Author Archive
Ribbon Beaded Necklace
By Milton
Fall is around the corner and with a new season, some changes in our wardrobe are required. As I said before, sometimes spending money in a new wardrobe is not necessary. With some creativity you can transform pieces you already own or create new ones and accessories are one of the easiest. An outfit can go from boring to breathtaking just by selecting the right accessories. This time I’ll show you how to make a necklace that you will often see in magazines and stores a lot this season. Why buy it when you can make your own unique version of it?
Materials:
-
1 yard of 50mm Midori Gala Dupioni Silk Ribbon (the color I used was Pin Moon
- 1 strand of 14mm Baroque Pearls ( #41520)
- Scissors
- Straight pins
- Thread and needle or a sewing machine
How to:
-
First fold the ribbon in half and pin it along the edge.
-
Sew the two edges together which will create a tube.
-
Turn it inside out. You need to be patient in this step, since turning the tube inside out may take you a few minutes. You can use a chopstick to push the ribbon thru. You can also use a safety pin or a paper clip.
-
Now you can start putting the pearls inside the tube, make knots on the sides of it to make it stay in place.
I used about 9 pearls for this necklace, but you can do as many as you wish. Just make sure that if you do more pearls you have some extra ribbon, so you still have enough at the end to tie a knot. You can also do different variations of this necklace, by using more than one size of pearls or leaving more space in between. Use your creativity and specially have lots of fun!
Add comment September 5, 2008
More of Blair Waldorf’s Gossip Girl Headband
By Milton
It’s Gossip Girl time again! Last time I showed you how to recreate the red and white striped headband that Blair Waldorf wore in the episode “All About My Brother”. This time, I recreated the headband she wore in the episode “Women on The Verge”. I used 50mm Double Face Silk Ribbon in silver and a Rhinestone Appliqué. To make it, you can view the instructions in my previous Gossip Girl Blog . They are very easy to follow.
Gossip Girl’s Season Premiere is on Monday, September 1 8/7c, so let’s get ready for more drama and lots of accessories!
4 comments August 20, 2008
Earth Friendly Jute Belt
By Milton
Fashion has gone green and so should you. This week I designed an easy-to-make belt made from all natural materials. The strap of the belt is made from Jute, the buckle from wood and the braid end from cotton twill tape. This belt is the perfect accessory to a pair of light linen pants, jeans or a classic navy blue or tan A-line dress.
Originally from India, jute is an all-natural vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is second in production to cotton and has a variety of uses. It is one of the strongest natural fibers and in today’s world, it doesn’t hurt that it also happens to be 100% biodegradable. This environmentally sound product requires little to no fertilizer or pesticides and is mainly exported from India and Bangladesh.
Supplies:
- 36mm Jute Braid (39853): Measure your waist and add about 7 or 8 inches to determine how much jute you will need. Remember there are 36″ in a yard and usually materials are bought by the yard.
- 2 inches of medium brown 1″ twill tape
- 1 ½” Wood Buckle in Dark brown (29695)
- Glue
- Scissors
Directions:
- Wrap the jute braid around your waist, add about 4 inches and cut to size. If you want this belt to fit around your hips you will need to make it longer.
- Take your piece of twill tape and apply a medium layer of fabric glue to one side, fold it in half and wrap it along one of the cut ends of your jute braid. It should cover up any raw ends of the braid, which will prevent it from fraying. Cut any excess twill tape from the sides.
- On the other end of the jute braid, guide it up through the bottom of the buckle and then back down so it comes out on the flatter bottom side. Fold it over about 1 ½” and apply fabric glue to secure it. Fabric glue generally requires a few minutes of pressure until it begins to dry. Most fabric glues dry within 15 minutes.
- And now you have your new eco-friendly belt!
1 comment July 28, 2008
Bullion Crest Baseball Cap
By Milton
Transform a plain baseball cap to something a little bolder with the addition of a bullion crest. The crest can transform a simple cap to something that carries a sense of bold maturity. Crests come in such a broad range of themes; it¹s easy to find one that suits you or your loved one best.
Materials:
- Bullion Crest
- Baseball cap (or any other kind of hat with a heavy weight fabric and sufficient surface area for a crest)
- Unique Stitch fabric glue
- Needle + thread to match crest
- Scissors
- Straight pins
Directions:
- Apply some Unique Stitch fabric glue to the center of the crest, then center the crest onto the front of the hat.
- Pin the edges of the crest down with straight-pins and set the hat aside to dry for about 30-45 minutes.
- Thread your needle sew from the inside of the hat so that the knot at the end of your thread is hidden.
- Stitch around the edge of the crest, removing the pins as you go. Remember to be careful of the inner lining sweatband that most baseball hats have. You don¹t want to sew that down.
- Finish off your stitches on the inside of the hat and you are done!
Add comment July 2, 2008
Milan’s Menswear Spring ‘09
Milan’s Menswear Spring 09 shows ended this week.
Many top designers such as Gucci, Burberry and Calvin Klien displayed their collection for next spring. Here are few a highlights from the shows. Also, I’ll keep you posted on the show from Paris which started today.
Neil Barrett
Burberry Prorsum
Versace
Alessandro Dell’Acqua
Salvatore Ferragamo
Bottega Veneta
Add comment June 26, 2008
Inspirational Fashion Trend Boards
By Milton
Like people, fashion come in all shapes and sizes. It’s no wonder that there are millions of fashion trends out there and inspiration seems to come in all forms. Each year designers forcast the upcoming trend at least a year before the collection actually hits the runway.
