My Hottest Sellers....Crowns

Hello my fellow fashionistas!

I just wanted to share with you all today my most popular accessory...my soul crowns.  Anything I put on my head is called a crown and everything I do - I put my heart and soul into and this is where the name is derived. 

The most popular crown: basic ball cap in Camouflage (my very own custom design)

The Cadet Crown - The flipped bill is sick, right?!

 

The Righteous Rasta is most popular with those who have long hair...and of course, Rastas!

The Tam - an enclosed version of the Righteous Rasta

 

By far, my soul crowns were the most ordered item from my shop and still is.  They are my number one request.  I have to say that I am more than elated about this as I am often called the queen of accessories!

Feel free to ask me about my favorite patterns for head gear or about my own custom designed crowns.  As always, I usually have some crowns for sale in my shop on etsy!  Visit SMH Studios & Designs Shop here.

Until next time my fashionable friends...

Dawta Halter Top Pattern Review

I love to crochet halter tops for the summer.  If you live in the South, then you can appreciate funky summer wear as much I do!  Amongst the vast collection of patterns and pattern books I own is Fly Tops & Funky Flavas (Get Your Crochet On!) by Afya Ibomu.  I love this pattern book.  I bought this one a long time ago when I was just getting the hang of crocheting more than just the granny square.  Someone would always compliment me on the items I wore out of this book and soon people were asking me to sell them items I make out of this book!

Today I am reviewing the Dawta Halter pattern included in this book. 

Pattern: Dawta (Fly Tops & Funky Flavas (Get Your Crochet On!) by Afya Ibomu)

Description: Backless Halter

Yarn Used: Red Heart Super Saver in Coffee and forgive me but I cannot think of the other color! This is a worsted weight yarn that is 100% super soft acrylic. The pattern simply calls for worsted weight yarn in two different colors.

Sizing: I made this in a small. This pattern is available in in sizes S-1X

Instructions: Very easy to follow

Changes: No changes at all

Level of Difficulty: Afya rates this as "Some Skills" which means Intermediate skill level.

Timing: I can crochet this one in a few hours while watching TV but of course...I have been crocheting for a while now!

Overall I love this halter...it is casual yet sexy at the same time.  I love to rock this on warm summer night with cut offs or even with jeans closer to fall here in the South.  I usually have a few halter tops that I made with me along on a trip to the beach!

If you are not a "hooker" like me...no worries! People still commission me to make items they see on my blog or facebook page.  This halter is listed on my Etsy page if you are interested in purchasing some items there.  Buy this top here!

Until we meet again my fellow fashionistas....

Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips Review

Typically, I do not keep my nails polished because I do so much with my hands.  The nail polish never lasts and usually chips within a day or two.  I discovered gel polish and shellac which I loved at first until I had to get the polish off.  Yikes!!! Talk about harsh for your nails! I have always wondered about the Sally Hansen nail polish strips that I see in the stores.  After asking a few random women about them, I decided to try them out. 

I have to say that I am totally impressed! 

Kitty, Kitty

Sweet Marble Floret

 

French Mani in Silver Lining

As you can see, I love this product.  I love the colors and designs!  It lasts up to ten days as the packaging says.  I was able to keep Kitty, Kitty on my nails for about 14 days but I do not recommend that.  I had to really clean my nails after removal when I did that.  My favorite design is love letter.

I have a collection of these next to my conventional bottles of nail polish in my arsenal and I highly recommend this product!

Until next time...

Vogue Pattern 2091 Review

Hello again my fellow fashionistas!

I want to review this awesome Donna Karan pattern.  I actually made this dress back maybe about 8 years ago.  Unfortunately that means it is out of print.  So sorry!  Back then I was just making clothes for myself and exploring the possibilities of selling my creations.  I needed a comfortable black dress that could be either dressed up or down preferably in a knit fabric.  I came across this pattern at JoAnn's.

Sorry I do not have a back view of this dress!

I wore the dress to a party along with a shrug that I also crocheted. 

Pattern: v2091 Donna Karan for Vogue (view B)

Description: Pullover tapered dress; mid-knee with right side pleats and close fitting cap sleeves.

Fabric Used: Light weight black knit fabric

Sizing: I cut a size 12 here.  I found Donna Karan patterns to run way small! I wore a size 4 in these pictures but I cut a size 12 in this pattern. 

Instructions: Easy to follow

Changes: I made no changes at all.

Level of Difficulty: I would say that this was a pretty easy pattern to follow. You may need intermediate skills for the pleating.

Timing: This can totally be completed in a couple of hours.

I think this is a great pattern.  The dress was super sexy and well as comfortable.  I got lots of compliments on this one.  I paired it with a black Nine West purse and black Via Spiga Boots (purchased at TJ Maxx).  I also paired this with a crocheted multi-way shrug that I made as well.  I will provide a post on that creation as well!

