DIY // T-shirt Romper

This summer is apparently the summer of arts and crafts for me.
Recently I have found myself exploring the world of sewing and making clothes and all that fun stuff. Honestly reading over that last sentence makes me seem like quite the granny, but I think it is so useful to just know how to resize a dress or make a romper out of your dad's super chill t- shirts.

 T-Shirt #1

Y'all. Look at how massive this t-shirt is. It was a men's extra-large sleep shirt that my dad bought and never wore and so passed it down to me.

I loved the graphic and I love the brand Life is Good therefore I had to figure out something to do with it.  And a romper was born.

I guess you could say this post is just a preview because honestly I totally just made up the steps as I went using knowledge from other bloggers and YouTube, but if you would like I can post a real step by step video tutorial!  Meanwhile, check out these two tutorials / Merrick's Art // sloabn /

I did take some pictures along the way though and will explain basic steps!

The awesome thing about using t-shirts is that you can use the hems already on the shirt!! I made a pair of shorts using a pattern I made based another pair of shorts I have and cut it out along the bottom of the shirt.  Making shorts is super easy and you can learn by watching simple tutorials.

The shirt portion took a bit longer, especially because the shirt was so huge that I had to cut out new sleeves and fix the size of the body piece.  (I might have gotten impatient and accidentally sewed all along the side of the body piece before I realized there was no hole for me to put my arms in. Sigh.) You can use a basic t-shirt to figure out the patterns for the body and the sleeves.

The hardest part was definitely attaching the two pieces and adding elastic. I used this tutorial to add the elastic and I was done! The first time through this project took me about a day so not too bad!

T-Shirt #2

*psstt.. this one was my favorite!!
I basically followed the same steps but obviously I knew more of what I was doing this time around and it turned a lot better!  This one took a lot more guess work with proportions, though, because I hadn't made a pattern for long sleeves yet and the material was a lot thicker and therefore less stretch than the white shirt.  I kinda just winged it, but it turned out great.

I had to add a button hole and slit in the back of this one because there was no way I could possibly get it on without ripping approximately 457 stitches out.

I seriously just want to wear this out into the wilderness.. it would be very hard to pee in I suppose.

You guys have to try this out!! TJMaxx and Marshalls have so many Life is Good t-shirts at great prices and they are seriously so comfy and high quality.  I have been wearing the long sleeve one for three days now and wore the white one to bed last night!  Of course, try this with any big ol' t-shirt you have.  It is simple once you get the hang of it and you can start whipping these out in about 2 hours! 

Give it a whirl!

Watercolor // Lettering & Typography

As mentioned in my Current Favorites post, I have been spending a lot of my spare time painting with watercolors recently.  Watercolor is literally the easiest form of art. All you need is a paint set, brushes, and some water. (Oh, and of course, some creativity!)

Today's project was different from previous ones I have done because it was very text heavy.  Of course when you think of painting you think of real pictures and people and images, but today I thought I would take a swing at it and do a typographic poster for one of my very close friends, Rebecca, and her family.  It was a very lonnngggg process that included a lot of Pinterest and PicMonkey, but I think the overall painting turned out great. So, I'll share with you my creative process!

one // Know what you want to say.
I guess it's a pretty obvious step but definitely one of the most important! Figure out what you want to write: a significant quote, a bible verse, a famous saying, or even just a funny inside joke! Be creative here, but if you are stuck, Pinterest is a great place to look up some inspirational words.

two // Know how you want to say it.
This part is a little tricky and requires the most creativity. Imagine how you want the words you have chose to appear. Do you just want to write it in your handwriting and give it a personal feel? Do you want it to be in different fonts and colors? How will you arrange the words?  I know, there are so many different options!! I decided to go for a typographic feel and arrange the words and fonts strategically. If you decide to go with this route, let me tell you, it's tough and takes a while.  I used PicMonkey to make a "blueprint" using free fonts I found and liked.  This is just a rough sketch, I ended up changing a few elements here and there, but it is extremely helpful as a reference.three // Put it on paper!
Finally. You get to paint. Watercolor is very simple: Just wet your brush and choose your color. For something like this with a lot of text, you don't have to mix the paint on a separate palette unless you want a specific color.  Have fun with this part! You don't need to "learn how to use watercolor" with a project like this one.  Just let your words flow and DO NOT USE TOO MUCH WATER. (this is crucial) Make sure you have a good brush selection for the bold and thin lettering.  It was pretty easy with my huge palette to get the color I wanted but even with the 8-color palette you could virtually get any color you want by messing with colors.  Here, I roughly sketched out the words in pencil and then proceeded to paint over it.



four // Add the details.
Once you finish the wording, add in a few pops of color here and there to really make the words stand out.  You could do without this part, but I personally think it can really transform a painting if you do it right.  Here I just added a few yellow accents to keep it simple but watercolor flowers are great accents as well.

five // Admire your work.
This is my favorite step. Step back and look at what you've created.  If you think it's missing something it's not too late! Edit all you want but be content with the piece of art you've made in the end. I'm sure it is beautiful!

*I got most of my tools from Target-- they have a great new range of art supplies meant for kids that is really affordable and nice quality for beginners.

Have fun and good luck!

An Upgrade to your Go-To Look

Come on. We are all guilty of having that one very simple and not attractive uniform that we always throw on when we are in a hurry or simply can't be bothered.  For me personally, I always keep a pair of Nike athletic shorts and a baggy souvenir t-shirt at hand for these special occasions, but lately, in my efforts of revamping my style and closet, I have tried to limit myself from always gravitating to my t-shirt drawer.  (Okay but how awesome are those Texas flag shorts.. I mean, does your state have a pair of shorts?)

But, I came up with a very simple solution.

one // Replace your unflattering running shorts for a pair of loose, nicely constructed, and most importantly comfy pair of shorts.  These have been so on trend this summer and you can practically find them anywhere.  The ones shown are rather plain, but I have seen so many adorable floral and lace shorts in stores currently!  My favorite part of these shorts is that little elastic band at the top--they keep it comfy and casual.

   J.Crew White Shorts // Blue Crochet Shorts found at Marshalls // Denim Lounge Shorts similar found here

two // Swap the baggy t-shirts with slightly more stylized and embellished tops that still have the loose fit with more flattering cuts and softer fabric.  Even just swapping your t-shirt for a graphic linen tee or a patterned crop top will make you look more put together.  These three tees are honestly so extremely comfy and come with that worn-in t-shirt softness.  You can find so many different tees that are sure to fit in with your style.  My personal favorite is the baseball tee--it gives an effortless, tomboy look that I have been digging currently.

J.Crew Baseball Tee // J.Crew Linen Tee similar found here // Aerie Tribal Crop Top similar style found here

Add a pair of classic aviators and a bright lipstick and there you go, an upgrade to your go-to look.

xx Christine