one of our call center reps shared this awesome DIY tutorial for the adorable sleep masks that she makes …these would be such a great gift for friends or an awesome stocking stuffer for the holidays.
quilted sleep mask
supplies:
2 6”x10” pieces of cotton fabric
2 pieces of 6”x10” cotton batting
matching thread
matching ribbon for ties (36” total)
sewing machine is helpful but project could be done by hand
start by picking out a fat quarter of your favorite cotton fabric, you can use a scrap you have laying around as long as it is at least 6” by 10”.
from your 6”x10” fabrics cut out the shape of a sleep mask. I made my own pattern for it, its not too hard. Practice on a piece of paper and once you get a good size and shape use that for you pattern. **remember to allow 1/4 “ seam allowance all the way around.**
place the front fabric right side up on the 2 pieces of cotton batting, pin and quilt whatever pattern you like. i used diagonal lines to create a box pattern but anything will work! use your imagination!
now cut your ribbon in half to make two 18” ties and position them on the front of the mask with the long part facing in leaving 1 " overhang over the outside side edges of the mask. i roll and pin mine so as not to sew more then just the one end to the edge.
now place the back piece on the quilted front piece right sides facing, stitch around the edge with a ¼ inch seam allowance leaving 4 inches at the top of the sleep mask open so that you can pull it right side out.
once you are done sewing cut around the stitching to remove the excess batting and then pull the mask right side out making sure all your edges are pushed out completely and flat. ironing at this point does help but not required. now pin your opening closed with the unsewn seam allowance tucked in. sew 1/8” from the edge all the way around the mask. once you trim off your extra threads you will have an adorable, comfy sleep mask!!! :)
not so crafty? you can find these for sale on her etsy site.
what’s not to love about fall leaves? isn’t it sad how quickly the bright oranges, reds and yellows go away? check out this awesome DIY activity from creative kismet to make some pretty autumn leaves! i think they’d be great decorations at home, or even to spruce up your desk at work.
here’s a step by step tutorial on how to make them…
what you’ll need:
A brown paper bag
acrylic craft paints in assorted autumn colors (yellow, orange, green, red, brown, copper, gold)
paint brushes, sponges, old toothbrush
blow dryer (optional)
scissors
twine
1. take one brown paper grocery bag, tear it open into one flat piece. tear into 3-4 large pieces and crumple into a ball to give it lots of texture. flatten out.
2. prep paints by diluting with a bit of water
3. slop paint all over paper.
4. allow to dry. use a blow dryer to speed the process (optional).
5. lightly sponge on metallic gold and copper paint
6. spritz some diluted brown paint with a toothbrush to create speckles.
7. admire your pretty paper :)
8. when paper is completely dry, cut into leaf size squares and cut out leaves. if you are lucky to have sizzix machine with leaf shapes, that would be a really easy way to make leaves. If not, try stacking several squares together and cutting multiple leaves at the same time. another way to cut the leaves would be to use leaf shaped cookie cutters!
9. glue stems onto twine and hang your pretty garland on a window or around a door.
in keeping with the photography theme of the day...did you ever have to make a pinhole camera at school when you were younger? i didn't, but i kind of wish i had. luckily someone at work showed me this site where you can download and print out a pdf of a cute little pinhole camera that you can make with just a few additional supplies.
plus, look how cool the photos can turn out...
to make your own pinhole camera, go to the website and download the pdf here!
i think i'm going to make one and decorate it to look very free people...if it turns out ok, i'll share on the blog :)
i have a problem. i never throw anything away.
as a result, i have lots of scraps of fabric left over from past sewing projects, and old clothes that don’t fit any more, so i decided it would be fun to try and make a quilt…plus this way i don’t have to throw them away, and if it turns out well i have a nice new quilt for the cold months ahead.
to start out, i cut the scraps into evenly shaped squares – to do this i used a record and a cd and cut around them, because i can’t cut in a straight line to save my life.
