Hannah Montana Comes for a Visit

Don't mind the serious face above. My daughter is very shy, so it surprised me to see her willing to walk across the stage at the YMCA trunk-or-treat. This is her next to the real Hannah Montana, and the picture that we were inspired by. The jacket and boots where the only hard parts. I couldn't find a jacket pattern anywhere, and I looked for a white denim jacket to save time, but I think it must be the wrong season for that. So, I had to wing it and figure it out myself. I didn't put a zipper in it because by the time I got that far I was ready to be finished. She did help me bedazzle her microphone which helped out a bit.

She had a lot of fun as Hannah Montana, and even Miley Cyrus for school because she couldn't wear her wig. I think next year I need to to something really easy going. Who knows who she will pick next year.

Halloween was great and now we have too much candy that will probably get tossed eventually. I hope you all had a great Halloween as well.

Boots

My daughter decided that she wanted to be Hannah Montana for Halloween this year. So I finally went with it. She picked a picture and we tried to get it as close as we could. I will be posting the full costume later this week.

However, after a lot of work I finished some boots that I thought would go with the costume well. So, I thought I would at least dedicate a whole post just to these boots that were slightly obnoxious to make but worth it.

The toes turned out a little pointy, and I just haven't figured out how to get them nice and round yet. I hope to make a few more for practice.
The boots are made with a suede cloth in grey, and embellished with 4 buttons down the side and two ribbon ties at the back. The soles are soft and made with a non slip rubber. Lets just say that your kid would not want to go running around in a bunch of pebbles or twigs. P.E. might not be the best place for them either. I am sure that this sole would be perfect for smaller kids, but it would be nice to find something that was a bit more durable for the older ones.

Well, the boots were quite the experiment, but one I am glad I did. It was a fun challenge especially once I was finished. I will post the complete Hannah Montana Costume later this week.

Happy Halloween!

Etsy Shop Dilema

Over the summer my poor shop has been neglected. I have not really renewed my listings or added new items. Really I have just been focusing on making my own projects, and creating things I have been wanting to try. Right now I have marked down all my dress sets to clear out my shop.

I would like to replace them with new listings. The dilemma I am having is what to put in there. The towel sets seem to do OK, and I can't decide if I should add some new designs or if I should add something new altogether. I have in mind some diaper bags, but they take so long to make. I will probably add some new towel designs, and something else too. We will see were my thoughts take me. I need to scramble my brain for some ideas.

So, while I take yet more time to think about what I want to put in my shop I will be enjoying the slightly cool weather we are having, and maybe even make myself a new purse while I am at it.

What are you enjoying during this fall season? What are you making?

T-Shirt Embellishing

Cupcakes or Necklaces Anyone?

Near the end of the summer I purchased a few solid color shirts so that I could embellish them as I wanted to. The first on my list was an appliqued zebra that I will have to post a picture of later.

I had been wanting to make one of these ruffle cupcake shirts for my daughter who loves sweet things especially cupcakes. Whenever she is invited to a birthday party the one thing on her mind is the cake. So, she can indulge in this cupcake frequently without getting a sugar rush. I love how it turned out.
I do recommend using a stabilizer underneath so you can prevent mishaps like the right bottom corner of the cupcake. I couldn't unpick it or it would have torn the shirt up. So, it has a little beauty mark, but I like it. It seemed incomplete without a cherry on top, so I sewed a red button on top for the cherry.
I love making hair bows/flowers/barrettes to match shirts. I have not done it in a while, so this was a treat. I thought I would take some of the frosting like fabric and make a little frosted rosette headband to match.

Next up was a little freezer paper action. My daughter also loves these pretend necklace shirts that are pretty much in every store right now. I did buy her one for school, but I wanted to see if I could pull one off myself.

This is my take on the necklace shirt. I did not want to cut all these holes out of the freezer paper by hand, so I used my scrapbooking tools. I have not used them in so long, but they sure did come in handy. I used my eyelet hole punch thing, and made various different sized holes all over the outline I had for then necklace. I wish I would have had one that was a little bit bigger so that I could add a few larger circles.

If you are new to freezer paper stenciling, or you have never done it you should try it. I will try getting another project using it so I can make a tutorial. In the mean time there are tutorials all over the place.

Of course this one had to have a matching hair pin too. I used a lavender colored satin and made a little flower as you can see.

