Nautical Week - Anchors Away!

Get excited!  It's NAUTICAL WEEK!  Make sure you are following along with Laura to see how she is rocking the boat theme this week.  First up, a sweater with an anchor on it!  (said in my best Brian Fellow voice).  

It's been almost a year since I painted this sweater, and I've worn it exactly one time.  Oops!  But it's perfect for Nautical Week!  I wore this outfit on the last day of April, when it was quite chilly and dreary out.  And then a friend (jokingly) called me out for wearing white pants before Memorial Day.  Shh, don't tell that I bought these in October and have been wearing them all winter long.  We don't really believe in that rule anymore, anyway.  Right?

Anyway, Nautical Week is here, so get ready to see lots of red/white/navy in the next few days.  I do have at least one outfit that isn't unintentionally patriotic. Link up is after the jump!  

Sweater: Gap (but then painted) (Similar)
Shirt: Old Navy
Jeans: Limited
Shoes: Target

Anchor Sweater DIY

At some point in the last year or so, I decided that I really wanted a navy sweater with a giant anchor on the front of it (like this or this).  Then about 6 months ago, I realized my current navy sweater (worn here, here, and here) wasn't great for layering in the winter, because it is so thin.  Then, I found this one at Gap for about $6, and it's perfect for winter time.  At that point, I began scheming about how I could turn my thinner one into an anchor sweater.  I did some research on the best way to paint clothes, and found this great tutorial from one of my favorite bloggers.  Winning!  I won't rehash her instructions, but here are some pictures of my project.

Things I learned: 

1. Wax Paper is not the same as Freezer Paper.  When you try to iron wax paper onto a sweater, nothing happens.  
2. Freezer paper is surprisingly difficult to find.  I actually had to go to Wal-mart!  
3. Self-healing mats and rotary cutters are magic.  I re-remember this every time I use it.  I'm not sure I would have been able to cut out the stencil shape properly on my own.    
4. The paint I bought took 4 hours to dry.  Kayla's tutorial said the paint would dry pretty fast, so my patience was being tested!  I wanted to finish the project on Saturday, but the first coat wasn't dry, so I had to apply the second coat on Sunday evening.  I wanted to wear this sweater RIGHT NOW, so the slower than slow drying paint was annoying. 

Overall, this was a pretty simple project (once I had the appropriate supplies).  I would be interested in finding a paint that dries faster, if such a thing exists.  Don't be surprised if I do more freezer paper stencil projects! 

Sweater: Gap (DIYed)
Shirt and Skirt: Gap
Shoes: BCBGeneration