Itch to Stitch: Creation No. 2

Another pinterest inspired creation. What can I say, the DIY's on pinterest are cute and actually do-able - perfect for someone like myself just starting up with needle and thread. The simple DIY instructions make it easy to follow along and while presenting minor challenges (depending on the fabric and type of shirt you use), the results are always great, therefore keeping you motivated and willing to thread the needle again.

The inspiration for Creation No. 2 comes from Adventures of a Middle Sister. Her idea to turn a simple shirt to a swimsuit cover or alternatively a tank top/halter top was brilliant. The timing too, was perfect as I am currently in garage sale mode and so had a few shirts on which I could try this idea out.

I'm not too huge a fan though of a plain white cotton tee nor am I of the tie-dye print (looks great on others and the prints can be fun but don't seem to suit me). So I opted for a black shimer shirt that I was tossing out because I never ever wore it.  

BEFORE

I decided to turn this shirt into a tank because the fabric was comfy and the print was quite dressy. And how hard is it to find dressy, loose and comfy tanks these days? (well, it's hard for me). So began my chalking and scissoring. Adventures explains the details so well that even if I try to explain, it just couldn't compare. But here's a quick step-by-step, check out her site for great details.

1. cut out sleeves (save them for later; Adventures had the cool idea to use one cut out of the sleeve as a template for the other side)
2. deepen arm opening by cutting 2 inches below the bottom of the cut sleeves
3. flip shirt, only cut back portion of sleeve/(now)tank strap deeper to give a racer back effect
4. cut out collar (if your using a cre neck shirt then deepen the collar cut, I just cut along the collar because the neckline was already deep
5. flip shirt, cut in straight line 1 inch below back collar only thereby separating back collar from rest of shirt
6. cut the newly loose pieces vertically (what would have be the back to the racerback) into three strips
7. braid three strips all the way from bottom to the tip
8. lightly stitch end of braid to the inside middle of the back collar
9. cut a 1 inch straight strip off of the discard sleeve extras (from step 1)
10. wrap tip of braid in sleeve extra to hide the stitches
11. tack in the end of the wrap
 TADA!!!
**The instructions will slightly vary depending on what kind of shirt you choose to use.**

AFTER

**The instructions will slightly vary depending on what kind of shirt you choose to use.**

Mentioning it twice, because it is that important to remember. As you can see my first attempt was on a much more complicated shirt but I think that it turned out quite well. No I do not think I ruined what was an otherwise frumpy shirt ;) And I am extremely glad I used this shimmer fabric because the finished product is now actually a dressy yet comfy tank. Mission Accomplished.

Let me know how your shirt to tanks turn out. Yay summer ;)

Honda Indy: A feast of sights and sounds

Vroooooommmmmmmm Vrrrroooooooooommmmmmmmmm Rooooooooaaaaaaaar!

Honda Indy is a feast of sights and sounds.

A true treat for your eyes and ears!

"There's nothing quite like a car revving up at 900 horsepower"

This weekend was Honda Indy. Never having had the opportunity to attend the Hondy Indy before, this was my first time and I was excited! I have previously heard nascar sounds and f1 style cars compete (see previous Formula North post) but I had never seen or heard official Indy cars. And there is a difference, I learned. So here are the details on my first Hondy Indy experience. Bear in mind that I am no car expert or car fanatic but I do enjoy the race atmosphere, competitive environments and of course the sights and sounds of the Honda Indy. Don't forget to follow @hondaindy for details of the competition, the play-by-play and the winners.

The VIP experience:
Our VIP treatment included access to the grounds, the paddocks and the Dr. Pepper stands. The view from the stands was incredible as it was at a corner and included a good acceleration strip. Therefore you could see the drivers try to overtake and make passes right in front of you. What added to the excitement was the closeness to the screen, therefore whenever the cars passed our stands or were out of sight, we could always follow them on the jumbo-screen that was directly to our right.

The Dr. Pepper girls tossed out t-shirts and an endless supply of Dr. Pepper while educating their audience in the stands on some Dr. Pepper history (did you know Dr.Pepper has 23 flavours, 20 of which are a secret!) The paddocks provided attendees the chance to watch cars being worked on, get fueled up and roll in and out, to and from the track. The logos on the crew's shirts and the stickers on the cars constantly remind the audience of the sponsorship that goes into this expensive industry. I never realized how large Indy cars were until they passed right in front of me.



Of course the closeness to the track was the best part of the day as you could actually go up to the fence and watch the cars pass by and feel your heart and bones vibrate! Loved every minute of it!!!

