My Favorite Anthro Knock-Offs!

When I try to arrange stuff like this, it's called "hoarding."

I lurve Anthropologie....so.much.  I'm just that kind of girl, I loved Delia's when I was younger, then graduated to Urban Outfitters, which I also adore, but Anthro is really the top of the line to me, which is why I don't think I actually own anything from them.  I just get their catalog and stalk their website, and dream of a bohemian lifestyle where my home is a bohemian boat placed in the middle of an open field, and my friends and I lounge around beautifully.

Obviously, I am not alone in my obsession, owing to the huge amount of Anthro knock-offs all over the craft-o-sphere.  Some things just can't be knocked off, and so I have a better chance of owning a fainting goat than one of their fainting couches, but necessity being the mother of invention means jewelry, clothing, even artwork is all fair game, and a sharp eye in a 2nd hand shop + a can of spray paint can do wonders.

I was cruising through my formidable stack of bookmarks this morning and realized I have dozens of  AKOs saved.  Tons and tons.

Twelve Crafts Til Christmas

The Little Apple Seed

Tatertots & Jello

Vintage Revivals

Kojo Designs

Mandipity

Junk Market

Adventures in Dressmaking

Ruby Mines

Shoes and Sewing

New Green Mama

Flamingo Toes

I could go on and on, as I adore these tutorials!

And no, I haven't been avoiding posting my own stuff - I'm waiting for THREE MORE Google Friends to hit fifty to post one particular thing, and I'm waiting for some needlework kits to arrive in the mail.  Today I'm hitting JoAnns and possibly checking out a second-hand store here in town I haven't visited before (I know!).  I want to make this skirt that I absolutely fell in love with, and a shorter tiered skirt from some fabric I fell in love with. At some point, I hope to work my nerve up to my "re-sew-lution" of making pants.  Scared of pants...

Yes, please, put some pants on.

Petticoat Conjunction

By Kimberlee

This project has been an inspired journey for me - recently I failed several projects and have been getting my sewing legs back.  It's bound to happen when you try to take your craft to a higher level, and the success of my last dress has gotten me going.

I've been obsessed with the petticoat created by Alisa Burke and wonderfully interpreted by Britt from Sneezerville, who was kind enough to send me an encouraging note.  So here it is!

These were all my materials - I used natural flannel for both the underskirt and the strips (cut 5 inches wide), natural muslin for the strips, and a deconstructed (Upcycled!) flannel shirt from my wonderful husband.  Unlike Alisa and Britt, I decided to add a zipper to the side of the skirt.

I decided to go for a more unstructured skirt in the style of Alisa's, though I am definitely making another one of these with a big package of men's tees like Britt's.  I want two of these in each style.

The ruffles took some skill to sew without pulling them all over into one direction, but after a while I got the hang of it.  This photo illustrates the wrong way.  I couldn't take a photo illustrating the right way as I don't have 3 arms.

AND HERE IT IS!  I love it, and it's totally warm enough for the Minnesota winter.  This looks great on its own and I'm sure will under other skirts.  When I make Britt's t-shirt petticoat, I'm also doing her over-skirt (I have all the fabrics and notions!), and I'm going to use her idea to use thicker strips than she did.

Thanks ladies, this is my first copy off an online clothing tutorial, and my first "free form" sew.