Hostess Survival Kit for Party Disasters!

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Albertsons. All opinions are mine alone. #AwardWithSavings #Albertsons #CollectiveBias

Now that the holidays are over, it's time for a new season... awards season!  Being in Southern California, I personally know a ton of people who work in "the biz" and that means we are REALLY into our viewing parties.  Since I'm known as the girl who is always prepared, I decided to put together a quick tutorial for my Hostess Survival Kit!  Put one together for yourself or for your favorite hostess to keep those party disasters from ruining your swanky soiree.

Let's get to it!

Personally, I headed to Albertsons since it's a one-stop shop for all my party supplies, plus all of the food that I'll be whipping up as well!  Here's a peek into my shopping down each aisle.  :)

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How to: DIY a Dress Upcycled from Oversized T-shirts

Remember my DIY Shibori Dress post from waaay back when?  Well, I promised to share a tutorial on how I made the dress upcycled from two oversized T-shirts.  Here it is!

A few words: I made roughly a medium sized dress from two XL T-shirts, but the size will be adjusted to your size when you make your pattern.

Disclaimer: I'm not a sewing expert and it's been some time since I wrote a tutorial.  Please be nice!

How to: DIY a Dress Upcycled from Oversized T-shirts
Print

What You Will Need

• Two oversized T-shirts  (the bigger, the better!)
• Matching thread
• Pattern (either an existing piece of clothing or a commercial sewing pattern)
• Chalk
• Scissors

Directions

1.  You will use one of the shirts for the top of your dress.  Mark with chalk, using your pattern piece.  OR if you are using an existing garment, outline the top, making sure to add the seam allowance of your choice (1/4", 3/8", 1/2", etc.).

Tip:  If the garment is made of a stretchier material than the T-shirt, add a bit more to the seam allowance because the finished garment might be too tight!

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How to: Mend a Ripped Seam

Today, I have a super easy tutorial for sewing newbies on how to mend a ripped seam.  Why is this necessary?  If you have an over-excitable man in your life who lunges during World Cup matches with pants that don't stretch... well, this will save you a trip to the tailor or from tossing your favorite garment in the trash.  :)

You can use the same technique with or without a sewing machine, so if you are handy but not skilled with a machine, you can still fix those pants yourself.

How to Mend a Ripped Seam
What You Will Need

• Item to be fixed
• Thread that matches your garment
• Sewing machine OR needle
• Pins (optional, but useful depending on size of rip)

Directions

1. Turn your item inside out and examine the rip.

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DIY Wood Round Ring Holder from Erica

Today's amazing post comes from Erica of Dwell Beautiful!  Remember the fallen wood that I wasn't sure what to do with?  Well, I have (at least) one slice set specifically aside for this project!  It looks so good, but Erica explains step-by-step how to make it, so you can whip one up lickety-split.

Now, over to Erica!

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Hello Everyone!

I'm super excited to be guest posting today at Vintage Zest!  Diane is a fabulous blogger and I'm honored to be here.

A bit of background info about me - I'm Erica over at Dwell Beautiful and I specialize in DIY craft and home decor tutorials and decorating your house on a budget!  Today I'm bringing you a special tutorial on how to make your very own wood round ring holder.  I had several rings that were just sitting getting dusty in my jewelry box and decided they needed a good place to be displayed when I'm not wearing them. This is a super easy and quick tutorial that anyone can make!  Let's get started :)

Materials

• Wood Round (I found mine at Michael's for a few dollars!)

• Drill with 3/32 size drill bit

• 3/4" gold cup hooks

• China marker or pencil

• Optional: hanging or stand making materials

Step 1

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Pattern Drafting Series from Kathy!

For today's guest post, I have Kathy from SewMuch2Learn with a treat for anyone who sews or loves vintage things.  When Kathy asked if she could contribute a post with tons of details from a vintage pattern drafting book, the nerdy seamstress in me was super excited!  She was worried about it being too much of a rambling post, but if you're a reader of mine, you're already used to my long-windedness.  ;)  Besides, I love seeing how items were made back then, and there are lots of pictures in the post below showing each step.  For those of you who have never drafted a pattern, this should be fairly simple for you to recreate yourself.  Sounds fun, right?

