Two-Tiered Simple Skirt

I am back home, unpacked and busy going through all my photographs. I had a great time but it was a looooong trip! I plan to entertain you all with my favorite photographs from the trip but until I have gone through them you will have to wait. It will be the modern version of someone getting out their screen and slide projector when neighbors come over.

I did manage to get in a little sewing when I was home. I made my favorite niece this colorful two-tiered simple skirt and matching headband. Her mom picked out the beautiful fabric and I can't tell you the designer.

 I added a cute stitched hem of course!

The headband I made by creating a bias tape and then used some of the left over elastic attached to the bottom to give it the necessary stretch.

You can find the tutorial here. I didn't exactly follow her steps because I was too lazy to pull them up but I got a super cute skirt.

New Quilt Shop In Town

I rode my bike down to pay my water bill and was met with this pleasant surprise.

A new quilt shop in my little ole town! They must of thought I was a crazy person taking pictures through the window...

 I found their web site and it looks like they will be carrying fabric that is more in line with my mother's sensibilities. It is great to see new business come to our shrinking town and the space they picked is great. Even though I prefer more modern/bold/non-tiny-flower-like prints it is wonderful to have a local place I can walk to in a couple minutes.

I wonder if it is too much to hope that one day they carry yarn too!!! They could easily get rid of that shelf of Yankee Candles and put up some shelves full of yarny goodness.

T-shirt Shag Carpet Photo Prop

I saw this great little pillow and thought, "Hey, that would be cute as a rug for photographs!" While it is really cute it was a pain in the butt to make.

Here is the original inspiration:

 

http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2011/04/v-and-co-how-to-shag-pillow.html

Here is my end result. I know it is hard to see in this picture but it had the desired effect of a textured blanket.

I was attempting to make it one square yard but got to a half-yard and was about to commit myself to the loony bin so I called it quits. With the strips only going half way up the material, I folded the material over it and sewed it up like a pillow. It is about the size of a nice bath mat.

 Isn't she gorgeous... not that I am at all biased.

Birthday Fabric

I am thinking about placing my first order with Spoonflower. I want to make G a cute skirt or dress for her birthday and have been toying around with this idea:

HALF BRICK

HALF DROP

 MIRROR DROP

I am leaning towards the Half Drop.

The Everchanging Maxi Dress - (sorta) Tutorial

I think it is safe to say that I prefer patternless sewing. I made this dress/skirt this afternoon just using a couple measurements, and you can too! The best part about the outfit is that it can be a dress or a skirt and with the ties you can change the look pretty quickly to suit your mood.

Sorry for the less than stellar pictures - I am all packed and ready to go shoot my next birth and don't want to mess with my camera bag until that baby gets here! These were all taken with my iPhone.

Step 1: Measure your waist and times by 1.5. So if your waist is 32" your measurement with be 48". That is the width of your dress/skirt.

Step 2: Determine how long you want your dress and that with be the length.

Step 3: Using a gathering stitch on the top edge of your dress. Pull your gather to the width of your waist (32"). This was so easy using the spandex/knit I got on clearance at Joann Fabrics. Then using a zig-zag stitch go over your gather so they don't move.

Step 4: Sew up your side seam using a zig-zag stitch

Step 5: Cut out a piece of fabric that is the width of your waist (32") and how ever long you want the top section to be. The longer you make it the more if can fold but can also get bunchy. I made mine about 12 inches.

Step 6: Attach the wrong side of the skirt section to the right side of the top section using a zig-zag stitch. I know that seems a little wonky, but when you put it on the top part will then fold over.

Step 7: I then cut a piece of material that I could easily wrap around myself two time and have length to tie.

Step 8: Sew the strip of material to the middle of your top section.

Step 9: If you used a knit like I did then you are done - no seams to finish!!

Now go stand in front of a mirror and practice all the ways you can tie it.

I love the way the tie adds some support when you are wearing it as a dress. It feels really secure. 

Repurposed T-shirt Dress

A couple months ago I found this tutorial on how to turn an old t-shirt into a little girl dress and decided I wanted one for myself. I have these great double layered t-shirts that Target used to sell and even with a big ole stain on it I couldn't stand the thought of getting rid of it.
 

I love the pleat detail at the top of the skirt but wish it had a little more structure, maybe that is what interfacing is for???

