Crafts For Lily

Super Tubie!

2012-02-05T08:02:00.000-08:00

This week is Feeding Tube Awareness Week! My daughter is a "Super Tubie." She is an aspirator so she eats via a feeding tube. It allows her to eat without getting sick--so the feeding tube is a GOOD thing! To help raise awareness about feeding tubes, a couple of "tubie moms" have set up The Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation.

Do you like the logo? Well, yours truly drew it :) Now it is the official logo for FTA and I couldn't be prouder! It is popping up everywhere--on shirts, pins, hairbows, Facebook :)

Of course, LA needed her own "Super Tubie" shirt. When it arrived, the 2T was HUGE and a little too "boy-ish." (click if you would like your own Super Tubie or I "heart" a tubie shirt)

Not a problem! With the help of CINO's Summer Lovin' top tutorial, a man's gray shirt (from Walmart), and a little bit of time on the sewing machine, I transformed that too-big-boy shirt into this adorable-girly-it-fits shirt!

I wish I had taken a photo of LA wearing the original shirt so you could REALLY see the change in fit, but I didn't. Oh well.

I love the CINO tutorial (you may recall this dress I made using the same tutorial this summer). It is a great tutorial for repurposing old (or poor fitting) shirts.

Using another Walmart man's shirt, I whipped up a pair of ruffle leggings to complete the look. (This photo cracks me up, I took it just as the heat kicked on and blew up at her!)

If I do say so myself, my Super Tubie is SUPER CUTE!

Happy Feeding Tube Awareness Week!

A Dress for Brooke

2012-01-28T11:41:00.000-08:00

Brooke's mom and I share the same love of sweet little girl clothing, so when this dress popped up at Lolly Wolly Doodle,

we both knew that 7-year old Brooke had to have it--or at least a pretty good rendition of it (and we would make sure the fabric's pattern was centered--what's up with that?)

The fabric is from Sandi Henderson's Secret Garden Line (Michael Miller) in Garden Gate in Speckle and Modern Meadow in Moss. I modified a couple of peasant top/dress patterns and added a double ruffle sleeve.

I was going to create a rolled hem on the neckline and shirr it instead of using an elastic/casing method....but my serger decided to break :( I think the tension dial on the lower looper is out of wack because it is just making a big old mess. I am not happy about this and it is throwing my sewing plans since I NEED my serger! Guess I'll be looking for a repair shop.

All in all, I think I did a pretty good job at replicating the original dress and I hope Brooke likes it :)

Love Knots

2012-01-20T14:39:00.001-08:00

When I first saw this adorable owl fabric from Joann's popping up all over Facebook and Pinterest, I knew I had to make LA a Valentine Dress from it! I paired it with Michael Miller's Ta Dot in Berry to make this sweet knot dress.

I used The Apron Knot dress pattern from Little Lizard King. I did make a few modifications to it--but nothing major. My skirt is not as full as the pattern calls for--because I didn't buy enough fabric (thank goodness for a skinny kid). I also opted to make a ruffle border instead of just a straight one.

Another modification I made was in construction. When a bodice is fully lined, it allows a nice neat seam where the skirt and bodice meet. The pattern doesn't take advantage of that, but it is such an easy modification that makes the inside look so much nicer. Not that anyone sees the inside, but I love hidden seam!

I love my little stinker!

Best of 2011

2011-12-30T07:06:00.000-08:00

As 2011 comes to an end, it is fun to look back at what I made over the past year--kindof like looking at a memory book :) So, what was your favorite project? Well, according to Google Analytics, the top five for 2011 were...

#5: Oliver+S Seashore Sundress

#4: Cute as a Button

#3: Colorful Peg Dolls

#2: Elmo Banner

And the #1 project for 2011---The Rainbow Remix Jumper!

Honorable mentions (ones that didn't make the top five, but some of my favorites):

Hannah by Yeppar Par

Sunkissed Set

So, did your favorite project make the list?

Ornaments

2011-12-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

One of the crafting forums I frequent does an annual ornament exchange. We have a $5 limit (but who counts materials you already own??), and it is really neat to see what the participants create each year.

This year, my recipient was a lover of all things reindeer and had kindly pinned several ideas as inspiration.

I made this one as a straight up copy of one she pinned. The whites of the eyes gave me some issues. I should have painted them BEFORE I painted the brown heads--live and learn.

She liked lime green and "whimsical," so I hope this filled that request.

I experimented with printing my own fabric for this one (which is based off one I saw on etsy). Fabric printing is VERY fun and easy--I'll post more about that sometime :)

The best part--the arrived in one piece and she loved them :)

Gingerbread Dress

2011-11-26T17:12:00.001-08:00

I don't have time to say a lot about it, but really, it is such a simple dress the photos speak for themselves!

Constructed out of 16 wale corduroy (I really wanted velour, but couldn't find it and didn't want to wait to order it), a few yards of ric rac, jumbo black buttons and a red bow transform this simple peasant dress into an adorable frock!

Gobble Gobble!

2011-11-12T04:48:00.001-08:00

Disclaimer--I had NOTHING to do with the making of this top. Alas, I don't have an applique/embroidery machine (yet). But this top and hairbow that my friend Kam made for LA is just too cute--it had to be included on the blog!

I love how it turned out and she was so smart to use the same orange dot fabric that she used for LA's pumpkin shirt so the pants could be repurposed!

I need to figure out another "orange" applique for her to make because I just LOVE these pants! Thanks Kam!!!

Facebook

2011-11-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who "likes" us on Facebook. Facebook has made some changes to how frequently page updates appear in your feeds. If you do not comment or click "like" on Crafts for Lily Facebook posts/photos every once in a while, you will not see updates in your news feed. Personally, I find it a bit annoying since I follow various pages on Facebook, but don't always comment...but I don't make the Facebook rules.

So, if you want to keep seeing Facebook updates from us, click "like" or comment on a Facebook post every now and then :)

She's a "TuTu" Cute Scarecrow Fairy

2011-11-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

Deciding on a Halloween costume for LA has always been something that I pondered long and hard about--which my husband finds silly since it is just a costume. But what does he know? This year, I batted about several ideas before landing on one that I just love :) I realized, this is probably one of the last years that I--and only I--get complete say in what LA will be for Halloween. It's just a matter of time before she voices her opinion on the subject!

So, this year I decided to make a costume that put a "twist" on a traditional Halloween idea. Just google "Scarecrow Tutu" and you will discover a million inspiration photos of sweet little girls in yards and yards of tulle! Not your typical scarecrow eh? I took bits and pieces from the various inspiration photos to create my own version of a Scarecrow Fairy :)

I really have no idea how much tulle I ended up using to create the dress--but it was quite a bit. I used rolls of 6" tulle in chocolate brown, copper, old gold and yellow.

Making tutus is very easy--just cut and knot onto elastic. I tied bits of raffia in between the tulle to make it a bit more "scarecrow-ish!"

For the center "bow," I combined various fall colored ribbons and ricrak along with a large sunflower--I love the way it added to the costume!

The crow wand is made from felt, a dowel and some sweet ribbons. After all, every fairy needs a wand! The hat is also made from felt and was blanket-stitched with embroidery floss. I added a bit of tulle, raffia and a sunflower for some whimsy.

I am so pleased by how it turned out! LA loves wearing it and waving her wand around so I know she likes it too!

The only downside--LA was sick on Halloween. Luckily at her age, she doesn't really "get" Halloween so she wasn't too disappointed. We managed to go to a few houses in our cul-de-sac and she seemed to be fascinated when people would give her candy--she also wanted to go INSIDE the houses LOL! We have really sweet neighbors and it is such a compliment when the person who answers the door calls for the others in the house just to see your cute kiddo in her costume :)

Trick-or-Treat!

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-23T01:17:00.000-07:00

Of course my little pumpkin needed (yes, NEEDED) a special outfit for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch!

My friend Kam is really responsible for the majority of the outfit as she did the adorable pumpkin applique on the shirt and made the sweet bow for LA's hair (complete with removable pumpkin clippie).

I made a pair of ruffle bottom pants to complete the ensemble.

She was by far, the cutest pumpkin in the patch!!

Tiny Buttons and Honeycomb Smocking

2011-10-15T04:20:00.000-07:00

I have had the idea for this outfit swimming in my head since I ran across two inspiration outfits last fall. The first is from Sew Beautiful, Issue 132. In the article, Jane's Pinched Pleats, Khristal Jouett shares how to add this pinched pleat and button detail to various outfits.
The second source of inspiration came from U.K. Lass in U.S. I adore the honeycomb smocking.

I knew I wanted to take aspects of each inspiration to create a special outfit for LA. I ended up coming up with this little outfit that I just love!

It is made from a beautiful teal 21 wale corduroy (yes, I know corduroy is pretty much my favorite fall/winter fabric).

The smocking wasn't hard--it just took a little math to figure out how wide to make the top BEFORE the smocking!

It is a "little" too wide for LA, but not so much that it looks funny. The little 1/4" buttons add a fun (and colorful) touch I think!

No big secret on the pants. They are the same pants pattern I have been using for a while now. They just get a little bigger as LA grows :)

I added a little inverted pleat to the back of the top since the front had so much detail--I had to do a little something interesting on the back!

Of course, now we just have to wait for the weather to get cooler so LA can wear it!

Hi There!

2011-09-18T04:58:00.001-07:00

I'm seriously starting to get the shakes. I have not sewn or crafted since JULY! It has literally been 2 MONTHS. Way too long! It hasn't been for lack of desire or ideas. School started back up in August and we purchased a new house and moved. It was a local move, but ya still have to pack and unpack! We are slowly moving out of "cardboard city" and settling in so the sewing machines will be dusted off very soon--that, or I am going to go C.R.A.Z.Y!

I have sooooo many ideas waiting to be created. My Pinterest is filling up--I realized this morning that I have pinned 990 ideas--eek! Oh, it'll be over 1000 by the end of the day. Some are just inspiration, others are projects in the queue to be made. Here are just a few of the ideas I am loving on:

spaces design by philadelphia interior designer djs interiors

The High Heeled Hostess

gilt.com

517 Creations

Completely unrelated, anytime you leave a comment (which I love getting comments!) I get an email letting me know. Lately, I have received quite a few comments asking questions about various projects and I would LOVE to respond and help. Unfortunately, several of you are "no reply" bloggers which means you do not have your email address available in your blogger profile. If you would like to receive responses to questions from any blog you leave comments on, you can change your settings in blogger (it is really easy):

Select "Edit Profile"

Check the box for "Show my email address"

Save changes and now I, and other bloggers, can respond to your comments!

Ok, I know some of you (like me) don't want your personal email address floating around. You can create a seperate email account for blog posting (and then you can have that automatically forwarded to your main email account). See, best of BOTH worlds!

Rainbow Remix

2011-07-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I ran across this image of a Vintage McCalls pattern and fell in LOVE with the jumper.

I can totally picture it in a tweed fabric paired with white tights and red shoes. I have saved the idea for when LA is a little older since I think the "look" will really be adorable in a 3-4 year old size.

When I saw the Junebug Dress over at Craftiness is Not Optional, it reminded me of the McCalls jumper and my imagination started to take over :) Mix a sleeveless variation of the Junebug Dress with the fun rainbow stitching used on this adorable skirt from Probably Actually, and you get...

a RAINBOW Remix!

I added the running stitches along the hem for a fun effect. The purple doesn't "pop" as much as I would have liked, but oh well :) It's still cute! The colors are a bit more vibrant in person.

The bodice is fully lined with an adorable Tattersall fabric from Alexander Henry. I actually had a hard time finding a rainbow fabric that wasn't too garish. Once I spied this fabric on Etsy, I knew it was perfect! I went to 3 different craft stores looking for a fabric I loved, but kept coming back to the Alexander Henry--so I bit the bullet and bought it (although, I must admit, I do feel somewhat silly focusing so much attention on the LINING fabric. Oh well...)

