I must say I’m feeling a bit envious of our readers from south of the equator. I know you all are in the throes of summer. Enjoying the warmth of the sun, wearing cute little outfits…and no coats!

While here in the Midwest, we are having our typical unpredictable weather. Last week, Sunday was 70 degrees. Then on Tuesday, we had 6 inches of snow! Ahhh!!! Then some major flooding after that. So, just when I’m ready to dance out in my flip flops, I have to throw on a heavy winter coat, and then find the rain gear. I’m so tired of black, brown, and heavy! I want light and airy! I know we are getting close.

To get through this crazy weather and add a little bit of excitement to my black and brown, I went to my stash (see photo of one miniscule part of said stash). We all have one, whether we admit it or not. Mine just happens to be very large. Should I admit that? Well, anyway, I picked out a couple of really pretty, bright pieces of fabric.

I cut the fabrics into 10″ x 72″ scarves. Next, roll-hem the edges with a contrast thread, loop the finished scarf around your neck and you will look fabulous!

Part of the “look” is in the “looping” this season, not just wrapping the scarf. So, you heard me, loop it around your neck. Fold the scarf in half, toss around your neck, holding the loop in your left hand and the ends in your right hand. Now, tuck the ends through the loop in your left hand. Oh, you are sooo very chic.

Now, I think I can make it to spring and my flip flops.

So, as I long for warmer days, I will not be as envious of those south of the equator. For that matter, you all can get a head start on making fabulous scarves for your cold days ahead! Or, make one in a sheer silk and let it dance in the soft summer breezes.

Burrr…for now and take care,
Elizabeth

Well, that flu bug that was going around (that I thought I had escaped!) caught up with me. I fell hard, right in the middle of prep for finals week. I lost two whole days. But the good news is I feel SO much better now, and am running off here in a bit to take an exam in Management of Information Systems (sounds like a mouthful, but it’s really pertinent info to anyone in marketing fields, and that’s my focus).

The bonus of being sick in bed for two days is — you guessed it — I got to catch up on my favorite reads, the current fashion mags. I rummaged thru the March issue of Vogue, the hefty volume of fashion, celebrities, socialites, designers and artists, in one day. It took a bit of concentration. But if there is one volume you need to pay attention to, it’s the spring Vogue, setting the mood for the season. It’s practically my bible! Another interesting source I have been tapping into is the NY Times. They have a fab Fashion & Style section, including articles about new and seasoned designers.

What magazines and websites are you guys looking at for inspiration this season? Do dish on some of your must-reads!

Hope you are all checking out Season #2 of our vodcasts and getting into the projects and interviews. I’m getting back to finals. I’m so excited for this term to come to an end! So what’s up for Spring break?!

Melissa

Melissa Fehr of London, England (”I actually live on a massive boat in the middle of the Thames by Tower Bridge (yep, THAT
bridge!)” is the winner of the free McCall’s pattern of her choosing. She answered our quickie quiz: What blockbuster movies featured SKIF’s knitwear? The answer is Matrix!

A few notes on Melissa…

“I’ve been sewing for a couple years now but I’ve been doing lots more since we moved onto the boat and I have my own little sewing room. I’m just finishing up an 11 piece Fall/Winter collection, and I made a silk blouse out of some looooovely charmeuse that I just need to photograph and put up on my site!”

Melissa’s site keeps up with her sewing projects–even a cleverly cute dress out of an Ikea shower curtain!–check it out at www.fehrtrade.com.

Quick quiz: SKIF designed and created sweaters especially for a series of blockbuster Hollywood movies. Be the FIRST to email me the correct answer, and I’ll send you a FREE McCall’s pattern!

Hi, my name is Sarah, and I’m guest blogging on DIYStyle today. Thanks so much to the Creative Chicks for giving me a little piece of the website to say hello. I’m a student at Missouri State University in Springfield, majoring in international business management and minoring in fashion management and Spanish. So far, it’s been great! The work load at school hasn’t been that outrageous yet…I am keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way.

The newest episode of DIYStyle (#9, check it out later today) has a section on how to do needle felting projects using a tool from Clover. That’s where I come in…I’m the how-to lady! In the beginning I was nervous; I had no clue what to say. Once we got rolling, I was able to relax; Cindy (she’s the director) and Matt (he does the filming and editing) were very laid back. If I messed up, we just took another shot, which was a huge relief. The best part was at the end when I saw myself on a TV. To my surprise I didn’t look as nerdy as I thought. You’ll see me in an upcoming episode with another cool project and how-to, so stay tuned!

Aside from school and the occasional vodcast (smile) I work as a model here in town, on campus, and in St. Louis. I’ve done fashion shows and print work. I have a small confession. To me, there’s nothing more fun then putting on pretty clothes and having someone do your hair and makeup! This photo of me was taken during a shoot for Allyce’s book, so if you pick up a copy, you can find out how to make the top I’m wearing.