Audience members reportedly felt that the event was "pretty cool"  and were "amazed by the scale [of the event]" stating that the "organization of the event was great". "[Seeing] more than one car on the track at high speed [was] quite exhilarating".

I was pleasantly surprised by the demographics of those in attendance. If you thought of the Honda Indy as a guy's event, Saturday July 7th would prove you wrong. While there were indeed many groups of guys, there were a visibly large number of families at the event. Also many of the guys at the event attended with female companions, thereby providing a nice mix of females and families at the Honda Indy 2012. Most of these individuals were seen along the fences and in the paddocks. The stands looked empty until the afternoon but didn't stay packed for too long.

The paddocks were seen to humanize the event through the provision of opportunities for interaction and an up-close look at the cars. While I didn't notice many participants interacting with the crews, I'm sure that those with specific questions would be able to interact with members of their favourite teams. This was in contrast to a trade-show which has much more constant interaction with its participants.

 There were indeed many families and groups of friends who were curious (there are also many fans who attend annually) about the Toronto-event and were looking for something "cool" to do on the weekend that was also a highlight in Toronto versus the attendees at a tradeshow who probably have a stronger interest in automotives and motorsports.

Nonetheless you could tell that the audience enjoyed the Honda Indy by the sheer number of those in line for an autograph and the eyes constantly fixated on every Indy car that passed by.

I had no earplugs during the entire day and loved every minute of it. It was great to see first-hand and definitely felt good to cross off an item on my Lo-cket List: the list of must-do things in Toronto. Looking at the pictures still makes my heart vibrate and I can still hear the cars zoom by!

Honda Indy Toronto 2012

The Lo-cket List

Lo-cket = local + bucket list

- Attend Toronto Fashion Week
- Attend Honda Indy Toronto
- Visit Centre Island
- Zip-line
- Trampoline Park
- Perform at World Youth Day Toronto
- Run up the stairs to the CN Tower
- Walk in a TFW runway
- Visit every district in downtown Toronto
- Dinner and drinks at the Real Sports Bar
- Be in the live studio audience at MTV or MuchMusic
- Attend the Annual Caribana Parade
- Attend the Annual Pride Parade
- Fall asleep reading a book by the Harbourfront
- Have my own livable studio space downtown
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*this list is always open to suggestions and will be updated constantly
*local and international suggestions are welcome
*An interational list is in progress and will soon be included in the Travels categories

Lookbook: The High-Waisted Empire

I never realized how many diverse styles and outfit high waisted shorts could create. From pairing it with a bandeau, tank top, tshirt and blazer, high waisted shorts could be the go-to item for this summer. A new trend (new to me at least) seems to be the one to two inches of exposed tummy between top and short and while this exposed-tummy-trend looks great on a maxi skirt, high waisted shorts can also be quite the chic choice.

Benefits of the high waisted empire:

A smoother silhouette

Emphasized waist indent

Longer legs/Legs for days

A chic look with shorts!

---

Streetwear Society Beige Shorts     

Basic White Tank

HnM Jacket

CallitSpring Necklace

India Boutique Ring

GoJane Boots

High waisted shorts tanked and blazered. High waisted shorts seem to be a comfy and trendy outfit this summer. While allowing you to wear shorts for summer the high waisted angle allows for a chic and fashionable look. Accessorizing the shorts with a colourful pair of pumps, brightly coloured nails, drooping necklaces and a detailed jacket can definitely dress up the outfit. Whereas pairing them with boots or booties and a neon crop shirt can create a comfy dressed-down look still suitable for a casual night out.

 Streetwear Society Beige Shorts

Ardene Neon Crop Tee

CallitSpring Booties

Even more fun can happen with pairing high waisted shorts with a bright bold coloured bandeau. Dress it up with pumps or heeled gladiators or dress it down with gladiator flats. Photograph and model credit for the picture below go to @naomicamrey.

Wilfred Bandeau

Wilfred Free White Shorts

Little Burgundy Brown Gladiators

WAKE Necklace

Ray Ban Sunglasses

A more loose fitting high waisted look provides for a super-comfy look that you can wear out. These army green shorts come full loaded with comfortable and tie waist band and pockets! Pair it with a short top - patterned or solid and you're good to go. Cobalt nail polish and platform wedged booties were the chosen finishing touch. *Confession for a looser look purchase a pair of shorts a couple (or more) sizes larger than you would normally take, as was done by mistake below, but turned out quite well/comfy.

 g21 Crop Tee

g21 Army Green Shorts

CallitSpring Platform Wedge Booties

Innisfree Cobalt Nailpolish

Performing: an addictive high

Today I performed. It was the first time I performed a piece written by myself in front of an audience, most of whom I barely knew. Safe to assume that I was completely nervous. I can't even say that it was a mix of nervous meets excited because the level of excited was drastically overwhelmed by the nervousness.