then i just started sewing them together in whatever pattern i felt like. i lined up the two squares, turned them over and sewed them by hand.
pretty simple- it would go much faster with a sewing machine but i don’t mind doing it by hand and it’s actually a pretty relaxing thing to do on a rainy day while listening to music :)
these are leftover from an old pair of jeans i made into cutoffs. i think they’ll look really cool in the quilt!
i cut some of the squares in half to make triangles.
i’ll probably cut some flowers, stars and other shapes out of some of the extra fabric and then stitch those onto some of the larger squares to add some flair.
if any of you try making your own quilt, send us photos!
a few folks from the home office attended lord whimsy's terrarium workshop in philly two sundays ago...hosted by jay from arthur mag.
i have yet to make any of the aforementioned, but the class was really inspiring. i kind of want my whole house filled with terrariums...
here's a little video from the event, too...
i met one of our blogreaders, there, too...if you made your terrarium, share it with us!
and for our fans/readers in the northeast...doub and lauren will be stopping by our boston store next friday, the 18th, to offer up styling tips/advice!!! don't miss it.
our creative director doub sent us this pic last night...she's in l.a. with our image team working on the next catalog, but met up with one of our vendors during her travels. she snapped him doing some metallic heat-sealing...
want to know more about heat-sealing? we just might have a little how-to for you in the next week or so... :)
our president meg shared some of her famous zucchini bread with the folks here at the home office and left copies of the recipe for all of us, too.
this one was made with zucchinis from her husband's garden. look at those things...
delicious.
make one at home for your friends and fam!
don't worry...it's transcribed for you below. :)
zucchini (nut bread)
blend together:
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
mix in: 1/2 cup vegetable oil
mix together all dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
mix all wet and dry ingredients together.
place in greased loaf pan.
bake in 325-degree oven for 55-60 min.
cool in pan 10 min. remove from pan, cool thoroughly.
wrap in foil.
note: tastes better after sitting a day. may be frozen for later consumption.
katie from our accessories buying team found this little blurb in instyle uk...
maybe you'll want to take pix of your blingbags and send them to us?
hint hint...
Ah! This swimsuit cover-up is so cute! I want one! And I can have one, because happily, Creative Kismet has very detailed and easy DIY instructions so that we can all make one! Check out the tutorial here.
Ever wanted to have hair that looks like you played in the ocean all day, but you didn't have easy access to the beach? Problem solved, thanks to our stylist Wesley! Watch as he shows how to create the perfect beach hair, without the beach!
Don't forget to check out our video that shows how to make pretty hair wraps as well - it would be the perfect addition to wavy beachy hair!
Sometimes when I get bored of a piece of clothing, all it needs to be exciting again is a new fun color! In the past I have been limited to using tea to get a warm brown color, or going and buying some dye at the drug store if I want any different colors - so I am really psyched that recently Pioneer Thinking put together a list of colors you can get from a variety of different plants! Dyes made from red cabbage will turn your clothes blue, and some dandelion roots will turn them red! They have something on the list for almost every color, definitely check it out if you are interested in some home-made dye! Threadbanger also has some great tips on preparing your home dyes!
I love the look of this floor mat, and to my delight, Instructables has easy directions for making your own - out of the old seams and waistbands from jeans! What a smart idea!
How delicious do these chocolate banana pops look?! I'm getting ready to try and make some! Katie Goodman has a really simple recipe for them Craftzine that I'm going to use! Hooray for cold chocolate banana treats!
I'm really excited to try out this tutorial from ThreadBanger- it shows how to knit your own bikini top! They go along very slowly and explain clearly what to do! The only thing is that there is a quick advertisement in the middle, but it's worth it because the tutorial is good. If you need a little basic knitting instruction first, check out our learn-to-knit videos here, here, and here!
These little brownie burgers and sugar cookie fries are so adorable! And tasty looking! Bakerella has a fantastic tutorial that you should definitely check out if you're in a baking mood! She even has templates to create the tray and french fry holder! I can't wait to try it out, maybe this weekend!