Annie Hall Sweater

This project is from the September/October 2011 edition of Crochet Today.  As you can probably guess from my previous blogs, I am very much into everything vintage.  I especially love this sweater because it reminds me of a 70s style preppy cardigan. 

This is the original photo from the magazine

 

 

Pattern: Annie Hall Sweater (September/October 2011 edition of Crochet Today)

Description: Casual wrap sweater inspired by 70s fashion icon Annie Hall.

Yarn Used: Caron's Simply Soft Tweed Yarn in Dark Sage (You may be able to find this online but quantities are limited) This is a worsted weight yarn that is 96% super soft acrylic and 4% rayon. I loved the green tweed look. It can be substituted with any other worsted weight yarn such as Caron's simply soft. The pattern calls for SMC Northern Worsted which is a 100% acrylic yarn.

Sizing: I believe I made this in a large.  This pattern is available in in sizes S-2X.

Instructions: I would say this pattern was very easy to follow.  I had no issues completing this project.

Changes: I only substituted the yarn...I do that a lot!

Level of Difficulty: Crochet Today rates this one as "Intermediate" skill level.

Timing: It took me a few weeks to complete this sweater.

This is my go-to sweater for that vintage preppy look.  I can see myself running through the streets of New York to a meeting in this one! I love to pair it with jeans or stylish khakis.  I would definitely recommend this pattern to other fashion lovers and crocheters alike!

Until next time...

Big Bow Cardigan

I am a huge fan of publications such as Interweave Crochet and Crochet Today.  I often find myself quickly skimming through the pages for inspiration or looking through them for clothing patterns to make for myself.  When I saw this pattern on the cover of the Winter 2008 edition of this magazine, I knew exactly which yarn I had in my arsenal with which to crochet this cardigan.

This is the cover of the Winter 2008 edition of Interweave Crochet

This is my version of the Big Bow Cardigan

The buttons are a unique find at your local Hobby Lobby.  They were on clearance!

Pattern: Big Bow Cardigan (winter 2008 edition of Interweave Crochet)

Description: Cardigan with built in scarf that extends from the collar.  Asymmetrical closure.

Yarn Used: Caron's Simply Soft Eco Yarn in Natural (You may be able to find this online but quantities are limited)  This is a worsted weight yarn that is 80% super soft acrylic and 20% specialty fibers made from recycled plastic bottles! I love this yarn because I feel like I am saving the planet while creating something beautiful.  It can be substituted with any other worsted weight yarn such as Caron's simply soft.  The pattern calls for Naturally Naturelle Aran 10 Ply which is a wool yarn.

Sizing: I believe I made this to fit bust circumference of 41". This pattern is available in plus size as well!

Instructions: Interweave rates this one as "Some concentration required".  This was pretty simple for me just mostly counting your stitches.

Changes: I only substituted for an awesome eco friendly yarn!

Level of Difficulty: Very simple stitches and pattern very easy to follow.

Timing: It took me a few weeks to make this due to the many other projects I have going on all at once.

Overall, I love this cardigan and I get many compliments on it each time I wear it.  The photo was taken recently but I made the sweater a few years back so unfortunately the fit is not where I want it to be but this is nothing a few inches off my waist and in my bust can't fix!  I love the scarf and it actually has a key hole to allow for versatility for tying the scarf.

*Styling notes: Jeans (PZI), Lipstick (Rebel by MAC), Headband (Ardene's), Hair (Just my natural wash n go)

Sales and Couponing at JoAnn's

Those of us who have a love for crafting, sewing, needlework or any other type of art can understand that purchasing the materials needed to create works of art can be a bit on the expensive side.  I am no stranger to a great sale; however, my couponing skills were a bit novice to say the least.

In my recent efforts to create and follow a real budget, I began doing some research on couponing and retail savings.  I was also in need of some pretty expensive yarn and a sewing pattern.  I have been a JoAnn's consumer for many years going back to when I was in high school.  However, I always found their prices to be somewhat on the high side.  I realized that I always walked into JoAnn's with ONE coupon...so silly....told ya my couponing skills were lacking.

This weekend I walked in with 3 coupons.  I needed 2 skeins of Red Heart Boutique Treasure yarn in the Mosaic color scheme.  This yarn is currently out of stock online at JoAnn's and Red heart.  I found one store in my area that had it in stock.  This yarn is originally $6.99 but I had 3 coupons for 50% off one regularly priced item!  Below is a picture of the yarn:

I also needed a Vogue Skirt pattern and we all know Vogue patterns are very expensive!  Lucky for me, when I arrived at JoAnn's, the pattern was on sale for $4.99!  The original price was $25.  I also bought a pretty cheap "See & Sew" pattern as well.

I roughly spent $19 for about $49 worth of materials! I promise to show off what I am making with these materials in my next few blogs!