Handmade Halloween 2013, Part 1

I've always loved dressing up for Halloween; the theatrics of it all is so appealing! I believe it all started in 2nd Grade when my Mom made me my very own Annie dress. I felt so special and the dress was spot-on - I even had the wig, locket and Sandy plush! In my twenties, my love of dance paid off and I became a Walt Disney World Entertainment Cast Member. Not only did I dress up for a living then, I enjoyed coming up with fun Halloween costumes..all stemmed from the creativity (and resources!) I was lucky enough to work around. Now that I'm a mother, I'm just as excited to celebrate the holiday by helping my children make their costume wishes special. Big brother announced quite a while ago his choice - a Knight. We scored a shield and sword set at a local yard sale this summer, so a mommie-made tunic is in order to complete his look - easy and fun! What I didn't expect was Little Sister's strong opinion on her look...Princess Sofia! Or 'Fia as she's affectionately called by my girl!

  

I started out pricing a few pre-mades around town, but I just couldn't bring myself to shell out $20+ for a flimsy, asking-to-be-snagged dress. The request for a 'Fia dress has only grown stronger, so I knew it was time to make my girl her first princess ensemble. Thanks to Pinterest and awesomely generous sewing blogger tutorials, I made a plan and gathered my supplies. 

Princess Sofia's skirt holds the most detail, so I decided to put my focus there. It's basically a layered skirt, and Dana of MADE has a fantastic tutorial that walked me through. (She seriously has the BEST DIYs if you are ever looking for easy starter projects with professional results!) I started by assembling my two main layers, white and purple, and then figuring out the scallops. Our Ikea dinner plates were perfect!

Next up was the design within each scallop. I was thrilled to find a stencil from Melly Sews! I couldn't have had a better first experience with freezer paper stencils - so cute, easy and perfect.

Next I added white pom pom trim to the scalloped edges. I used a zigzag stitch allowing me to sew on top off the curved edges - major time saver! I also added a band of purple & white polka dot grosgrain ribbon to the white underskirt. It was a bit slippery to sew, so I attached it with Heat 'n Bond first making top stitching much easier!

Now it was time to figure out the bustle / peplum portion of the skirt. I played around with a few ideas trying to keep the third layer as simple as possible. I went with a version of Handmade Toast's hip poof's, cutting half circles in my sheer dotted fabric and serging their curved edge. I sewed the bustles to the purple layer, and then created the waistband casing between the purple layer and the white. Sounds confusing, right? It totally wasn't  - check out the first comment under the skirt tutorial. High fives for all of the helpful seamstresses out there!

Little Sister was so excited to see the 'Fia skirt today after preschool! She wouldn't hold still long enough for me to finalize the elastic sizing, so here's hoping we can get it done tomorrow. I also found the perfect shirt and a simple crown to complete the set. All that's left is an amulet and she'll be the cutest 'Fia in the land!

I'm thrilled to continue sewing labors of love for my children. Time to start work on my handsome Knight and get ready for a month of costume (and candy) fun!

Ruffled Shorts

Summer's here so inspiration struck to complete a project from the craft pile - a pair of shorts for little sister. She needed something to pair with an adorable top I thrifted earlier this year. Have I mentioned my love of consignment and thrift shopping?! Shopping in general is pretty awesome, but finding gently used treasure is the best! With two (impatient) children, I don't get to it as much as I'd prefer, but that's probably a blessing to the wallet and (full) closets. 

The Bailey Boys criss-cross top, vintage & thrifted

with Mommie-made ruffle shorts

Sometime this winter I cut out green polka-dot fabric intending to make my girl ruffle pants. I never got around to actually sewing them, so I decided to chop off the pant legs and sew up some sweet summer shorts! I just love the mix of gingham and polka dots! And in the spirit of mixing, I fused two patterns - Flat Front Pants from MADE and Ruffled Boxers from The Sewing Rabbit. My inspiration turned into a super easy pair of girly shorts that came together fast!

