I recently found myself in need of some shoelaces and decided it would take less time to make them than to find an interesting, colorful pair. Turns out that they’re fun and easy to make, and they require very little fabric. And they would make a great little stocking stuffer!
I used a yellow polka dotted sateen from the Little Lisette collection. You’ll need less than 1/4 yard for each pair of shoelaces.
First, cut several 1 1/2″ wide strips of fabric from selvedge to selvedge. I used three strips for my sneakers, but you may need more for shoes with more grommets. Stitch the ends of the strips together to make one big long strip, and trim the seam allowances to about 1/4″ before pressing them open. This will prevent the seams from getting too bulky to pull through the grommets when lacing.
If you have a bias strip maker, the next step will go really fast. You can just feed the long strip through the bias maker and press the folds. Then fold the strip in half and press again so the cut edges are completely enclosed.
If you don’t have a bias strip maker, fold and press the strip in half lengthwise first. Then unfold it and press the edges to meet at the center crease. Re-fold the strip at the center crease again so the cut edges are completely enclosed.
Once the strip is folded and pressed using either of the two methods above, edgestitch both sides to finish them. Then you can trim the long strip to the proper length to make two shoelaces. You could use an old shoelace as a guide, or test the length by feeding it through the grommets and cutting it to fit.
I wrapped a little bit of Japanese washi tape around the ends and sealed the tape a little clear nail polish so it would be easy to thread the ends through the grommets.
One stocking gift done. Just think of all the fun prints and colors you could use for this project!
Update: I’m happy to report that this project is now available as one of my Creativebug workshops. Come join me there to make a pair together!
For our very first Wear Your Style Friday in October I wore this same Itinerary dress as a tunic. Today I styled it as a blouse, tucked into a pencil skirt and worn with tights, boots, and a belted cardigan. It’s cozy and comfortable, which is great since the weather here has cooled down quite a bit in the past day or so.
Soon it’s going to be too cold to shoot these photos outdoors! We’re taking advantage of the sun and lack of snow for as long as it lasts.
Have a great weekend!
Congratulations to Erin Waters who (unlike just about everyone else who voted for French seams) says that her favorite seam finish is a flat-felled seam.
But don’t despair if you didn’t win. We have a little something special for most of you, too.
Through the rest of December, Interweave is offering shoppers in the United States a $5 rebate on the purchase of either of Liesl’s workshop videos. Click on the coupon above to enlarge and print it. Send the completed coupon to Interweave along with a copy of the emailed sales receipt you receive when you purchase one of the DVDs, and Interweave will send you the rebate.
We’re happy to announce that Liesl’s two video workshops, Seams, Closures + Hems and Apparel Sewing Basics, are now available for purchase here on the Lisette site.
To celebrate, we’re giving away a copy of the second of the two DVDs. To enter the drawing for a free copy of Seams, Closures + Hems, leave a comment telling us what your favorite seam finish is.
One entry per person, please. Comments may be subject to moderation before they are published, so don’t resubmit it if your comment doesn’t appear immediately. (As long as you didn’t see an error message when submitting your comment, you entry has been accepted.)
The drawing will run until 1:00PM ET on Dec. 1 at which point we will turn comments off and will ask our friends at Random.org to help us pick a winner. If your name is drawn, we’ll contact you via email to get your shipping address.
(Oh, by the way, whatever you do, do not check that little box below that says “Notify me of followup comments via e-mail.” Trust me. You don’t want your inbox to be inundated with emails from strangers telling you about their favorite seam finishes.)
As the days here in North America get shorter and we prepare for winter, we’re spending less time outside and more time time wrapped up in heavy coats and scarves. It’s difficult to get a dose of fashion inspiration when you can’t see people’s clothing under their outerwear, isn’t it? The shorter daylight hours also mean it can be more challenging to feel inspired and creative.
When I need a little dose of fashion inspiration, I often turn to my favorite style blogs and websites. I thought I’d share a few of them with you.
What I Saw Today is a blog by Richard Haines, a clothing designer turned illustrator. I love his beautiful, spontaneous fashion drawings. He has a wonderful eye for the exaggerated pose and gesture.
Scott Schumann takes fabulous photos of people with style on the street and posts them to his site, The Sartorialist. I love to see how people put together their ensembles for the day, and I often find inspiration in color combinations, silhouettes, or just a different way of putting together items I wouldn’t otherwise have considered pairing.
Ari Seth Cohen chronicles the individual style of women of a certain age at Advanced Style. These women have each found a style that works best for themselves, and they look fabulous for it.
Artist Jeana Sohn visits the closets of “creative, inspiring and stylish” women for her blog, Closet Visit. There must be a bit of voyeur in me, because I love to see the variety of shoes and jewelry each woman owns and how she pulls it all together for her own look.
Stylist Cassandra LaValle is behind Coco + Kelley, where she blogs about fashion, interior design, and all things glamorous and enticing.
There are so many wonderful and inspirational blogs and sites out there, it’s hard to pick just a few. I’ll feature more in the future. Do you have any favorites you’d like to mention?
Here is another pair of Portfolio Pants, this time made up in some stretchy fabric I’ve been hanging onto forever. I have no idea where the fabric came from. It has sort of a terrycloth back and a twill face, so the pants look like classic twill pants but are warm and comfortable inside.
This has been my go-to outfit for a while now. It’s easy and comfortable to wear, and I can wear comfortable shoes with it. As with my pink wool pants, I eliminated the button tabs so the pants are very simple. They go with almost anything, including this pair of spectator shoes which I’ve been wearing a lot lately.
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