At M&J Trimming, we do the same thing and with us being in the fabric trimming and garment embellishment industry, we have a little bit of an advantage. We know what designers are planning for their next collection because it’s us that they come to for exclusive trimmings. Some inspirations actually comes from the trend boards we’ve created especially for our 5,000 sq ft showroom in NYC. Some of you may have seen these as you stroll along shopping at M&J Trimming. Here’s a few photos of the trend boards.
1 comment June 23, 2008
Results for 2nd Annual Independent Handbag Designer Award
The 2nd annual indepedent hangbag designer award was held last night at the New York Historial Society located on 170 Central Park West. As soon as the door opened at 7pm, lines of fashionistas with trendy bags entered the room.
The event was filled with designers from Judith Leiber to Debbie Stroller. When first entering the room, besides the luring cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, Judith Leiber’s display of handbags was standing as the center of attention during the event. The bags were encrusted with hundreds of rhinestones including the bag with the rhinestone handle as seen in the photo.
After an hour or so of socializing and networking, it was finally time for the awards. Everyone hurried to their sits in excitement for the results as well as the goody-bags which included M&J’s measuring tape, gift certificates from Borrow Bag or Steal, lip balms from Smart Water and much more.
Here is the result for the winners.
Best Student-Made Handbag – Clara Yoo: C L A R A Y O O
Best Handmade Handbag - Darren Wallace: Darren Wallace
Most Socially Responsible Handbag – Bridget Reid: PFYH
Best Handbag in Overall Style and Design - Lui Antinous: Lui Antinous
Best Green Handbag – Helen Marcoschamer: Ecoist
Audience Fan Favorite – Suzanna Scarola: Bellabags
Besides the finalist and and the winner’s handbags at the event, there was another special handbag that made it to the award. Timmy Wood’s Eiffel Tower handbag which was featured in “Sex and the City”, the movie. The bag was signed at the bottom and is going to be given away by Borrow Bag or Steal at the end of the month.
3 comments June 19, 2008
Gossip Girl Accessories
By Milton
This blog is for all of you who follow Gossip Girl every week for wardrobe inspiration. If you’re not familiar with the TV series, it is based on the lives of some high school students from the Upper East Side of New York City. The show pretty much resembles a catwalk full of designer clothes. The main characters, Blair Waldrof, Serena van der Woodsen and Jen Humphrey wear brands such as Gucci, Balenciaga, Chanel and many more in every episode. I can’t promise you that I can teach you how to copy the pattern to a Chanel suit or how to reproduce the latest It-bag. However, I can give you tips of how to get a similar look and create accessories that match the ones Upper East Side socialites wear in this hit TV Series.
Let’s start with Blair Waldrof. Her signature style is preppy and classic. You can get her look by wearing school girl uniform inspirations, plaids, peter pan collars, pearl necklaces and knee-high socks. One of her signature accessories are headbands.
In the episode “All About My Brother” she wore a red and white striped ribbon headband with a double bow on the side. I recreated this headband and it was easier than you can imagine. The first step is to make ribbon loops; you can use fabric glue or your sewing machine. For this headband I did a 4″ and a 5″ loop and then I sew it in the center. Then put one on top of the other and wrap another loop around them and glue it (or sew it) at the bottom. For the headband I used a 17″ piece of ribbon, but I recommend you measure your head before you cut it, otherwise you take the risk of having a headband too tight or too loose. Attach a 3″ of elastic to the two ends and glue the bow you made before on the side of it. Just wear it with the right outfit and you’ll get the look of Blair Waldorf.
25 comments May 9, 2008
Dressing Up Your Little Black Shoe
By Milton
Rhinestone encrusted shoes are still running strong, ladies. This season the trend has graduated from decorating the tips of simple flats and moved on to high heels. The real deal is off the charts in affordability for most of you and the less expensive versions of this fashion movement are likely to be stocked with plastic jewels. And yes, you can tell the difference.
If you want the look without the price tag, it¹s only a few steps away, no pun intended. All you need is a simple pair of heels and Swarovski sew-on or flat-back jewels in the color or colors of your choice.
I created an example using Swarovski Sew-on jewels from their new line of cosmic colors. You are sure to turn some heads when your heel-clad feet are reflecting the city lights at night.
Some other alternatives are glass sew-on jewels. They’ll also give your heels a little glamor.
2 comments April 21, 2008
Your Own Louis Vuitton
By Milton
Louis Vuitton’s Spring ‘08 collection features shirts and skirts with
stripes of sequins circling the front and back. Like with all designer
clothing, I’m pretty confident that this collection’s price tag would
leave anyone stumped as to how such a simple design arrived at such an
inflated price.
It’s not always necessary to spend a large amount of money on a piece of
clothing you saw on the runway. Some pieces can easily be recreated
using pieces of clothing you already own. If you’d like you can also
purchase something similar and add little touches with embellishments to
make it look the same as the one you saw on the runway.
For example, I’ve easily recreated a piece from the Louis Vuitton Spring
collection. You can purchase a regular solid shirt from any
department store. Then with some sequin trims, sew it around the
shirt. It can easily be done by hand or with a sewing machine. It’s
just that simple!
2 comments April 14, 2008