 I love how the ruffles curve up on the sides - a fun twist to a standard ruffle on a straight hem. They would be especially cute and comfy in knit, so I really need to get serious about some knit sewing practice! 

Happy Summer everyone!

Spring Projects

My poor little neglected blog! Now that I have an Iphone, Instagram is my new on-the-go spot to document crafty endeavors. However, here's a peek at what I've whipped up this Spring:

From the top left:

Personalized PBK pillowcase for a preschool friend's birthday

Gym shorts upgrade

Reversible tote bag & personalized bag tag

Bubble shorts

Old Navy dress upgrade

Consignment score upgrade

And the furthest right pics are the front & back views of little sister's Easter dress

If anyone has questions about the embroidery fonts, sewing patterns or materials used, please feel free to comment - I'm happy to share my sources.

Happy almost Summer!

Apple of my eye

My, it's been a long time since I posted here! Summer has come and gone, and so have a few projects without documentation. But here's a fun one I'm excited to share!

Recently I mentioned a great pants pattern + tutorial on Facebook. I first used it on a pair of ruffle pants for little sister. (Have you seen what boutiques charge for those? Craziness for something so basic and easy to to make!) Then I happened upon some adorable apple embroidered corduroy fabric on major clearance, so what's a Mommie to do? Whip up another fun pair of pants for the fall closet! Driving home from my unexpected fabric score, I remembered a reverse apple applique sitting in my embroidery files along with a blank shirt in need of decoration. Ah, how I love those meant-to-be moments!

  Shirt - Garanimals, WalMart

Apple Applique - file, Planet Applique & polka dot fabric, Joann

Pants - fabric & rick rack, Hancock

Happy Fall!

 

Spidey (Serger) Power

Big Brother is into all things Spider-Man at the moment. We are constantly being shot by webs and the Spidey jammies are in heavy rotation. He even found a Spider-Man & Friends board book at a spring consignment sale...talk about combining mommie and daddie's interests: a bargain hunter who likes to read comics!!

 

Need I say more?!

After we recently spotted the Spider-Man goodness at Pottery Barn Kids, I offered to make Big Brother a special pillowcase. So off we went to the fabric store where he chose two prints of Spidey fabric. 

It turned out to be the perfect starter project for my new serger! In total, it took a yard of fabric and only 4 quick seams thanks to this tutorial.

Now off to further explore the serger - the possibilities make me as giddy as a 4 year old with a new mommie made pillowcase!

Sweet dreams big boy, I love you so much!

Taggie Blanket

 Here's a little something I recently whipped up for baby sister - a mommie made taggie blanket!

I found the pre-quilted fabric at Hancock, which matched up to the coordinating gingham already in my stash. The tags are trims and ribbons in a mix of new and stash also. I found a nice reference here and it came together SO quickly!

This spur-of-the-moment project was immediately put to good use. I love that she loves it! 

I'm starting to find creative moments again, but lack the additional time (and sometime motivation) to post all about the fun. I'll share and catch up the best I can tho! Thanks for taking the time to check out my space and Happy Fall to all!

Baby's First Embroidery

Summer may be coming to a close, but my crafty endeavors are just beginning for baby sister. I finally found some extra time to whip up a personalized burp cloth. I mentioned before on my Facebook page, I've got them all over the house, just never in the exact spot I end up needing one. So here's another to add to the laundry load!

 

I started by sewing polka dot grosgrain ribbon to the bottom hem of a Gerber organic diaper cloth. After browsing all of my Monogram Wizard Plus fonts, I decided to use 3 different fonts to spell her name...yes, I'm a nut, lean towards obsessive compulsive, and always seem to make things harder than need be. But isn't that why we crafters create? - to make exactly what we want and uniquely so to boot!
- E is Exact, LL is Fletch and A is Curly Q -

Big brother's first embroidery was the same (but with his name in a more masculine font of course), so now I have a pair of baby keepsakes. Good thing they are absorbent because I am sure they will wipe my tears when I fondly reminisce of baby days.

