I love being a DIY-er.

I've been sewing since I can remember. My mom taught me when I was really little, and when I was in high school I started modifying my own clothes. In college I began to design, and though I've always been a little rock-n-roll about following directions, I managed to come up with some fabulous garments.

But my favorite DIY trend is reconstructing T-shirts. Last week I posted about making a shark dress (which I wore last night to see JAWS with my honey -- seriously I have the best boyfriend ever) and I used this tutorial from the site cutoutandkeep.net as inspiration. Here is the best pic I could manage to take of it with cat #2, Turkleton, underfoot.

I had a great time watching JAWS. It was Boyfriend's first time seeing it and he loved it, too. I'm probably going to go into an in-depth post about my favorite shark movie on my own blog later this week, but, let's just say, this is a must-rent. And if a local theatre happens to show it on the big screen, RUN, don't walk!

Anyway, the books I want to let you know about this week aren't YA. They're not even fiction. It's my favorite book series on T-shirt recon: GENERATION T by Megan Nicolay, and its follow up GENERATION T: BEYOND FASHION. These books will teach you how to put some no-sew corset lacing into the back of your fave tee (see MySpacey-looking pic at left), how to turn a bunch of oversized roadtrip tees into a rockin' sundress, how to make scraps into earrings and coasters, and it will give you the inspiration and teach you the skills to put together some of your own patterns. Like this swimsuit I designed and made based on one of Nicolay's patterns, but modified to fit my style.


Nicolay's books are great for beginning sewers AND seasoned seamsters, with patterns and ideas for girls, guys, kids, and families. And, let's be honest, who DOESN'T have a drawer full of T-shirts just sitting there, waiting to be something spectacular! Check out GENERATION T and GENERATION T: BEYOND FASHION like, right now. By the time school starts, you'll be stylin'.