At first I didn't want a big bow, but in hindsight I should have kept that since the belt I created doesn't fit as snugly as I like and was difficult to attach without a dress form or extra set of hands. Maybe if I find this dress sitting in my closed not being worn I will remove the belt and try the bow.

My husband says it "looks better than expected" and I learned how to put in a zipper (thanks once again Jayna)! Maybe one day I will actually use a pattern for myself, but I doubt it.

Simple Skirt

I attempted to make a modified circle skirt this morning using a wide piece of elastic and let's just say I had to move to Plan B. I have made this simple skirt for my daughter about three times now and each time I get faster and faster.

I found some gray fabric with little gray and lime green cars on it at Joann Fabrics and think with a coupon I paid a grand total of $8 for two yards.

It does look a tad little girlish but I expected that. It is comfortable and something easy to put on while we enjoy 90 + degrees here. The best part is when my son saw me in he told me how pretty I was!

Oliver + S Family Reunion Dress

I saw this pattern when my mom was visiting and knew I was going to make it. Like all of the Oliver + S patterns it is classic and modest, two features I appreciate when looking at little girl clothing.

I found the vintage-looking fabric at a local quilt shop but didn't stop to look at the name. It was only $4/yard that day so I got enough to also attempt a matching doll dress (eventually).

Oliver + S Family Reunion Dress

I also played with some of the decorative stitches on my Janome DC2010. I had to stop myself because I could just keep adding and adding all the way up the dress.

 There are pintucks that you can't see that great because of the busy pattern, but I know they are there!

At our last fitting Baby Girl screamed and threw herself around fighting even putting on the dress. I know it is too big for her but that is better than being too small. Maybe she just needs to see the finished product to appreciate all the hard work her mama put into her new dress.

Applique Madness - Necktie shirt and Chick

Yesterday I sewed this cute little chick I created in Photoshop. Applique takes patience, which I am slightly lacking in, so they are good projects for me to better my sewing skills. Click here if you want  to download the line art for this applique. I simplified the feet in the version I sewed but just cut that freehand.

 

While going through my favorite pile of scrap fabric Little Man took a piece of fabric and tucked it in his shirt and told me it was his tie. I am not sure where he got this idea since I can count on one finger how many times his dad has wore a tie since he was born. He even wanted to wear it to bed. I decided to let him pick out some fabric to make and applique tie. He went straight for the dragon and never veered from his choice. Trying to get the whole dragon in the tie wasn't that easy but he is a happy customer and insisted on wearing the shirt immediately. 

 

No pattern - I just drew it out on the heat and bond and then did a satin stitch around the edge. I little messy but acceptable to wear out in public.

Bean Bags

Thanks to my dear friend Jayna, I was able to get G's Christmas present completed. She not only gave me all the wonderful fabric but also let me borrow her sewing machine. My sewing machine is not working properly and makes hand sewing seem like a valid option, while her machine is like a walk on the beach. I do see a new sewing machine in my future, hopefully not the distant future.

I hope G likes these! (Please ignore the dirty table and random threads that haven't been cut.)

Sashiko - Asa-no-ha

I was finally able to check this project off my list last night by turning my Sashiko sampler into the pillow it wanted to be. This also happens to correspond with House On Hill Road's Pillow challenge. I can't make one pillow a day but maybe I will get some craft cred for making one pillow.

 

This is the Asa-no-ha pattern from Purl Soho (I want to live there). I just read that that translates into Hemp Leaves. I'll just leave it at that.

I really enjoyed this embroidery/quilt (depending on who you ask) project. Very meditative and the best part is that is was just a running stitch. I am sure I didn't follow the directions on how to turn corners to avoid puckering, but once it was stuffed you can't even tell - Score!

Here is my dog looking less than enthusiastic about the pillow. She clearly doesn't have an eye for the finer things in life.

Mummy Halloween Costume

When I was growing up Halloween in my house meant go down in the basement, dig through the dress up bin and see what you can come up with. I am bound and determined to make M and G's costumes for as long as they let me and hopefully it teaches them some life lessons about thrift, creativity or some other equally valuable lesson you see fit to insert here.

I found an online tutorial that showed how to make a "simple" mummy costume using an old sheet, knit shirt and pants. Perfect for both kids right? Wrong! I think my sewing machine has it out for me. I must have rethread it 50 times (no exaggeration) and was able to create this.

Mummy Costume For A Toddler

In theory this is a great beginner costume because you don't need to sew straight lines and messy adds to the effect.  I didn't have white pants (imagine that for a 2 year old) so I used some old blue sweatpants. I figure it will be dark and no one will notice but me. 

