Black & White Bag

A few weeks ago I was on a bag making kick.  With scraps I had on hand I made this up in just minutes!  I took a rectangle of black material, cut strips of white, sewed the strips to the rectangle, then sewed it all into a basic bag.  I added velcro, a strap, and a few rosettes. . .

It's for the 10 year old, but I've used it a few time too.  I LOVE it!

For a full list of parties I link to click HERE!

Sewing Outfits & My Fear of Patterns

I made a couple of outfits for the 10 year old before our Disney trip.  Here's the deal though, I'm terrified of patterns.  There's lots of tiny print, and foreign words, and little points, and all sorts of things I don't understand about them.  So, I just wing it.  That doesn't turn out too well in the end.  The above yellow skirt didn't hold up very well in the wash (apparently I don't know how to hem properly).  And the below white top I completely screwed up (it was supposed to have an elastic top...at some point I sewed too much over the elastic and it's REALLY tight now, haha) - it will make it's future debut as a bag :O). . .

The pink top and the green skirt both turned out great, AND washed up well.  I guess I should go take a sewing class and learn how to do it. . .but, that probably won't happen anytime soon!  I think I'll stick to what I know :O).

Thank goodness my momma gave me all this scrap material to play with.

Framed Vinyl Saying - Wedding Gift

A good friend of mine needed a vinyl saying cut for a wedding gift.  I told her I could throw something together (any chance to craft is a great one, right?).  I'm really liking the look of scrapbook paper behind glass with the vinyl on top - the same way I did the Mother's Day frames. 

I had a gold Pier One Imports frame from the DI that I bought for a dollar.  I primed and sprayed it white, then distressed it.  I added a black rosette, some little pewter scrapbook trinkets, and white ric rac...

Used my Silhouette to design the vinyl and stuck it on...

For a complete list of parties I link to click HERE!

No Pain Headbands

Here are just a couple of the headbands I've been making.  My girls love them because they cause ZERO pain.  They wore them almost every day of our Disney trip and loved them. 

I will post a tutorial later, as well as show you a few more that I've whipped up!...

She's Learning to Sew!

Last night I started teaching the 10 year old how to sew.  She LOOOOVES it!  In fact, this morning she woke up and sat right down at the sewing machine and has been sewing all day...um, yes, it's almost 3pm and she's still in her jammies - sewing. 

We have some 9" square scraps from holiday rag quilts and table runners my mom made.  She decided to make little pillows for her grandma's for Easter.  She made them all on her own, AND they're reversible :O).  That was her idea, and I think it's so cute that she is exploring her creative side. 

Here is the first side of her pillow...

She is making folded flowers, but instead of gluing the petals she is sewing them in place.  Here is the backside...

So fun!  Can't wait to see what else she comes up with...although, I'm hoping to have some machine time of my own sometime soon :O). 

1st Pillow Case Dress - Kind of

This sweet little 2 year old is my 3 year olds best buddy!  We are blessed to have her in our home each day...

Of all the kids she seems most interested in what I'm doing with my sewing machine.  She often sits next to me and watches me sew....

With all of the Easter clothes I've been sewing for my girls, today was the first day that she asked if she could also please have a dress...

So, we went to my mom's bucket full of scraps and picked out some material she liked (this is where the "kind of" comes in...I didn't actually use a pillowcase, just cut the material like one).  I made my first attempt to sew a pillowcase dress (originally saw these on Sugar Bee), and of course made a matching folded flower headband...

Doesn't she look adorable?  She's so cute, she could wear anything and be completely irresistible :O).

Twirly Play Skirt - Tutorial

This is a more basic version of the Twirly Tulle skirts that I've been making.  This was completely made from scraps my mom gave me!  I always love FREE! 

It's loosely based on the Skirt Pattern that I posted the other day.  My daughter is 3, so the measurements I will give you are based off of her size. 

Start with one strip that is 36" in length and 7" wide (for the waist), and 2 strips that are 31" each and 9 inches wide (for the bottom).  As well as any trim that you would like to add to each...

I ironed and then hemmed the 2 - 31" strips...

Flipped them over and sewed on the trim...

Sewing both edges of it.  When I made the Twirly Tulle skirts I actually used Stitch Witchery for both the hem and the trim.  It causes the skirts to hang a bit more stiff, and I wanted this one to ruffle a bit more...

Then you sew both short ends together and iron the folds out flat...

With both short ends sewn together you will have a full loop...