It was really easy to make the dress sleeveless and BONUS--I'm going to show you how to do it:)

First, you go over to Jess' fabulous blog and, if you are lucky enough to have a kiddo in the 2T size, download her pattern. Otherwise, follow her directions and she will teach you how to make your own pieces (it is easy--trust me). Follow her cutting instructions, but don't cut out the sleeves--we aren't going to use them!

Ok, now is when we deviate from Jess' tutorial for a few steps.

Join the front and back pieces at the shoulder. Sew (as indicated by black lines) and press open your seams. Do this for both the main fabric and the lining.

Lay your two bodices on top of each other--right sides together--and line up the edges. Sew the armholes, necklines, and part of the front pieces closed (as indicated by the black lines).

Clip, flip, and press (clip your curves and corners, flip it right side out, and press your seams open so it lays nice and pretty).

Ok, now the next step is easy to do, but might be a bit trickier for me to explain--so bear with me. We are going to sew the sides of our bodice. Carefully, open the bottom of the bodice and line up the fabric right sides together.

Center the seam and line up the edges.

Sew along the black line, press your seams open and VOILA! You have a fully lined bodice without sleeves!

Now just follow the rest of Jess' directions (leaving out the "sleeve stuff" of course) and you will have a super cute sleeveless dress/jumper!

How fun will this be paired with long sleeve shirt and tights--you pick the color! I'm thinking red tights for sure!!

Another CINO Refashion!!

2011-07-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

My blog might need to be renamed "The I Heart Jess Blog" since my last 2 projects (and the next one in the queue) have been based off of Jess' tutorials over at Craftiness is Not Optional (aka: CINO). But seriously, have you seen the cutsie-patootsie stuff she makes? Her oldest daughter is just a little bit older than LA and Jess' taste in little girl clothes is very similar to my own :) How could I NOT love her? In fact, I now have a new "CINO" label since I have used her tutorials for so many outfits.

This spring, she refashioned a thrift store adult shirt into a very cute toddler top with fun "tabs" and buttons on the shoulder. I am trying to become more adventurous with refashioning items (especially out of knit since it is so hard to find cute knit fabric in the local stores). Besides, I need more knit practice :)

One evening, it dawned on me...how cute would this be as a spirit wear drop waist DRESS for LA! LA has such a slim waistline that drop waist skirts are perfect for her. You can tell I love them..I made her this one and this one and she had this cute rainbow one from Carters' too.

I had this UGA shirt that I purchased a few years ago to try to support my husband's team--but I just could not bring myself to wear it in public (WAR EAGLE!!).

So, I took Jess' shirt tutorial, added some length and a drop waist and now LA has a cute little dress to wear when she cheers for daddy's team. And, even though it does support the second best team...I LOVE it!

I fussy cut the front to include the logo and had to really work around the fabric to get enough for all the parts. Refashioning can be a lot more challenging than using yardage--especially when the end product is very different than the original garment.

I love the black buttons :) You'll be seeing LOTS of buttons this season.

So now both teams in our house are represented.

My Twist on the Playdate Dress

2011-07-08T16:05:00.001-07:00

A lot of bloggers scour the thrift stores in search of clothes. Not necessarily to wear, but for the FABRIC. So, I decided to give it a try. I went to the local Goodwill store and began sifting through the racks looking for some knit shirts in good shape.

I found this shirt and decided it would come home with me--and bonus--it was a "red tag" so it was half off that day! (A few more also made it into my bag but I haven't quite figured out what I am going to do with them yet). Ok, back to the story. As I was saying, this shirt called to me.

Any ideas as to why?

Oh come on. Orange? Navy? Any guesses? Ha! It should be obvious--orange and navy mean only one thing in this house. WAR EAGLE! Poor LA must grow up in a house divided. Her mom is a smart, intelligent, amazing Auburn Tiger. Her dad is a Dawg (blech). Since I make the clothes, her first football outfit had to be orange and blue (besides, I think winning the national championship affords you first rights!)

With the guidance of the Playdate tutorial over at Craftiness is Not Optional, I transformed that Goodwill shirt into this adorable dress/tunic.

I used the basic idea of the Playdate dress, but made a few changes. I decided to make it a little bit shorter so that I could pair it with a long sleeve shirt and a pair of leggings when the weather gets cooler.

I increased the size of the sleeves and used my serger to create a lettuce edge along the sleeves. By increasing the size, I was able to gather them a bit to create more of a flutter sleeve. I also a lettuce edge along the bottom hem.

It took me a bit of practice to figure out how to do the lettuce edge on my serger. My technique still needs some work, but I am pleased with the outcome for this dress.

I was able to reuse the binding from the original shirt for both the neckline and the pocket.

It was a bit faded from washing and wear, so I just turned it inside out :) Good as new! I even tried using a double needle to topstich (you know--like the "pros" do)

LA is ready to cheer her Tigers on!

Cute as a Button Fall Outfit!

2011-06-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

It may only be July, but I have shifted my sewing focus to LA's fall and winter wardrobe. Honestly, she has more than enough summery clothes (but don't count me out on adding more just yet). Since I have just a little over a month before school starts back again, I have started to put together a few outfits.

I am so happy with how this outfit turned out! The combination of pink and red dots pairs nicely with the dark, lightweight denim (with a little stretch to it). The dot fabric is "Picnic Dots Red/Pink" from the DS Quilts Collection sold at Joanns this summer. I waited until it was NOT on sale and then used a 60% off one regular price item coupon (partnered with my teacher discount). Sometimes waiting for a fabric to regular price is better than the sale--just a little tip!

The top is the Amelia Top from Mama Stellato. I snagged it during a half-off sale and am glad I did. It sews up quickly and is adorable on. There are a few changes I made, and will make in the future, to the top. The pattern calls for the armscyes to be turned 1/4" twice to finish. I much prefer a bias tape finish--so that is what I did. I think it lays better and is actually easier to do.

Next time, I will add the button hole(s) PRIOR to sewing the bodice to the dress. The pattern calls for it to be the last step. Well, my buttonhole foot did NOT like trying to work that close to the thick seam created by the lined bodice attaching to the dress. I had to manually sew the hole and it ended up being a little small for the button. Luckily, the neck is large enough that I can slip it over LA's head without needing to unbutton the garment.

I know LA loves the top! When I was sizing it to her, she insisted on wearing it the rest of the day--even pitched a little fit when I had to take it off to sew on the button!

The pants are my own creation. I mimicked the button/flap from the bodice on the "cuffs" of the pants.

A smaller button paired with the dot fabric lining is just too cute!

Not that you will see it when worn, but I made the front of the pants with a flat panel. It decreases the bunchy-ness (yes, I made that word up just now) and they lay very nicely on LA's thin little waist.

This outfit can carry her through the first cool days of fall, the frigid days of winter, and the beginning of spring simply by changing the shirts underneath. I love layering clothes and this top pattern is going to be a staple in LA's wardrobe for a long time!

Off to figure out what to sew next--can I tell you just how strange it feels to sew "warm" clothes when it is 90+ degrees outside!

T-Shirt Quilt

2011-06-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

T-shirt quilts have come up recently on two of the craft/sewing forums I frequent. They are a great way to preserve and reuse all the shirts you collect over the years. After I graduated college, I took some of my favorite sorority shirts and created this blanket.

It has been a very well loved and USED blanket over the years!

Gingham Sundress Tutorial

2011-06-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

This tutorial was originally created for and posted on Couturier Mommy.

When I first began sewing, I relied completely on patterns. Now, I have discovered that drafting your own patterns can be quite easy and today, I am going to show you how to make this cute little dress and you DON'T need a pattern!

The dress was inspired by a First Impressions dress I saw at Macys.

Cute dress--not a cute price (although it is on sale now)! I instantly knew it would be easy to make and to customize for a perfect fit! Now, I will go ahead and say this up front--this is the first and probably last sewing tutorial I have ever written (it is a lot more challenging than one would think! Not to mention, I kept forgetting to take pictures!)

Let's get started! You will need the following materials:

Fabric (amount will depend on your child's size)

Thread to coordinate with your fabric

Elastic thread (found in the ELASTIC notions area of your local fabric store--not in the thread section)

Eyelet lace

Optional: Store bought 1/4" double fold bias tape (I made my own)

The first thing we are going to do is to make a rectangle for the body of the dress. The easiest way to do this is to find a dress your child and measure it at the widest point (typically at the bottom hem). Write down this measurement and add in a seam allowance for BOTH side seams. Think ahead to how you want to finish your seams. If you are going to do a French Seam, then a 5/8" seam allowance is my preference. If you are going to use a serger, then a 1/4" seam allowance is what I tend to use. For this dress, I opted to use a serger, so my seam allowance throughout will be 1/4".

Next, if the dress you are using is the length you like, you can measure it from the chest to the bottom hem. If it is not, then measure your child from her chest to where you would like the dress to land. Now, if you are working with a toddler, it is MUCH easier to use a dress (my model doesn't do "still" very well!) For an 18 month size, my rectangle is 15 " long x 15" wide (but my daughter is a skinny minnie, so you might want to add a couple of inches to the width).

Cut two rectangles (one for the front and one for the back). If you have a plaid or horizontal stripe, make sure you line up the design for a more professional look.

Now we will cut out the armscye (armholes). These will look like little "J"s on each side. If you have ever made a pillowcase dress before, then you are familiar with this step! My armscyes are 3" long x 2" wide.

Ok, let's begin our dress construction!

On one piece, fold over the top edge 1/8" and press. Repeat and topstitch across to create a finished edge. This will become the back of the dress.

It's time to shirr the top of the front and back of the dress. This is one step in which is dependent on your machine. If you have never shirred before, you'll want to do a quick internet search to find out how your bobbin should be loaded with elastic thread. Some machines require a hand wound bobbin. Others, like mine, prefer it to be machine wound.

Load the bobbin with elastic thread and the top thread with regular coordinating thread. Elastic thread is commonly found in white or black. Don't worry about the color since it will not show. My machine also likes a longer stitch length for shirring. If you have not shirred before, always test this process using scrap fabric.

To shirr, load your fabric RIGHT side up in your machine. Beginning 1/2" below the front neckline, sew a line from armscye to armscye. No need to "lock your stitch" at the beginning and end. Sew another line 1/4" from the first line. I sewed 6 lines total. Do this for both the front and the back pieces of the dress. On the back, I started 1/4" from the top (instead of 1/2").

Now for the fun part, take your pieces over to your iron. Hold your iron a couple of inches above the shirred lines and hit is with a blast of seam. Your lines will shrink right up! We are done shirring, so take out the elastic thread and replace it with your regular thread--don't forget to reset your stitch length while you are at it!

Next, measure your the width of your child's chest to determine how long cut the bias tape and the eyelet that will be sewn along the top edge of the dress. For an 18 month size, I am cutting each piece 6" long.

Tip: If your bodice did not shrink up enough with the shirring to accommodate the width of your child's chest, go blast it with some more steam or add another row or two of shirring.

Baste the eyelet in place.

Place the bias along the edge and sew in place (I'll fully admit that I do it the "lazy way" and sandwich my fabric in the tape and carefully sew it making sure that the needle pierces both the front and back of the bias tape.)

Line up the armscyes on the front and back of the dress. You will notice that the back neckline of the dress is slightly lower than the front...that's what we want!

Sew the two dress pieces from the armscye down. Finish your seams with your prefered method and press to the back of the dress. I know, I know...some of you don't like pressing. Trust me, it is one of those steps that really makes a difference.

For the straps, measure your armscye from front to back and add an additional 14 inches to that measurement. For my 18 month dress, my armscye measures 11" + 14" for a total of 25". Cut two lengths of bias tape using this measurement.

