T-shirt Scarf!

Wee for a t-shirt scarf! My friend Allyson showed me this, and I just loved the idea! Re-purposing is my favie! I quickly turned an ill-fitting t-shirt into a cute, and warm, necklacy-scarf!

Super simple! 

1. Start with any t-shirt in the back of your closet that doesn't quite fit right, has a stain, is 15 years old...use it! 

Remember, this will be close to your face, so make sure you choose a color that's flattering to your skin tone. 

2. Lay the t-shirt out flat. 

3. Cut the shirt into 1" strips. I wasn't sure how a shirt that had a logo on it would work, I thought it might give a neat variant to the texture....it didn't! But there is plenty of fabric, so just cut the strips right over the logo, we'll weed those out in a bit. Keep the very first loop that you cut - the one with the stitching. 

4. Stretch!!! Stretch the loops out as far as you can, so they naturally start to roll, hiding the cut marks. 

5. Cut each loop twice - at the side seams. 

6. Discard pieces with other colors / textures on them. 

7. Now you'll have a bunch of pieces of approx 2 feet long fabric. Tie each of those into loops. 

8. Trim the excess ends from where you tied the knots. 

9. Gather all your loops together, keeping all the knots in the same area. My pieces naturally just ended up being varying lengths, because I was sloppy with tying the knots. This ended up creating a great cascading look. If you are a perfectionist...you might end up needing to cut some of your strips shorter to achieve this. 

10. I used the original loop, the one with the stitching to wrap around the other loops and tie them all together.  I liked the white stitching against the green. But if your shirt doesn't have contrasting stitching, just use one of the other loops. Just keep wrapping and wrapping until you feel it's secure! 

Voila! Fini! Super cute necklace / scarf. And it's actually really cozy and warm! You can place the gathered part behind your neck, or on the side! 

PDQ Perfection

When I'm not dreaming of foreign lands and a dream destination wedding, I keep busy at my shop, Sugar Lips Mini Donuts in Copper Mountain, Colorado...On a recent ski weekend in Monarch Mountain, something magical happened…I was warm! I was sporting a new baselayer set up, and was pleasantly surprised at how warm such a thin layer could keep me. I had recently been introduced to the ISIS brand through a review in Kickstand magazine, and immediately became a fan. I started with the PDQ Longneck top. The piece is sleek, stylish and form fitting, without being constricting. The inner lining is made of velour-fleeced micro-fiber yarn, and is incredibly soft and cozy against bare skin. The thumb loops are cute and practical, and the 10″ zipper makes for easy venting when you’re working up a sweat on deep powder days.

After swooning over the top, I was eager to try out the PDQ Tights. My love affair with ISIS continued. The flat seam construction allows the piece to fit smoothly under outer layers, without bunching up or rubbing between your shins and boots. Both pieces are perfect on the slopes, or off. They’re ideal for cross-country skiing or late night high-country strolls. The reflective stars and stitch detailing make the pieces stylish, modern and feminine without being cutesy.

In the outdoor industry, women’s gear has often been just a shrunken version of our male counterparts. ISIS only makes women’s clothing. Each piece is designed specifically for the shape of a woman’s body. The result is flattering pieces that easily took me from the slopes of Monarch to tapas and wine at The Fritz in style.

“You are a goddess,” reads the inner tag of the PDQ tights. Thanks ISIS, I think you’re pretty swell, too.