For now we are enjoying our precious chubby bundle's sweet smiles and coos. She's pictured above on a blanket made by her great-grandmother, and is wearing her mommie's very own vintage bubble suit!

Girly Burp Cloths

I whipped up these two fancy burp cloths a few weeks pre-baby. One for us and one for a friend who welcomed a baby girl just 2 weeks after baby sister's arrival. The floral fabric is a Circo (Target) soft flannel blanket that I thrifted. I loved the colors, it was brand new and a total fabric bargain at only 75 cents! The coordinating rick rack just happened to be in my stash left over from big brother's nursery curtains. 

Due to my nesting frenzy, I didn't think to take pictures of the (very few and basic) steps involved. So here's a text style tutorial. I promise they are super easy to make!

 1. Prewash + dry your fabric and plain burp cloths

2. Measure the middle, thick panel of the burp cloth. They're often uneven, so be your own judge and make the best rectangle you can.

3. Add a quarter to a half inch to the rectangular measurement for a seam allowance and cut fabric accordingly

4. Fold and iron under the seam allowance of cut fabric panel

5. Measure and cut desired lengths of rick rack

6. Place fabric panel over rick rack, turning under rick rack ends and pin in place over the burp cloth mid panel

7. Sew around the panel. Quick tip: I usually keep white thread in my bobbin and use a matching color on top. 

8. You're done - burp away baby!

And just for kicks, here's a few more I've made along the way:
personalized embroidered burp cloths
more fabric burp cloths

We're still without a schedule around here, but I've got a few embroidery projects lined up for baby sister. I'll share once they're complete!

My DIY Nursery Curtains

In case you happened to miss my decorating train of thought for baby girl's room, you can get caught up here.
Now for a quick look back at what was hanging before in the baby boy nursery:

These were mommie made by my mommie, also known affectionately as "Mi" by big brother. It was bittersweet taking them down, but I've tucked them away, and hope to put the material to good sentimental use someday.

I'm a girl that likes to have a pattern to start with, so I did some online research to see if anything existed along the lines of my vision. The closest pattern I found was view A of McCalls 6093. It's a box valance meant to be board mounted, but the paper pattern was perfect for my fabric and lining. All I needed to add was a rod pocket - easy!

I can't help but giggle at the "Home Dec in a Sec" tagline they use on the envelope. Is DIY home decor truly possible in one second?! Not at my house.

After selecting and preparing my fabric, I measured both rod sections over the connecting windows to determine my custom panel widths. Turns out they were not exactly equal...gotta love older homes! Each panel was cut on a fold, so I made sure to carefully line up my stripes which is always a bit daunting. Luckily the pattern repeats easily, and the lining is solid. Next I lined up the pattern fold line at the appropriate half-width (including seam allowances) and got to pinning. To create the a-line on each side of the treatment, I used a fabric marker to draw a slant edge from pattern top to bottom, shown here:

I first extended the bottom cut line

and connected to the top cut line with a straight edge.

I always feel so accomplished once a project is cut out, don't you? Most of the logistics are finally figured out, and it seems at least half, if not more, of the battle is over. Finally time to get sewing!

Right before my first stitch, I draped the cut striped panels over the rods to determine matched placement of the inner middle seams. Even though I cut both panels with a-lines on each side (due to the fold), I wanted them to look continuous despite the small middle rod brace. Hopefully I'm making sense here! I marked each panel at a desired stripe near the brace, placed right sides together with my lining, and followed the mark sewing up a straight seam. Then I figured out exactly how much of a seam allowance I needed to carefully take on the a-line side. The goal was for the panel to hang perfectly flat across the rod. After ensuring I had sewn both side seams correctly, I cut the inner straight seam's a-line excess off. Unturned edges shown below:

I hemmed each panel thereafter, turned them right side out and pressed. Almost done!