Check out Craftiness is Not Optional for an easy way to finish the ends of your bias tape.

Begin pinning the bias to the dress at the side seam of each armscye. Again, I just sandwich it together (sewing enthusiasts cringe every time I say that!). Topstitch along the edge from one end of the bias tape to the other.

Two more steps and the dress is done! Line up the eyelet lace to the raw edge of the bottom hem (right sides together). Sew in place (I use a serger, but you can do it with a regular machine).

Turn under, PRESS and topstich to secure.

Give the dress one final press and you are done!

I hope your little one enjoys her new dress!

Test Post

2011-06-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Please ignore this post. I am just testing to see if I properly installed the RSS feed widget on the facebook page.

Click on the sign to see the fun etsy shop that sells this image!

The "Muslin" Outfit

2011-06-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

You might have noticed that I have been branching out from the "Big Four" patterns (Vogue, Butterick, Simplicity, McCalls). Not that they don't have some cute patterns, but there are so many options available! Oh, and I "might" have subscribed to Ottobre last night :)

Etsy is one marketplace allows smaller designers to get their product out. When you purchase patterns this way, they typically come in pdf format so you print and assemble the patterns at home. The beauty of this is that you don't have to trace the pattern~since you have the file, when you want a different size, you just print and cut!

Recently, I had the opportunity to test a shorts pattern for one of these designers, Little Lizard King. The shorts tie on the side and have a flat front panel with elastic in the back.

They turned out super cute (maybe just a little long for LA), but an easy modification. The pattern is still being revised, but I think it is worth picking up when Liz releases it! It is very easy and creates a cute and unique garment.

Now you are probably asking why I entitled this post the "muslin" outfit. Well, the truth is, I had never intended for either the top or the shorts to be worn. The shirt was an experiment to see if I could draft a pattern (for something other than pants) based on an existing garment. Since I didn't know if it would work, I used some scrap fabric I had--you know, ya' don't want to waste the "good" stuff.

Well, surprise, surprise, the shirt actually turned out pretty good. Same with the shorts. When you pattern test, you never know if the end product is going to cooperate (after all, that is why it is being tested). Once again, another success. Sooo...even though they were originally just "tests," I think this outfit is "public-worthy."

I'm Guest Blogging!

2011-06-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Check out my Gingham Sundress tutorial over at Couturier Mommy!

My First Ottobre!

2011-06-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a VERY sweet crafty friend who lent me not one, but TWO of her Ottobre pattern magazines, I can finally say I have made my first Ottobre outfit! I will admit, I chose a very simple one to wet my feet (I only had to find and trace 4 pieces), but what a cute outfit it is!

When I laid eyes on the Seashell Dress from the 3/2011 issue, I knew it would make the perfect "little sister" companion to the Oliver+S Popover sundress (since the sisters happen to have summer birthdays).

The most mind-boggling part of Ottobre patterns is by far the pattern sheets. Seriously, I really think you need a special degree to read these things. Ok, so maybe it wasn't that hard, but it was certainly not like tracing out other patterns I have used. I really had to pay attention!

(Image from Never Too Much Fabric)

When using Ottobre patterns, you have to add your own seam allowances. I saw this nifty gadget on another blog and I ordered it (making adding seam allowances for future patterns a breeze!)

The other thing I had to learn was how to make rolled hems on my serger. I have to admit, I was scared to try this because it involved taking parts off of the machine (what if I couldn't put it back together????) Luckily, my fears were unfounded and it was easy-peasy as my students would say!

Overall, the pattern was easy to put together. The directions are sparse, but if you understand basic garment construction, it is easy to figure out.

The dress ended up longer than I had pictured. If I make this again (and there is a good chance I will), I will shorten it up so that it just covers a pair of bloomers.

So Chris, you can throw a big fat "I told you so" my way because it wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be!

Happy Birthday Sydney!!

Messy Masterpiece for Dad!

2011-06-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

LA and I had a lot of fun making this messy masterpiece for Father's Day.

My husband is a huge UGA fan, so we knew this would be a hit with him! Messy masterpieces are so easy to do and they don't take a lot of time.

I used my Silhouette to cut out the big "G" and "Go Dawgs" out of vinyl. I love that I can cut any shape with the Silhouette!

Happy Father's Day!!

Oliver+S Popover Sundress

2011-06-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Sit down.

This is not for LA!

Here's some smelling salts to revive you :)

LOL! I know it is rare that I sew for anyone other than LA, but we have some little friends with birthdays this summer and who doesn't love a little sundress? This little dress is going to our sweet friend Sydney who just turned 3.

This Popover Sundress is a FREE (did you hear me) FREE pattern from Oliver+S! You can download the pattern from their blog (there is even a pattern for an 18" doll dress--that just happens to be the same size as the American Girl dolls--coincidence?)

The fabric should look familiar--its the same Alexander Henry fabric I recently used for LA's Hannah dress. I did buy the bias tape (I know, I know), but sometimes a girl goes for ready-made. I used a little of the bias tape as flat piping on the seamline of the bodice.

The dress sewed up very fast and I discovered a new foot in my drawer. I have had it all the time and I don't know why I haven't used it before.

It is a blindhem foot, but with its adjustable edge feature, it is perfect for top and edge stitching. It made sewing the straps sooooooo much easier. Hmmm...makes me wonder what I could use some of those other feet for!

Happy Birthday Syndey!!

"Like" us on Facebook!

2011-06-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

If you would like to receive a notice in your Facebook feed when Crafts for Lily is updated, click on the "like" button--over there in the right-hand column!

Go ahead.

You know you want to!

Colorful Peg Dolls and Pots

2011-06-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

I saw this cute idea for a color matching game a couple of months ago over at Gluesticks. I bought the materials, but just now got around to painting the little pegs.

I had fun giving each little school girl her own color and hair accessories (I even tried a few different hairstyles, but they didn't give me much to work with!)

I need to spray them with a clear coat before giving them to LA. I think she will love playing with them--and learning at the same time!

Sweet Summer Dress

2011-06-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

How cute is this little dress?

I was browsing through etsy the other day (dangerous habit) and eyed the pattern and could not resist! The pattern is "Hannah" by Taiwanese designer Yepper. The fabric was a steal from the clearance section at Hancocks and is Alexander Henry's Storybrook Floral.

If you decide to sew this pattern, the seam allowances are not included in the pieces (like many European patterns), but the designer does provide a very clear set of suggested seam allowances for each piece. It takes time to add them in, but that is the price we must pay for fashion :) The pattern is easy to follow, but does assume that you have some basic garment construction knowledge--so I wouldn't rate this a beginner's project.

I adore the collar. I think it is just too cute and a nice change of pace in children's clothing design. The dress could easily be modified to become a shirt or a sleeveless top/dress.

Now, I must confess that this is actually the second version of this dress I made. Let's just say I had a bit of a serger incident with the first dress (bad, bad serger...couldn't possibly be my fault). But, to make lemonade, I was able to make a few size modifications to fit LA better.

Sweet Gingham Sundress

2011-06-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

I made this little sundress for LA this weekend. It sewed up so fast and easy! Not too many details at this time because...I am featuring it as a tutorial on June 20th when I am guest blogging. More info to come :)

Warning!

2011-05-23T14:24:00.001-07:00

Oh, this could be dangerous...

I just signed up to take a class to learn how to smock!

It is in June and I can't wait!!

KCWC Days 5-7: Snappy Toddler Top and Shorts

2011-05-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

(If you are wonder what happened to the "missing day," day 4 of the Kids Clothing Week Challenge was spent finishing up the bloomers to match LA's newest Seashore Sundress.) Sorry it took so long to post this. Life has been busy...but summer is just around the bend!

Last summer I made one of Prudent Baby's Snappy Toddler Tops for LA and it was a favorite. It fit great and was nice and cool during the hot summer months.

I loved the outfit so much, that I decided to make another one for this summer. I followed the advice on the tutorial and enlarged the pattern to 110% to increase the size. PB suggests that this will make a 2T size. I think it is a little smaller since it fits LA great!

Because the blue fabric is a lawn cotton, it needed interfacing to be substantial enough for the neckline and snaps. I used the same blue fabric to create a contrast in the armscyes. I decided to topstitch in blue, which is out of my comfort zone since I normally prefer thread that will blend into the background and hide all my mistakes. There are still some "wonky" areas, but overall I am pleased!

For the shorts, I used my handy-dandy pants pattern as my base. I made a scant 1/8" hem and then shirred 2 rows of elastic just above the hem. It creates a cute bloomer short!

My family and I were wandering through the fabric section at Joanns one weekend (yes, my husband is so awesome that he will suffer through fabric shopping with me if we are out and about and decide to stop). Anyhow, I saw the fabric and LOVED the bright clean colors and thought it would make a cute summer outfit for LA but did not have a specific plan in mind. I didn't know it at the time, but the fabric is part of the Lisette line sold at Joanns. Lisette is designed by Liesl Gibson who just happens to be the designer of Oliver + S patterns.

This is really a quick and easy style outfit to make and I am sure you will see me modify it again next summer to fit LA!

KCWC Days 1-3: O+S Seashore Sundress #2

2011-05-13T09:57:00.001-07:00

**Note, this post was originally posted on 5/12/11, but "disappeared" when Blogger had their issues.**

The first project I tackled for KCWC was another Oliver+S Seashore Sundress. I told you I love this pattern! I had some fabric in my stash that I bought last year without a plan and decided that it would make for a cute dress and, because of the nature of the fabric, create a TOTALLY different look. The fabric is Eden by Lila Tueller for Moda.

I decided to modify the pattern a little this time. I used a combination of two fabrics to create a "racing stripe" effect. To help enhance the princess seams and to set off the pockts, I added a small bit of pink piping.

Because I used two different fabrics for the body, I decided that it would be best to continue the look on the backside. In order to do this, I had to make a minor modification to the pattern. Instead of one long skirt piece running along the back of the dress, I needed to divide it into three pieces. This was an easy modification (just don't forget to add in your seam allowances).

I also experimented with making the pockets just a bit bigger. The original pockets are very small. Not a huge alteration and super easy to do.

Ironically, I struggled with button choice more than anything else! I debated between three different styles before I settled on these (or I should say, my HUSBAND decided since he was not a fan of the other two).

Yep, still loving this pattern! I made matching bloomers from the white floral print and am seriously considering making a sunhat to complete the ensemble!

Serger Threading for Dummies (like me)

2011-05-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

If you have a Brother 1034d, this video is for you! It shows how to thread the machine in very clear terms (much better than the instructional video), and I got it on my first try!!!

Oliver + S Seashore Sundress

2011-05-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

Oliver + S patterns are so adorable and classic. I love everything about them-except the price! But, even that could not deter me from picking up a few of their patterns recently. I did get them on sale---just not for 99cents that you can always get the "Big 4."

Recently I put together the Seashore Sundress--one of the three new patterns O+S released this season. I LOVE this dress! It was so easy to put together! Honestly, I think I spent more time tracing the pattern and cutting out the pieces than I did sewing it (because you do NOT cut O+S patterns--not at that price!!).

I had picked up this fun fabric back in January with no idea what I was going to make with it. I just knew it would turn into something cute for LA and I am very pleased with the results. This pattern runs very true to the sizing chart on the pattern envelope. I made it in a size 18-24 months and it fits LA without alterations (shocking I know).

The pattern is slimmer than your typical toddler patterns so keep that in mind. It works great for us since LA is slimmer than your typical toddler!!

I opted to add topstitching to the neckline/straps as well as around the ruffle where it meets the body of the dress. I think it helps to secure the "parts" and is a nice touch. A sweet friend of mine added the embroidered "L" and I could not be happier with the way it all turned out!

Changes I will make next time are to make the pockets a little bigger. They are really small and it would be easy to increase their size without compromising the dress. I have also seen a few samples online in which ric-rack or piping was added along the princess seams and a contrasting fabric was used to line the pockets and facings.

