NewNew Takes On The Wardrobe Refashion Challenge

I'm excited to introduce a new weekly feature to the {NewNew} blog. For the next six months participating members have committed to buying only handmade, used, and vintage clothing and challenge themselves to make or refashion items themselves. This project was inspired by and running in conjunction with the original Wardrobe Refashion Challenge. You will be able to follow our journeys here, along with associated how-to projects and guest refashionistas.

The Challengers (in their own words):

Beacon Bookmarks
Now that I split my time between the woodshop making our bookmarks and an office job, I don't always have to dress like a hobo. My wardrobe seems to be inspired by the Target clearance rack and I would love to add some individuality to what I have (especially the well-loved worn out pieces) plus use up some of my large fabric stash. The hard part is deciding what to do first!

Better Than Jam
I always think it is such a waste to just throw old clothes out. I am a huge believer in giving items several lives.

Cakehouse
i joined wardrobe refashion two years ago, and though i stopped posting after my first six months, i've kept up the pledge. the wardrobe refashion community actually helped inspire me to create my business, making home accessories out of repurposed secondhand fabrics.

Ikyoto
I'm Kari (aka Ikyoto), and after looking in my closet I have found it wanting. Rather than head to the chain stores, I'm planning on taking a creative adventure and supporting artisans whose values I share.

Joyella
Jennifer has been a long time proponent of fair trade and sweat shop free products, and has been shopping with these ethics in mind for several years, but this will mark the first attempt at such an absolute commitment to these ideals! She is excited for the challenge, and looks forward to sharing her experiences.


Karen's Monsters
I'm Karen of Karen's Monsters. The more involved I've become in the handmade movement, the more I've come to appreciate well-made goods that have a positive impact on our environment and communities. I'm looking forward to the challenge and hoping to extend this project into a lifetime habit.

Luck (x4)
Tanya has been sewing and making her own clothes since Jr. High (with photos of some bad 80's outfits to prove it). She also loves hunting for vintage clothes, fabric and (especially) patterns. She's always been more of a "make from scratch" kind of girl rather than a "re-fashioner" but is hoping to do a little of both while participating in this project.

The Pledge

We, the {NewNew} Refashion members, pledge that we shall refashion, renovate, recycle pre-loved items for ourselves with our own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of our contract. We pledge that we will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovated, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings!
Signed {NewNew} Refashion Members.

Check back next week for our first installment!

~Kari
http://ikyoto.etsy.com

Alternative Cake Toppers by the NewNew

The old plastic-cast figurines have largely been tossed aside for cake toppers that better capture the unique nature of the wedding couple's personalities. Here are a few ideas from the NewNew for fresh and personal looks to dress up your cake.

What could be more sweet than the beloveds' names stitched out simply together? MiniatureRhino offers custom embroidery that brings your names and hearts into one that could go on top of your cake, and then into your home.

So many couples are brought together by a shared interest, and I picture this as adorning a cake for beer aficionados. DeafDog's bottle caps saying "I {heart} U" will highlight both your love for each other and your enthusiasm for life's pleasures.
Whatever animals you might choose to represent yourselves, Smallest Friend can make adorable felted creatures to your specifications. Your pets together, creatures based on your nicknames or favorite pairings (I'm partial to unicorn + narwhal) are all wonderful ways to bring charm to your cake display.
For something a little more symbolic, a tree is a great representation of the growth of your relationship and looks forward to the marriage together. There are a few different varieties by winsome hollow. Choose which is most like you.

There has been a lot of attention to choosing cupcakes instead of a more formal cake for weddings. Consider an arrangement with all of the cupcakes displayed on a charming plate by May Luk.

Once you've picked out your perfect cake topper (or cupcake decor), on your special day the only thing you'll have to worry about the cake is to smoosh or not to smoosh.


~Kari
http://ikyoto.etsy.com

February is National Embroidery Month: NewNew Picks

In honor of National Embroidery Month, here are some of my NewNew top picks to celebrate.

This sampler by Miniature Rhino strikes me as simultaneously nostalgic and edgy. It would fit equally well in a modern decor setting as a Victorian one. Also this piece is a boon for those who want someone to remember us, but are a little camera shy.
Now your tea will be neither confused nor cold with the help of this fun cosy by KnitStorm. The use of recycled wool for both the cozy itself and the embroidery can make you feel toasty to your toes with the warmth of choosing something good for the earth.

This art quilt by Look Closely Press elevates the lowly blanket stitch to new heights. This one-of-a-kind artwork captures the spirit of sitting quietly to embroider.
If embroidery has captured your heart, what better way to display that love than with a heart ornament by copabananas. The vintage fabric is what really caught my eye in this piece.
thirdfloor makes embroidery art wearable in this wool and kimono silk cowl. Copper is one of my all time favorite colors since it has all the glamour of a metal, but a little softer.

If your eyes are still hungry for embroidery, there is time left to check out the exhibition, Forget-Me-Not: embroidered love from the new craft movement. This show at the Hanahou Gallery runs until February 27th, and NewNew members loveforever and Miniature Rhino have work on display.

Check back tomorrow as we continue to honor National Embroidery Month with a project and stitch how-to.

~Kari
http://ikyoto.etsy.com

Valentine How-To: "Mad Love" Game Book

My partner and I love to do Mad Libs together, and we have gone through many of their books, including the romance one that inspired this Valentine's project.