Lastly I needed to create the rod pocket. I folded the open top down 1/4", pressed, and then folded and pressed down another 2". I sewed a straight seam across the lower pressed edge. Done! Time for their debut!

I'm really pleased with the results of the these simple, classic curtains. They even inspired me to deep clean the blinds, windows, trim and sills. If only I could bottle this nesting energy! I hope my how-to ramblings made sense - thanks for following along or at least trying to!

Boppy Cover

Boppy Covers are a super easy and fun nesting project. I purposely bought a Naked Boppy back before my son was born just so I could sew my own unique covers. Naturally on top of my project list for baby girl was a new mommie-made cover just for her!

Isn't the pale pink, gray and white sweet?!

Inspired to make your own?! This printable pattern via Scribd (which no longer appears to link to a current blog) includes instructions and is a fantastic reference for all sewing levels:

Once assembled, I found the pattern to be a bit large, so I made my own that falls somewhere between it and my actual pillow. Then I cut my fabric, placed the zipper and got stitching. It comes together SO quickly!

I also suggest adding some top stitching to reinforce the zipper ends once you've turned the cover right side out:

And there you go - a personalized cover!
Soft, sweet and simple. 

The countdown is on with less than 30 days to go until we meet our girl. Wow! Guess I need to pack my bag and stack this necessity right on top. But for now, back to nesting with more crafty posts to follow!

Easter's On It's Way...again!

I say this all of the time, but time is flying! I've got probably less than 10 weeks left to bake little sister all the while finishing big boy's room and preparing hers. I'm getting so excited to meet our girl! Of course there are several crafty and creative endeavors on my list, so please bear with me as I create and take the time to post them! :)

In the meantime, I was looking back at projects I completed this time last year. One of which is the adorable felt peep. Looks like the tutorial link no longer works tho - bummer. However, I did save the pdf pattern, so here it is in case you want to whip up some for your special baskets. Enjoy!

Shopping Cart Cover

This post is a fun trip down memory lane. My about-to-turn-three boy no longer likes riding in the cart, unless it's in the main part taking up entirely too much room or standing on the side holding on like a renegade. Neither makes for a pleasant shopping experience these days, so it's nice to remember a time I could pack a Snack Trap, plop him in my mommie made snuggly cover and attempt some shopping. But how did I get our errands done I wonder - the cuteness is just too much!

My cart cover coordinating fabrics, batting and elastic came from good ol' Hancock Fabrics. Have I mentioned there's a store less than 3 minutes from our house...dangerous but oh so convenient! And you may remember, the cute fabric found even more life here recently.

I constructed the cover using McCall's Crafts pattern 5721. The project was surprisingly easy, especially since I omitted the slits for the cart belts and made no travel bag. Have you noticed that cart belts always seem quite nasty if they're even there at all? Plus, trying to strap a baby in them is usually a struggle and who wants their sweet bambino touching and sucking on all that grime?! I always kept a close eye on my boy who always seemed fine and loved his soft warm cover. I adored that it fit every cart we crossed including restaurant high chairs. It was easy to wad up, carry in, wrap around abandoned Cheerios & toys, throw in the wash and return to the car. Looking back I'm sure I barely had time to whip up the cover, but am so glad I did - it was a staple back in the baby days! It garnered quite a few compliments and I'm excited to use it again with baby girl.

May your weekend be filled with happy smiles, memories & giggles!

Baby Shower Gift

It seems like 2011 is a big year for babies, girls especially. Recently I was excited to attend my cousin's baby shower and made a gift set. I ended up not being able to attend since I developed bronchitis...boo!  Luckily I am on the mend and another great granddaughter arrived safely. I can hardly believe my own little bundle will be here in just 3.5 months - wow!