Anyways, getting up to the front of the crowd reminded me that I've never really given my written pieces to anyone to critique, never read any of my rhymes to people who themselves write, creatively, nor have I ever read out poetry done by myself. So this was like jumping to level 3 and just getting it all out there.

I was so eager to have someone tell me whether I was delusional about my work or whether I was actually good. I wanted to know how to get better and what I even sounded like. So yes, this was the perfect opportunity.

Hearing everyone else perform their pieces made me feel like mine were amateur and juvenile. I was not too sure if I should perform. However, once I was called upon and the other members began chanting my name, I couldn't help it. The curiosity inside of me, wondering what I would sound like, wondering what they would think of my words, my technique, my everything, got the better of me.

Performing poetry/rhymes/stories is really putting yourself out there. And it does indeed take a lot of guts to do. It involves sharing your feelings, experiences and private emotions with people - sometimes strangers - who may not even get it. I'm not just saying this in order to give myself a pat on the back, but instead because of the physiological experiences I had while standing up there and realizing what I was about to do.

I am beyond glad that I actually showed up to the writers' group today. Knowing that we would be required to bring a piece to perform I did debate whether or not I should go. But then I thought to myself, it would be good to see others perform and learn from the critiques and supports. I don't necessarily have to perform. Either way I updated my notepad with three new pieces that I wrote up last night. And I knew which one of them I would perform if I got called up. So yes in some way I went prepared. I think this was my subconscious urge to just toss my words out into the open and see what people thought of it.

I hadn't practiced the piece at all, so I was nervous as to what it would sound like aloud and whether it would flow under pressure. Standing up there, bones shaking, clearly vibrating, I chose a voice and read my lines. It rhymed; it was fierce; it made sense; it wasn't juvenile; it was great (for my first performance of course).

There's no feeling like hearing that-ever-so-reaffirming "mmm hmm", the nod of agreeance, the creative literary society snaps, what's not to love?!!! Each one of those assisted in helping me continue my piece and is much appreciated. However more important than the external acknowledgement was the internal tensions and releases happening all at the same time. Every word was tense and fierce but created release on saying it.

"Performing was freeing. It was self-appreciative. It was a high. An addictive high. That I hope to indulge in very soon, over and over again."

Thank you Toronto Street Writers for helping me find the literary performer in me.

The forever looming 5-year plan

Another girls' night get-together...

Most female around their mid-20s mark start to think about the next 5 year stretch to 30. Then the list of things to be achieved begins:
- complete education
- find a job
- make said job a career
- move out/own a place
- make more friends
- find prince charming or figure out if current boyfriend is prince charming
- buy a car
- date prince charming
- find the perfect LBD
- get prince charming to propose
- get married
- start a family...
...and it goes on...
[See below for my strategies]

While each of the above goals is quite significant, having to accomplish the bunch of them in five years makes it quite the daunting challenge [enter quarter-life crisis]. Then there are those who feel that things will happen in due time and challenges should be taken one day at a time. No longer are women forced to be married and start a family by the age of 30. However due to a longstanding cultural convention to do so, it may always be an underlying thought.

The above list is by no means exhaustive nor does all of it need to be done as women find their own alternatives suitable to their own interests - such as being in a happily unmarried relationship.

Finding myself around one of these conversations and allowing my mind to wander got me thinking about my goals and whether or not I would accomplish them by their preferred timelines. While realizing that some of the goals may have already been acheived, there are some that may just require a whole other decade. What I realized it that the whole list isn't as important as the few items that are relevant for life in the here and the now. Prioritize! It truly is a life saver.

Afford yourself sometime to clearly think out your options and your current situation and proceed to make a list from there. Be honest about which of the above goals is the most meaningful to you and work that specific one. Seeing the next 5 years of life becomes a lot more 'deal-with-able' when turning a list of 20 to a list of three to five things. Once those first few priorities are accomplished the rest of the list may have changed ...or not. If not, re-evaluate and strategize. Put yourself in different circumstances/crowds/circles to allow yourself some varied perspectives [and experiences and people - you never know where today's prince charmings hide]. Also some level of trusting that the rest will fall into place is necessary. Also, never close doors that can be opportunities. As naive as that may sound it acutally helps focus on chosen goals and thereby ensures that at least those are achieved.

