I am so addicted to shopping for clothes! I’m only allowing myself one more splurge on fast fashion this year. I’m trying to go until Black Friday, 2024, and it is only March! I’m getting my sewing machine primed up and fabrics organized to get sewing!

Ten Ways to Soothe Yourself Instead of Shopping

About a week ago I got an injury while I was lifting weights. I’m trying to get workouts in with the Big Fit Girl workout app, but I’m starting pretty out of shape. Today I worked out again and the injury came back full force. It is this annoying pain in the back of my ribcage, and it really hurts! So I sat at my desk tonight and went on Facebook for a second, got out my journal, and basically felt frantic to try and soothe myself. Then it occurred to me that I have been wanting a new purse. As a (former) collector of handbags, I started looking at Nordstrom Rack and then Etsy for a new bag. I stopped myself from buying anything. Then I figured out other ways to soothe myself instead.

Ten Ways to Soothe Yourself Instead of Shopping

1. Have a snack or prep some meals. This one is good because prepping meals, baking or finding a healthy way to nourish yourself is a great place to start!

2. Write in your journal or do some art journaling. I got out my journal and wrote about how I was feeling.

3. Shop your own closet. Chances are you already have something similar to what you were thinking about buying.

4. Read a book to get some inspiration.

5. Make something with your hands. This one is a perfect go to for me, because I can sew a bag in less time than it actually takes to order one and wait for it to arrive on my doorstep.

6. Take a walk or work out.

7. Meditate. Light a candle and take some deep breaths. You could also say a prayer and connect with the Divine.

8. Do something kind for someone else. My husband wanted some cinnamon rolls tonight, so I baked some for him.

9. Listen to music or Youtube some music videos. This one is my go to, and you can have so much fun discovering new music.

10. Take a nap. If you are stressed or feeling like impulse shopping, chances are you really need to unwind instead. Get some rest and hold off on spending until you are more relaxed and can make a better decision.

Well, I did not shop tonight so it was a win for the environment and for my pocketbook! I got to save some money and do things that truly filled my well. Nurture yourself when you feel the urge to shop, or find ways to be of service to others. Shopping is not true self-care, it is merely a distraction. Take care of yourself instead of impulse shopping and your life will feel amazing!

Sew a Princess Peach Dress for Cosplay and Renaissance Faire

If there is one thing I look forward to the most in Summertime, it is the local Renaissance Faire! I’ve been noticing also how Cosplay is giving people the chance to dress up to honor the characters who represent characteristics they love. It is so easy to whip up a Princess dress. Just add a princess crown and staff, and some boots and you will be ready to rock the Ren Faires and Cosplay conventions!

I started with a pink top that I had gotten from Torrid a few years ago. You don’t have to go with pink though, however pinks or neutral tones give more of a Princess feel. I was thinking more “Princess Peach” from Mario when I did this dress. However you might have a different inspiration for your own make. I also used white unicorn fabric for the sleeves! I sourced the fabric in a secondhand fabric bundle from Etsy last year.

Here’s how I made this dress!

Materials: crop top that you want to upcycle, two to three yards of fabric depending on your waist/hip measurement, and a contrasting knit for the sleeves

Step One: You don’t have to go by exact measurements here, but make sure the fabric is 1 1/2 to 2 times longer than the bottom hem of the crop top. To make the skirt, fold the fabric in half wrong sides together, and stitch the long ends together with a straight stitch. (The fabric I used was sheer, however you don’t have to double up the fabric if you don’t want to.). Next, gather the fabric along the raw edge to create kind of a giant ruffle. Adjust the gathers to fit the crop top, then sew the vertical seam of the fabric to form the skirt. Attach onto the crop top with a straight stitch.

Step Two: Remove the sleeves off the crop top. Estimate how long you want the sleeves to be, and measure the opening of the sleeve area on the top, then cut out two pieces of fabric rectangles that match those measurements. My sleeves were cut at an angle, to give a more Princess feel. Fold one of the rectangles in half, with the open seam at the bottom. Then lay the sleeve opening on the top at the top edge of the rectangle, and trace the opening onto the fabric rectangle. Cut out the shape of the top of the sleeve, then sew the long edge of the sleeves together with right sides touching. Attach the sleeves to the top and hem the sleeves.

Step Three: Embellish the dress however you like! Add lacing detail down the front or trims. You could add a button placket to the middle of the front, or an applique design. My top already had a heart cut out, so I left it as it was.

Top Five Reasons to Upcycle Clothes

If you have sauntered through my website, you probably caught on that I love sewing upcycled clothes. I started out upcycling back in the early 2000’s. Then I went through a phase as a quilter. I always had kind of a scrappy love of using what I had on hand instead of always rushing out to buy fabric for each project. That practice of using what I had made my quilts explode with color and print as I constantly busted out my scrap stash for each quilt instead of using precuts or yardage.

In 2021 I came back to upcycling. My website was an online journal where I documented my healing journey and shared about my art and sewing. In 2021 I started over, so to speak. I got back to what brought me to sew in the first place, which was upcycling clothes. Sewing clothes is my passion! I love altering my wardrobe and constantly get ideas for fresh upcycles.