A big tip, if you love watching movies like I do (mainly for the costumes) you must check out “Marie Antoinette”. The costumes in this movie are out of this world. They are full of color, the fabrics are so luscious, and they were made with of yards and yards of beautiful trims. Ahhh…

Till next time!
Sarah

I wanted to share a cool event coming up, and if you’ll be in the St. Louis area, we’d love to see you there! On March 25, DIYStyle will be live and in person taping and interviewing up and coming fashion designers as part of St. Louis Fashion Week. The event will be held at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. Presented by Bella Vida Spa, Project: Design! is an outlet for independent designers that need exposure and a chance to sell their creations. Watch an exhibition and fashion show featuring six of St. Louis’ hottest clothing designers: Squasht by Lesley Timpe, Paul Gibson, AFV by Ashley Dayley and Felicia Pease, Suzanne Lay, and Kayoss Designs by Amy Johnson.

So round up your friends, and come out for a night on the town, supporting these young designers at the same time. Plus, meet the hosts of the DIYStyle vodcasts, Allyce King and Melissa Watson. Our segment will air on DIYStyle this season. Click here for ticket information.

Cindy

I’ve been working on a ton of projects for school lately, and just finished up a presentation about trends in fashion for my Product Development class. My research (and my need for daily inspiration) had me spending a lot of time at WWD.com and Style.com. These are such great places to find ideas and get updated on what’s hot (and not) in fashion. I can definitely report that bright, big, and bold flowers will be everywhere this spring. Abstract, hand-painted prints on dresses and tops are huge, and here’s a great example of the flowery painted effect at Dolce&Gabanna. Bright colors in general will be hot this spring and carry through to the fall. Sheer garments are also a popular theme.

I played up these candy colors, abstract painted designs, and bright, bold daisy shapes for my trend board presentation. It was created with the little girls’ market as the target customer. I called the line “Pop Art Princess.”

More soon, gotta get back to the research.

XOXO, Allyce

It’s hard for me to believe, but these late nights going over scripts with Allyce, editing video with Matt, and finalizing web details with Marcy tell me it’s all too real: DIYStyle is officially “up” for another season!

Since we introduced DIYStyle vodcasts last fall, we’ve gotten great support from design-it-yourselfers, sewers, and crafty gals from all over the world. We extend huge thanks to our sponsors, who believe in our vision to energize and inspire people who love to create.

Your input and collaboration have paid off … we’re back. We’ll be bringing you 12 new episodes of DIYStyle. Tomorrow, episode 8 will be up. And we hope you’ve had a chance to watch episode 7 (click here if you haven’t). Check back EVERY Tuesday to see a new episode of the vodcast, or you can subscribe through iTunes, or get the RSS Feed to alert you when a new episode has dropped. Talk about being pumped. Check out our new slate of easy but creative projects you can customize to suit your style, project pdfs you can keep on file for the moment inspiration strikes, behind-the-scenes chats with awesome designers and visionaries, cool shops and places to visit across the US… And verrrrry soon, our forums will be up and running.

As always, we love to hear what you think. Drop me a line anytime!

Cindy

Though snow and cold may still be in the forecast where you live, the coming of March always has me thinking spring! Hi, I’m Gena Koning, and I’m helping out on the editing end of DIYStyle vodcasts. It’s been a blast working with this great group of creative, fashion-savvy ladies. Hope you’re getting in on the action and taking advantage of vodcasts, contests, project ideas, and more that this site has to offer.

As much as I love fashion (aren’t Allyce and Melissa fabulous?!), my main sewing interests include charity sewing, costuming, and home decor. With a house under a major remodel, I’ll soon have opportunity to play with rich fabrics and colors to adorn the windows and spice up the furniture. Who knows, maybe I’ll even tackle an upholstery project or two. I’ll be sure to share pix.

As you can see by the photo, I’m about to hatch a baby chick literally any day. The excitement of an imminent new arrival has me thinking of even more things to sew, like eco-friendly, re-useable cloth diapers with their own waterproof outer layer. You can find free patterns and the waterproof fabric (PUL—Poly Urethane Laminate) online. The nursery could also use a new valance and some throw pillows for the rocking chair. Yikes! I’d better belly up to the sewing machine asap! So a special shout-out to all the mama chicks or mama’s-to-be out there. We’d love to know what you’re sewing for your new arrival! We’re thinking a thread on our soon-to-be launched forums on this topic could come in handy for many of you.

Oh, and the hospital gown I’m modeling was actually sewn for me by a good friend in the quilting industry, Rita Fishel. She designed it as a free pattern so people can make cheery gowns for those who are battling illness. There are so many reasons to sew. Whatever your sewing pleasure, be sure to share it with us! Happy spring!

Gena