Enter my first (and probably only) giveaway. What am I giving away? It's a surprise...but it'll be something handmade by me. Here's how to enter:
1) Simply leave a comment.
2) For an additional entry, become a follower by clicking on the "Follow" link off to the right side.
3) For an additional 3 entries, mention my contest on your blog w/a link to my blog. Just leave a comment saying you mentioned my contest on your blog (I trust you, no need to send a link as proof...unless you want to).
The contest ends on OCTOBER 8th. Why the 8th? Because it's National Depression Screening Day & I want to do my part to spread some happiness about. I'll announce the winner that day...probably around nap time (my kid's nap time, not mine...I wish...). Good luck!
PS. Really, odds are in your favor...this is only my 13th post ever on this new blog and I think there's only like 2 people reading it- so you just might win!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Reversible Apron Tutorial
Materials Needed:
1 yd (45-inch wide) fabric for apron (or if you want the apron to reverse to a different fabric like what I did, get 1/2 yd of each fabric)
2/3 yd (45-inch wide) fabric for apron ties
1 pair of 1-inch D rings
Rotary cutter/mat
Sewing machine
Iron/ironing board
Use a 1/2 in seam unless told otherwise.
Apron Ties:
1) Lay out 2/3 yd fabric on cutting mat. Cut 5 4-inch wide strips.
2) With 1 4-inch strip: Using an iron, press edges toward center of strip- about 1/2 inch wide. See Figure 1.
3) Iron one end like so...see Figure 2.
4) Fold strip in half and iron. See Figure 3.
HINT: you can use pins to help keep fabric in place if you're a perfectionist. I'm not, I'm lazy...so I didn't bother with pins.
5) Topstitch around all 4 sides of the strip, using an 1/8 inch seam.
6) Cut the strip into 2 lengths. Starting from the finished end (the one you ironed) cut a 24 inch piece & then a 5 inch piece. Set aside for now.
7) With remaining 4 strips- sew 2 strips together to create one looooong strip (it'll be close to 90 inches long. Repeat with the other 2 strips. Press open seams with iron.
8)Using an iron, press edges toward center of strip- about 1/2 inch wide. See Figure 4. Iron ends also (like in Step 3). Set aside for now.
Apron:
1) Cut 1 14 inch x 21.5 inch rectangle in each fabric.
2) Cut 1 trapezoid in each fabric to the following dimensions. See Figure 5.
(And yes, my trapezoid is not the prettiest trapezoid you've ever seen but you get the idea.)
You should now have 2 rectangles and 2 trapezoids.
3) Put 2 d-rings on 5-inch strip. See Figure 6.
4) Place 1 trapezoid right side up. Fold 5-inch strip in half and pin 1 inch away from edge of trapezoid. Pin unfinished edge of 24-inch strip 1 inch away from other trapezoid edge. See Figure 7. Place 2nd trapezoid on top, wrong side up.
5) Sew trapezoid along the top 3 sides...leaving the 15.5 inch side unsewn. Snip the corners. See Figure 8. Turn right side out and press w/iron. Top-stitch around edges*. Set aside.
6) Putting right sides together, sew rectangle along 3 sides...leaving 1 21.5 inch side un-sewn. Snip the corners. Turn right side out and press w/iron. Top-stitch around edges*. Set aside.
* Top-stitching is optional...I think it makes the apron more cute- but it's your apron, not mine! (It should be noted that for this tutorial, I didn't top-stitch... again b/c I'm lazy.)
Putting it together:
1) Lay down one long strip (wrong side up). Using the pressed open seam as a guide, place trapezoid bottom edge against folded edge of strip. Place 2nd long strip on top of trapezoid (wrong face down). Pin in place- do NOT skip the pins this time...it'll be a nightmare to sew! See Figures 9,10, & 11. Sew 1/8 inch from edge of strip.
2) Repeat Step 1 with rectangle. Make sure unfinished edge of rectangle gets pinned to the strips. See Figure 12. Sew 1/8 inch from edge of strip. Sew ends of strips closed.
Phew! You're done...now you better go cook something. Hurry, while you're still motivated...
PS. I didn't realize how involved and difficult it is to effectively communicate in writing what I'm thinking in my brain. So let me know if something doesn't make sense...maybe I can edit it and make it easier to understand. B/c honestly, it all makes sense to me...but I could be weird that way...
1 yd (45-inch wide) fabric for apron (or if you want the apron to reverse to a different fabric like what I did, get 1/2 yd of each fabric)
2/3 yd (45-inch wide) fabric for apron ties
1 pair of 1-inch D rings
Rotary cutter/mat
Sewing machine
Iron/ironing board
Use a 1/2 in seam unless told otherwise.