Something drew you to my website, and chances are you love upcycling clothes too, or at least you are interested in giving it a try! Here are five reasons to upcycle clothes!

1. Upcycling your wardrobe reduces your carbon footprint, especially when you stop buying so much fast fashion and embrace slow fashion as a way of life.

2. Upcycling your clothes can help you create a completely unique wardrobe. You can’t put a price tag on being able to express yourself with the clothes you wear. When I wear my upcycles out and about the city I feel like I’m confident and can take on the world. It feels so good to wear my art on my sleeve!

3. Upcycling your wardrobe is an art form! Fashion designers are also embracing upcycling as a way to express their vision, and you can see upcycled clothes everywhere from the runway to fashion magazines.

4. Personally, altering my wardrobe has increased my self-confidence by leaps and bounds. Clothes have a way of drawing your people to you! If you want to meet like minded people, wearing your me makes and expressing who you are with your wardrobe makes a first impression that is unforgettable.

5. Skills building and trying new techniques also gives you so much self-confidence, makes you more intelligent and the skills you learn build on each other. Even if you are just starting out though, your makes will be completely original and one of a kind! That is the nature of creativity when you “keep your eyes on your own paper” and just do you!

Why do you upcycle? What got you interested in giving it a shot? There are so many projects here on my website, and found across the web. Get to that sewing room and create! Then rock your makes proudly out in the world.

Weaving with Upcycled Fabrics

Ok, so this post comes from the wayback machine! I like to envision the little bit of Scooby Doo effort that went into my makes back in the early 2000’s! I didn’t know a thing about sewing at the time, and had not yet been influenced by books and online tutorials. So I just came up with ideas by experimentation.

These two weavings came from my experiments. I was working with pre worn corduroy pants, and also got a bolt of white corduroy fabric. I used procion dyes to dye the white corduroy in batches. Eventually I decided to do a couple of weavings to hang up.

The concept here is that you just need fabric strips and a glue stick along with a sewing machine. As you are weaving, dab a little glue onto the backs of the woven strips to keep them in place. Let the glue dry overnight. Then sew along the edges of the rows with a wide zig zag stitch. On the orange weaving, I worked by creating sixteen patch of woven squares, and then sewed them together to create the larger piece.

I can see weaving being really cool for the back of a jacket, as a tunic or the top of a dress, or even as patches to mend clothes! Work small, work big, the process is pretty much the same!

I hope this little bit of inspiration gets you thinking creatively!

A Word from 1 Peter 3: 3-4

Over the years I have thought a lot about expectations regarding appearance. Both men and women face those expectations if they want to be accepted in society. I mean, most people have responsibilities to tend to. Work, running errands, date nights, and more!

As a seamstress I have focused much of my path on clothes. It gets me thinking a lot about the way I show up in the world. The truth is I’m really low maintenance these days. Something about turning 40, then 45, and now 46 has me shrugging off the pressure to look marvelous all the time. Yoga pants, hoodies and t shirts have replaced the way I used to get dressed to the nine’s for my day to day life.

Part of the aging process is fighting off the effects of time! There is make up and every lotion and potion imaginable. There is pressure to get plastic surgery and hold on to youth for top dollar. There is so much pressure to conform to beauty standards or face ridicule. You might even be written off completely if you don’t look just right! But looking just right changes depending on who is looking at you. One person likes a woman to look this way, another that. Pressures among groups of friends also run so high.

The great thing is you can dress how you want! If you want to wear make up and do your hair every day…that’s great! If you want to throw on a hat, (like I do), and not put that much effort in…that’s your choice. There isn’t a right or wrong way to show up in the world. Just showing up is enough! And it isn’t your job to dress to impress other people. That’s also a choice you get to make. It can be a form of resistance to wear sweatpants sometimes instead of getting all dolled up.

What are you wearing these days? The most important thing is to please yourself! Regardless of whether you dress to the nine’s or wear the same clothes day after day…treating others like you want to be treated, and lifting others up is what truly matters! Some of the worst looking people have hearts of gold! And some of the best looking people are the most heartless and cruel. Wear your he(art) on your sleeve and just do you!

Sew an Art Dress and Make a Statement!

Wearing your art on your sleeve is so much fun! Nowadays, people have opinions on all manner of things. They always have however I find that today people feel more free to share those opinions even if they go against the grain. In the past, it wasn’t polite to talk money or politics and today anything goes! You can’t go a few minutes without someone voicing their political views. Every conversation is a kind of battle field, where your views can make or break your relationships.

I bought some secondhand fabric off Etsy last year, and in the bundle of random pieces I got an army fabric. I was wondering what good use could come of it! I support the army wholeheartedly, and I know it is a path for a lot of people. And at the same time I love peace. I love dreaming of a world where wars don’t need to be fought.

This dress came about from that idea! I had thrifted a crop top that said “Good Viber Paris”, so that needed covered up to make my statement. Truthfully I bought the top to upcycle, and then last week the stars aligned and I got to sewing!

Detail from the “Coexist Upcycled Dress” by Kathryn Sturges

My new Brother sewing machine has a basic lettering font! And I can’t wait to embroider more art clothes and projects in the future with it!