DIY: Woven Hex Nut Bracelet

Coming to you straight from Honestly…WTF (with a few tweaks): the chunky hex nut bracelet.

What you’ll need:

• 3 three-foot-long pieces of twine
• 3 three-foot-long pieces of embroidery thread in complimentary colors
• 10-20 gold or silver hex nuts

First, knot the twine and embroidery thread together, leaving 2-3 inches of slack. Pair up the pieces of thread and twine and start braiding. Pause when the braid is about 4 inches long.

Then, thread a hex nut onto the left-most strand of the braid, push it up against the base of the braid, and cross the strand over the middle. Repeat on the right: thread a hex nut onto the right-most strand of the braid, snug it  up to the base of the braid, then cross the strand over the center.

Keep going—left, right, left, right, left, right—until you’ve used all the hex nuts.

Continue the braid for another 4 inches and then, again, knot all the strands together, leaving 2-3 inches of slack.

For bonus points (and to keep the twine from fraying) you can clamp the ends with crimp beads.

Honestly…WTF is a treasure trove of great ideas like this. I’m dying to try the friendship necklace, the woven chain bracelet, and the no-knit scarf.

How I long for a summer vacation…

Fashion: 75,000 of My Favorite Things

As their slogan says, Litograhs are whole books—in 2-D. Printmaker extraordinaire Danny Fein has found a way to fit the text of entire novels on 24”x36” posters and, more incredibly, to screen print them legibly on cotton shirts.

With help from Kickstarter and a team of artists, Fein has put more than 70 classic texts on posters, and he’s made half a dozen of the most popular into tees.

For me it was an easy choice. The Great Gatsby was my high school favorite, plus and I need something worthy to wear to the premier of Baz Luhrmann’s Gatsby in May.

In addition to being an artful, totally unique homage to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Homer, Darwin, and Poe, Litograph shirts also of (semi-) practical use.

The text is so clear that I’m sure with enough time (and some clever contortions) I could read the entire book while waiting in line. Next time I go to the DMV…

But the absolute best part of owning a Litographs product is the fact that, through the International Book Bank, each purchase sends a book to a child in the developing world.

Go show lit some love.

Odds N’ Ends: You’re in the Club

Did you know there’s a worldwide network of clubs for tall people? Tall Clubs International (TCI) sponsors social events, trips, and conventions for women 5’10” and above and men 6’2” and above.

“As tall people, we know we are ‘vertically gifted’ and fabulous”—that’s an “About Us” message I can get behind. TCI spreads “tall awareness” by campaigning for more legroom on airplanes, fundraising for Marfan’s Syndrome research, etc. Hilariously, the local Bay Area chapter is called the Golden Gate Tip-Toppers.

I’m not a member of TCI, but I came across their site when I was applying for college scholarships. Every year, they give two tall students $1,000 awards during their senior years of high school.

They also conduct an annual beauty pageant called Miss Tall International to appoint a spokeswoman for the organization. The people who enter are the kind I always hope to see in beauty contests: actual human woman. Pageants for the less “altitudinally fortunate” should take note. (Pretty sure I just invented a shiny new word.)

DIY: Let it Grow

Can’t wait for spring? Make your own indoor, evergreen terrarium to help you through the gloom. My good friend Debbie, who until recently worked with native plants at the Presidio nursery, walked me through the surprisingly simple steps.
What you’ll need:

• a mason jar or other glass container
• small stones, gravel, or pellets
• activated charcoal
• potting soil
• a spray bottle full of water
• the mosses and small succulents of your choice

Debbie says: If you’re using succulents that already have roots, you can plant them right away. If you’ve removed leaves or branches from a larger succulent, leave the pieces out—not in water—for a few days to scarify before you put them in the soil.

To care for your tiny garden, put it in a place that gets regular sunlight and spray the inside with water whenever the soil gets completely dry. If you become a true plant master like Debbie, you can make a thriving ecosystem in just about anything…

Event: A Dickensian Christmas

Real life has barreled into the blogosphere and landed right in the lap of yours truly. I’m sorry I haven’t been updating nearly as often as I should, but allow me to make it up to you with a trip back in time to the Great Dickens Christmas Fair in Daly City…

You know me, name a lit-themed convention where period costumes are required and you can bet your bustle I’ll be there in mine (see: the 2013 Edwardian Ball). Fair planers transformed the Cow Palace into a miniature Victorian London, complete with sooty chimney sweeps, mince pies, and carts full of sweet, warm nuts.

Highlights included custom corsets from Dark Garden (model and cupcakes not included), Whirlwood Magic Wands, a performance by the Royal English Opera Company, and perhaps most of all unbelievable leather masks by Mitchell Walker.

What’s that I hear? The tinkling sleigh bells of a new holiday tradition?!

Fashion: The Final Markdown!

I had a sinking feeling I hadn’t seen the end of the men’s cashmere sweater debate. Sure enough, when I hit H&M for their after-Christmas sale, I found not one but two blue cashmere jumpers discounted from $99 to $30.

(Sorry for the photo quality; I snapped these with my cell phone on the fly.)

True, some reviewers say it’s not worth it to buy cashmere from chains like H&M because it pills in no time. But considering our next-cheapest contender for first-hand, store-bought finery is a $195 pullover from Macy’s, I’d take my chances with the chain.

Winter Round-up: Street Style Favorites

As 2012 draws to a close, I want to thank all of you for making my first year as a blogger fun and rewarding. Enjoy a smattering of winter inspiration from my perennial favorites The Sartorialist, Vanessa Jackman, and Lookbook.nu!

Wishing you a memorable New Year’s Eve and a prosperous, stylish 2013!

--Love, The Femme Fatall