Pretty in Pinko - How to DIY a Pinko knit dress

Give a knit dress or jumper a 'hole' lotta love!

Image: ilovewildfox.com

You will need...

A form-fitting beige knit dress or jumper.

Fray-stop glue.

Small, sharp fabric scissors.

A mannequin can be useful but it's optional.

Difficulty

Very easy

Quick, easy and all in a leisurely evening's work!

Time

About an hour, although I was being a bit of a perfectionist trying to get the design symmetrical - a process for which I'd recommend taking the time!

A quick knit

You might want to take your dress or top in slightly to ensure that it's under tension when you wear it - this will enhance the design. Cut some horizontal and vertical slits (you might want to map them out with some tailor's chalk like I did). Try to get your design as symmetrical as possible. I find it helps to count the number of slits you do on each side and make a mental note of the spacing.

If your top or dress is made from fine knit material, it will probably roll up at the edges when you cut it. Use this quality to manipulate and make the teardrop shapes on your design. At this point, having a mannequin really helps, as it makes it easy to mould the design and see what it looks like in 3D. Secure the shapes and rolled edges with fray-stop glue.

Drumroll, please...

Cream of the Crop Tops - A strappy DIY

A strapping, young DIY inspired by the season's cut out crop top craze.

You will need...

Difficulty

Quite easy

To say this DIY is a total breeze might be tempting fate but I didn't find it especially hard.

Time

4-5 hours.

Total cost

Mine came to about £6 because I struck it lucky with the top!

Crop it like it's haute...

Turn your crop top inside-out. Fold it in half, across the front and pin all the seams and edges together, as much and as accurately as possible. Sketch out your design using something contrasting and opaque which doesn't rub off easily - I find metallic pens do the trick. Pin all the corners of your designs together - as shown in the picture - and use them as coordinates for tracing a perfectly symmetrical design on the opposite side. Repeat this process with the back.

Use your patternmaster, or graded setsquare, to trace out an outline 1cm outside each line, much like you would with a seam allowance - only here, there are no seams involved, or hemming, for that matter!

Cut out all your outlines and cut diagonally into the corners. I don't especially want to give the ending away but, basically, this makes folding easier.

Fold back all your edges, along the original outlines of your design, and iron them in place with Wonderweb. You can secure them even better by sewing inside the edges but this is optional.