Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tatertots and Jello Silhouette Giveaway
Tatertots and Jello is having an awesome giveaway from Sihouette with lots of different entry options. Yay!!! Click on this link for all the details
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mother's Day outfits
Okay, my original plan for KCWC was matching outfits for bug and my niece for their Grammy for Mother's Day. That is, it was, until I realized that Mother's Day was the day before KCWC starts. I've lined up my projects for this week, but what about last week? I sewed and painted and pinned like crazy to get their outfits done in time to get pics taken on Friday to avoid the rush (HA!) and have it wrapped and ready Sunday morning. Good news: I did it. Bad news: Bug screamed and tore at my neck the entire time we tried to get their photos taken. He had an x-ray done two days before and he kept pointing to the studio lights and whining. I would have been really sad if I hadn't been sooooo irritated! Okay, it was still really sad. My mom was still thrilled with their outfits and their picture, so I tag this project a success.
I used the same tute as the last post for the suspenders for both kids. I used this tute I found on I Am Momma to make a black and red Ric Rac Skirt.
I took a white shirt in both kids' sizes and freezer stenciled, "I (heart) Grammy" on them with Tulip's Velveteen paints in black and red.
They both wore red sneakers and black and white fedoras. They looked fabulous! I will upload photos ASAP...
Bottom line:
I used the same tute as the last post for the suspenders for both kids. I used this tute I found on I Am Momma to make a black and red Ric Rac Skirt.
I took a white shirt in both kids' sizes and freezer stenciled, "I (heart) Grammy" on them with Tulip's Velveteen paints in black and red.
They both wore red sneakers and black and white fedoras. They looked fabulous! I will upload photos ASAP...
Bottom line:
- Bug's white shirt-$3 from Ross
- My niece's white shirt-$3 from Walmart
- Velveteen paint in red and black-$5 from JoAnn's with coupon
- My niece's black skirt-$3 from Walmart
- Jumbo jumbo red ric rac-$5 from JoAnn's with coupon
- 4 Fashion clips-$10 from Walmart
- Red, black, and white fabric-$0.88 from Walmart
Total: $30 for TWO super-cute customized outfits for my amazing mom!!!
Matching Special Spring Outfits
My mom's close friend and her momma, our adopted Nonna, had a party this weekend to introduce their grandson, Finlay, to the family. They're visiting from New Zealand for a couple weeks, so it was party time. My momma did all of the decorating with Nonna for the party and has been working on it for a few weeks. The theme was all black and white and yellow; very Springy! While at Walmart, I found a beautiful black, white, and yellow floral fabric that I thought would be beautiful as a tablecloth. I brought it home and my mom said they already had a tablecloth. Hmmmm....well, I can't take it back, so now what? There were only two yards, so an outfit for me was out. I know, I'll make the babies outfits; yay! That's way more fun than an outfit for me anyway. So, Friday I downloaded all the tutes and Saturday I got to sewing.
First, I made my little man some suspenders. I followed this tute, but measuring from my son's pants in the front, over the shoulder to the pants in the back, I got 13 1/4 inches, so adding an inch and then 1/4 inch, my fabric straps needed to be 14 1/2 inches. Bug is wearing size 12 months right now if that helps anyone with sizing. I did what Ashley suggested and bought the dress clips. At Walmart, they are $2.49 each and only come with gold clips. At JoAnn's, they are $4.00 each, but come in silver, also. So, it depends on what look you're going for. The hardest part for me was tucking in the 1/4 of fabric and then wiggling in the elastic. I found that it was easiest if I bent the elastic like a V and pushed it in, and then pulled the fabric over it. I'm really bad about measuring things, so once I got one strap done, I used it to make the other strap the same length, both on the elastic end and the folded over end (that makes sense, right?). Also, make sure that your clips are facing the right way before you sew or you'll be picking out some really stubborn seams. Not that that happened to me or anything! Once I tried the suspenders on bug to see where to sew the diamond in the back, I saw that because of their length, I would have been sewing on the elastic. That didn't make any sense to me, so I just skipped that part. Plus, now he can wear them either crossed or straight.