Set the bottom pieces aside.  Sew the trim onto your waist piece in the desired place...

Then sew the short ends together forming your loop...

Go back to your big loop and ruffle the top edge to equal 35 1/2".  You will need it to ruffle to the size of your waist piece (you lose a 1/2" when you sew the ends together on the waist)...

Then you will sew a stitch that holds the ruffle in place...

Then with both pieces inside out, and right sides lined up inside, you will sew them together with a zig zag stitch....

So that when it is turned rightside out it will look like this...

Am I clear as mud to this point?!  Next, you will fold the top edge over by about 1/4" and iron it.  Then fold it over again to accommodate the space needed for your elastic and iron it again.  Then you are ready to stitch the casing for your elastic...

Leaving a 1-2" hole for the elastic to thread through (cut elastic 1" smaller than child's waist)...

Once you have it all the way through, overlap the elastic and sew it together...

Once you have the elastic sewn, then stitch up the hole, and stitch the elastic in a couple of places to prevent it from twisting.  Then you will have your finished skirt...

I, of course, had to make a flower to attach to it.  I cut my circles.  I'm getting pretty quick with these.  Now I just draw one circle and then fold the material for how many I want....

I was going to put it on a broach pin so that it could be removable, but it was too floppy.  I just stitched it on...

Remember the headband I made the other day out of this same material?  Well, she broke it in half, so I'll have to make another one :O)...

Click HERE for a full list of parties I link to!

Zebra Print & Yellow Twirly Tulle Skirt

After finishing the Spring Outfit for the 3 year old my 10 year old was so excited for me to make one for her.  We wanted it to coordinate, but not completely match.  We've decided these will be their Easter dresses!...

So, now I just need to make her a matching headband and shirt to go with her skirt like I did for the 3 year old...

I know I promised a tutorial, but honestly, I'm still faking my way through it and wouldn't know where to begin to explain it.  I'd say your still better off just purchasing the pattern from the below post...keeping in mind I shortened it both in width and height, as well as added belt loops and ribbon :O). 

Click HERE for a full list of parties I link to!

Flower Shirt - Completed Spring Outfit!

I'm thrilled to have completed this outfit!  And, I MUST give props to the gals that I drew my inspiration from.  A month or two ago I came across THEE most adorable website to buy clothing from.  I LOVED everything they had, but with 3 kids to buy all new spring clothing for it's just not in the budget.  I was bound and determined to make a "knock-off" Simply Sew Sassy outfit.  It took me awhile - having never really sewn much - but I'm excited with how it turned out and I'm crossing my fingers that it won't fall apart :O).

Twirly Tulle Skirt

Have I mentioned that I've never sewn a piece of clothing in my life?  I've made odds and ends costume accessories, and plenty of rag quilts and rag table runners, but NEVER clothing that someone would actually wear!  I made the above skirt completely from scraps.  The only thing I had to purchase was the elastic to go in the waistband.  My mom gave me a bunch of her scraps the other day, I had so much fun going through them all.  You may recognize the black and white print from my recent photo display frame.  I used a "snowflake skirt" pattern that my mom gave me to go off of...it was a hand drawn and written pattern that just explained how to cut the material and how to put it together.  I'm thrilled with how it turned out, though I won't be surprised if it completely falls apart in the wash the first time it needs to be cleaned (which will be often considering it's for a 3 year old).  Can't wait to make the shirt and headband I have in mind to go with it!!!

*Update - See completed outfit HERE!
Click HERE to view the full list of parties I link up to!

Sneak Peak - Photo Display

I've got a work in progress going on around here.  The first piece to my plan is complete.  I no longer want my fridge covered in pictures and announcements, so I made this to hold those things on.  It is one of many things that will be going on the wall next to the fridge.  I primed, painted, and distressed the frame.  I took the glass out, used spray adhesive (that I already had on hand) to glue a piece of felt to that glass, used the same adhesive to apply the material (that I purchased in the scraps section of Wal-Mart).  Hot glued the ribbon, and put it in the frame...

The frame originally was the one with the butterfly in it that you see in the bottom edge of the below picture.  I bought it at the DI (local thrift store) for one dollar.  Funny thing is, this same butterfly decor and frame hung in my home as a child.  Makes me wonder if it's the same piece...

I can't wait to finish - and show you - the rest of the wall!!

I entered this in the $5 challenge over at...

For a full list of parties I link to click HERE!