Take it away, Kathy!

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Welcome, My name is Kathy and I normally post on SewMuch2Learn but Diane has graciously invited me to host a day for her.  I am also excited that I am guest hosting on one of my favorite blogs, Vintage Zest.  This is my first time hosting so bear with me as I  ramble on.  I am collector of vintage sewing items, where it be buttons, spools of thread, thimbles I love them.  I have managed to collect a few packets that claims to make the perfect pattern, fitted just to your body.  I thought I would give them a try.

Pattern Drafting Series

The Magic Seamstress

Part One

It hails as a home sewing dream come true, an easy way to a perfect fit pattern, all with up to date fashion styling.

My booklet is copyrighted by the American Fashion Institute in 1971

The introduction says that Cinderella solved her fashion problem with a fairy godmother and now Magic Seamstress solve yours.

In essence it is a simple measurement system, using the dot to dot system. It only uses two measurements, bust and hip. It claims that it helps you create a basic pattern, but also offers five variations to create your own fashion styling.

In the back of the book there is a special enlarging rule and a french curve rule.
You will be using these rulers to create your basic shift dress pattern.


Meet Stef, my dress form. She is going to be my partner during this series.

First Step: Measurements 

It is important to use accurate measurements.

Bust Measurement

Place your tape over the bottom part of your shoulder blades and bring forward to measure across the fullest of the breast.

Hip Measurement

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Kitchen Basics: How to Pick & Prep Produce - Tropical Fruit Edition!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

Last week, I headed to the grand opening of the newest Walmart Neighborhood Market and I was really impressed with all of the amazing finds in the produce section!  The selection was fresh and surprisingly diverse, and since the prices were so low, I stocked up on a TON of fun items.  I have been wanting to start a series of posts introducing my readers to unusual produce, so I am delighted that I was able to find so many items in the store and buy them all up to share with you!

In this edition, I will talking about tropical fruit.  Yes, I will be sharing my tips on how to choose the produce, prep/cut it for use (including the correct knives & kitchen equipment needed), and then give you a couple of recipe ideas.  Also, there was so actually much to buy that this will be the first of two posts just for the tropical fruit!

Stay tuned because this will be an awesome series with lots of fruits and veggies that might stump you at the grocery store one day!


In this post (jump to):

• Papaya
• Jicama
• Pineapple
• Mango: version 1, version 2, version 3

Before I start, I have to mention that I was in the store picking out produce when I noticed the handy descriptions of each fruit and a few tips on how to pick them.  Awesome, right?  I took pictures of the tips in case you have a hard time spotting them on your next shopping trip, plus I added a few of my own.  :)

Also I told you in my last post that I spoke with a wonderful produce stocker who told me about the 100% Money Back Satisfaction Guarantee on Walmart Neighborhood Market's produce (and meat).  So even if you make a mistake with your picks, you can return it with the receipt and try again!

A peek at some of the upcoming produce posts: Bok Choy, Parsnips, Radishes, Tomatillo, Ginger, Rapini, Broccolini, Turnip Roots, Plantains, and Coconut!

Now, to the fruit!

Papaya

Things to look for:

• 75% to 100% yellow;  Buy it with a bit of green if you plan on eating it later
• Firm, with smooth skin
• Heavy for its size

Avoid:

• Fruit with bruises or soft spots

On the bottom right picture, the three papayas are (from L to R) unripe, nearly ripe, and ready to eat!

Prep (see picture below):

1. With a large knife, cut off the bottom and top of the papaya.
2. Split it in half lengthwise.
3. Scoop out the seeds and the fibers and discard.
4. Cut out the tough stem towards the bottom.
5. Repeat for the second half.
6. Cut into four equal sections for easier handling.
7. Peel using a paring knife or peeler.
8. Now that you are left with large sections, you can cut into strips, large chunks, or a smaller dice.

I just love eating it fresh, in cubes!

Jicama

Things to look for:

• Firm texture
• Smooth, "shiny," dry skin

Avoid:

• Fruit with blemishes or dull skin

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Wood Quote Sign from Mellisa of The Life of a Craft Crazed Mom

Today is my first guest post of the summer!  It comes from the lovely Mellisa of The Life of a Craft Crazed Mom who has so many creative projects and posts on her blog.  I love the Wood Quote Sign she has to share with you all today.  Check it out!