Next, I made the tie. I followed this tutorial, but again made some changes. Her tie was made for an older toddler and bug is such a shrimp that I thought I better scale it down or it will be hanging down to his knees. In hindsight, I wish I had scaled down even more in length, not width. Once I printed my pattern pieces and taped together parts A and B, I got out my ruler and lined it up with the outer edge, not the side marked FOLD. I cut off an inch in width here and the same with part B. Then, I cut an inch off in length of both patterns. Having not put together this pattern before, I didn't realize that if I cut length off A and B, they wouldn't have the same width when I sewed them together. That will make more sense later in the tutorial. So, before you cut anything off, temporarily tape pattern A and B together end to end. Make sure that when you cut either pattern, the two have the same width, this may mean that you adjust the outer edge's angle slightly down to the point. I screwed this up, but it turned out okay in the end. It's actually a pretty forgiving pattern. Now, you need to lay pattern piece D on top of B and match up the points, and then E on top of A and match up the points. Trim down D and E to match B and C in size. These pieces will be attached to the ends of each tie piece later on, so they need to be the same size as the larger pieces. I also changed the size of C, but wish I hadn't. It made it difficult later on when trying to maneuver the finished tie into the know part, which is what C ends up being. I also cut my elastic piece down to 12 inches and it ended up being too small, but 13 inches ended up being too big. My suggestion would be to put your piece of elastic around the collar of your little one's shirt. That will help you get a better idea of the right size. For bug, wearing a size 12 mos, It should have been 12 1/2 inches with an overlap of 1/2 inch when sewn or tacked together. If you try it on your little one and it doesn't fit right, you can always cut out a little piece and resew or clip and add a little piece and resew. No one will ever know because it will be hiding under the shirt collar (thank goodness).
Okay, so on to the dress! I bought and downloaded the Summer Vacation dress and shortie pattern and tutorial from Made by Dana. I was sooooo nervous about this because it requires you to shir(?) your own fabric. On the pattern page linked above, there was a warning about Brother machines. Shocker: I have a Brother machine! The link in the tute has a great troubleshooting page which lists two issues you may have. I had them both, identified them both, and fixed them both in less than an hour. I will say, however, that I am a freaking genius so no promises on how long it may take someone else! (LOL) I cut my yard of fabric in half width wise so that my fabric was 36 inches in width and 22 inches in length. The tutorial said that 36 inches was enough to shir for a child whose chest was 20 inches in diameter. My niece measured 19 1/2 inches, so I figured it'd be fine for her, too. The first thing I did was fold over and iron the top edge 1/2 inch, and then 1/2 inch again to finish it off. Then, I got to shirring, using my presser foot as a marker. The tute said that you didn't need to tie a knot at the end of each row, but I found that I did need to. When pulling the fabric taut to sew a row, the row above it came unraveled. So, I tied the end of each row all the way down the remainder of 15 rows. Then, I cut the white fabric to 8 inches in length and 36 inches wide. Then, I ironed the white fabric in half so that it was 4 inches in length. I lined up the bottom unfinished hem of the dress with the unfinished hem of the white fabric, right sides facing. I sewed them together using a 1/2 inch seam. Next, I ironed the seam open and top stitched right on top of the seam on the outside. Then, I folded the dress in half lengthwise to match up raw edges all the way down. I sewed a 1/2 inch seam all the way down, then cut off all excess threads. Then, I ironed open the back seam. I followed the tute for making four straps. I eyeballed where I wanted the straps to go on the front of the dress, making sure they were the same distance away from each side of the dress and pinned. Then, in the back, I pinned the two straps one inch away from the back seam on each side. That way, there would be no pesky straps falling down when romping around in the grass. In hindsight, I wish I would have made the dress quite a bit shorter. It's fine for Spring, but a little long for Summer.
Lastly, something you can't see: bloomers to go under the dress. Again, I turned to Dana at Made and followed her perfect diaper cover tute here. Because I wanted something bigger than the pattern sizes shown, but small enough to not look bulky under her dress, I extended the pattern pieces one size. that means I added 5/8 inch on both sides and pieces of the pattern. I tried them on and they really were perfect! My niece asked every single person who complemented her on her dress if they wanted to see her matching bloomers. It was hilarious! God bless 4 year olds!
So, there you have it; a compilation of various tutes to create an adorable matching ensemble for my favorite little people! They look pretty freakin' adorable if I do say so myself!
These pics were after meltdown 3 by each munchkin-OY!!!!!
First, I made my little man some suspenders. I followed this tute, but measuring from my son's pants in the front, over the shoulder to the pants in the back, I got 13 1/4 inches, so adding an inch and then 1/4 inch, my fabric straps needed to be 14 1/2 inches. Bug is wearing size 12 months right now if that helps anyone with sizing. I did what Ashley suggested and bought the dress clips. At Walmart, they are $2.49 each and only come with gold clips. At JoAnn's, they are $4.00 each, but come in silver, also. So, it depends on what look you're going for. The hardest part for me was tucking in the 1/4 of fabric and then wiggling in the elastic. I found that it was easiest if I bent the elastic like a V and pushed it in, and then pulled the fabric over it. I'm really bad about measuring things, so once I got one strap done, I used it to make the other strap the same length, both on the elastic end and the folded over end (that makes sense, right?). Also, make sure that your clips are facing the right way before you sew or you'll be picking out some really stubborn seams. Not that that happened to me or anything! Once I tried the suspenders on bug to see where to sew the diamond in the back, I saw that because of their length, I would have been sewing on the elastic. That didn't make any sense to me, so I just skipped that part. Plus, now he can wear them either crossed or straight.