The small size of the dress comes with a pattern for bloomers as well. In my opinion, these ran a bit on the small size...perfect for LA!

Overall, I loved this pattern and you might see LA in a few versions of it as she grows!!

KCWC: Spring Edition!

2011-05-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

It's that time again! The spring edition of the Kids' Clothing Week Challenge begins next Monday over on Elsie Marley's blog. I'm not sure I will be able to commit to the one sewing hour a day goal, but it is fun to have a challenge!

First Project with My Silhouette

2011-05-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

I know there are some of you out there who cannot believe I have had my Silhouette so long and this is my first project using it. But really, I just haven't had time to sit down with it and play (been too busy sewing I guess).

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and we wanted to include LA's daycare owner, director and assistant director in the "appreciation." As a small token of our gratitude for their love and kindness towards LA, I made these little candles.

It couldn't have been easier and it was sooo inexpensive! I picked up the jar candles from Walmart (they really smell nice and burn much better than expected). The labels peel off so easily too! Can you believe they are only $1 each!?

I selected some fonts and flourishes (all free since the Silhouette will cut any font you have on your computer) and the machine did all the cutting! I used the "frosted glass" vinyl that came with my prize. It is really more of a metallic silver color and it worked great for this project.

Want a Chuckle?

2011-04-29T10:57:00.001-07:00

I grew up with a crafty mom, so I was exposed to a variety of crafty things growing up (cross stitch, painting, sewing, etc.) I was a child of the "Cabbage Patch Age." You know, back when the plastic head ones first came out and you had women wrestling for them in stores. Recently I was visiting my parents and dug out some of my early sewing endeavors. Neither my mom nor I can recall the exact age I was when I sewed these doll clothes, but our best guess is that I was in 3rd-ish grade.

Now, let's have some fun going down memory lane.
Here is a little green gingham romper:

Notice the "precise" button placement (you know, so precise that you can't see the stitching of the Velcro underneath). I am actually impressed that the gingham lines up though! Mom taught me well!

The lining has such straight stitching :) That's LA's hand helping show off the workmanship

Here's the best part. Apparently I made the straps too short the first time so I had to extend them to fit!

Next outfit--A blue jumper--a "Julie" original since you will see there couldn't have been a pattern for this one!:

It seems as if sewing elastic to fabric was a wee bit challenging for me!

Please take a moment to "ooh and ahh" over the hand-stitched hem.

My construction methods were a big more "radical" back in the day (check out that facing!)

On to outfit number 3: A green dress.

This dress was probably the best of the bunch! Not too shabby (but a serger would have helped finish that seam off nicely!)

Finally, the last outfit is a simple skirt. I don't know why I don't have a picture of this uploaded (I'll see if I have one on the camera later), but please notice the seam allowance on that hem!

I can remember being soooooo proud of these outfits. I hope LA will take an interest in crafts and sewing as she grows. She is definitely interested in my sewing machine now!! Must watch for little fingers these days!

Happy Birthday Market Skirt

2011-04-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

You are not going to believe this but tonight I sewed a child's outfit...and it is NOT for LA! Shocking I know :) It is for one of LA's classmates (one of her best buddies in fact) who is celebrating her 2nd birthday this weekend.

The skirt is based on Made's Market Skirt tutorial.

I opted to go without the pockets. They are really cute, but I think that LA's buddy would fill them with mulch on the playground and then NOONE would appreciate my adorable pockets. (I'm not "officially" saying I have seen this child with handfuls of mulch or anything--wink)

The top is from Walmart. I love the little ruffle and gathers. It just goes to show you that clothes don't have to be expensive to be adorable!

Happy Birthday Ari!

Sunkissed Ruffle Bodice Top

2011-04-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Finding short sleeved shirt patterns for little girls is a CHALLENGE! So many of the patterns that are available are sleeveless or have spaghetti straps. I wanted to have a few short sleeved tops in LA's wardrobe this season, so I realized that I was going to have to draft my own pattern. Well, sortof...

I had purchased a top for LA that was just adorable on her. It fit her well so I used it to create my own shirt pattern. Then, I started to modify to (as they would say on American Idol) "make it my own."

I have now dubbed this pattern the "Lily Anne Shirt" (real original I know).

This is view B (see, it sounds more "professional" when you have different views!). The inspiration was the top below (click for link). I liked the ruffle on the bodice, but the price--not so much.

Instead of elastic on the sleeves, I used a coordinating fabric.

I also added a little piping to the ruffle line to give it more emphasis. I love the fabrics! They are both from Moda's Sunkissed line.

The back is constructed the same way as the front--just minus the ruffle and piping. It is closed with pearl snaps (much faster than buttons and perfect for this size neck opening).

(Please ignore the wrinkles...lots of rolling, hugging and playing happened during this photoshoot!)

Spring Outfit #3: The "Serger" Skirt

2011-04-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

This skirt was fun to make because it started out as this charm pack of 5" squares
and turned into this
A serger made this quick work (I would never try this without a serger--too much work).

Since LA is a small 2 year old, I cut down the squares to 4" prior to sewing so that I would be able to showcase more patterns on her small frame.

After serging each row, I topstitched along the seam to add that "extra" touch that helps take it from "home"made to "hand"made.

I embellished a cheap from Walmart with a yo-yo flower and a little hand embroidery to make the outfit complete.

All that is needed is a cute pair of bloomers to hide the diaper and this outfit is done! I just need to decide if I want to go with a cute embroidered bloomer or make one to match the skirt. Decisions, decisions!

This post was updated on 6/17/11 with more photos and Crafterhours Skirt Week button.

Spring Outfit #2: Leah Tunic Top

2011-04-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

LA took a nice long nap today so I was able to make this adorable little top for her since it works up pretty quickly.
I followed the Leah Tunic tutorial from Craftiness is Not Optional. It worked out really well. The only thing I would change is how I drafted the cap sleeve. I don't love the way they lay on LA, but I know how I can alter that if I make it again (which is very likely since it is really an easy pattern).
LA hasn't quite figured out the novelty of pockets yet. I put her hands in them and she would giggle and pull the top over her face. One day she'll realize how fun it is to put thing in them!
I used three fun toys for this outfit: my sewing machine, serger and bias tape maker (but you could easily do it with just a sewing machine). The pants are from yesterday's outfit (love those "mix and match" outfits). I used the same fabric for the bias tape and had a fun sparkly black button to finish it off.
Now, what can I sew up tonight???

Spring is Here!

2011-04-07T05:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a bit quiet on the blog lately. I have really not had a lot of time to craft and sew lately. I have been busy these past few days as I try to whip out some outfits for LA to wear this spring and summer. This is such a fun time for sewing since spring/summer clothes are so adorable and easy to make!
This first outfit gave me more trouble than it should have but mostly because I was sewing late at night (without a pattern) and I tried to make the ruffle around the neckline much more complicated than it needed to be.
Thank goodness for my trusty old seamripper and a good night's sleep. I was able to think more rationally and put the ruffle on quick as a wink! Moral of the story...never sew while tired!
The shorts are shaped from the same pants pattern I always use. I made them a little skinnier to accommodate the skinny little legs of LA. To add a little interest, I added a slit along the side of each hem. This is the first garment I made using my serger. It would make the process much faster if I was actually proficient in using it...alas, that also takes time and practice. Anyone know where I can order up some more time?

I WON!!

2011-03-11T13:52:00.001-08:00

Ok, so the title of this post pretty much gives away the ending, but indulge me as I stretch it out just a little bit!

About three weeks ago I was bombarded by "Silhouette Giveaway" posts in my Google Reader (yes, my preferred way to keep up with my favorite blogs). Some of you might be asking...why is she mentioning silhouettes? Well girlies, it isn't your mama's silhouette...

I'm talking about THIS kind of Silhouette...

It is a personal cutting machine, similar to the Cricut (which we discussed a few posts ago). This particular machine does not require cartridges, but hooks directly to your computer.

Ok, so I entered about 10 of these contests (as I have many times before). I only enter each one once...I don't do the multiple "tweet about it," "follow my sister's cousin's blog," "facebook us" options. Instead, I post my comment and figure that I'll see a few days later that someone won. After all, HUNDREDS of people enter the contests on each of these blogs.

Imagine my SHOCK and SURPRISE when I open my email to discover that....

I WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I kid you not! It took a few minutes for it to sink in and then I squealed and shared my excitement with my husband who did NOT understand enormity of it all. Oh, he was sweet about it, but he didn't really get it.

Boys, sigh...

But you my dear readers, you get it!

It arrived today. I think angels might have sung out a small chorus as I opened the box. No, seriously..I heard them.

Thank you so much to Gail at My Repurposed Life for the awesome prize! If you haven't seen this blog, Gail has some really great ideas! You can even see the post where she announced little old me as the winner!!

I cannot wait to try out my new toy!!!

Ruffler Top

2011-03-05T15:59:00.000-08:00

Recently, I discovered that one of our students' moms and I share a common love of sewing clothing for our little girls. She has a really nice embroidery/applique machine and generously offered to do the Elmo applique for LA's bday outfit. So, when she asked me if I would try to make Whole Grain Baby's Ruffler top for her daughter, I was happy to give it a go.

The pattern was very easy to follow and assemble. It is constructed like a sleeveless peasant top with the addition of a collar.

As is typical for me, I did make a few changes to make the end product a little more aesthetically pleasing :) Since the pattern only had a 1/4" seam allowance throughout, I added 1/4" to the side seams prior to cutting so that I could do french seams. I also did a bias tape finish on the armsythes. I find that it lays better and creates a nicer finish than just folding over twice.

The only issue I really had with the pattern was that it does not offer a length for the elastic that cinches the neckline. It only suggests that you measure it for comfort to the child. This is all well and good, if you have the child nearby (which of course, I did not).

Overall, the top is easy to make and is MUCH cuter when it is actually on the child (I am curious how she likes the ruffle around the neck...you know those 5 year-olds can be persnickety!).

Make Your Own Banner--Without a Cricut!

2011-02-22T04:51:00.000-08:00

On one of the craft forums I frequent, a woman posted a very similar birthday banner and asked if it was possible to make it without a Cricut. Now, for those of you who don't know, a Cricut is a personal cutting device.
Basically, one of the coolest new tools out there--especially for those girls who scrapbook. But it does more than make cute scrapbook stuff...yes, I would love one...someday!

While having a Cricut would certainly make creating a similar banner faster, the truth is, you don't need any special tools at all. Just a pair of scissors, some scrapbook paper (the red dots was regular scrapbook paper, the white is a thin cardstock), a pencil (maybe a computer--but not necessary), a small bowl and some patience--oh and some ribbon.

Here's how I did it. Find a bowl or cup that is the diameter of the center circle (in my case the white circle). My inner circle is approximately 4 inches and the outer is approximately 5.25 inches..

Trace it onto some scrap paper. Fold it in eighths and add scallops to that "pie piece." When you unfold, you will have uniform scallops around your circle. Cut out and use this piece as your template to cut your background scallop circles. Then, take that handy dandy bowl from earlier and trace/cut out your center circle.

Now, I am waaaaaaaaaay to lazy to print out each letter on the computer, transfer it to paper, then cut it out. I get tired just thinking about it. Instead, I wrote the letters out using a pencil and then went over them with my Sharpie. If you aren't comfortable using your own handwriting, or you want a specific font, then you can certainly use the computer to help you :) My letters are approximately 3" tall.

For Elmo (or whatever image you want to use), either draw it out with your pencil or copy/paste the image into a computer program in which you can enlarge (MS word will work just fine). Make it the size you want and print it off. Use this as your template to cut out the pieces.

Assemble all the parts, tie circles together with ribbon and hang!