You may remember a bit more than a week ago when these shorts appeared in one of the Office Style posts. They are vintage by Steel Jeans, and quite of a few of you asked about them - I really liked them too! As you can see above, Courtney, the owner of the shorts, lent them to me for a day so that I could look them over and prepare to make my own pair! I did, and it was super easy! Here's how I did it!
First I color-copied Courtney's shorts, so that I could have a real-sized pattern of the patches on the front. It also really helped to have a guide for placement! I have posted the pictures I used on Flickr so you can use them too! Click on the picture, then original size to get the whole huge picture! Print them out and you have the patterns too!
Next I went home and picked out a pair of shorts I wanted to alter, and some pretty fabric for the patches!
You might notice that my fabric is very wrinkly! I highly recommend ironing any fabric you use for this project, but I don't have an iron, so as for me, I just had to wing it! I folded the fabric I chose for the patches in half, and then drew an outline of one of the patterns on it. You could also use each pattern and draw each side separately.
My shorts are quite a bit bigger than Courtney's, so I drew my outline out a bit from the outline of the pattern to compensate.
Next, I sewed them down! I used a sewing machine for this part, but I think it would also be very easy to sew this by hand. With the sewing machine I had to be very careful not to sew down the pockets of my shorts!
Halfway finished!
Ta Da! Finished!
They turned out pretty good, right? I love them!
If any of you make shorts too, send us a picture of you wearing them at blog.freepeople@gmail.com! I would love to see how yours turn out!
Every Monday through Friday for 20 weeks, Ann Wood, of Ann Wood Handmade, made one horse, until she had 100! Each horse is made from cardboard and hand-painted, with cute button joints! Ann currently has the horses as decoration above her bed - don't you love them? I want to make my own, and conveniently, Ann put together a DIY tutorial for Design*Sponge! Check it out here - even if you don't want to make a horse it's pretty cool to see how she did it!
One of Design*Sponge's guest bloggers, (I can't figure out who,) made these adorable sheep crackers at home! Aren't they totally awesome?! She was kind enough to post a how-to as well, be sure to check it out!
These chunky felted bead necklaces are so cool! I love how they look, and you know they probably are fun to touch as well! Kleas made the ones shown above with her pre-school class, who then took the necklaces home to their mothers!
She put together some very nice how-to instructions for making the felted beads and the jewelry! It looks really easy and fun, check it out!
Our May catalog drops tomorrow, and we are so excited! The pieces in it are really fabulous, especially our new Riding Hood Convertible Tee and our Convertible Cape! We are extra excited for these two pieces because they can both be styled in a number of different ways! They're like 4 shirts in one!
We've made a little video to show off the different ways to wear these two items, and how to create the looks! Check it out!
Elsie Marley made these delicious looking carrot cake cookies using this recipe, which I am really excited to try! Apparently when Elsie made these cookies they got eaten right up, and no surprise - just looking at them is making my mouth water...
You may remember a while back when we talked about all the cool sequined and embellished tights that hit the runway during fashion week... Well, Park & Cube has a really handy tutorial showing how she embellished the fabulous tights shown above! It has awesome pictures and some handy tips for those of us who feel the urge to DIY some cool tights for ourselves! Check it out here.
I saw this video on Flair to Remember and I thought it might be useful! A M.A.C. makeup artist shows how to put on fake eyelashes - something I definitely need help with!
There are lots of studding DIY ideas out there, but I'm am loving this! You could stud up some denim scraps and patch them onto a pair of old jeans that need some new life.
I love this little project from Design*Sponge! With some Altoid (or other) tins and a few other supplies you can make one of these cute mini gardens! I think I will make the zen garden - a little sand to rake on my desk might be just the ticket! See the instructions for both here.