Next, I made the tie. I followed this tutorial, but again made some changes. Her tie was made for an older toddler and bug is such a shrimp that I thought I better scale it down or it will be hanging down to his knees. In hindsight, I wish I had scaled down even more in length, not width. Once I printed my pattern pieces and taped together parts A and B, I got out my ruler and lined it up with the outer edge, not the side marked FOLD. I cut off an inch in width here and the same with part B. Then, I cut an inch off in length of both patterns. Having not put together this pattern before, I didn't realize that if I cut length off A and B, they wouldn't have the same width when I sewed them together. That will make more sense later in the tutorial. So, before you cut anything off, temporarily tape pattern A and B together end to end. Make sure that when you cut either pattern, the two have the same width, this may mean that you adjust the outer edge's angle slightly down to the point. I screwed this up, but it turned out okay in the end. It's actually a pretty forgiving pattern. Now, you need to lay pattern piece D on top of B and match up the points, and then E on top of A and match up the points. Trim down D and E to match B and C in size. These pieces will be attached to the ends of each tie piece later on, so they need to be the same size as the larger pieces. I also changed the size of C, but wish I hadn't. It made it difficult later on when trying to maneuver the finished tie into the know part, which is what C ends up being. I also cut my elastic piece down to 12 inches and it ended up being too small, but 13 inches ended up being too big. My suggestion would be to put your piece of elastic around the collar of your little one's shirt. That will help you get a better idea of the right size. For bug, wearing a size 12 mos, It should have been 12 1/2 inches with an overlap of 1/2 inch when sewn or tacked together. If you try it on your little one and it doesn't fit right, you can always cut out a little piece and resew or clip and add a little piece and resew. No one will ever know because it will be hiding under the shirt collar (thank goodness).
Okay, so on to the dress! I bought and downloaded the Summer Vacation dress and shortie pattern and tutorial from Made by Dana. I was sooooo nervous about this because it requires you to shir(?) your own fabric. On the pattern page linked above, there was a warning about Brother machines. Shocker: I have a Brother machine! The link in the tute has a great troubleshooting page which lists two issues you may have. I had them both, identified them both, and fixed them both in less than an hour. I will say, however, that I am a freaking genius so no promises on how long it may take someone else! (LOL) I cut my yard of fabric in half width wise so that my fabric was 36 inches in width and 22 inches in length. The tutorial said that 36 inches was enough to shir for a child whose chest was 20 inches in diameter. My niece measured 19 1/2 inches, so I figured it'd be fine for her, too. The first thing I did was fold over and iron the top edge 1/2 inch, and then 1/2 inch again to finish it off. Then, I got to shirring, using my presser foot as a marker. The tute said that you didn't need to tie a knot at the end of each row, but I found that I did need to. When pulling the fabric taut to sew a row, the row above it came unraveled. So, I tied the end of each row all the way down the remainder of 15 rows. Then, I cut the white fabric to 8 inches in length and 36 inches wide. Then, I ironed the white fabric in half so that it was 4 inches in length. I lined up the bottom unfinished hem of the dress with the unfinished hem of the white fabric, right sides facing. I sewed them together using a 1/2 inch seam. Next, I ironed the seam open and top stitched right on top of the seam on the outside. Then, I folded the dress in half lengthwise to match up raw edges all the way down. I sewed a 1/2 inch seam all the way down, then cut off all excess threads. Then, I ironed open the back seam. I followed the tute for making four straps. I eyeballed where I wanted the straps to go on the front of the dress, making sure they were the same distance away from each side of the dress and pinned. Then, in the back, I pinned the two straps one inch away from the back seam on each side. That way, there would be no pesky straps falling down when romping around in the grass. In hindsight, I wish I would have made the dress quite a bit shorter. It's fine for Spring, but a little long for Summer.
Lastly, something you can't see: bloomers to go under the dress. Again, I turned to Dana at Made and followed her perfect diaper cover tute here. Because I wanted something bigger than the pattern sizes shown, but small enough to not look bulky under her dress, I extended the pattern pieces one size. that means I added 5/8 inch on both sides and pieces of the pattern. I tried them on and they really were perfect! My niece asked every single person who complemented her on her dress if they wanted to see her matching bloomers. It was hilarious! God bless 4 year olds!
So, there you have it; a compilation of various tutes to create an adorable matching ensemble for my favorite little people! They look pretty freakin' adorable if I do say so myself!
Monday, May 2, 2011
KCWC-kids clothes week challenge UPDATE
Oh my goodness, I'm a nerd! Mother's Day is before KCWC, so there goes my plan! I'll be workin' my booty off (I wish) to make outfits for Grammy's photo over the next couple days instead of next week. Instead, I bought some adorable mermaid fabric at JoAnn's and will be working on making a shirred shortie using Made's pattern for my niece. My sis was so in love with the dress I made, she asked me to make my niece another one, maybe using a lighter fabric. I thought I'd try out the shortie variation. We'll see how it goes!
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