Upcycle: Elbow Patches

Good day!

Sorry about the long absence guys. I hope you didn't miss me too much. I have been busy looking for work and it's very tough at the moment. Eek. It was hard for me to get creative and I have been doing my best to stay focused on the task at hand - Find Work!

Anyways, this is a short and easy tutorial on adding patches to your clothes. It gives your shirt/blazer/cardigan such a sweet touch. At first I planned on adding heart-shaped patches but it just seemed like they would not suit that particular blazer. Maybe next time I'll do a tutorial on that ;)

It was raining today and I was a little blind from no light coming into the house. I apologise in advance for some photographs (most!) being out of focus. I couldn't wait another day to show you how to add patches to your clothes! You'll forgive me! :)

 

 You will need:

- Long sleeved item
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Pins
- Sewing Needle
- Thread
- Felt or Fabric Scraps
- Tracing paper 

Grab your tracing paper and fold it in half. Use a pencil to draw half of an oval. Grab the scissors to cut an oval following the pencil marking as a guide. It is a good way to get a symmetrical shape instead of a dodgy oval. You now have your oval patch template!

 

Place the template on your piece of felt or fabric and secure with pins. Cut out the shape out of the felt with scissors. Use the template for the other piece as well.

Having drawn the template by hand, of course there will be some 'unevenness' to it. Make sure that you are using the same side for both pieces of material when cutting them out. For example, if you place your template on your first fabric while it's facing up, do the same for the other fabric so that the shapes coincide. You'll see what I mean when they are in front of you.

Place the patches on each side of your clothing's sleeves. If you like you can try the item on to find the exact spots to place the patches. I did and if you do so, be careful not to hurt yourself inserting the pins to secure your patches.

Don't forget to fold your clothing to check if the patches match up perfectly before sewing.

I chose the overcast stitch since I was using felt. I think it is both pretty and easy to work with. I folded the sleeve in to have a better grip of the patch.

This is what the result should look like. Cute? Try it out!

Get creative guys! Let me know how you went in the comments.

This post is dedicated to Divya Ruhee. One of the best people I will ever know.

Letitia's Pumpkin Soup

Hi everyone!
 

It's been a while since I've written, and I'm sorry! I was on vacation in Launceston, Tasmania for two weeks. I really enjoyed my time walking around and sight seeing. It's a gorgeous little town with lots of cute shops and beautiful dining places. Truly worth a visit.

The crisp temperature of Tasmania made me crave soup. Anything more beautiful than pumpkin soup? I was adding and adding bits and pieces to the soup and ended with something beautiful. At the last minute, I decided to share it with you, so I apologise for not having images for each step - you'll be okay!


You will need (for 4 people):

1 frying pan

1 saucepan

1 (Coles) can of pumpkin soup,

2-4 slices chopped bacon/ ham

1 diced brown onion

1 teaspoon of garlic

1 cup chicken stock,

1-2 celery stalks (diced)

1 teaspoons of ground ginger,

2 tablespoons of Clive's India curry powder (optional)

Salt & Pepper

Step 1: Simmer the pumpkin soup

Pour the pumpkin soup in the saucepan. Following the instructions on the can, pour 1 can of water and half can of milk in the saucepan. Simmer until smooth but never boil.

Step 2: Sauté the bacon/ham

Meanwhile, sauté the bacon, diced onions and garlic in the frying pan. Place the chicken cube in boiling water and leave to melt.

Step 3: Mix everything

For the final step, when the pumpkin soup is smooth, add the chicken stock, celery, bacon, onions and garlic to the saucepan. Afterwards, add the ginger and curry powder. Lastly, add the salt & pepper to taste. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes. 

Serve with bread!

Let me know how you like it, in the comments!

G'Day !

Hi.

My name is Letitia but my friends call me Lettuce and my closest friends call me..

Let's just say something that rhymes with 'biscuits'.

I live in Australia with my family, lots of Rainbow Lorikeets, Kookaburras, Green Tree Snakes and Kangaroos.

(The wildlife mentioned above are only visitors, don't worry.)

After almost failing Home Economics in high school (at thirteen, I felt trapped), I enjoy cooking and sewing today more than ever. I guess it is because it is not such a chore anymore and I don't have to be marked for the works that I do. A long time has passed since those days!

I graduated this year from university with a Bachelor in New Media Arts majoring in Design. During that time, I studied photography and music, which I still enjoy very much. I love everything handmade and appreciate antiques and vintage objects.

"Buying everything in the twenty-first century, is too mainstream."

We live in a time where a person can buy almost anything he or she can think of(even things we don't even know existed). It is easy to buy anything and for cheap as well. Maybe we don't have time to make our own, or maybe we are just too lazy to do so. We become wasteful and we live in abundance without appreciating the comfort that we live in. I am trying to move away from this lifestyle.

I had never noticed how wasteful I was before I met my now fiancé, Aaron. It took me some time to change those habits and I am not 100% hippie (yet) but I am different. I have become more conscious; even if I would buy that cute top in the shop window. By using recycled items for your creations, you are saving the environment from your packaging, plastic bags and just plain rubbish, which would come with the one item that you just bought. 

You cannot buy the feeling of satisfaction and pride that you get from creating your own work.

This is what this blog is about. Becoming autonomous, environment-friendly and a person who is awake and living. I found greater happiness by removing the clutter and focusing on living simply. 

Caring about the world, is caring about you :)

Letitia.

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