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Everybody loves a wood quote sign.  Now add the trendy ombre pattern to it and it makes it that much better!  I have quote signs all over my house and what makes a better saying than "This is our happily ever after"!  This is such a simple sign project, give it a try!!

Wood Quote Sign

Whenever I see wood signs of any kind, I always grab them in hopes that some day I'll come up with a project to give them new life!!  Usually there's something hideous on them, maybe from the 80's or even older!!  As ugly as it is, just remember, you can just paint right over it.  This one I paid fifty cents for at Good Will.

To start the process, I took a few shades of yellow and painted them on in an ombre pattern across my sign.

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Upcycled Pant Hems into Sunglasses Sleeve

It has been more than a year since I posted my super popular Sunglasses Case tutorial, and although I am really happy with this project, I sincerely doubt that I will get a fraction of the pageviews that my previous post had.  Why?  Well, this is a funny little project that I put together from my pant hems that I chopped off in the tutorial for hemming pants, so they were little scrap tubes hanging out in my stash.

Some time later, my mom wanted a sunglasses sleeve and I had this fabric from her pants, so I upcycled them into a little sleeve!  Here's a quickie almost-tutorial on how I did it.  :)

The whole reason I am calling this an "almost" tutorial is because I just snapped a few pictures along the way, and even though you will get the main gist from the pictures, it is not a really thorough step-by-step with arrows or a pattern to download.  Here we go!

Sunglasses Sleeve "Tutorial"

What You Will Need

• Upcycled pant hems
• Matching thread
• Sunglasses
• Sewing machine or needle for hand sewing

Directions

1.  First, turned the fabric inside out with right sides touching.

2.  Sew along the non-finished edge to make a pouch shape.

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DIY Industrial Pendant Light with LED power!

DISCLOSURE: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #LEDSavings #CollectiveBias

Today, I am excited to share a really easy, budget-friendly DIY pendant lighting fixture that you will definitely love!  As you know, with the new house we will have a TON of rooms to furnish and decorate!  Since those expenses can add up, I am trying to DIY as much as possible.  Plus, there is the added benefit of being able to have everything match our favorite style: Industrial!  Also, being the eco-friendly gal that I was raised to be (thanks mom!), I wanted to choose as many materials and items that are as energy-efficient as possible.  For those reasons, I decided to choose GE LED Energy Smart light bulbs, which are super bright LEDs that are cost-efficient as well.  A while ago, I convinced my mom to switch out all of the bulbs in her home, and my parents love it!  The light is brighter, their bills are much lower, and they have not needed to replace a single one yet.  Awesome!  Also, I wanted to use a light bulb that would be cool to the touch since it is definitely much safer when making a DIY light fixture.  Now, let's get to the tutorial for my DIY Industral Pendant Light!

I should mention that we chose the more rustic, weathered, industrial style but it is possible to make the fixtures more sleek and modern.  In fact, I almost made this white with gold details, which would have been beautiful as well!

By the way, if you are wondering how much this cost, it was $14.26 for the metal materials and $18.69 for the lightbulb and hanging cord setup.  However, I found several coupons (all links at the bottom of the post) that made the grand total less than $30 for the pendant light.  What a deal!

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How to: Make Cute Pinterest Cover Boards!

Last week, I joined a Google Plus community for Pinterest and as soon as I joined, I had a few requests to share how I made my cute cover boards.  Well, thanks ladies!

Since there are a few steps, I thought it would be easier to put together a post for everyone, including you lovely readers, to see.  :)

First of all, as I mentioned on this post, I just reorganized my Pinterest boards so I could find items better.  I read that it was best to arrange boards alphabetically, but I decided to do it by popularity instead.  Then, I wanted to label the boards, but having just a title screen seemed boring, so I collaged text with a sample image!  Here's how I did it...

Before we start, I used PicMonkey for this tutorial because it is really simple and free, but feel free to use whatever photo editing website/software you prefer.


Directions

1.  Click Edit.

2.  On the default collage, click Remove cell on the left so you have two remaining cells.

3.  On the bottom, click the lock button to Unlock proportions.

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How to: Turn a T-Shirt into a Baby Bib!