This "Mad Love" book will be 5.5" x 8.5," so plan your paper accordingly. I made my inner pages in Photoshop, but would have been a little bit easier in a word processing program. For content, I drew from romantic things we both enjoy, such as movie plots with quotes, song lyrics, book passages and old blog posts. Here is an example page:

I found for movies it was straightforward to use plot synopsis from IMDB, and then include your favorite quote at the end. For song lyrics, don't forget the helpful word type of "rhymes with ...," since non-rhyming lyrics aren't as fun. In addition to your standard parts of speech (e.g. noun, verb, adverb), throw in some that are more specific such as "occupation," "silly word," "place," or "famous people." The ever classic "person in room" should not be overlooked.

For my book I did about 10 pages, but more or less would be cool considering how much time or interest you have.

Next the cover:

This is a blank template for you to fill in as a cover. You can download it directly from my Flickr site here. For the Photoshop savvy, go ahead and use a close-up image (camera phone style super close-ups work great for this) into the green square. For the less computer inclined, try printing out a photo or photocopying one and cutting it to fit in the square and gluing it in place.


Cover your eyeballs with the classic style googly eyes to make it look like the original store bought versions. You can download them on my Flickr, again. If you're only semi-experience with Photoshop, note that once you select the eyeballs and paste them into the image, EDIT > FREE TRANSFORM, is useful in this situation. Again, for the non-computer option, scale your eyeballs up or down and glue onto the faces.


Here is my finished cover. I printed it out on card stock, but if you don't have any, print on regular paper and then glue to something stiffer. At this point I also got all of my interior pages cut down to 5.5" x 8.5," and cut a backing piece of cardboard the same dimensions.


You've done all of the hard parts already, now we just staple the pieces together, like so.


And I covered the staples and top edge with fabric tape to give it a more polished feel.


I'm really excited to give this to my Valentine, and I hope that you have fun making some too.

~Kari
http://ikyoto.etsy.com

Upcycle How-To: Holey Sweater Hats, Batman!

It's a fact that one of the best ways to keep warm is to cover your head. Unfortunately two other things are also usually true by this time in the winter. I've gotten bored with my current hats, and I've managed to ruin one of my favorite sweaters. Here is a simple sewing "How-To" to turn a holey sweater into two fun new hats.

Roughly cut up the sweater into useful pieces for both hats like this:
Now we're ready to start on Hat #1. So far this has been described by onlookers as "Asian-inspired" or "Modified Pillbox," but I figure that a hat by any other name will look as sweet.

Cut your large circle, and two pieces of the 3" band which are each 1/2 of around your head plus 2".

Pin and stitch (using a zig-zag or serger stitch to allow the hat to stretch) with 1" seam allowance at the finished edge diagonally to no seam allowance at the point of the unfinished edge.


This might give a slight point at the seams, so just cut at part off to make an smooth band.Pin band down to round with finished edge facing the center onto your large circle. There will probably be way too much seam allowance on the round, so just cut it off to match the edge of the band. wherever it makes a nice circle. Stitch with just 1/4" seam allowance (again using a zig-zag stitch or serger) around the circle.
Turn it right-side out, and put on your finished hat and show off your eco-friendly handywork.

Let's begin on hat #2. I refer to this style as "Mob Cap," but some others have insisted it's "Chef."

Cut your large circle, and 1 piece for the band which goes around your head plus 1".
Pin and stitch band (using a zig-zag or serger stitch to allow the hat to stretch) with 1/2" seam allowance to make a ring.
Sew 2 rows of shirring (either a large running stitch if by hand, or a straight stitch on the longest stitch length of your sewing machine) around your large circle. Leave long tails to pull the shirring tighter. Pull the threads until the edge of your circle is the same size as the band. Pin into place (wrong sides together, of course), and stitch around with 1/4" seam allowance.
Turn right-side out, and model it for anyone willing to look!

Now that you've finished two hats in the same fabric, you could get a hat accessory that could play double duty. Since my hats are orange, I'm partial to this threaded pin by urbahnika.


Hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and continue to let the NewNew blog keep you warm!

~Kari
http://ikyoto.etsy.com

Happy New Year: Japanese-American Potato Salad Recipe

All over Asia, New Year's is the family holiday of the year, and Japan is no exception. Back in the old country, people sit around on New Year's Day reading their enormous stacks of New Year's cards and eating Osechi, but we've gotten a little more casual this side of the pond. (A friend of mine calls it the "hang-over party.") The main traditions we've saved at my household are spending a whole day eating delicious food enjoying the company of family and close friends.

Try this Japanese-American twist on good old potato salad!




Japanese-American Potato Salad
(serves a crowd)

5lbs of Russet Potatoes, peeled and in large dice
8 hard boiled eggs, shelled and in large dice
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 carrot, roughly grated
2 Tbsp. dried baby shrimp
2 cups mayonnaise (more or less depending on your taste)
Salt and Pepper

Boil potatoes in lightly salted water until tender, but firm. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, peas, and carrot. If necessary, mince baby shrimp finely (you shouldn't be able to see them once incorporated into the salad), sprinkle over salad and combine. Add mayonnaise until it reaches the consistency you like, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. This salad tastes best if left in the refrigerator overnight to let flavors combine.

You might tuck this recipe away until the Lunar New Year, it's never failed on Chinese New Year's either!

~Kari
http://ikyoto.etsy.com