So, I saw this thread here and was completely inspired: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=105616.0

However, my knitting skills are less than sub-par (as in, I'm teaching myself, but getting nowhere)
Sooo....I decided to make a simpler version in crochet.
I have to say that I LOOOOVE them. 1 skein of Baby sport bright variagated yarn, a 4.5mm hook and a day in bed with the flu left me with the following:


And...the cheesy action shot, just in case you don't already think I'm a dork!


Comments greatly appreciated, and thanks for looking!

First, WOW!!! There are soo many great tattoos on here! I love seeing people art (probably why I spend so much time at www.bmezine.com)

Now, on to my art (please excuse the amount of pics)
First and second tattoos are both very small on my left hand. The one on my webbing means gemini, and the one on my pinky is the wiccan symbol for goddess.

Third tattoo was for my love of Betty Boop and curvy, sexy women

Most recent (fourth tattoo) was recieved in a fundraiser that I participated in. I managed to raise about $600 personally, and the total raised was well over $20,000 in this drive. (women, take care of your breasts, you only get two of them!)


I know they aren't inked, but I love these just as much, and they are just as permanent (if not moreso).
My scarification (first piece) - flaming lotus flower backpiece incorporating an ugly childhood accident scar (first pic is fresh, second is at 3 weeks, it's now been 7 months)

My second and third scarifications were done at the same time. There are some good joke meanings behind them, but simplified, they also represent "peace, love and happinness"


I also draw a bit here and there, and have been comissioned to draw personal/original pieces for people to get inked on their bodies.
Sue's fairy in a rose:

Yvonne's cancer memorial lower back tattoo:

My Mom's dragon upper-backpiece (motherhood pride - roses for her june baby, daisies for her april baby, a dragon preparing to strike for herself, protecting the children):


Lastly, I am going in for my next tat in 3 weeks. Well, the first session. Full sleeve (3 hours to be spent on the outline first session) based on Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series of books. I'll throw in one more image here (because there aren't already enough in this post) This is to be the main mage on my upper arm/bicep, dominating the rest of the characters and elements:

I'll post some pics after I get the outline done.

Thanks for taking the time to look at these!

If you're talking about the white one - I made one of those myself for a halloween costume one year. They're super easy, and so long as you can get your sister's meausrements, you should be able to make one without a pattern. I don't have a pic, but I'll draw up a quick tute for ya

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K, here goes it: I hope this makes sense with the craptastic paint images I made...
First thing, you need to get those measurements. Then you want to lay out your fabric and cut out the following pieces:

The last piece - you need to cut out two of.
For the cups, cut them out to about twice the width of your sister's underbust per breast (as long as she's busty, I'm sure you can alter this to what she may need) Make them (at the longest point) appx the measurement from collarbone to underbust, over fullest area.
The next pieces are the waist panels. Cut out 2 pieces that are 1/2 her widest midsection measurement + seam allowance. Cut one of them in half as shown.
The piece on the far right is the neck-band.
For the skirt (last piece) make it like a standard circle skirt, but appx. 1 1/2 times her waist measurement (for pleats and fullness)

Take the bust pieces and gather or pleat along the bottom until they are the desired width. Baste.

Take waist panels and trim inwards slightly at the waist, if necessary. Sew the two smaller pieces to the larger one on either side as shown.

Fold neck-band in half length-wise. Cut in half and turn right way round (Inside out) Finish one end.

Sew bust cups to waist (closer together than they are in the image, since my paint skills are just THAT grand - for coverage)

Sew neckband to ends of bust cups.
Finish all edges as necessary.

Sew sides of skirt together (leaving zipper allowance on one seam)
Add pleats around waist to bring to your sister's measurements.

Now, sew down the pleats part way and iron nice and flat.
Sew the skirt onto the waist band, lining up the zipper location in the back of the skirt to two ends of the top.
Hem skirt, finish any unfinished edges, and install zipper.
Voila! Put it on, zip her up, tie her up, and you have this:


I hope this helps you....I also hope it makes sense

I loev empire waistlines - I don't know how many times I can say that!! They hide the tummy pretty well...and this summer I'm all about halters and tubes...so please feast your eyes on these two pretty new backless halters that I constructed last night:

The first one was the easiest, a square and some pretty pink ribbons... The one under the bust continues around the back and closes at the side with a hook and eye.


The second one took a little more construction, but was well worth it. I love the white dots on the black that make up a pretty geometric pattern!



Any comments appreciated, and thanks for looking!