About a month ago, I participated in Someday Crafts' crafting for baby series, which was fun!  You might be thinking, "Diane doesn't have a little one!"  However, although I have no kids yet, I love sewing for all of the little ones that belong to my friends and family.

In fact, today's project is one that I will be gifting to a couple of friends from the gym who are expecting!  The gym owner and I conspired to give a gift made out of one of their logo T-shirts, so now we can claim our youngest member.  :)

By the way, I love the idea of taking all kinds of adult-sized T-shirts to upcycle into bibs.  It would be great for school T-shirts, so your baby can have the same school spirit as you!  Or why not make the little one a bib to support your favorite sports team?  Also, I know that my guy has more than enough company T-shirts that could be upcycled into a cute bib one day.  The possibilities are endless!

Enough with the talk, let's get to the tutorial!


What You Will Need

• The T-shirt
• Matching (or contrast) thread to your shirt
• A pattern
• I modified this one, but there are so many great patterns out there, like this one!
• OR you can trace an existing bib, making sure to add seam allowance
• OR make a pattern of your own!
• 2 x 2" square of hook & loop tape (AKA Velcro)
• Pattern weights
• Sewing machine!
• Optional, but highly recommended: Flannel lining, for stabilization

Directions

1. First cut up the side seams so you can work with the front and back of the shirts separately.

2.  Before cutting your pattern pieces, make sure that you can center the logo onto the pattern piece by laying it on top.  This may require a couple of edits to your pattern piece.  Coincidentally, mine had the two kinds of problems that you may encounter.  More work for me, but better for this tutorial!

However, if the logo first perfectly onto the pattern piece, go ahead and skip to step 3!

• If your logo is too large, you can either cut into the logo if it isn't important OR extend the pattern piece a bit, like I showed here.

• Also, the bib "arms" might go into the neck portion of the piece like mine does.  All you will have to do is cut the piece and add some seam allowance.  See below for the pictures.

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Kitchen Basics: How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

When I shared my Veggie "Pasta" recipe, I mentioned that I used to eat spaghetti squash to substitute for pasta.  Although I have not eaten it lately, it was such a good deal at my favorite grocery store that I just had to pick one up and share the yumminess with you.

Also, tune in for next week when one of my favorite pasta sauces that I serve over spaghetti squash or regular noodles!

I typically prepare it in the microwave (which I will explain later), but since I had more than a few squash to roast (remember?), I used the oven as well.  Okay, let's get to the recipe!

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

What You Will Need

• Spaghetti Squash (3 - 4 pounds)
• Sharp knife & cutting board
• Baking sheet
• Olive oil
• Fork

Directions

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DIY Stenciled Nautical Beach Tote!

This sponsored post is brought to you by Plaid and Blueprint Social, but all opinions are 100% mine!

As you know by now, I just love to create!  I work with just about everything, like fabric, yarn, vinyl, paper, and even wood!  But I have a little confession for you...  I am scared when it comes to painting.  For real.  When I was a younger and other kids had birthday parties at our local ceramic painting shop, I was completely nervous about "messing up" with my design.  I would stick to straight lines or polkadots if I was feeling "adventurous."  ;)  However, lately I have been itching to try painting more, especially with the new house (yay!) and some woodworking projects I have in mind.  Luckily, I found out about the new Stencil1 line of stencils from Ed Roth, which are perfect for a newbie painter like me!  Along with FolkArt Multi-Surface paints, I created a pretty Stenciled Nautical Beach Tote, perfect for spring and summer trips!

Before I start with the tutorial, let me clue you in on a few of the supplies I used.  When you pick up your own Stencil1 stencils, they come in a variety of designs from floral, honeycomb, British-themed, scallops, and so much more!  They are available at Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft stores and are perfect for walls, floors and furniture.  I suspect there may be a stenciled wall in my future?  :)

For my project, I used the FolkArt Multi-Surface paints, which are great for practically any surface, both indoor and outdoor!  I mean, check out the fine print on the back... they are even dishwasher safe!

My set of stencils came with three designs: rope, an anchor, and a star.  All of the stencils are made of a durable, reusable mylar, which is super easy to clean!