Apron Ties:
1) Lay out 2/3 yd fabric on cutting mat. Cut 5 4-inch wide strips.
2) With 1 4-inch strip: Using an iron, press edges toward center of strip- about 1/2 inch wide. See Figure 1.
3) Iron one end like so...see Figure 2.
4) Fold strip in half and iron. See Figure 3.
HINT: you can use pins to help keep fabric in place if you're a perfectionist. I'm not, I'm lazy...so I didn't bother with pins.
5) Topstitch around all 4 sides of the strip, using an 1/8 inch seam.
6) Cut the strip into 2 lengths. Starting from the finished end (the one you ironed) cut a 24 inch piece & then a 5 inch piece. Set aside for now.
7) With remaining 4 strips- sew 2 strips together to create one looooong strip (it'll be close to 90 inches long. Repeat with the other 2 strips. Press open seams with iron.
8)Using an iron, press edges toward center of strip- about 1/2 inch wide. See Figure 4. Iron ends also (like in Step 3). Set aside for now.
Apron:
1) Cut 1 14 inch x 21.5 inch rectangle in each fabric.
2) Cut 1 trapezoid in each fabric to the following dimensions. See Figure 5.
(And yes, my trapezoid is not the prettiest trapezoid you've ever seen but you get the idea.)
You should now have 2 rectangles and 2 trapezoids.
3) Put 2 d-rings on 5-inch strip. See Figure 6.
4) Place 1 trapezoid right side up. Fold 5-inch strip in half and pin 1 inch away from edge of trapezoid. Pin unfinished edge of 24-inch strip 1 inch away from other trapezoid edge. See Figure 7. Place 2nd trapezoid on top, wrong side up.
5) Sew trapezoid along the top 3 sides...leaving the 15.5 inch side unsewn. Snip the corners. See Figure 8. Turn right side out and press w/iron. Top-stitch around edges*. Set aside.
6) Putting right sides together, sew rectangle along 3 sides...leaving 1 21.5 inch side un-sewn. Snip the corners. Turn right side out and press w/iron. Top-stitch around edges*. Set aside.
* Top-stitching is optional...I think it makes the apron more cute- but it's your apron, not mine! (It should be noted that for this tutorial, I didn't top-stitch... again b/c I'm lazy.)
Putting it together:
1) Lay down one long strip (wrong side up). Using the pressed open seam as a guide, place trapezoid bottom edge against folded edge of strip. Place 2nd long strip on top of trapezoid (wrong face down). Pin in place- do NOT skip the pins this time...it'll be a nightmare to sew! See Figures 9,10, & 11. Sew 1/8 inch from edge of strip.
2) Repeat Step 1 with rectangle. Make sure unfinished edge of rectangle gets pinned to the strips. See Figure 12. Sew 1/8 inch from edge of strip. Sew ends of strips closed.
Phew! You're done...now you better go cook something. Hurry, while you're still motivated...
PS. I didn't realize how involved and difficult it is to effectively communicate in writing what I'm thinking in my brain. So let me know if something doesn't make sense...maybe I can edit it and make it easier to understand. B/c honestly, it all makes sense to me...but I could be weird that way...
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
I Can't Stop Crocheting...Help!
I haven't crocheted anything since making the above blessing dress, bonnet, & booties for my 3rd daughter last year. It was such a time consuming, over-the-top project for me that after it was done I decided I needed some space and "broke up" w/my crochet hook...
Ahhh, but the crochet bug has bit me again and even though the weather here will never get cold enough to get much, if any, use out out of these beanies...well, I still love them and think they are oh, so darling. My husband see's my non-stop beanie-making and just rolls his eyes. I'm starting to crochet some cute flowers to go with the beanies. If you want to make your own here's the website of the patterns I used HERE. I can't believe how talented this lady is- she has tons of crochet patterns.
PS. Apologies for my daughter not being appropriately dressed...for those of you unaware, my daughter is very opposed to clothing. Now I'm so used to seeing her without a shirt on that I don't realize it until after I've taken a picture- oh well.
Tutu How-To
First of all, the title of this post "Tutu How-to" is so much fun to say...say it a few times, you'll agree.
Materials
1/2 inch wide elastic
At least 5 yds. tulle (more if you want a fuller look)
Rotary cutter & cutting mat
Sewing machine (or you can use needle & thread)
1) Measure your child's waist. Subtract 2 inches & cut your elastic to that length. (Example: My child's waist is 18 inches. Elastic measurement is 18 inches-2 inches= 16 inches.)
