WOW! I'm a HORRIBLE Blogger!

I'm so sorry it's been two months since my last blog post! I've been EXTREMELY busy with projects and people requesting items that I just haven't had the time! I have been taking pictures of everything though so that I have something to show for all my hard word ;) I promise you I will have a bunch of things to post about COMING SOON!

It's a Tablecloth No More!

My sister-in-law is currently taking a Dress & Humanities class in college and one assignment she had recently was to make a skirt out of a round tablecloth. I found this quite ingenious and had to make one for myself! It's so hard for me to find a cute skirt for a decent price that fits just right. If you're the same way, then you'll like this tutorial :) All you have to do is cut a hole for your waist, sew on some biased tape, and add a zipper! Seriously one of the easiest things I've made. Warning: this project does contain math :)

Materials needed:
Round tablecloth 70-90in.
Scissors
Biased tape
Ruler
Zipper

Step 1:

Measure your waist where you want the skirt to sit. Then take that number and divide by 3.14; then divide again by 2. This will give you the radius for your circle. Mine was 7.9".

Step 2:

Fold your tablecloth in half across the center. Now fold it in half again, from the point to the edge. Do this once more and pin like crazy so it doesn't move. It should look like the image below.



Step 3:

Measure your radius (7.9") from the point and make several marks.



Step 4:

Cut the point along this line.



Step 5:

Now, measure 7" down one edge to create a slit for the zipper.



Ste 6:

Sew a zigzag around the edge so it doesn't stretch out while you sew on the biased tape. Don't stretch it as you sew the zigzag because the circle is cut on the biased somewhere and could stretch out.



Step 7:

Once you've sewn around the edge, pin on and sew your biased tape.




Step 8:

Add your zipper.



And you’re done! Now you can twirl to your hearts content :)

Pretty as a Princess: Tutu Tutotrial!

Pumpkin's 1st birthday is coming up in a month and we are going to have her pictures taken. I have taken it upon myself to make her birthday outfit. I wanted to put her in an orange tutu for the pictures and found them to be quite pricey for so small an article of clothing. Like most everything else, I thought, "Hey! I could make one!" And made one, I have. I found instructions for it online, but later changed how I made it because I discovered an easier way :)

Materials needed:

1 1/2-2 yards of tulle (depending on how full you want the tutu to be)
1 spool of 1" satin ribbon
Measure waist of child and from hip to wherever you want the ends of the tulle strips to reach i.e. hip to knee

Step 1:

Fold tulle lengthwise in half and then fold lengthwise in half again so you have 4 layers of tulle.


Step 2:

Cut roughly 4" strips all the way down to the end of the length of tulle.


Step 3:

Cut down middle of first fold.


(optional):

Cut ends of folded tulle strips to the length you desire i.e. the measurement you took from hip to knee.

Step 4:

Lay out ribbon and tie on a strip of tulle where you want the tulle to end so the ribbon can be used to tie onto the child's waist. Tie a knot right next to the tulle so it won't move to the end of the ribbon when you put the rest of the strips on. To tie on strips of tulle, keep folded in half and place behind ribbon. Then pull the ends of the tulle through the loop created by the fold. Repeat with more strips until desired fullness has been achieved.


Step 5:

When finished tying on strips, spread the strips out evenly to reach the waist measurement and then tie another knot next to the tulle so it won't move to the end of the ribbon once the ribbon is cut.

Step 6:

Tie a bow and cut ribbon. Melt the edges so the ribbon doesn't fray.



Step 7:

Place around child's waist and enjoy your little princess :)

Long Time, No Blog Post

I'm truly sorry it's taken me so long to post another project (or two) on here. I've been really busy with work and my almost-1-year-old daughter takes up A LOT of my time. I rarely have time for crafting anymore. But, alas, I do have some pictures to post of two similar projects I've made over the last couple months.

Remember a while ago when I posted a 'mystery project'? Well, here it is:



Carseat Cover and Diapey Wipey #1 was made for my friend and former Dick's Market co-worker, Sheryl. She is having a little girl, Emma, in about a week and a half. I was so excited to make this for her and it was a bit time consuming (especially the Diapey Wipey), but only because I didn't know what I was doing. I was given a carseat cover from my aunt Jeanette when I was pregnant with Pumpkin so I just used mine as a reference. I must say, this turned out way cuter than I thought it would. What can I say? I'm talented!






Carseat Cover and Diapey Wipey #2 was made for some friends of ours that are having their second baby. They are having another boy in November and I wanted to make something special for them. Kaylee was so sweet and spent so much time and money on a gift for Dadoo and I, so I splurged on fabric for this cover. I have to admit that this turned out super cute. I really love this one because I love stars and I love paisleys! I just wish it came in pink and green so I could make one for another friend of mine that's having a girl in November!
















































I plan on making another cover in the next couple weeks or so (if I have the time) and I'll post pictures of it when they become available.

Rolled Fabric Flower Headband

I was in a craft store a couple months ago and they had a display table out with different crafts laid out on them with copies of the patterns right next to each item. One item they had on display was a really cute headband with 2 flowers made from rolled fabric. I grabbed a copy of the pattern and it has sat in my craft bag since then. Dadoo and I had a family reunion this past weekend with family pictures being one of the things we were doing so I decided it was time to make some cute matching headbands for Pumpkin and I to wear in our family picture.

I've also decided that this post will be a tutorial as opposed to my other posts merely stating where I got the pattern or simply showing a picture of the finished project. So here goes:

Materials you'll need:
2 corresponding fabrics of choice
3"x3" piece of felt (approximately)
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
1/2" width braided elastic
2 Jewels, rhinestones, or buttons
Velcro (optional)
Feathers or tulle (optional)
Scissors
Cutting board or other surface to use while gluing

Step one:

Cut 2 strips of fabric- one strip 3"x12", the other strip 3"x8"


Step two:

Take one strip and roll it on the bias into a tube shape.


Step three:

Curl one end in and secure with a small dab of hot glue.

Continue twisting and curling fabric around as loose or as tight as you want the flower to be. Secure every inch or so with a dab of hot glue.


Once you've reached the end of the fabric, tuck end under and secure with glue.

Step four:

Put some hot glue on your piece of felt and place fabric flower onto felt.


Step five:

Add any jewel, rhinestone, or button to the middle of your flower.



Repeat steps 1-5 with other strip of fabric.



Step six:

Once you have both flowers glued onto your piece of felt, cut the flowers out as close to the base of the flower as possible.
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Step seven:

Take elastic and cut a piece big enough for a headband to fit your head. Glue the ends together overlapping just slightly so as to add some more tension to the elastic once its worn.


Step eight:

This next step is personal preference--if you want to make more flowers and be able to interchange them then I suggest cutting some pieces of velcro and gluing one side to the back of the flower and the other side to the headband. If you just want permanent flowers, then place some glue along the elastic over the part you've glued together (so as to create a seamless headband) and place your flowers onto the elastic band. Once the flowers are secured, place a dab of glue in between the two flowers to hold them together.


Step nine:

This step is optional--you can glue either feathers or pieces of tulle to the back of your flowers to add a unique touch.



Happy crafting!