*Caution: Please close eyes, breathe deeply and VOW TO BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF before moving on further and reading the below recommendations.

Creative ways to deal with the 5 year loom:
- Avoid depressing factors: if you're easily jealous by people's 'good fortune' of trips, marriages, babies, birthdays, etc., avoid facebook or at least cut down on the amount of time you use the social media site.
- Engage and meet people: if you are indifferent to people's 'good fortune' then take to facebook and expand to twitter and tumblr and pinterest to engage in new conversations and feel more connected [check: feeling of making new friends]
- Confident and sexy: dress yourself in a way that makes you feel confident with a hint of sexy. Vow to wear at least one item everyday that makes you feel sexy, whether to work or elsewhere, do it! [check: feelings of confidence increases the ability to converse freely with women and men and creates opportunites for friends and maybe even new partners/charmers. Also feeling sexy surely must have links to staying and feeling young]
- DIY: DIY is in! Have a girls' night-in or date night-in but be creative to make it extra special and also save at the same time [check: increased savings that will hope to one day buy a car or move out/own a place]
- Know your interests: read something you're interested in. This will make you enjoy the book and the literary atmosphere thereby subtly urging you to finish school. Also if you are in a program that you enjoy, invovle yourself in the social elements and the practical elements of it in order to remind yourself why you love it so much. [check: complete education]
- Search your interests: find a field that interests and excites you, apply for jobs in that field. If you do not have the credentials to back you up, take a program, volunteer, intern, do something in that field. Network with people in that field. Do not give up on it! [check: finding a job and making said job a career]
- Open Communication: have a talk with him/her - your partner. Find out where they stand in the relationship and if they are on the same page. Open communication about initimate and important issues is important and can solve a lot of issues. If they are not willing to talk even after you've explained how important 'this' is - red flag. [check: getting married to partner/starting family - whatever that may mean to each of you]

Of course all of the above is just advice - easy to give hard to take. But what connects advice to reality is your attitude. Your attitude matters the most. If you want something, do not give up on it. But before that, realize what it is that you want and if it is a priority.

This post is of course just one way of juggling those forever looming 5 year plans, there are a ton more almost perfect for every situation.

What are your five year goals? and how are you dealing with accomplishing them?

Share, please.

Itch to Stitch: Creation No.1

So I was recently gifted/handed-down a Singer body form (see image). I've been looking internationally for one of these but they were all too pricey for a hobby-in-try-out. The last time I stitched something was when I was eight years old and it was made out of scraps from my designer aunt's leftover pieces. This of course is ignoring the cross-stitch class that I was made to take at the age of 11. So, unsure about whether I would be able to stitch let alone if I would be too lazy to actually make something, I wasn't too willing to shell out more that fifty bucks. And then Singer, Betty Singer to be clear, appeared (yes I've named my body form, she is no longer inanimate).

So with that backdrop I present to you my first ever creation - the necklace collar tie.
And might I add that I'm pretty darn proud of it.

This piece was inspired by a pinterest board of DIY things and comes from Crazy Wonderful (check out the link to see the step by step tutorial). I saw it, loved the idea and said why not. Usually seeing something creative leads to "hell yeah, I could do that", but rarely leads to actually getting down to doing it. This time since Betty was staring at me and I had the Itch to Stitch, and got to it...and voila! Keep in mind that I initially had no idea how this project was going to turn out so I borrowed/took a tie that wouldn't be missed, hence some may need to excuse the print. So if you've got issues with the print, push that aside and focus on the design. Besides, I think I like the way it turned out and the print kind of rubs off on you, no?

Items required:

- a tie 

- a button 

- thread

Time taken:

 - an hour

keep in mind that this project would take someone who is familiar with stitching/tac-ing about 20-30 minutes...no lie. Putting the pleats together took me a whole five minutes including pinning the pleats down. Then comes stitching the pleats down from the back followed by stitching in the button.

Also be prepared to accidently swallow/chew/eat a healthy daily dosage of thread.

Thread the needle, sew, knot, repeat.

There are a few ways to wear the necklace collar tie. The first image above wears the collar at a U while the image below wears it at an angle. Also, I'm looking to see what else it can be paired up with on the top. There are different necklace collar tie styles to experiment with and I will post pictures up as soon as I successfully complete them. Drop off some ideas, but I can't promise I'll develop all the necessary skills overnight... will try though ;) Enjoy.