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DIY Homemade Orange Cleaner: Easy & Chemical-Free!

As you may know by now, I am a huge proponent of recycling, upcycling, and reusing.  Also, I love anything that saves me a few pennies, and this is a DIY tip that is very budget-friendly and super-easy.  Besides, anything that keeps my home sparkling without chemicals is always a plus!

Yes, I had a sneak peek of this tip allllll the way back when I shared my upcycling Mason Jar tips, so this has been a long time coming.  You'll see why I needed to wait so long to share this with you!

What You Will Need:

• Glass jar
• Orange peels
• Vinegar (regular white vinegar, nothing fancy)
• Bowl
• Fine Mesh Sieve
• Funnel
• Spray Bottle
• Water

Directions

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Kitchen Basics: How to Cut a Melon!

I have been eating melons, blending melons, buying melons, and cutting melons like crazy!  I usually precut a whole melon and eat it over the next few days.  We were out of melon and I was busy, so my guy wanted instructions on how to cut a melon.

Well, he thought it was going to be hard, but when he found out it was so easy, he thought it would be a good idea to make a post for everyone who has never cracked into one of these on their own.  I have my own method, which is super fast and easy enough for a beginner to master.

Enjoy!

What You Will Need

• Your melon
• A cutting board or mat that will not slip
• A large knife
• Medium to large spoon
• Optional: Garbage bowl, for easy clean-up

1.  Try to position the melon on the cutting board so it is not too "wobbly" before you cut into it.

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Tutorial & Helpful Tips for Sewing Velcro!

Hello again!

It has been forever since I shared a sewing tutorial, and I am so happy to share another mini one with you today!  I have some tips for you on how to sew with hook & loop tape, which most people recognize as Velcro, so the next time you have to replace something, it will be much easier.  :)

Here we go!

First of all, here are the items I had to repair from the gym.  I had a small hole in the glove, which I just pinched together and sewed shut.  Then, my knee brace for my bum knee just would not close anymore.  The fuzzy part of the tape just wasn't sticking anymore, so I broke out the Paisley (my sewing machine) for some repairs!

What You Will Need

• The item you want to sew
• Hook & loop tape, matching the color AND length and width you want to apply
• Pins
• Sewing machine or needle & thread

Directions

1. First, simulate how you will be using the item.

• For my knee brace, I put it on and moved around.  Do the same with any garments!
• For a purse, close the flap with some items inside.

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How to: Back Up Your Blogger Posts & Template!

Hi again!

Between all of the awful customer service calls this week, I was making a few changes to my blog.  Just little tweaks here and there, including the floating social media bar when you scroll down and my header with built-in social media buttons!  Fancy!

Anyways, in between all of the changes, I needed to back up my template.  It always takes me a couple of minutes to remember how to do it, as well as how to back up my blog posts.  While doing it, I decided to take a few screencaps for anyone who wants to know how to do it, plain and simple!

One note about this tutorial, is that it is written for the Blogger platform, because that is what I use.  Sorry Wordpress, tumblr, etc. users!


By the way, there are two parts to this tutorial:

1. Backing up your blog posts means saving the content that you publish every day.  I try to do this weekly, just in case.
2. The Template refers to a bunch of items in your blog, including the font choices, widgets, and other customizations you may have made.  If you make a mistake while editing your template HTML, it can be a nightmare to repair.  I usually just save an HTML before making any changes, such as when I added the floating social media bar.

So without further ado, here is Part 1 of backing up your blog!

Backing Up Your Blog Posts

1.  Click on the name of the blog you want to back up to go do the dashboard.

Note:  I will include a red oval that shows where you need to click for each step.

Step 1

2.  On the left sidebar, click Settings.

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Quick Tips for Refashioning Garments

Although I'm not an expert, I have refashioned a few garments and I will definitely be refashioning more in the future.  Why?  There is a certain kind of satisfaction when you take something ugly or ill-fitting and turn it into something pretty to wear.  It is like a makeover scene in a cheesy chick flick: ugly duckling to beautiful swan!  I feel like that about my pretty Pink Portrait Blouse, which you will see in photos the below.