It is totally possible to do it without purchasing anything other than the paper and ribbons. It takes a little time, but it is an easy project to do at the table while enjoying your favorite tv show.

Here is a photo one I did for LA's first birthday. I used a picture for each month of her first year (now realizing that the photo I took of the banner was taken before I added her "one year" picture). You can visit that post for more details on how I made that banner.

Good luck!

Elmo and Polka Dot Birthday!

2011-02-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Second Birthday Lily Anne!

Ok, so seriously, how on earth did she get to be 2 years old already???

We decided to go with an Elmo theme since Elmo is her favorite dude around (although Barney is creeping up in the ranks). I made her this adorable little top/pants set to go with the party theme.

For the top, I used New Look 6796 view B for with a few modifications. What I love about this pattern is that you can make all of the seams hidden so that it creates a very nice inside finish. A new sewing friend of mine generously did the Elmo applique and made the korker hair bow. The pants are the same homemade pattern I have used so many times before (here, here, here, and here).

Luckily, I planned ahead so that this outfit could be worn as a pant set or alone as a dress. Good thing because the temperature on her party day was in the mid 70's--in FEBRUARY!!). Needless to say, we nixed the pants!

A cute little Elmo banner and red/white polka dotted gift wrap added to the fun!

I made some Elmo cupcakes for her classmates.

I think it is quite obvious that I am NOT a cake decorator!!

Hooray for Birthdays!

Sneak Peek at LA's Birthday Theme

2011-02-12T14:37:00.000-08:00

I'm Still Here...

2011-02-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

I've just been busy! Sadly, less with crafting than with life.

But...I am working on some things for LA's birthday and will reveal them soon!!!!

First Project of 2011!!

2011-01-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

Alright, alright....technically this is my second sewing project of 2011 (but we are not going to discuss the khaki corduroy pants that I made for LA that somehow ended up being WAY too big--no idea what I did). Anyhow, I LOVE this adorable reversible jumper on the Ragsland website. Unfortunately, by the time it was a price I was willing to pay, they were out of LA's size. Soooo...what is a mom to do but make a copy cat! I had not tackled a reversible A-Line jumper before, but it was so easy. I used Simplicity's New Look 6576 as my basis. I have made this jumper twice before:

This is why I have gotten in the habit of tracing out the pattern on freezer paper instead of cutting out the tissue pattern. That way, as LA grows, I can use the pattern in larger sizes (makes the project even cheaper!).

For this jumper, I used the body pieces from the New Look pattern, but did not follow the sewing instructions. Instead, I basically followed the instructions from this tutorial (Part 1, Part 2). I did not finish it quite the same way she did. I hand sewed the turning opening closed and I put my buttons on differently, but the general idea is the same. It really makes creating a reversible a-line jumper easy!

I had a lot of fun making the appliques. I do not have a fancy-dancy embroidery machine, so I just used my trusty zig-zag stitch and am pleased with the outcome. It was easy to add all the embellishments (although the ric-rac took a lot longer to sew on since I went along both edges instead of just straight across). I added a little heart to the back of the Valentine's Day side.

The red corduroy pants are the same home-made pattern I use for all of LA's pants. I love ruffles on little girls' pants :)

Best of 2010

2010-12-30T17:26:00.000-08:00

A lot of craft bloggers are recapping their year in crafting with a "favorites" post, so I thought I would share my Top Five from 2010. There is nothing scientific about these and they are in no particular order...just my favorite projects from the past year :)

It was hard to choose :)

According to my statistics, YOUR favorite project (based on the number of hits the post received) was...

Thanks for your support during 2010! Here's to a CRAFTY New Year!

Roll and Go Playmat

2010-12-27T13:02:00.000-08:00

I found the cutest panel on etsy a few months ago that I thought would make a perfect toy for our nephew since he is really into toy cars and trucks. It is part of Jill Webster's On the Go line.

I paired it with a couple of coordinating fabrics and the entire project took just a few hours over the course of one evening and a naptime.

To make the bias tape, I used the spiral method (described here). It was the first time I've done it that way and to be honest, I am not sure if it really saved all that much time since I had to handcut all the fabric instead of using a rotary cutter. Anyhow, what did save time was using the Simplicity Bias Tape Maker my father-in-law suprised me with this summer. I will never make bias tape the old fashioned way again!

I used a thin layer of quilt batting between the two fabrics and stitched around all the roads, buildings and railroad. I opted not to make a case for the cars. Instead, just toss them in the middle, fold in thirds and roll it up. Easy peasy!
My one regret...I didn't buy TWO panels so I could make one for LA!

Tractor Pants

2010-12-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

This year my 4 year old nephew told Santa that he wanted a John Deere tractor. See how animated they both are during this conversation!

Well, I happen to know that Santa is going to grant the little guy his wish so I decided to make him some pajama pants to go with his new tractors. He lives in central Florida, so I went with cotton instead of flannel.

I had no idea that there were so many John Deere fabrics out there. Hancock Fabrics has an entire line of them! They even have pink for the girls :) Anyhow, I used a pattern I drafted off a pair of jammie pants that my nephew wore at Thanksgiving. It was such a quick project and I have a feeling he will love them!

Handprint Holiday

2010-12-26T14:03:00.000-08:00

Tiny hands are soooo cute--and don't last for long. Last year I decided that I wanted to make some kind of little handprint ornament each year so that I can always remember those tiny little fingers.

Last year I made a very simple handprint on a glass ball. Nothing fancy, but then again, our first Christmas almost took place in the hospital since Lily was sick.

This year, I made these felt ornaments from LA's hands.

I love them :)

Christmas Jammies

2010-12-20T10:30:00.000-08:00

This has been a *&%^ of a project. Seriously. Pajamas are EASY, but these gave me fits. Technically, only LA's top gave me fits. You see, I started with a pattern (first mistake eh?) and trusted it to be sortof accurate on measurements (second mistake) and started sewing late at night so therefor the patience level might not have been its best (third mistake).

Bad idea.

For apparently, a size 1 in this patter was really as wide as a size 4 in ready to wear. Yep, I compared it to the shirt that I bought for my nephew and it was the same width. Ummm...that was not going to work, so I went with plan B.

I took a tshirt I bought LA and made my own top for the jammies. I cut it just under the arms, and added a piece of gathered fabric, some rick rack a couple of buttons. I think the end result ended up pretty cute. The pants are both drafted off of pants that fit my nephew and Lily Anne.

I think the two of them will look pretty darn cute in their matching jammies! Of course, Lily Anne needs a Snugglebutton for her feeding tube to match her jammies. I mean, a girl has to be accessorized!

Legal disclaimer: These jammies were made from material that has printed along the side "Not Intended for Children's Sleepwear" and the original top was made from a pattern that, while found in the "Sleepwear" section of the pattern catalog is "not intended for sleepwear." Yep, I'm a rebel. Just award me "Mom and Aunt of the Year!"

Not My Finest Crafting Moment...

2010-12-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

So my husband comes home this week with a "project." His work decided to have a stocking contest with prizes (all my husband had to hear was "prizes" and he was in).

"Honey, we need to decorate this stocking for a contest--by Friday."

Well, we all know that "WE" means ME.

Sigh...I don't have time to finish all of my to-do's already and now we need this by FRIDAY??? But being a good wifey, I bravely took the stocking and asked for the guidelines. Like a typical guy (love ya' hon) he had ZERO details about the contest. Was it supposed to be tacky? Cute? Something you would actually be proud to hang?

NO DETAILS.

So...we went with tacky :)

And for me, when I think of tacky Christmas, the infamous leg lamp comes to mind. You know the one (although I was shocked to find out that my husband has never seen the movie...seriously?! It only comes on for like 24 hours straight during this time of year...but I digress).

I failed to take a before picture, but the stocking he was given was one of those super cheap felt ones you can get for like, a buck...at most. In other words, not much to work with here people! A little nip here, a little add-on there (UGA fabric for my husband and don't forget the faux fishnets) and I transformed a basic stocking into this lovely creation.

Like I said...not my finest crafting moment, but hopefully it will get a laugh or two at his work (and maybe even a prize)!

Time to Trim the Tree!

2010-11-30T14:47:00.000-08:00

One of the craft boards that I frequent decided to do a handmade ornament exchange this year. There are some amazingly talented women who I would be thrilled to receive an ornament from so deciding to join in on the exchange was a no brainer! The most challenging part was deciding on what type of ornament to make.

My recipient was open to "anything" so it was left to me to narrow it down. When making small projects, I tend to like to try new techniques.

So for this ornament, I decided to make a little felt dove embellished with some very "rustic" embroidery. You see...I know NOTHING about hand embroidery, so I am sure there are many skilled women out there cringing at my technique. I totally snagged idea this from an image I saw on flickr (which, bad me, I cannot find to save my life now). ETA: I found it! I think it turned out pretty cute. Hopefully its recipient will love it!

Santa's Little Helper

2010-11-21T05:48:00.000-08:00

I was commissioned by the big man himself to help work on a special Christmas gift for Lily Anne this year. You know, the guy has a very busy schedule and it is only natural that he would need to use the EXPERTISE of someone like myself to help him finish all of his projects on time. I will say though...his long list of requested handmade wares is a bit daunting :)

Santa found this adorable little memory/matching game while surfing the internet on his time off. Nanann at Nanann's Woogies made the cutest Brown Bear game that I--I mean SANTA--just knew that LA would love! If you check out her site (which you really should because she makes some of the most adorable stuff and her quilts are to die for), she shares that her idea was based off this tutorial. I agreed with Nanann that the edges would NEVER last with an active and inquisitive toddler. So, I followed her advice and satin stitched around the edges. Holy Guacamole, that takes up a boat-load of thread! But, it definitely made for a much nicer finished product!

Hopefully Santa will approve of the workmanship. Of course he will end getting ALL THE CREDIT for this present. Funny how that happens eh?

Christmas Card Time Is Here!

2010-11-11T16:56:00.000-08:00

Time to look forward to finding something else in the mailbox besides bills and junk mail! I love getting Christmas cards from family and friends, especially since so many do photo cards! Last year our Christmas cards were done quickly and were somewhat of an afterthought. I addressed them from the PICU while LA recovered from pneumonia. Fun times I tell you!

This year, we are looking forward to a HEALTHY and DRAMA-FREE holiday and I am already planning the Christmas card photo shoot. No details on my ideas---after all, I don't want to spoil the surprise of my recipients. Shopping around, I found a GREAT deal at Shutterfly on photo cards! Great quality for a great price can't be beat! Now the big decision is which one to go with. There are so many cute ones!!

I will probably make a photo calendar this year since we literally live by the one on our fridge, so why not have a cute one?! I might even do an ornament while I'm at it. Seriously, you could do a lot of damage on that site.

If you are a blogger, you can get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly. Click here to sign up!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

So, were you able to figure out LA's costume based on these color clues?

LA's costume this year was totally inspired by...

HER HAIR!

Seriously!

Meet our little Pebbles!

The top of her costume was made using Butterick 5439 (modified only for width to create a more appropriate fit). The pants are my favorite "homemade" pattern. I shirred the bottom of the legs to make them look a little more like bloomers (since it was a bit too chilly for that look!).

A felt hair"bone" finished off the look!

Easy to make and wear!
Happy Halloween!

KNITS!

2010-10-13T11:22:00.001-07:00

I have been desperately intimidated at the thought of sewing knit fabric for a while, but kids clothes SCREAM for knits! I love this little outfit from McCalls (6152).

It reminds me of several play outfits LA had last fall and winter from Carters. The overall pattern looked simple enough, so I finally took the plunge!

The pattern is very easy and comes together pretty quickly. I didn't read a lot of the instructions, just referred to the pictures and basic understanding of garment construction. I made view B with just two modifications.

I added a stripped strip of trim to accent the neckline and used snaps instead of buttons as closures.

I learned a lot about working with knits with this top and now I want a serger more than ever!