I love this tutorial from Weekend Designer on how to make your own satin stole! It's such a gorgeous piece for spring and summer - great for dressing up an outfit, to go out dancing or to go to something fancy like a graduation! Try it for yourself here, it's a pretty simple pattern!
I'm not sure how many of you are into designing and making your own clothes, but I figured I'd bring your attention to this body form how-to video just in case. It's really cheap to make one, around 10 or 15 bucks it would seem, and amusingly, one of the supplies you'll need is a Christmas tree stand. Still, it looks like a pretty viable body form! Watch the video over here.
The girl who runs This is Love Forever just put a how-to on CraftStylish that shows how to make the springy centerpieces shown above! They are so adorable and chipper- I will definitely be trying my hand at this project! See it here!
I simply couldn't resist mentioning the article on how to make a compost bin that was recently posted on Craftzine. Though composting is something you can get into any time, I feel like spring cleaning is a great time to start something like this! It's really easy too, and it seriously cuts down the amount of waste coming from your home, besides making all your trees and flowers happy! Plus who doesn't want to feed cute little worms?! Click here to learn to make your own!
These special cracked colored eggs really caught my eye! I love them, they're so pretty! Barefoot Kitchen Witch has an easy how-to based on Chinese Tea Eggs, which are a relatively common street snack in China. Perfect for Easter!
I can almost taste these little candy sushis right now! Yum! Mommyknows originally created these for her daughter's birthday party as both a craft activity and the party favors - but I think they would be a fun activity (not to mention fun to eat) any time! Plus they look really cute! Check out her candy sushi how-to to make your own tasty set!
Pictured above is the newest display in our lobby - which also happens to be the newest display in our stores! This display will be in all the Free People stores by next week, and we love it! Our Visual Display Team has been working hard for weeks to make all the pictures and accessories to go in each store, and we got Beth to show us some tips and tricks for making our own little displays! Check out the video below!
I love this DIY jacket idea from BleachBlack! I like the grunge feel, and there are so many possibilities for making it to have your own unique flavor! Awesome!
Also, have you guys seen these house shoes from elephant and chickpea that they featured on Bloesem?
Ah! Love! I just wonder how sturdy the soles actually are, because I'd like to wear a pair out and about! They're too cute to just wear at home!
I am so inspired by this beautiful crochet blanket from the ladies of The Purl Bee. I love the idea to just make one giant Granny Square as a blanket. The colors are gorgeous too! But the best part is that they have a really good tutorial for making Granny Squares! Now I just need to graduate to making giant Granny Squares.
So I was browsing around Craftzine and I saw an awesome DIY for making zig-zag patches like the ones shown above! I love patches like that, and the DIY has a bunch of pictures; it seems really easy! Check it out!
One other thing, also on Craftzine, I saw the picture below:
It reminded me that everything looks better with googly eyes! I need to buy a little bag of them and go wild...
Nicole, Pruitt and I made this video as we played with all of the different ways to wear the Free People chain vests. I love that just one piece can be worn as a necklace, a belt, a bracelet, a vest, or even to embellish your favorite boots!
What is your favorite way to style them?
Pick out your own from the four different styles on freepeople.com
Believe it or not, Easter is already around the corner, and Retro Mama made these awesome little fabric Easter eggs! I love them! Even better, she posted a how-to make them on her blog - it looks like it will be really easy! Worth checking out if you want to make some cute Easter treats!
Pruitt mentioned a Bleach Black DIY yesterday, and of course we love Kristin and Val! So we are a little sad that we don't live in LA. The Bleach Black girls will be hosting a DIY session at Space 15 Twenty this Sunday! I hope someone gets some pictures!
If you go, make sure to stop by our We the Free store and say hello to the girls.
BleachBlack took this old tee and burned some holes it - and I love how it looks! She explains best what she did, so here is a quote: For starters, I think vintage tee’s with some sort of faded graphic work best… after all the point is for it to look lived in, right?! I would also make sure the tee is 100% cotton for best results. I used cigarettes, although I’m sure you could use some incense… just as long as it produces an ash. When the ash is sitting on the fabric it should burn from the center out and create this lovely burn color + hole.