Since the baby's name had yet to be revealed, I went with a little sister applique. I used the trusty petal patch from Applique Cafe and dropped in wording from Monogram Wizard. A sweet bib that I may just have to replicate for our little sister!

I also embellished 2 coordinating burp cloths: one with the same green striped fabric used in the applique, and the other with a green & pink paisley print. The green striped fabric seemed too simple on it's own, so I also added some ric rac and quilting seams to fancy it up a bit more.

Burp cloths are such a fun and easy baby gift to make. Plus they are super functional. Who wouldn't want to have a glammed up burp cloth nearby to wipe away the mess...I mean baby love!

 

 

 

Handmade Valentines

February snuck right in didn't it?! With less than 2 weeks until Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share a fun project. Last year I made felt chocolate chip cookies for each of my son's preschool classmates. I love felt food, and figured a cookie would be a fun addition to all of the play kitchens out there!

My supplies consisted of:

light & dark brown felt
lightweight batting

 coordinating thread

 clear cellophane bags

blank card stock for the adorable printables
a hole punch & ribbon

I started by making a paper pattern for the cookie and chips. I used my Martha Stewart circle cutter, but you could easily trace anything like the bottom of a glass or small bowl. Once I settled on sizes I liked, I cut out my felt pieces. Then I cut batting circles slightly smaller than the cookies.



Using doubled up dark brown thread, I hand stitched 3-4 chips on each felt cookie top. I even cut a few of the chips in half to place along edges. Once all the chips were in place, I sandwiched the batting between a top and bottom layer. Lastly I used a decorative zig-zag machine stitch with light brown thread to seal up each cookie.  Good enough to eat!

 

To specially package each cookie for Valentines Day, I used individual cellophane bags, folded them closed and punched a couple of holes up top to attach the Valentine. I even ran the blank back side thru the printer to include "to and from" details. I used my trusty paper cutter to set each lovable critter free, punched a hole in the corner and tied it on with red ribbon. Voila!

This was a fun project and easy to whip up for the 2 year old set. With so many other projects going on this year, I'm pretty sure big boy's classroom Valentines won't be as creative, and that's ok. Or so I keep telling myself! This year he's going with a box of good ol' standard Thomas the Train cards. It will be his turn to color & scribble on them to his heart's content. I used to love preparing & bringing home my decorated paper bag full of Valentines back in the day, and I'm sure my boy will too no matter what's inside.

If you're looking for fun free printables this year, check out Anders Ruff. SO cute! And another great list of links to peruse is here. Many can even be printed in black & white so your child can color them in. Happy printing and creating!

Snow Days

  The big talk this week around here, and many places for that matter, is SNOW. First a white Christmas, and now another blast ending with lots of ice. It was beautiful to watch coming down, but now I'm ready to defrost. All of the toys have been played with, food has been eaten and cabin fever is setting in. Ice and school closures are no fun as a mommie!

 

So I found a fantastic ear warmer tutorial a few weeks back via Prudent Baby. I already had the necessary supplies on hand, and finally finished it during Monday's nap time. Talk about the perfect snow day craft! I blended a few of Delia's techniques - pleats and a "Lucy" flower. This video tutorial really helped me understand how to work up a rosette for the first time. Fun stuff!

 

I've had this cream fleece since I received my sewing machine years ago. I was living in Florida at the time and pining away for cold weather accessories. I'm so happy to finally have made something cute & functional for the NC cold weather!

Stay warm!

Trick-or-Treat Bag

So did you guess what I was putting on little boy's bag?!

 

Hello jack-o-lantern!

I had to remove the bag's side seam to accomodate my large embroidery hoop, so while the stitching's out I'm going to applique something fun to the back too!  My son already loves his goodie bag and is practicing trick-or-treating around the house.  Big smiles for this mommie!  Final project pics to come.

ps - I found the cutie face over at Applique Cafe.  So many adorable designs, so little time...sigh.  Thank goodness preschool is back in session!