~EDIT~
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Tutorial for second backless shirt:

First, you need to start with a few measurements
~underbust (around entire ribcage)
~underbust (front area only)
~from underbust to where you want the shirt to sit
~over the fullest part of the bust (I measured mine from where I wanted to neck strap to start to the area under my bust)
~bust width (I don't know technical terms here)

Cut the following pieces out:

~To get the proper sizing, I used the measurement from over my bust on the two cups (plus seam allowance) and used the 90 degree angle from the fabric ege (Gave me lots of fullness - I'm sure you could modify the amount of material used for smaller-chested people)
~The waist-band was cut to the full underbust length (plus seam allowances) and about 4 inches wide.
~The neck strap was the same, just shorter (I cut mine long, and trimmed it down afterwards)
~The bodice front piece was the shorter underbust measurement by the desired length (plus seam allowances)

Easy sewing:
~Start by sewing (wrong sides out) the waist band and neck strap length-wise.
~Turn right side out, and press.
~Turn in the bottom edge of the bodice front piece, as well as the two side edges.
~Press flat.
~Turn in the outside edges of the bust cups, leaving room at the top for the neck strap.
~Press flat.
~Gather the rounded end together until it is will fit snugly under your breast.
~Pin bodice front onto waistband and sew together (right sides together). (I used some basic side release buckleshttp://www.seattlefabrics.com/images/siderelease.jpg with a side attachement, rather than at the back)
~Press flat.
~Find center of bodice front and place cups accordingly. Pin.
~Press.
~Attach neck strap.
~Attach any closures that you wish to use. (I used some basic side release buckleshttp://www.seattlefabrics.com/images/siderelease.jpg with a side attachement, rather than at the back for the bodice and again at the side of the neck for the neck, rather than a tie)

Finishing the edges, and putting the straps together:


Sewing the waistband to the bodice, and gathering the cups:


Sewing cups to bodice/waistband and adding neck-strap:


I hope this helps a bit! This is the first tute I've written, so if anyone has any way to simplify this, please tell me and I'll change things to make them easier to understand

CRISIS!

I am in desperate need of a shirt for an event this weekend. Originally, I was just going to buy something and be lazy about it. I have spent the last month and a half trying to find the shirt that would fulfill my needs, but have not been able to - even at lingerie stores, bathing suit stores, and other specialty stores.

I have a rather large piece of art on my back, and it spans from hip to hip (width-wise), as well as from lower back to the nape of my neck (height-wise)

Now this weekend, I am attending a few events to celebrate my nations birthday (go, CANADA!) and I have to have this showcased as much as possible, so I can do some networking for the artist that did this for me. Being a curvy girl, however, I have to wear a bra to keep the girls comfortable.

I also have to be able to make this shirt by thursday night (ie tomorrow) as I leave first thing friday morning.

Does anyone have any ideas as to how to accomplish this fairly inexpensively???

Here's a pic of my back, and reference for where the bra sits (just in case you guys don't already know )

*Please excuse my wonderful paint skills - the thing is a flaming lotus flower*

Thanks for any tips!!!

So, my good friend Sara gave me these beaded flamingo things that I had no idea what to do with. She told me that they were the top parts to her favorite pair of sandals but they had broken, and she wanted to save the tops. She couldn't think of a thing to do with them, however, so she asked me to give it a shot, and amke us both something neat.

I was then inspired by the duct-tape wallets that I used to make, and thought I'd see what I could come up with.

First, off, I'll post a pic of what I had to work with. The lack of edging made incorporating these in a sewing project somewhat more complicated.


*I did have a bunch of shots of what I did to make the purse, but my computer crashed mid-upload (grrr) so I lost almost all of my pictures.
*I used a piece of thin cardboard for the base and used this thread as my inspiration for covering the bottom (not shown, pink and white tape used like the rest of the purse): http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=84953.0
*I made thin white piping out of the duct tape to edge the bead-work in, as it was a little rough-looking.
*I faced the four panels - pink exterior, white interior.
*Tape the sides to the bottom and tape the edges together.
*The rings are just brass keyrings, and I used long strips from the weaving for the loops, handle and ties.

Completed:


Open purse, and interior (boring):


Closed, with close-up of the closure:


A door-knob wearing it to show how it hangs:

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I hope you guys like it Even more so, I hope SHE likes it when I give it to her...I have to make my inverse matching one first however...

I made this a little while back for a halloween costume, but now I wear it whenever I get the chance. I just interchange the overbust to give it a new look.
The dress was so simple to make, basically 4 large piece of triangle-shaped fabric sewn together with a gathered neckline, and 5 1/2' draping sleeves tied into a knot for some weight. The wrist openings are a whopping 11' around, and the skirt is over 26' around. I left the neckline as a drawstring so I could wear it off the shoulder, or higher as it's supposed to be worn.
I made the top seen in this picture as well. Just some nice brocade, satin lining, plastic boning and heavy interfacing. Lace it up and voila!