(Can you believe this is a child who had major surgery just 5 days ago?)

So Soft Corduroy Overalls

2010-10-12T03:11:00.000-07:00

I love overalls on little kids! They look so adorable romping around in them and you can't beat them for fit when you have a skinny-waisted child! I bought the pattern for these overalls last fall (Butterick 4966), but knew that I would have to wait for LA to grow into the sizing. Well, she is finally big enough to make them without making major alterations (or so I thought)!!

The fabric is by Robert Kaufman. It is 21 wale corduroy and is AMAZINGLY soft. LA is big into "feeling" fabrics when we go to the store, so I know she will love this one!

I made SEVERAL alterations to the original pattern (which is VERY poorly written and sized). I added snaps to the inseam so that diaper changing would not require the entire outfit to come off. Seriously, who designs these patterns? Obviously someone who doesn't have to change diapers. Actually, on a craft board I frequent, a poster shared that most of the patterns by the Big Four (McCalls, Vogue, Simplicity, and Butterick) are written by computer programs, so it is no surprise that they are not always logical!

Another modification I made was in the shoulder ruffle. The pattern called for a single piece of fabric to be hemmed at the edge. I didn't want to see the underside of the fabric, so I made it so that the ruffle is one pieces that is "self lining" if you will. I am surprised the pattern did not do it this way anyhow considering the entire bodice is self lined. Oh well. I ended up doing the same with the leg ruffles.

The sizing on this outfit is WAAAAAAAAAAY off! According to the packaging, LA should fit nicely in a size 1. I don't know what crazy system of measuring they used, but the original is HUGE! The bodice fits great! Then you get to the "pants" part and it all falls apart. The armholes were way too big and the length was made for a 3 year old. Luckily, those are easy alterations to make after you have already sewn and then try it on only to see your child swimming in the outfit. My only sad part...my nice, beautiful armholes now are not as nicely lined. Oh well...just don't look at my kid's pits ok?

I also had to modify the zipper in the back. The pattern called for a 12" zipper, but I could only find a 9" zipper in dark brown. That was a very easy fix and quite honestly, 12" was not necessary at all!

In the end, it turned out very cute, even after giving me a few headaches along they way. Will I make it again? Probably. After all, I am a sucker for overalls and ruffles!!

Watercolor Pups

2010-09-25T04:46:00.000-07:00

I painted these portraits of our dogs several years ago. I haven't shared them before and thought it might be nice to have a break from all the sewing posts!

This is Baxter and was actually painted for a graduate school assignment.

This one is Sadie (who has since passed) and was a gift for one of my husband's birthdays.

Now, the trick as to how I did them. I tried, but was unable to draw the dogs realistically enough...so I cheated. I enlarged a photo of each of them, printed it off, then lightly traced it onto the watercolor paper. After that, it was more like the old-fashioned paint by number. Shh-don't tell!

KCWC Day 4-5 (aka: Project RunAway)

2010-09-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Oh my....

This is getting challenging!

No, not the picking out of fabric, cutting the pattern, sewing the parts.

That is all EASY!

The hard part?

Fitting my model!

The child is on the move and it seems to hit hyper mode when I put clothes on her to size. Hemming pants? Much more challenging when your model is running across the room. Figuring out the length of the sleeves? Next to impossible when your model insists on raising her hands over her head and crawls away!

Somehow the designers on Project Runway don't have to deal with this. I think they should have to fit fashions to toddlers. Now that would be a good elimination challenge! Move over Project Runway. At my house, we have Project RunAway!!!

The funny part is, LA thinks it is the most hilarious thing when I am chasing her to fit her clothes. She is giggling, dropping to the floor and rolling, squealing...and I can't help but laugh. But, we'll see who's laughing when she ends up with Urkle pants and uneven sleeves. Just sayin...

Ok, enough rambling! For KCWC Day 4 (technically days 3-5), I finally gathered the courage to make a top without a pattern (just using this tutorial). Guess what? Peasant tops are EASY!!! I made a muslin prototype first and figured out what adjustments needed to be made to fit my LA. A pair of pants in coordinating fabric completes the outfit!

KCWC Day 3

2010-09-23T05:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I spent nap time drafting out and sewing a prototype of a peasant top for LA. I based it off the tutorial found at Indietutes. I plan to make a few changes to the proportions and work on a top today :) I am really amazed by women who create their own patterns. It is certainly not an easy task and takes a lot of patience!! Hopefully I will have a picture to post later today.

KCWC Day 2

2010-09-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

I got in another hour (plus) of sewing this evening after LA went to bed. I sewed the top of her Halloween costume so, other than one accessory I need to make, it is done! The only hitch I had was in accidentally cutting through the threads on one of the button holes...grr! You'll have to wait on pictures until the entire ensemble is complete :) But, I'll give you one little hint--a color hint.

KCWC ---What???

2010-09-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

KCWC...come on...you know that stands for Kids Clothes Week Challenge (duh!).

Elsie Marley is challenging participants to create clothes for kids for one hour every day for 7 days. Since I have a pile of "to do" projects on my list and a whole week off, I'm giving it a try. Even if I can't do an hour a day, I figure I can get in 7 hours over the course of the week. I started off yesterday by making the reversible team pinafore and the bottoms for LA's Halloween costume (to be revealed later). Tonight I hope to get the top to her costume completed. Seven straight days of crafting! Here goes!!

A Top for ALL Teams (KCWC Day 1)

2010-09-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

Day 1
You can call this a "House Divided Outfit" or a "Who Changes the Diaper Wins" outfit :) In a home where mom and dad do not agree on which team to root for, the child is stuck in the middle and ends up with more collegiate wear than necessary (after all, the only two colors she REALLY needs are orange and blue---but I digress).

I whipped together this adorable reversible pinafore so that she could support both teams at the same time.

So, which side is on the outside? Easy. The parent that changes the diaper can show their school pride! See...it is a win-win situation. One parent is happy because Lily sports their school colors. The other parent is happy because they didn't have to change a stinker!

I modified this pattern so that it would fit LA and not have buttons. Really, this is probably a more accurate pattern, but you go with what you've got sometimes! It took less than an hour to finish and I love it! It is the perfect "year round" top as it can be worn alone, with a short sleeve shirt , or with a long sleeve turtleneck. I have plans for some "bottoms" to go with it...but you'll have to wait for another post.

Now, I'm off to change a diaper :)

Bows for BIG girls!

2010-09-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

One of our relatives purchased some ribbon with the intent of making hair bows for her six year old granddaughter. After a few tries, she realized that making hair bows was not her thing and passed the ribbon on to me for LA. Well, I decided to give making "big girl" hair bows a try so that Kayla could have her bows after all! I tried a couple of different methods. I especially like the loopy ones. I don't think that they read my craft blog, but if so...Suprise Sandra and Kayla! These will be in the mail for you this week!!

Now for my crafty confession. I am not sure that I actually enjoy making hairbows. I can certainly make them cheaper than I can purchase them, but if it is a chore, is it worth it? Something to think about!

Game Day!

2010-09-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for some football?? LA is!

Every proper southern girl must have her game day outfits. LA is "lucky" enough to live in a house divided so she gets not one, but TWO game day wardrobes. Of course, the orange and navy looks much better on her :)

Baxter tried to claim the Auburn outfit for himself. I convinced him that he was much to "manly" to wear ruffles :)

The Auburn outfit is a pair of long pants with ruffles. I found a pair of pants that fit LA really well and drafted a pattern from them. Now I can custom fit them to her inseam and waist. Finally...pants that FIT!! The helmet was attached using heat-n-bond and then stitching around the edge to secure it.

The UGA outfit is a modified pillowcase dress turned romper. I actually began with the same pants pattern I used for the Auburn outfit. When I cut the fabric, I extended the center seam to go up to her collar bone (of course, adding enough fabric to turn the casing). Another modification I made was to add snaps to the inseam/crotch so that diaper changing would be easy.

My favorite part is the "back view" of this outfit. I don't know why, but it just makes me smile!

Happy Football Season!!

WAR EAGLE!!!

Crochet Pinafore

2010-09-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

I just love this crochet pinafore pattern. I love it so much I have made it a few times (you might remember this and this).

This year's challenge was to resize it to fit a growing toddler. It wasn't too hard to do, however, I might have made it just a bit too big. Not so bad that it is unwearable, but if I were to make it again, I would do a couple things differently so it would fit LA better. Live and learn eh?

So, what did I do? First and foremost, instead of using sport weight yarn, I used Bernat Satin Solids (in rouge) which is a worsted weight yarn. I used about 1.5 skeins. I did not change the hook size.

I needed the bodice to be longer and a little wider before forming the armholes, yet I did not need the shoulders to be extended nearly as much.

I added 10 ch to the original ch (increase from 40-50). This will result in adding 2 to each of the dc numbers in the original pattern.

Example (original in black, changes in red):
Ch 40 (50)
Row 1. Dc in 3rd ch from hook and in next 3 (5) chs, 3dc (corner made), Dc in next 7 (9)chs, 3dc (corner made),dc in next 11 (13), 3dc (corner made), Dc in next 7 (9), 3dc (corner made), Dc in last 5 (7). Ch 3 turn. 47 dc (57 dc)

The other major change I made was to use hdc for the shoulders instead of dc beginning on row 2. I also modified the corners. As I was "entering" a shoulder, my corner was 2dc,1hdc in same stitch. As I "left" a shoulder it was reversed 1hdc,2dc.

Example
Row 2. Dc in next 5dc (7), CORNER(2dc, hdc), hdc in next 9 (11), CORNER (hdc, 2dc), dc in next 13 (15), CORNER(2dc, hdc), dc in next 9(11), CORNER(hdc, 2dc). dc in last 6 (8) sts. Ch 3, turn.

I continued this pattern (increasing the number of dc and hdc on each row as necessary. I also extended it for two additional rows (so the pattern's "row 5" was my "row 7"). I then completed the pattern as written (of course, modifying the numbers to fit my new pattern). The only other change I made was to use 2 buttons to close the back instead of a tie.

If I had to guess, I would say this is probably around an 18 month size. It is hard for me to tell since my daughter is on the smaller size for her age.

So, the inevitable question. What would I have done differently? Since LA is a skinny little minnie, I would have changed the proportion of the original "neck." I would make the shoulders as wide (from front to back) as these modifications made it, but probably reduced the front/back fo the neck (shoulder to shoulder) by at least one shell each. I am always altering her clothes to make them slimmer so why should this be any different? Besides, it gives me an excuse to make another one!!!

Carter's Pillowcase

2010-08-29T16:07:00.000-07:00

I finally had a chance to deliver Carter's special pillowcase on Friday. I had to be discreet. After all, he is in THIRD grade and I wasn't sure if it would be "cool" to get a present from your former KINDERGARTEN teacher :) So, I left it on his desk while he was out of the room. I received the sweetest email from his mom letting me know that Carter LOVED his pillowcase and it is now one of his "good luck charms." I'm was thrilled by his reaction and love that such a little thing can still make a 9 year old happy.

Carter has to go to the clinic next week for a spinal tap and is going to hand deliver the rest of the pillowcases to the other kids that are there on that day.

You can read one of my previous posts to learn more about Craft Hope and ConKerr Cancer. It is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, so let's do all we can to make it extra special for these kids!

Pillowcases for Craft Hope!

2010-08-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

By now, you know that one of my favorite charity groups to work with is Craft Hope. Seriously, if you are a crafter, this is a group you need to become familiar with! Well, as I shared with you a couple of weeks ago, their newest project teams them up with ConKerr Cancer an organization that collects handmade pillowcases for children undergoing cancer treatments.