Anyways, in my short time refashioning garments, I have come up with a few tips to share that may make your next project a little easier.  :)

Tips for Refashioning Garments

Before I start, I know that a lot of you will have many more tips.  Feel free to leave them in the comments so everyone can learn from your wisdom!


Prep Work

• Probably the most important thing to know is that if you are going to use a sewing pattern, you should err on the side of refashioning a garment MUCH larger than your current size.  Pattern pieces are large, so you don't want to end up short!

• Pay attention to the things that are NOT working about the garment.  Is it too frumpy, too long, or just not right for your body type?  Think about how you can fix those issues, or even make it into a completely different garment type (i.e. - dress to top, pants to skirt, etc.)!

• Figure out what kind of garment you would like to make.  If you don't have enough fabric, consider picking out a contrast or complementary fabric to go along with it.

• Focus on the details that you like in the garment and preserve them!  I loved the buttons, so I kept it as a detail down the back of my top.  Sometimes the details are the thing that will get the creative juices flowing!

Cutting

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Tutorial: Upcycled Rice Bag Tote!

Some of you may be familiar with those upcycled tote bags made from flour sacks, old banners, and even candy wrappers!  Ever since I started seeing these bags on sale (for way too much!), I was itching to repurpose a tote bag for trips to the farmers market, craft fairs, or the beach.

A few weeks ago, my mom had two huge rice bags that she kept for me, "in case I could do something with them."  I love that people start to reserve items for me, especially ones that have come in handy!  This was my first attempt to work with the rice bag material, and it worked out pretty well.  This is the perfect tote material because it is super light AND incredibly durable!

My bag in action, toting around the pattern I traced for the portrait blouse!

I have already worked with vinyl, leather, and heavy home decor fabrics, but I was expecting this to be tougher.  I could not have been more wrong!  It was easy, light, and did not stick to my machine like the vinyl.  Yay!

Originally, I was just going to post a picture of my finished tote bag, but since I took a couple of pictures while I was sewing, here's a tutorial instead!

What You Will Need

Rice bag
Heavy duty webbing, for handles (length depends on desired finished length)
Heavy duty thread


Directions

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Tutorial: How to Trace a Sewing Pattern

Two weeks ago, I shared a quick snapshot of the tools that I use to trace sewing patterns.  Today, I'm going to share a mini-tutorial on how I use them to make brand-spanking new copies of my patterns!

You may not understand why it's necessary to trace a sewing pattern.  Here a few reasons why it is very helpful to trace rather than cut!

• You may want to keep your pattern intact for multiple sizes
• If you plan on sewing the pattern multiple times, it is helpful to keep the pattern from deteriorating!
• Some patterns are double-sided or have smaller pieces laid within large pieces, and you do not want to cut through them.

My first double-sided pattern!  I used this for the Refashioned Pink Portrait Blouse.

What You Will Need

• Needle wheel (similar to mine, or this one which is rated higher), for paper patterns
• Blunt tracing wheel, for either tissue or paper patterns
• Note: I will discuss the differences between wheels below
• Large ironing board (like the one I DIY-ed), if using the needle wheel
• Cutting mat, if using the blunt tracing wheel
• Butcher paper, Swedish Tracing Paper, or even old paper grocery bags!
• Pattern weights (like the ones I DIY-ed) and/or tape
• Ruler
• Pen and permanent marker
• Paper scissors
• Hole punch, Pattern Notcher

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase using one of the links, a small commission will go to support Vintage Zest.  I will only recommend sites with products that I think you will love and enjoy!

A few notes before starting...

• Depending on the type of pattern paper, I will use either the needle wheel or the blunt tracing wheel.
• For patterns on thin tissue paper, I prefer the needle wheel because the needles poke precise holes of where to cut.  The tissue paper is usually strong and printed on one side.
• For patterns printed on regular paper, I prefer to use a blunt wheel because it will not poke holes in the pattern since the paper is much tougher.

• If you use the needle wheel, you should trace the pattern on a soft surface (like a large ironing board) so the holes can poke through.

• If you use the blunt tracing wheel, you should trace on a hard surface (like a cutting mat) to avoid ripping or tearing your pattern.

Ready?  Now let's get started!

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