M loved helping me rip the sheets into long strips but still refuses to try it on. I have faith that come Halloween he will love the idea of dressing up as a mummy. As for G - I am moving on to plan B and think she will be a raven since it will require very little use of my sewing machine.

First Quilt

When I was in the third grade my mom tried to start a quilting club with my teacher and some other moms and kids. All I remember was the first, and possibly last meeting, where we learned about cutting out squares. So from my calculations it has been about 23ish years since that first quilting lesson that I actually have a finished quilt under my belt.

My mom makes beautiful quilts so the bar was set pretty high on this one. She helped me square it up and add the borders. Thanks to You Tube, I attempted mitered corners with some success.

No sleepy flowers or dull prints here. I used a baby animal embroidery sampler and also covered G's feet in fabric paint and tried to get her foot prints. After three attempts I picked the block that looked most foot-like and then outlined the paint with embroidery floss to emphasize that they are footprints.

Not too shabby for my first attempt. It was a humbling experience to say the least!

Oliver + S Music Box Dress

This project started with a mantra that went something like this:
I will follow all the directions.
I will press my seams.
I will take my time while cutting.
I will read and then reread the directions until they aren't in Greek
I can do this.

Oliver + S Example Dress

What I love about Oliver + S patterns is that they are written for the person who has just cracked open the box of their first sewing machine. The Music Box dress gets their easiest rating and I would have to agree. I messed up the inverted box pleats but I guess that is what I get for trying to sew this at 10:00 at night with a two year old (I have no idea why he was still awake) "helping" me.

This dress is in the 18 - 24 month size and I haven't tried it on Baby Girl yet but the top feels small to me.

I love the pin dots but think I might applique a matryoshka doll to the bodice or skirt - that is if it fits her. Next time around I am going to opt for the simpler version of the skirt with one or no pleats or perhaps try and sew it without the help of my two year old assistant.

And for the record - I did follow most of the directions, I cut out the fabric slowly and carefully, all the seams were pressed and I think I pulled it off.

Bunting, Flags, Pennants - Whatever They Are Called

Fabric Bunting - or Flag or Pennant

Little Girl's birthday party is two weeks away and I have the one of the main decorating elements finished. My goal is to create things that we could reuse in the kids' room which definitely needs some girly touches.

Right now if you search Google for Bunting Tutorial you will get close to 100,000 results. These things can be super simple to make or as elaborate as you want to go. I decided to go on the easy side of the scale but hope I still achieved the wow-factor with the stenciled name across the front.

I cut triangles out of 1/4 yard of three different fabrics (odd numbers are nice in design). Pinking shears made the edges both fun and functional and (hopefully) now they won't fray as they hang on the wall.

I used freezer paper to make stencils and then outlined the painted letters with a Sharpie. There are also a million tutorials on how to make the stencils with freezer paper (FYI - freezer paper and wax paper are NOT the same, I learned that that hard way). Super simple, and can be accomplished during naptime.

After stencils were complete I slid some rick rack and the flag into some premade double-fold bias tape. Straight stitch down and call it a day. I think to finish the ends I am going to add some pink and orange ribbons or maybe some yarn pom-poms.

I am also going to make one for Older Brother and hopefully it will help pull the room together without being completely gender neutral or random - which for the record it is right now.

Clementine Birthday Doll

I really wanted to get G a Waldorf doll for her birthday but after finding out how much they cost I thought it was a better idea to make one. I purchased this pattern by LovelyWorld on Ravelry and thought it was so easy to make. I didn't want to make a knitted outfit too and after one failed attempt at a Simplicity doll dress pattern I decided to wing it.

Clementine - My first knitted doll

I bought a navy t-shirt at the thrift store because I know jersey doesn't fray and I could get away without finishing the edges. After two attempts I got a pattern that worked. After sewing the edges and the shoulders I realized that it was a bit too baggy. I attached a button the back shoulder and cut a small button hole on the other shoulder and voila - problem solved.

Close up of ruffle.

To make the ruffle I cut squares out of the small t-shirt and rounded the corners. By pinching the center and adding a couple stitches you end up with a small flower. I strung them all together with thread and then sewed them to the front of the dress. This totally made the dress! I love it.

I hope G loves Clementine as much as I do. Only one more month before her first birthday - can you believe it!