Awesome! I can't wait to try it the moment I get home from work today...
Ah! I love this kitty hat, and its cute little ears! I am definitely going to make myself one too, since happily CraftStylish has a sweet tutorial for it! Check it out if you feel inclined like I do...
I love that all the lights in these pictures are hearts! Color Me Katie did it by cutting out a little heart on a piece of paper and putting it over her camera lens. I would never have thought that the outcome would be lights turned to hearts! It would be cool to try with other shapes...
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on February 27, 2009 1:49 PM
This little crochet necklace by Pretty Penny is so cute, and I'm really excited because it turns out she has a tutorial on how to make it on her blog! Check it out if you like the necklace too - I can't wait to start on mine!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on February 23, 2009 7:08 AM
I'm really digging this idea from fra(a)iing! She used water, glitter, some small cute jars, some plastic animals and waterproof glue to make these snow globes! You could really go wild with this idea, and put sequins, little jewelry or all kinds of things in a snow globe! I love it!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on February 18, 2009 11:46 AM
How cute are these little puffy felt heart pins?! There's a tutorial on Purl Bee, and the step by step photos are just as pretty as the project itself. I want to make a million of them!
We found Myra, (or rather, she found us) after she posted some amazing photos of her clothing designs on our Facebook page! She also wrote us a little note about how her designs and photo shoots are inspired by Free People! We could totally tell, and were very flattered!
Myra is from Chesterfield, Missouri, and is creating things all the time! She starts out her process by envisioning a story, which includes a specific model and setting, and goes from there. She has been designing ever since she received her first sewing machine in 2004! She will be attending school for fashion design starting this fall, and is currently planning a booth for her wares at a local art fair!
Myra was so sweet as to put together an awesome how-to for the camisole tank dress that she makes! You can see examples of how cute the dress looks when it's finished in the pictures above and below! We just love the details on this dress! I can't wait to make my own! Myra even shows us how to cinch the tank at the top! Click here for all the instructions on how to make the dress, with a ton more pictures too!
Just for fun, we asked Myra a few interview-type questions!
What is your current state of mind?
I am enthused about my future for the endless possibilities!
Do you have any pets?
I have a big black cat, named Big Boy
What inspires you?
Nature, vintage photos, vintage styles, and of course Free People!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Sewing, going to music stores, shopping for vintage clothing, eating at places I’ve never been to.
Do you have a favorite artist?
Erté a French designer and artist in the early 1900’s, and Mucha
Who are your favorite designers?
Free people, Marc Jacobs, Betsey Johnson, and myself.
Who is your favorite celebrity inspiration?
Kate Moss, Sienna Miller
What did you want to be as a child?
I wanted to be an elementary teacher I thought it would be fun to create activities for kids to do.
What do you like best about where you live now?
My friends and family, and the inspiring mid-west countryside
What superpower would you most like to have?
Definitely to fly, I’ve had dreams of flying and it’s the craziest feeling to be above everything.
What is your favorite article of clothing that you own right now?
My collection of vintage plaid shirt’s, I can’t just pick one!
What is your motto?
Out of good comes good
And the mysterious fate
Yay! Thank you so much for sharing one of your beautiful designs with us Myra! I can't wait to work on my own camisole tank dress!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on January 22, 2009 11:31 AM
I'm LOVING how many fashion DIY projects are all over the web. I'm excited about this one from Park & Cube, showing you how to get the look of those Wang chained up cutoffs. Head over there to learn how it's done!
I am just falling in love with Carbon Couture, especially with her crafty ways of creating fashion accessories! Shown above are some cool tassel earrings from the Marc Jacobs Spring 2009 collection, and below are the earrings she made to look just like them! I love it! See here on her blog to create your own with her easy instructions!
Also, a while ago, she made a how-to for this Dries Van Noten bracelet that is really great if you're in the mood!
