The Tellrhodes Blog

UNDERSTANDING YOUR BODY SHAPE  Basically, there are five (5) body shapes that everyone fits into. Some people have more but they're all derivatives from these fundamental five (5).  1. Triangle (Pear) shape 2. Inverted triangle (Apple) shape 3. Hourglass (Figure 8) shape 4. Oval (Orange) shape 5. Rectangle (Banana) shape Let's just give a little preview on the defining characteristics of these shapes, so that you can know your body shape and style yourself or a client appropriately.  1.Triangle (Pear) shape: These people have small bust size and big hips. The hips don't have to be large, but there should be a major difference when you compare it with the bust size.  2. Inverted triangle shape: These people have a large upper torso and small hips. The bust and shoulders are the bigger part when compared to the hips and butt.  3. Hourglass (figure 8) shape: This is the most ideal shape and it's basically what every stylist tries to achieve. Here the bust and hip s...

CHOOSING THE BEST MATERIAL TO MAKE A HOMEMADE FACE MASK. A shortage of commercial masks means that improvising face coverings at home is the best way to protect ourselves and ensure a supply of masks for healthcare providers. Cdc says and I quote "The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance". Cotton fabric is the fabric of choice for cloth face coverings, because it can be easily laundered and doesn't change shape after laundry. You can just cut the fabric from a cotton shirt at home and make a cloth face covering for yourself. You can also make a cloth face covering from a bandana According to Dr. Benjamin LaBrot, founder and CEO of Floating Doctors and a clinical professor of medical education at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, a...

BEYOND GOOD LOOKS AND OUTFIT APPEARANCE A good looking guy or lady with a mad fashion sense is a head turner any day, any time, but we fail to take into account that that's not all that matters. Let's look at a few things that people tend to overlook: 1. Manicure and Pedicure: some guys think it's a ladies thing. Tah! Everybody is supposed to keep their nails neat, keeping it short or long is your business, but keep it clean regardless of your choice. While at it, you could invest in some products that keep your palms fresh and soft. 2. Hair: your hair shouldn't be rough for any reason my people, have a haircut and a new hair do when it's due. It totally lifts up your appearance and brings out your face. Ladies let's redo our cornrows when rough, it actually has an effect under that wig. 3. Inner wears: sometimes we overlook the power of good, neat, sweet smelling undergarments; I'm talking about singlets, boxers, briefs, tights, camisoles, etc. M...

DO IT YOURSELF FACEMASK - Pleated pattern 10 quick steps on how to make a reusable facemask. So some people have been talking about how some people are selling already used masks, so in the spirit of staying safe, I felt we should equip ourselves on how to make these masks, preferably reusable ones at home. This is not just for us "sewing folks", even people in the "I have never sewn anything" clan can jump on this. You can make your own face mask even without a sewing machine. Materials needed 1. Fabric; cotton scraps will do just fine But if you have access to a fluid resistant fabric then that would be great (it could be from rain coats or umbrellas). 2. Short piece of elastic band Then thread, needle, measuring tape and the other essentials. Procedure 1.Cut your fabric to be atleast 8 inches long and then whatever width you're comfortable with that covers the your face, ear to ear, stopping like 1 and half inch before each ear. 2.Turn th...

HOW TO NOT JUST SURVIVE BUT THRIVE? We've been asked to practice self isolation and social distancing, the question now is "How do we not just survive but thrive?" A lot of people are ready to just let this "opportunity" in the guise of a bad situation slide and half of them just want to scream "boredom" on social media. What we should be doing with this time is to increase our skill set, becone become at our current trade, find more efficient ways to offer services, focus on the aspects of your job that you aren't excellent in and tgen "practice, practice, practice, practice and practice some more. We could use some online apps in our quest for knowledge, apps like Udemy and YouTube are very useful as e-training platforms. Life will not remain the same, you have to position yourself for people to patronize you after this plague. For fashion designers, sketch, sew, look for different trends, try out new things online. The world i...

Some Darts Every Sewist Needs to Know Hey guys, we're back with a follow up piece on darts. We already explained what darts are earlier, so please revert to our post from a few weeks ago and catch up quickly. Now where were we? Darts are often found in women's clothing at the neck, bust, waist, hips and elbow (surprising right?). They are also used in men's trousers and jackets, they primarily serve a functional purpose — to fit the contours of the garment to your body in a flattering way. That said they can also create style lines or designs and not all darts are the same. These are simply the most commonly used ones you'll find in your favorite-fitting outfits. 1. Standard Darts It's the most common type of dart, is sometimes referred to as a plain dart and it is usually used at the bust or waist (some patterns have both to create a fitted bodice) . A standard dart is open at one end, often looking like a triangle on the fabric or pattern piece. It c...

HOW TO SEW A PENCIL SKIRT (part 2) We're back to our DIY segment on this section of the blog, let's finish making our pencil skirts. Sewing Procedure 1. Sew darts on each piece (3 inches from the middle and 4 inches deep). 2. Join the two back pieces with half inch sewing allowance. 3. Start the joining 7 inches from top (the top 7 inches is where you'll plce your zip). Join from that 7inches mark and stop at the skirt half length mark. 4. Fold in the remaining space between the skirt half length mark and the skirt full length mark as a slit (this isn't necessary for a stretchy material, cos they don't need slits for ease). 5. Sew in the zip in the 7inch space. 6. Place the back piece of the skirt on the front and mark out measurements for waist and hip (dividing the measurements by 2). 7. Remove 2-4 inches from the hip measurement to get the fitting around the knees. 8. Join the skirt following the marked lines. 9. Fix your band on the joined skirt. ...

