Thursday, December 31, 2015

DIY Knit Wrap Dress (The first dress I've ever sewn!)

(Disclaimer: This is not a full tutorial nor do I claim ownership to this sewing pattern!!)

I am on Winter break from school right now which means LOTS of free time! I thoguht it would be a good idea to attempt to make my first dress in less than 48 hours.. and youknow, it was! It turned out amazing and I used a free pattern I found on http://so-sew-easy.com/

I wanted to make a violet knit wrap dress to wear to Christmas Eve mass. Of course I scoured Pinterest and YouTube looking for a tutorial or a free pattern and I found both! I've never worked with a printable pattern before so taping all the pieces together and then cutting them out was sort of a hassle. 
The pattern is available in small, medium, large, and extra-large sizes so I would recommend this to all body types! (plus it makes your boobs look good if you decide to make a lower neckline-- let's keep it tasteful though). 
For reference, my measurements are 33-28-39" so I took a guess and went with the "small" size option. 


I then took a trip to my local JoAnn fabrics, which unfortunately relocated to 20 minutes away which made me sad but it has a wider selection and more employees now which is very exciting!!) I picked up about 3 yards of a purple rayon which was plenty of fabric and I even cut out the skirt twice and made longer sleeves! I think 2 yards is enough to make a medium or small- but if you make lots of mistakes like me or simply need a bigger size, go for 3 yards!

What I love about working with knits is that you hardly need another other notions like zippers or buttons.. elastic for the waistband and stay tape for your seams are optional. (I used neither and it came out fine!) 

Obviously I would be silly of me to repeat all of the instructions for making the dress, so go ahead and check out the original tutorial here. Unfortunately, I took no pictures in the process of making this dress since I was crunched for time, but I will share some tips as well as what I've learned from this project. 

The hardest part of the dress was constructing the bodice. The instructions aren't thorough enough for the inexperienced sewist, so keep that in mind! It took me a while to figure out the pleats and how to pin the pieces together. I recommend trying on whatever you have after each step to ensure a perfect fit!

OK HERE IS MY BIGGEST TIP FOR THIS AND ALL KNIT SEWING PROJECTS: straight stitches make it more difficult for the knit fabric to stretch- so try a stretch stitch for your seams and a small zig-zag stitch for hems.


These are the stitch and settings I used for the side seams and sleeves. I used a straight stitch for any stitching that would show such as the hem around the neckline, which needs to lay flat, the shoulder seams, and at the waist (which you could actually sew using a stretch stitch as well).




Hope everyone had a lovely holiday & Happy New Year!!

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Holiday Gifts | 2015



Hey guys, today I just wanted to share a few gift ideas of what I'm giving to my friends and family this holiday season.



First off, SOCKS are a great lil holiday gift for everyone! They're inexpensive, cute, fuzzy, and you can gift them to practically anyone. The pair featured above are the Yaktrax Cabin socks from Dick's Sporting Goods. They are the cutest and softest socks ever!!!!! (I believe they were $13.99 each but it's buy one pair, and get another free!)




All of these socks are from the Target dollar section!! They make for great stocking stuffers, or simple gifts when paired with a gift card.





Everyone loves Starbucks, so treat your friend with a Starbucks gift card and coordinating mug or even an ornament! (I bought this little guy of eBay after winning a bidding war!)



Mugs are always a safe choice when it comes to gift giving. Make it personal by shopping for a mug with a reference to your loved one's favorite TV show!!! (buy this mug here) Don't forget to add in some hot chocolate packages or a nice holiday roast.

You can also frame a piece of your original art and gift it to someone! I bought a cheap frame from Hobby Lobby and placed my holiday project from my art class inside.



And that's it for now! I obviously gifted a lot more presents than shown, but I just wanted to show a few small and last-minute gift ideas!

~~Happy Holidays to all~~

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Olive Green for Fall

Olive green, tan, sage, gray, orange, and pale pink are just some of the colors on trend for this fall. Today I styled two looks in which I've incorporated olive green into.