Don't you love these scarf how-to pictures? I am always at a loss of how to wear my cute scarves, and I can't wait to try these styles out! You can see all of the pictures right here! There are a lot of them!
Jasmine of our sweater design team continues our knitting lessons in this third installment of Learning to Knit with Jasmine! This time, Jasmine shows us how to make a popcorn stitch, also known as baubles, for a more festive and interesting look! And if you missed episode 1 or episode 2, be sure to check them out! They'll get you all caught up and ready to make baubles! Yay!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on January 13, 2009 2:09 PM
I really love this idea for updating a plain old leather belt. This particular belt looks cool with the eyelet details. I like the way it looks when the leather splits.
Head over to Bleach Black for the details! (I also recommend reading the first comment on her entry:)
Remember the super pretty hair wraps our stylist Monica did for the December catalog? Well we recently made a little video in which Monica shows us how we can make the hair wraps too!
To my delight, I got to have my hair be the example, so I had awesome wraps in my hair for a while! It was so fun! You guys should definitely try it! Find the tutorial below - enjoy!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on January 7, 2009 2:23 PM
The new year is quickly approaching, and if you are like me, you are going to have a couple of defunct calendars on your hands soon! I'm always at a loss of what to do with them, since I usually like the pictures so much! This year however, I am looking forward to turning my old calendars into envelopes and notecards! Both Mara Rivet at Thrifty Fun and Kelli on There is No Place Like Home have really cute and easy tutorials on how to do it! Definitely check them out if you are looking for a fun way to reuse your calendars! You could use magazine tears too!
I really like this bracelet that was spotted on Dries Van Noten's Spring runway! It's so cute and festive - but even better is that Carbon Couture has created an awesome DIY version, with step-by-step instructions so it's really easy to make! See how cute their version is below - I kind of like it even better than the Dries Van Noten one! Click here to go to the instructions!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 22, 2008 6:05 PM
I love this wreath! I feel like one could use it at any time of year and it would look appropriate! It's so colorful! It was created by Lindamade, and she has put up instructions on her blog so that we can make it too! I can't wait to try it!
Jasmine, of our sweater design team, joins us again for another knitting lesson in this fun video! This week we learn how to do a purl stitch to go with our knit stitch, as well as how to cast off and finish our project! Check out Jasmine's first knitting lesson to see how to cast on and do a knit stitch! Get psyched for our next installment too, when we will learn how to make baubles on our knit projects for a more festive look!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 2, 2008 3:29 PM
I'm loving the gift tag tutorials from A Little Hut. My favorite is tutorial #2 fabric + paper. The contrast of the straight edge of the paper and the soft frayed edges of the fabric is really appealing. And I always need a reason to use up fabric scraps!
Ever wanted to learn to knit, but found book instructions too difficult? Jasmine, of our sweater design team, teaches how to cast on and how to do the most basic knit stitch in this fun little video! All you need is some yarn and a couple of knitting needles, which you can get real cheap at any craft store, or Wal-Mart, Target, etc...
Look forward to our next episode too, when Jasmine will teach us how to purl and how to cast off! I can't wait to learn more stitches!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on November 21, 2008 1:30 PM
A few days ago, our customer service representatives received this little note: Dear Free People,
I receive your catalogs in the mail...thank you. I have a question in regards to your November 2008 catalog.
On pages 25 and 35, is it possible for you to tell me what lipstick color/brand they are?
Thank you.
We asked our make-up artist, Deanna, to help us out with this question, and she told us exactly how she made-up the model's lips! I thought I'd share her answer with you: Prepare the lip with a little Eucerin ointment- just enough to moisten the lip.
Then press Make Up For Ever Star powder (loose) in iridescent fuschia into lip, concentrating color more on the center of lips, then build to desired intensity.
Most Make Up For Ever products can be purchased at Sephora!
Thanks Deanna!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on November 10, 2008 2:36 PM
The latest edition of BLDG15 Threads is here!