This project really touched home for me for a couple of reasons. I already shared with you how my very own LA received one of the special pillowcases when she was in the PICU last December. I also have a special little buddy, Carter, who was diagnosed with Leukemia while in my Kindergarten class a few years ago. He is doing great, but is still in the treatment phase. It was hard to see a once vibrant little guy literally hit the wall during those early days. Of course, you would never know it now...his spunk and energy are sky high again!

So, in honor of Carter, thankfulness for LA, and just loving to craft, I whipped out 6 pillowcases for the cause. Why 6? Well, 6 is the average age of my students and I figured it was a good number :) Five cases will be given to the ConKerr cancer organization. The 6th...well...I think I'll hand deliver that to my own special buddy :)

My class theme is bumblebees, so of course, I had to make Carter a bumblebee pillowcase. The UGA one was a bit painful to make (WAR EAGLE), but my husband picked out the fabric for me as I dragged him through Joanns and how could I argue (after all, he did go in the store with me)!

For those of you considering making a pillowcase, I seriously recommend the "hot dog" method described on the ConKerr Cancer website. SOOOOO easy and quick! Ok...now how many are YOU going to make?

All Good Things Must End

2010-07-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

My time for crafting is coming to a screetching halt.

Sad, but true.

Why you ask?

Three reasons:

My favorite little busybody makes daytime crafting impossible :)

I go back to work...tomorrow (eek).

By the end of the month, one of these will be in our front yard.

I can't go cold turkey, but I just won't have as much time (or energy) to craft as much as I have this summer.

Keep checking in with me though...I'm still here!

Dramatic Reinactment

2010-07-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

Me in the store:

"Simplicity patterns for 99 cents! Let me see what I can find!"

Thumb through the catalog. Find this pattern}

"Hmmm...this is cute, but I really only like the shirt."
{mentally debate if I really NEED this pattern or not}
"Aw shucks. It's only a buck. I'll buy it and whip it up for my sweet LA."
{skip to the checkout at Hobby Lobby--ok, I really didn't skip}
{arrive home}

Fast forward several days
{remove pattern from packaging and debate what size to make it. Decide to go with smaller size based on weight recommendations--thank goodness I did}
{trace and cut out pattern pieces}
{begin sewing}

"@&^%&!!"
{continue sewing}
"*&&*&^%# #$#$^&@@!!"
{for some reason, continue sewing}
{give up for the evening and contemplate just trashing the entire thing}

Next morning:
{insanely decide to persevere}
"*&&*&^%# #$#$^&@@!!"
{Finally finish}

And scene.

Sooo...can you tell how much I "enjoyed" this pattern? Let's just say, if I were to ever make it again, there are so many things I would change! I did make a few modifications on this one as it is, but there are even more I would do next time.

Had it not been past 9 pm when I started sewing, I might have thought through the pattern better and foreseen some of the "bad planning" that Simplicity made. Oh well. In the end, it actually turned out pretty cute!

I made some capris to go with it. I did not use the pattern from the package. Instead, I used a pattern that I drafted from a pair of pants that actually fit LA. They are a little wide for capris, but since it is not a knit fabric, she needed the extra room for moving around.

Baxter is my quality control man.

Craft Hope: Project 9

2010-07-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

Craft Hope has just announced their 9th project and this is a quick, easy and special one! They have teamed up with ConKerr Cancer to collect handmade novelty pillowcases for children undergoing cancer treatments. The best part...your donation will go to your local children's treatment center!

Last December, Lily was hospitalized in the PICU with pneumonia. In addition to the special handmade quilt that graced her bed, the nurses also brought around special holiday pillowcases (from ConKerr Cancer) to help make the rooms a little "merrier." While LA was too young to enjoy the special touches, it did make the room a bit less sterile which sure helped mom and dad!

Craft Hope has lots of ideas on how to help, so even if you can't sew, you can participate. To learn more about the project and find out how you can help, visit the Craft Hope website.

So, I lied...

2010-07-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

Liar, liar, pants on fire--that's me! Less than 2 weeks ago, I publicly announced that had made the last summer outfitfor LA. Well...I LIED! I "found" some fabric I forgot I had, and it seemed like such a waste to let it sit there in the drawer all lonely and unused. Plus, it has been so stinkin' hot here lately, that I realized that LA NEEDED another shirred romper. Really, she NEEDED it. What did you want me to do? Let my child suffer? I have no idea when or why I bought this fabric, but apparently I bought 2 yards of it, so you will see it again at some point. I even found some fabric that coordinates with it in my stash. I should "shop" my own fabric more often :)

My romper was originally inspired by Made by Rae's Baby Sunsuit. As with the cherry romper, this I changed the bottom completely so that it would fit Lily better (since Rae's does not fit my long skinny kid). My husband requested a snap closure on this outfit instead of buttons. Since I have gotten over my fear of snaps, it was a "snap" to oblige! I tried out a new technique for using ribbon to turn the straps that I learned on another blog. It worked out great and allowed me to have skinny little straps!
I'm not even going to pretend that I am done with the summer sewing--but I can justify it now. It DOES stay pretty warm here for a few more months! Oh, don't worry, I have already started buying fabrics and patterns for fall!!

(Just a little puppy love! )

Little Birdie Doorstop

2010-07-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

LA's nursery needed a doorstop (since her door likes to close when the AC kicks on). Of course, it needed to fit her bird theme and Lollychop's Wendy the Bird was the perfect pattern! I sewed a packet of aquarium gravel and added it along with the stuffing to add some weight. Quick and easy project--and, yes, it does work!

One Last Summer Outfit

2010-07-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

Making clothes for LA has become my latest "addiction." It is so fun, quick and satisfying (not to mention, I can make clothes that actually FIT my lean little girl). But, all good things must come to an end. After all, she REALLY does not need any more summer clothes! Oh, but don't think I am giving up sewing clothes cold-turkey. Nope. Now I am shifting my focus to finding patterns, tutorials and fabric for FALL clothes!!! Imagine, pants that fit in the length AND waist!!!

Remember this little project and the fabric I fell in love with?

I had some left over--just enough for Prudent Baby's Toddler Snap Top!

The top was pretty easy to make and I did not have to make any modifications for it to fit LA (BONUS!). I used pearlized snaps for the first time (easy peasy) and made just a couple of topstitching modifications in the armholes to make them lay better.

The pants I made using a pair that Lily has. I am not loving them, but they fit ok. Pants are not the easiest and I think I need more practice before I tackle full length pants.

(I love this picture..she dropped the star and couldn't figure out for a minute where it went!)

And, as always, no outfit is complete without a hair bow (not to mention that LA's bangs are getting so long they need to be pulled back). I made two different flower clips. For the rose, I just took a length of fabric folded in half and rolled, squished, sewed, squished, rolled until it looked sortof like a flower :) I am sure you can find a tutorial out there if you are really interested in making one.

For this next one, I used A Little of This and That's fabric flower tutorial.

Speaking of bows, I also made a different one to go with the yellow pillowcase bubble romper. I don't know why I didn't think to make a yo-yo clip before! It is perfect for this outfit!!

Ok, now I seriously have to stop sewing summer clothes!!

Toys, Softies, and other Kiddo Stuff

2010-07-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

So we have our clothing link list, and now it is time to start another link list :) This one is for toys, softies, blankies, and anything else for the baby/toddler age. Feel free to add your favorites please!

Pillowcase Bubble Romper

2010-07-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

Last night I made this pillowcase bubble romper for LA. Super easy and so cute!! The top part is made in a traditional pillowcase dress style. Instead of two separate ribbons that tie on each shoulder, I sewed a length of fabric and thread it through the front and the back so that it only ties on one shoulder. I made the bottom part just like I did for the cherry bubble (this time using snaps). I want you to "ohh and ahhh" over the bias tape I made BY HAND. I don't even have one of those little bias tape tools. Just me and my iron (let's just say it is "hot" business). Now I am lusting after one of these: Maybe Santa will bring one :) Check out Prudent Baby's demonstration and you will see why I am in love *swoon*

And of course, no outfit would be complete without a matching bow! I am laughing at the face LA is making in this picture. It reminds me of the fake smiles that my Kindergartners always give on picture day. Guess they learn the "art" early!
ETA (7/14/10): I made another "bow" for this outfit. I don't know why I didn't think to make a yoyo clip before! It is PERFECT for this romper!

Tu Tu Cute

2010-07-06T17:40:00.000-07:00

I made this tutu a couple of weeks ago for Samster Mommy's Tutu Drive (remember this post?), but have been so busy, that I forgot to blog about it. It is super simple to make. There are a kazillion tutorials for "no sew" tutus out there so I won't go into great detail, but here are the highlights on how I made mine.

Grab yourself some 1/2inch wide elastic (see table for length) and 2 spools of purple tulle

Child's Size	.5	1	2	3	4	5	6	6X
Waist(inches)	19	19.5	20	20.5	21	21.5	22	22.5

Sew the elastic into a loop. Cut the tulle into 15" long pieces. Gather 2-3 lengths of tulle together and fold them in half. Tie the bundle around the elastic by pulling the pulling the ends through the loop. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

One tip that made it easier is to pull the elastic up around your thigh while adding the tulle. If you don't want to sew at all, you can also use a length of ribbin (long enough to tie into a pretty bow) instead of elastic.

See, I told you it was easy!

Grab a Button!

2010-07-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

It's official! We have a button!

I Heart Faces: Pets

2010-06-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

Another photography contest :) The theme: Pets. This one is "vintage" (shot with my old point and shoot), but it is one of my all time favorites of Baxter. (Click on photo for larger version)

Baby and Toddler Clothing Patterns

2010-06-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

There are soooo many adorable patterns and tutorials on the internet for baby/toddler clothing. I am going to share some of the ones I have saved in my favorites. Will you add ones you enjoy and we can all have fun sewing!

I got on the podium!

2010-06-26T17:05:00.001-07:00

Remember this little photo that I entered into Trendy Treehouse's Shutter Love Tuesdays Contest?

Well, it placed third!!!!!!!! Seriously!!!!!!!

I didn't win anything--it's about pride baby! Yippee!!

Tutus for Charity

2010-06-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

I just ran across one of the sweetest ideas for a charity project I have ever seen. The Princess Alexa Foundation collects dress-up clothes for seriously ill children so they can take a "mental break" and enjoy being kids. The Foundation was established by the parents of a little girl who passed away after a battle with cancer. During her treatments, she would dress up and quickly became known as "Princess Alexa."

Samster Mommy is promoting a Tutu Drive to help supply the foundation. She is trying to collect 100 tutus. If you are interested in participating, click on the Tutu Drive button above for details. Now, how hard is it to make a tutu??

A "Bubble" Full of Cherries!

2010-06-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Oh I love sunsuits, or as we call them in our house, Bubbles! When I ran across this cute bubble tutorial on Made by Rae, I knew it was something I had to make. After all, it was a cute little romper AND it used a shirring technique with elastic thread that I was interested in trying.

I had actually bought some cute cherry fabric earlier this spring to make a different romper, but never got around to it. So, I followed Rae's directions to the letter and...

It didn't fit right. Not even close.

Sigh....

I have a long and skinny girl and the romper ended up being too short and way too loose and don't even get me started on how strangely the crotch and leg openings fit her. Now, LA does not have a typical 16 month old's chunky thighs and belly, so I don't blame Rae's pattern for the issues. In fact, I am going to pass it along to another baby that has a little more bulk than LA--maybe it might fit her!

Ok, back the story. I was determined to make a bubble romper. Luckily, I had more than enough fabric left over to give it another try. This time, however, I morphed the Rae pattern with ideas from other rompers LA already has. Instead of making the arch inseam as Rae did, I used this shape.

I created a casing around each leg opening so that I could use elastic instead of shirring (since the shirring did not close the leg opening enough for LA's skinny legs). For the shirring around the chest, I spaced the rows approximately 1/4" apart and did 10 rows (give or take).