Outfit #1




Outfit Details: Top: Forever 21, Skirt: Cotton On, Boots: Nordstrom


Outfit #2




Outfit Details: Dress: Target, Flannel: Forever 21, Boots: Macy's, Jacket: Thrifted from Savers

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Back in Black



I don't even know how to apologize for my two-month internet hiatus? All I have to say is that this blog and my YouTube channel are at the bottom of my priority list! I've been busy balancing school, work, a social life, preparing for college, and my mental health! But trust me I miss blogging and making videos SO MUCH.




Tank: BP by Nordstrom, Jeans: Styles for Less, Boots: Steve Madden Romman Booties

I got these AMAZING Steve Madden boots fro Macy's on sale!! (They're not currently on sale.) I love how they look and they make me 2 inches taller. I could look my friend who is 6'4" in the eye for once. It was great.


Monday, August 24, 2015

August Faves!! | Courtney Nicole

Have you seen my recent YouTube video?? Here it is, don't forget to subscribe (:

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Adventures in Palm Springs







Photos of the beautifully decorated hotel The Saguaro

  
Las Casuelas Mexican restaurant (222 S Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262)



My buys from Lush Couture (110 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262)


Staying in Palm Desert Monday through this morning went better than I expected, considering the overwhelming 100 degree weather! I'm mainly pleased with the trip because of the amazing deals I got at the $16.99 stores in downtown Palm Springs. (haul video soon, maybe?) On the way there, I made my family pull over so I could snap a few pictures of the Saguaro Hotel. It's so colorful and vibrant; very typical of Palm Springs.

Monday, August 10, 2015

AUGUST PLAYLIST



Back with my fave alternative/synth pop/80s pop tunes at the moment. I have a super long queue on my tumblr if you wanna check that out. 

I bought a new SD card for my camera, so hopefully I will post a few videos on my YouTube before I start school again!

Monday, August 3, 2015

lol I'm Still Alive | Recent Faves

So I have not updated this blog or my YouTube channel lately (sorry.) But good news, I got a job!! I work in retail and I'm so excited because more $ means more hauls! But also less time to do this internet stuff :( I almost deleted my YouTube channel recently because making videos is such a long, stressful process for me and I feel pressured to produce new, fresh content every week. So my YouTube channel is on hold for now :/

Anyway, I wanted to do a little update/recent favorites posts today! 



 me & my bff <3





My recent faves:
1) this denim skirt from Cotton On
2) aloe vera, because, sometimes humans get sunburns
3) my Canon, of course!
4) gorgeous summer sunsets
5) the YouTube channel Stuff Mom Never Told You
6) Chvrches' new single, "Leave a Trace" (and the cover art, for that matter.)


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Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Easy DIY Halter Top


Today I have a super easy DIY for you guys!
All you need are scissors and a spaghetti strap tank (I got mine from Forever 21 for $2!!!) And you can use a scoop, v-neck, cropped, or longline tank!


1) Try on your tank and make sure it fits snugly in the back so it isn't sagging. 2) With sharp scissors, cut off the straps BUT ONLY IN THE BACK!! Cut just next to where it's attached, making sure not to cut the cami itself. 3) If your top fits too long, measure and mark how much you want to cut off from the bottom. I took off 3 inches. 4) Hemming is optional since we are working with a knit (stretchy) fabric. 5) To wear, slip the tank on and tie the straps behind your neck like you would with a halter!

Thursday, July 9, 2015

JULY PLAYLIST



Been loving Cold War Kids lately.. I'm thinking about doing a monthly playlist for you guys- tell me what you think!

I also want to make a video about music-inspired fashion similar to what Diet Blond did on Youtube.

Sunday, July 5, 2015

4th of July!








Some pictures I took with my Canon EOS Rebel T5 on 4th of July. Thanks to my sister for always being my outfit cameraman when I need one(: Hope all my fellow Americans had a safe, fun Independence Day!

Details: top: DIY, Jeans: H&M, Shoes: Converse, Necklace + earrings: F21