Lately at Free People, we have been really into braids - you might have noticed them on many of our models!
In our latest BLDG15 Threads, we show you (with the help of our hairstylist) how to make three different types of braids - a knot braid, fishtail, and twist-rope braid!
Check out this video below, in which our hairstylist makes a fishtail braid on one of our models while showing us how! You can find a video for the knot braid on BLDG15 Threads, as well as step-by-step instructions and drawings for each braid. Be sure to have a look!
Just for fun, here are a few shots of some girls around the office today, sporting their braids!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 29, 2008 10:38 AM
I'm sure you toss some cereal boxes in the recycling bin. And you've probably been stuck without a gift box for your friend's birthday and especially around the holidays. Head over to instructables to learn how to make a gift box from a cereal box! My only advice would be to dress it up a little more than what they've done in the photos. Paint it, get pretty ribbons, glue on some sequins, make it pretty!
Find some pillow cases with pretty lace borders and make comfy dresses! MayaMade has a tutorial so you can learn how. She made hers for her nieces (who are sooo cute), but you could use a king size case, or just make a tunic to wear with cutoff shorts or jeans.
The picture above is one of Adrianne Lee's awesome fashion illustrations! She posted it on Free People's Facebook profile a while ago, and from there we found her website, NinkyBink Boutique! On her website we found a ton of other cool fashion illustrations, as well as some really cute clothes she has designed! One thing lead to another and we asked Adrianne if she would be willing to do a guest post here on our Free People blog - and she was! So today it is my delight to bring you Adrianne's awesome post, where she teaches us how to easily make a really cute corset tank! (With a lot of her great illustrations too!) Enjoy!
In less than two hours from now, you can have in your possession a corset worthy of envy from Marie Antoinette herself! This corset will defy the idea that corsets are uncomfortable (it’s made of a t-shirt!), it will be adorned with exquisitely quirky pieces of flare, and it will be made by the finest couturier, you! Don’t have a sewing machine? A needle and thread will be fine! I assure you, even if you have never sewn before, this project will be something you can handle with success!
Furthermore, this project was intentionally created to work as a coordinate with your Free People wardrobe! While it’s hot out you might pair it with a skirt and some fun leg wear and as it gets colder layer it with sweaters, jackets, and other tops! I drew a picture to give you a few ideas but I am sure you can come up with more.
This tutorial video will walk you through the steps! Good luck!
Here's a little scrapbook to go along with the project!
I love this! I can't wait to make my very own corset tank! Maybe tomorrow... on a relaxing Sunday? Thank you so much to Adrianne Lee! What an awesome craft project!
Also, if you find yourself wanting a corset tank very badly but not wanting to do the work, you can find other gorgeous tanks at Adrianne's Etsy Shop!
A few people asked how they can buy the FP tutus from the photo I posted. We do not have them for sale, but Luren from the display team has some tips.
To make these tutus, Luren used camisoles from past FP collections and petticoats she found on the internet. But you can make your own!
It's easy to make a tutu: just find a color range of tulle and netting at your local fabric store and a thick band of elastic. If you have a sewing machine you can sew tiers of tulle onto the elastic band in a pleat-y way, folding an inch of the tulle under itself and sewing that inch, then folding more tulle under and sewing that inch so you're making pleat after pleat after pleat right on the elastic band.
You can make several tiers of pleated tulle on a thick elastic band. Then you can add little bands of pleated tulle onto the bottom of the layers of tulle for extra bulk. We layered bright colors under pastel colors so that when you saw the tutus from below you got a special surprise pop of color.
Then we sewed them to Free People camisoles. The effect of this can be achieved with your homemade tutu or any tutu you can find at a thrift store or a dance shop. Most dance shops carry the donut style tutu (really big and thick around the waist) and the more relaxed skirt-y tutu. You can just pin the tutu to the bottom of the camisole all around and then use a needle and thread to whip stitch them together.