Instead of snaps, I did a button closure (but only because I was finishing it up at 11:30 pm and did not have any more snaps on hand). For the straps, I secured two lengths of ribbon. Originally, I made them so they would tie on her shoulders. Then I discovered 2 problems:

Have you ever tried to tie straps on a wiggly toddler?
About 1 minute after they were tied, LA "discovered" them and began to UNTIE them and chew the ribbon.

In the end, this romper took WAY more time than it ever should have, but I did discover and learn several things and know what I will do differently the next time I make one.I must say, on a side note, my model is becoming increasingly more difficult to work with. I think she might be turning into a bit of a diva. Apparently she doesn't "do" grass!
,

A Father's Love

2010-06-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

Since I didn't get laughed off last week, I have decided to once again participate in "Shutter Love Tuesdays." theme this week is "A Father's Love." It was really hard to pick just one photo for this week. I have so many of LA and her daddy together, but this is one of my favorites.

There is a little "backstory" to this picture. In the summer, Justin likes to grill (and I don't mind either because it sure is nice to have some help with dinner). While he grills, LA waits at the door and watches him. It is really sweet--her own little vigil of sorts. Every so often, he comes up to the door and the two of them "play." This particular evening, LA kept pressing her lips against the glass to kiss her daddy, and of course, he kissed her back!

Smile!

2010-06-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

Another "craft" I am intersted in is photography. I am a long way from proficient, but I do enjoy practicing. The Trendy Treehouse has a fun contest on Tuesdays appropriately named "Shutter Love Tuesdays." There are a lot of amazing photographers who enter with killer skills...and then today, there is me :) I am entering for the first time and I just hope people don't laugh too much at my attempt. The theme this week is "Smiles."

There are many technical things wrong with this photograph. LA's hat is blown out. She is slightly out of focus. I am sure my exposure is off...but I LOVE the smiles in this one. LA can't get enough of her daddy and truth be told, he can't get enough of her either. Love my babies!!!!

The Cutest Rags That Will Ever Be Ruined :)

2010-06-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

"Not to hurt the creatures brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission--to be of service to them wherever they require it." — Saint Francis

As I posted about earlier, Craft Hope is collecting hand-made rags to help aid in the Gulf Coast clean-up efforts. Many crafters are upcycling old towels, sheets, clothes they had on hand. Since we didn't have any, I ran by Walmart and got a package of cheap washcloths (I think they were $4 for 20 of them).

I have wanted to try my hand at applique with my sewing machine for some time, but had not had a particular project that I was ready to experiment with. Hmmm...Craft Hope needs washcloths, I need practice with applique...I guess you know what came next.

Applique towels!

Sure, they are going to get ruined in like 5 minutes, but even an oil soaked animal and its caregiver deserve to have a cute towel right?! Besides, it gave me a great opportunity to practice applique and I learned a LOT by making so many towels (I also learned that my sewing machine probably needs to be serviced soon).

I made a few with the Craft Hope bird logo, hearts, Christian Fish, and stars. In the end, I am donating 22 towels to the cause.

Do you have old towels or sheets hanging around your house? You can cut them up and donate them to the project. They don't have to be cute--I promise!

“We can not do great things. We can only do little things with great love.” — Mother Teresa

Spreading the word through:

Hooded Towel

2010-06-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hooded bath towels are great, but they are usually way too small and thin. There are a MILLION tutorials on the internet for making them. I morphed a few ideas together to make this:

I used a full bath towel and part of a hand towel (probably about half, but I messed up with a cut so I had to use more than necessary). To make the hood, I used a Pottery Barn Kids hoodie that Lily has as a template. It is basically a half oval for the back and then a "rim" to make the hood. I added ribbon to the rim of the hood and along the two edges of the towel--about 9 yards worth.

Bring on the Fourth!

2010-06-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

TWO posts in ONE day--it's just too crazy!

Summer is here and for me, that means more time to craft!! LA takes a nice afternoon nap and I hope to get in several of those "when I have time to craft" projects done. Today's project was a dress for the Fourth of July.

It all started when I saw this dress at Janie and Jack and fell in love...but not in love with the ~~$54.00~~ $42.99 (its on sale) price tag.

I loved the madras and actually contemplated how hard it would be to make my own madras fabric. Then reality set in--I was never going to devote that much time for a "fun" dress. I was shopping at Joanns and found a very similar (albeit larger block) fabric! I snatched up a yard and some ribbon and in less than an hour, I made this pillowcase dress.

It lacks a few of the same details as the original, but for a mere fraction of the price, I am pleased (plus, it was fun to make).

My model was less than cooperative for this photo I must say.

I also ordered some ADORABLE embroidered bloomers from Judy Bag Company on Etsy. They turned out so cute and will look great with the dress. I think I am going to shorten the length of the dress a little so that the adorable bloomers show (and to make crawling a bit easier).

Bring on the fireworks...we are ready!

I am participating in:

Refacing a Handprint

2010-06-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

LA's daycare teacher made a very cute handprint gift for Mother's Day. One little thing--the bright pink did not go with anything in our house. I knew I wanted to display the handprint, so I went to work.

I began by painting over the pink. It took a little work since the pink had bled into the handprint portion. After I decided on the chocolate brown, the white hand looked too bright, so I watered down some taupe paint and put a light wash on the hand. Using dark brown DMC thread, I stitched her name on the fabric (which is actually a very cheap placemat from Target). To finish the project, I stretched the fabric over the backing of the shadowbox (Walmart--less than $5) and VOILA!

Aw shucks! My very first blog award

2010-06-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Project Balancing Act for thinking enough of my little blog to share this award with me. The author is a regular on a couple of photography boards I frequent (it is nice to know that I am not the only one reading my blog!). You really should check out Project Balancing Act. It is full of fun posts--I LOVE the tie-dyed crib sheet her husband made. She is also very inspirational with her "Fix It Friday" photography edits. Sigh...one day I'll learn how to edit. Thanks again for the award!

Now, apparently one of the rules is to give this award on to 10 more blogs. Oh, the choices! There are sooo many great blogs out there so it is hard to pick. I am going to go with a few that you might not know about and perhaps you will enjoy them as much as I do.

In no particular order:

Craft Hope: You had to KNOW this would be one!
Craft Fail: A place to celebrate your "not-so-successful" craft endeavors
Crafting Chicks: A group of moms who have some fun craft ideas
Oops, I Craft My Pants: I love the blog title!
Sew Chic: A mom and daughter pair who make the cutest kids clothes
Pickup Some Creativity: A SYTYCC competitor!
Sisters' Stuff: Sisters who have some cute craft ideas (and a weekly meal menu!)
Prudent Baby: Lots of kid oriented crafts
You Go Girl!: "Fun Stuff for You and the People You Love"
Copy Cat Chic: Not exactly crafts, but it is amazing the knock-off stuff this lady finds!

And a BONUS winner...From An Igloo: I just discovered her sight recently and it has so many fun kids clothes!

So, if you are one of my "awardees" just follow these "rules" to accept your award and bequeath your own!

Post about the award in your blog
Link the award to Trendy Treehouse
Award 10 other blog with this badge, who will do the same, in turn!

Thanks again Project Balancing Act for my first award!

Craft Hope Project 8: Helping Clean Up the Oil

2010-06-04T05:07:00.001-07:00

Craft Hope has announced their 8th project and this time, they are working closer to home. As individuals, there is not a lot we can do to help minimize the impact of the oil spill in the gulf, but if we all work together, we can do a little more! Craft Hope is collecting handmade rags to aid in the cleanup efforts in the Gulf. It might not sound like a lot, but every little bit helps!

Please visit the newly redesigned Craft Hope website for more details. Make sure you read through the comments section as there is more information there as well. I'll post my rags soon...

Bean Bags for Craft Hope

2010-04-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

As I posted yesterday, Craft Hope is collecting educational beanbags for the Liberian Orphan Education Project. Today, I completed a set of numbered beanbags to send. Technically, they are "Aquarium Gravel" Bags since the bags could not be stuffed with food products :)

The bags were super easy to make! I cut fabric into 6" squares. On each square I painted a number 0-9. I made a set of blue numbers, a set of red numbers as well as the operations symbols (+ - / x). Next, put a blue number with a red number (making sure they are not the same number) and sew along three sides. Clip the corners and turn. I put 2/3 cup of gravel into each bag. Turn in the edges of the open side and sew closed. My idea was to topstich around all the edges, but my machine was not cooperating after two of the bags, so I ditched that plan.

To make the storage bag, I just used a hand towel I picked up in the clearance section of Walmart today. I sewed the sides together and turned. Then I ran ribbon through the top (it was already a small "pocket") and it was done. Very durable and washable!

As soon as my free flat rate boxes arrive from the USPS, the bags will be on their way!

Maybe you can make a set to donate!

Craft Hope Project 7

2010-04-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

Craft Hope has another project that I will be able to participate in! As you will recall, I participated in Craft Hope's Doll Project (#2) as well as their Booties and Beanies Project (#3). Unfortunately, I have not had time to participate in projects 4-6, so I am happy to be involved again (time seems to be short when you have a toddler and a full time job!)

This time, Craft Hope is doing something that touches both my crafty side as well as my educator side: BEAN BAGS! You know the kind we use in school---ones with letters, numbers, shapes, colors, etc. on them. I have four sets in my classroom right now! I won't go into too many details here, but I do hope you will go to the Craft Hope website and learn about the children in Liberia, West Africa who will benefit from this project.

I am making a set of numbers 0-9 as well as the operation signs. The fabric is cut and the letters/symbols have been painted. All that is left is to sew and stuff and of course, MAIL by the deadline!!!

Bunny Bow

2010-04-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

Now that LA has enough hair to hold most styles of clips, I am experimenting with some "fun" bows. I followed this tutorial to make this bunny bow. Pretty cute eh?

Birthday Banner

2010-01-31T12:14:00.000-08:00

Somebody's first birthday is just around the corner. We are not having a big birthday bash (I think those are more for the parents and gifts. She doesn't need the gifts and we-the parents-don't need the attention), but we will celebrate with our immediate family so I wanted to make a few special things for the big day.

The first project, a birthday banner, is complete. I used a picture from each month of her first year (including newborn) and I will add her 12 month picture closer to the day. It didn't take a lot of time and I think it turned out super cute!

To make this:

4 sheets of deocorative 12"x12" scrapbook paper (you will not use all of it, but I wanted four different patterns)
2 sheets of solid colored 12"x12" scrapbook paper
13 photos of your child
Spool of 1/4" ribbon
Adhesive of some kind
Utility knife or Exacto knife
Tape

First, determine the size circles you wish to make. I was real "scientific" and used a cup, coaster, and the spool of ribbon as my three concentric circles. The photos are roughly 3 1/4" in diameter. I cut 13 circles approximately 3 5/8" in diameter from the solid purple paper. From the deocorative paper, I cut 13 circles approximately 4 1/8" in diameter.

Adhere the three circles (decorative, solid, photo) together. I used double sided tape since that is what I found in the craft closet first). Cut slits on each side of the "stack" about 1/4 of the way down. You do not want them to be in the middle because your photos will flip from the weight (ask me how I know this).

String all the photos onto the ribbon. Space them out to fit your mantle (or whatever space you are hanging the banner) and secure the position with a little bit of tape on the backside. See, easy peasy!

Craft Hope Project 6

2010-01-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

I just don't think I can find the time for this project (with LA's birthday, report cards, conference week, and a week of dr. appointments coming up), but maybe you can participate! Craft Hope is asking for red knit or crochet scarves for foster teens going to college. Click on the Craft Hope Button above and read all the details. They even have a cute (and free) knit pattern. The deadline is Valentine's Day, so get moving :)

Another Car Seat Cover

2010-01-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this fabric! It is pitiful when you make something for a gift and really want to keep it for yourself! It almost makes me sad that LA will be outgrowing her carseat soon.