Using a zig zag stitch, sew elastic ends together like so (or you can hand sew this together using needle/thread):
2) Cut tulle into 6 inch wide strips like so (& don't stress if your strips aren't exactly 6 inches wide...no one will notice...I pinky promise):
3) Stack your strips, making sure to keep the folded ends on the same side. It should look something similar to this:
4) Decide how long you want your tutu...Long? Short? I wanted mine to go a little longer than my daughter's knees. Starting at her waist line, I measured down just past her knees and it measured at a length of 15 inches.
5) Cut your strips to the desired length. IMPORTANT: Measure your length starting from the folded edge. See picture:
Once cut, your strip should unfold & double in length. My strips opened up to 30 inches long. In case this isn't painfully obvious, I've included a picture to illustrate:
6) Slip each tulle strip through the elastic and even up the ends so that each side has an equal amount of tulle. Tie a single knot...I used to do a double knot (or a square knot to be politically correct) but have found that a single knot is less bulky, less work, and still stays tight on the elastic.
Hint: For some reason it helps to hold the elastic down with your foot as you tie the tulle.
7) Continue tying the strips of tulle around the elastic until there ceases to be any more strips. Tada..hoorah...yippee...you're done!
This is what 5 yds of tulle looks like...if you want a fuller look add more strips of tulle.
After cutting my strips to 15 inches in length, I had leftover tulle. I tied some of the leftover pieces on and it created a shorter layer- if you look closely maybe you can see it. Just an idea of what to do w/your leftover tulle.
Be creative! Use different color combinations/patterns, different lengths, add ribbon, etc!
Materials
1/2 inch wide elastic
At least 5 yds. tulle (more if you want a fuller look)
Rotary cutter & cutting mat
Sewing machine (or you can use needle & thread)
1) Measure your child's waist. Subtract 2 inches & cut your elastic to that length. (Example: My child's waist is 18 inches. Elastic measurement is 18 inches-2 inches= 16 inches.)
Using a zig zag stitch, sew elastic ends together like so (or you can hand sew this together using needle/thread):
2) Cut tulle into 6 inch wide strips like so (& don't stress if your strips aren't exactly 6 inches wide...no one will notice...I pinky promise):
3) Stack your strips, making sure to keep the folded ends on the same side. It should look something similar to this:
4) Decide how long you want your tutu...Long? Short? I wanted mine to go a little longer than my daughter's knees. Starting at her waist line, I measured down just past her knees and it measured at a length of 15 inches.
5) Cut your strips to the desired length. IMPORTANT: Measure your length starting from the folded edge. See picture:
Once cut, your strip should unfold & double in length. My strips opened up to 30 inches long. In case this isn't painfully obvious, I've included a picture to illustrate:
6) Slip each tulle strip through the elastic and even up the ends so that each side has an equal amount of tulle. Tie a single knot...I used to do a double knot (or a square knot to be politically correct) but have found that a single knot is less bulky, less work, and still stays tight on the elastic.
Hint: For some reason it helps to hold the elastic down with your foot as you tie the tulle.
7) Continue tying the strips of tulle around the elastic until there ceases to be any more strips. Tada..hoorah...yippee...you're done!
This is what 5 yds of tulle looks like...if you want a fuller look add more strips of tulle.
After cutting my strips to 15 inches in length, I had leftover tulle. I tied some of the leftover pieces on and it created a shorter layer- if you look closely maybe you can see it. Just an idea of what to do w/your leftover tulle.
Be creative! Use different color combinations/patterns, different lengths, add ribbon, etc!
Bread and Bracelets
I made bread today- I even got out the wheat grinder to grind my own wheat. Is this not the most perfect looking bread loaf?! I've never made such a cute looking loaf of bread- so I had to take a picture to memorialize the moment:
At our church craft night I learned how to make bracelets. My girls thought it was soooo cool and begged for their own. So the next day we spent way too much money at the craft store and made our own:
At our church craft night I learned how to make bracelets. My girls thought it was soooo cool and begged for their own. So the next day we spent way too much money at the craft store and made our own:
Monday, September 21, 2009
Itty-Bitty Dress
It seems to be raining babies at the moment- so many of my friends have had babies recently. I found this dress tutorial HERE and just had to try it!
My version turned out quite cute...I ended up sewing another one (a pink/brown number). Then with extra fabric I made some flower hairclips...although I think it looks great clipped on to the dress too!
PS. And isn't it lovely that my carpet looks clean today? It's not every day I can say that...
My version turned out quite cute...I ended up sewing another one (a pink/brown number). Then with extra fabric I made some flower hairclips...although I think it looks great clipped on to the dress too!
PS. And isn't it lovely that my carpet looks clean today? It's not every day I can say that...
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