HOW TO SEW A PENCIL SKIRT (Part 1) We're back to our DIY segment on this section of the blog, hope it's not been too long. So I know I'm not the only one that has picked up my skirt and thought how easy it looks to make. I'm here to tell you just how simple it is to make a pencil skirt. Materials needed Fabric for the skirt (preferably stretchy for ease of movement, if it's going to be slitless pencil skirt) Zip (if you want) Thread Measurement needed Waist Hips Skirt halflength (for a midi length or a long skirt) Skirt full length Cutting the skirt Spread the wrong side of your material Mark out the hip measurement plus 3 inches for sewing and zip allowance as the width Mark out the length of the skirt plus 2 and half inches for sewing and turning allowance. Cut the marked portion out Fold it in two, making one piece wider than the other by 1 inch. Cut the fabric at the folded part (the wider piece will be the back of the skirt) If the ma...

WE CAN'T DO WITHOUT CLOTHES, SO LET'S DO IT RIGHT!!! Fashion is what we unconsciously do all the days of our lives. Men's fashion rarely change, unlike their female counterparts, so how do you make a statement in such a world. Your personal style reflects who you are, you can't dress like a hip hop singer and expect people to believe you're a banker. If you're a barber, dress like one If you're a banker, dress like one If you're a fashion designer 😉, dress like one. That way, there won't be much confusion and you won't need to utter a word, your outfit will speak for you. Here are some fashion tips for men; fashion doesn't have to be complicated (what I'm trying to get everyone to understand) except the occasion calls for it. 1. Make sure it fits: Make sure everything fits impeccably. Don't wear something that's too large or too fitted, just make sure it's the right size (moderately fitted). 2. Simplicity: In...

Have you ever thought of why most of your clothes come with some sewn in lines. Usually two at the front and two at the back. Many people hate sewing darts, because they just seam like those "must do" activities that have no relevance. For the non-sewing clan; "Darts are folds (tucks coming to a point) sewn into fabric to take in ease and provide shape to a garment, especially for a woman's bust". They are used frequently in all sorts of clothing to tailor the garment to the wearer's shape, or to make an innovative shape in the garment. Without a dart, you see diagonal pull lines from the bust to the side seam.  The front just doesn't hang right. The human body is not a cylinder, or a box . A flat (2-dimensional) piece of fabric simply won't adequately cover a 3-dimensional body.  Darts control the shape of the fabric and allows the fabric to conform to your body, they can also create style lines that enhance shape and comfort. Darts aren...

HOW TO MAKE SATIN/SILK BONNETS You see, I have a major problem, I don't really trust the quality of a lot of things sold outside, this coupled with my kati kati (I can do this and I can do that) attitude. It's not good sometimes (I know), but it has helped me pick up a few things on the way; like how to make satin bonnets. Materials needed - 1 yard of Satin/Silk fabric - 1 yard of elastic band - Thread - Sewing machine of course (except you want to hand sew sha) - Measuring tape - A piece of chalk (anything to make dots with actually) - 2 safety pins Cutting of the bonnet - Cut out 28 X 28 inches out of the satin/silk fabric -Fold the cut out from your fabric into two halves and then fold it in two again (fold it in two halves twice, you can count four layers from one side if done properly) -Measure 14 inches on both sides from the apex, mark each point and then use your chalk to draw a curve that connects both dots. (We're using 14 inches so that we ...

Are you one of those people who shoves all your shoes in a closet in a big pile, or throws them to one side after a long day at work or just out of the house? Shoes are your hardest working accessories fam, and they aren’t cheap to replace, so you have to find the best way to store them. The best way to store shoes isn’t always the most obvious way. Before storing your shoes, clean them thoroughly (ie. clean the dust, mud and sweat off). For shoes you wear often, open storage that lets damp leather or fabric breathe will keep your shoes fresh. For example, A rack or cabinet with an open front allows air to circulate around your footwear while keeping dust from collecting on delicate materials. Shelving with open fronts also helps you keep shoes and boots organized Consider placing a shoe rack in a convenient place such as the entryway or verandah, where you can quickly put your shoes away where they belong on your way in. By placing the cabinet or rack in as convenient...

What's the very first thing you see in a person's outfit? What's that accessory that can turn any outfit into an "Oh My God" ensemble? Everyone has different things that jump at them from a person's entire outfit. Accessories are very important additions that complement one's outfit, they help create an illusion of depth and texture to any getup. Let's pick two major accessories that can turn your outlook; from that of someone going for a stroll to someone going for a night out to chill or even a business meeting. Shoes!!! This is the most important addition to any outfit. Your footwear steps up your entire outlook or dampens it and makes you less obvious, it could make you move from casual to official in a split second. Just a switch from sneakers to a pair of sandals brings about a massive change in your appearance. If you are anything like me, we just want a beautiful slipper or sandal that can go anywhere and make life easy for us. ...