There are so many ways to add to a plain old shirt. I have so many ideas running in my head, but then I have to wait because a kid only needs so many t-shirts.

Do you have any fun shirt, skirt, or purse embellishment ideas?

Chore Chart

I have been in need to make a chore chart for some time now. I needed something that would motivate, and be fun at the same time. An awesome thing about the internet is that if you want to know how to make something or get a tutorial for something it is available. So, I googled chore chart tutorials.

After searching and finding many different ideas I finally found one that I felt would be perfect for my little girl.

Here are some pictures of my version of the tutorial. If you want to take a look at the actual tutorial go to Childmade here.

The ones on Childmade were done with an embroidery machine. I don't have one, so I set my sewing machine to a zigzag stitch, and little stitch width. It basically gives them the same look as the embroidery machine.

Since I was just using what I had available already I didn't to the nice strong magnets in between the fabric like she did. It would have looked a lot nicer, but I only had the dinky magnetic tape. So I just used that on the outside.

I also have a visual little gal, so I went ahead and found clip art pictures of chores that she needed to work on. The nice thing about the vinyl holder is that I can replace these chores with others as she learns to make some of these a habit.

Her chores include:

*Put shoes away *Get dressed *Listen

*Flush toilet/wash hands *Brush Teeth

*Make bed *Say Prayers

*Pick up toys *Eat Dinner/clear plate

*Put dirty clothes in laundry *Do homework
The way I plan to do it is when she accomplishes a task/chore then she earns that scoop of ice cream. Once she earns all of the ice cream scoops, and the cone she gets to put the cherry on top, and then chooses a reward from a list we made. Some examples are: a popsicle, ride your bike for 25 minutes (that is a chore for me because it is so hot out), play on playhouse disney for 20 minutes. Really it can be anything that is fun or special to them. Just make sure they are motivated to achieve it. Another thing is that if she earns the ice cream scoop let say for flushing the toilet and washing hands, but then she forgets to flush the next time she has to give me that scoop of ice cream back.

I really hope this works and that she will enjoy making ice cream cones.

Hooray for Hot Pads!

A while ago I got together with some friends and learned to can peaches. I have been wanting to learn for a few years now, but I finally made the opportunity. Since it was so much sticky work, I decided to reward myself with some hot pads.

I made my first set about a year ago, and gave them away of course. I have made several sets since then for gifts. Each time I make a set I think to my self that some new hot pads of my own would be really nice. The ones I had were nasty and stained/burned.

Finally I got down to business and made up a few sets. This time I kept one for myself. I love them and will try to keep from burning them. What I like most about these is the fact that my hands go inside of them without having a huge oven mitt on.

These are a couple sets I have made in the past. Why not have something cute to prevent burns right?

Lemonade Stand

This lemonade stand was one of the projects I made over the summer. Unfortunately my daughter didn't get to put it to good use until now because I kept putting it off.

I used the left over canvas from the bean bag chair I made and then some extra scraps of pinks for some added girly fun. It turned out just as I wanted it too. The table underneath was in desperate need for a table cover anyway. Now if only I can get the motivation to do chair covers too.

Now that I am looking at these pictures I think I should have gotten a close up. My camera has actually been broken for the summer. I was planning to get a new one eventually, and in frustration of not having one I decided to pound and push my camera until it started working again. So despite the horrible pictures, I was at least able to take these.

She had a lot of fun selling lemonade and cookies. I think it is such a fun little way for kids to earn something. It was a good experience that we might try again when it is not quite as hot.

Baby Shower Gift Set

Here is a great idea for a baby shower gift. I made this diaper changing set which includes a burp cloth, changing pad w/tie, and a bag to put the wipes and diapers in. My fellow etsy friend sells these on her Teacher Mom etsy shop along with some really awesome Toss n' Play balls. Head there if you would like to take a gander and possibly purchase one for an upcoming baby shower.

Don't mind the fog that is in the picture from the humidity here. This turned out really fun. The great thing about quilting is that when you grab a bunch of fabrics and put them together it doesn't matter if they go or not. Somehow they all just come together and look like they were meant to be together in the first place.

There is still a quilt pattern I want to try with all of my scraps of fabric that in no way match, but I am sure it will end up like this and look good once the pieces come together. It is like a fabric soup I suppose.

I was so excited when I found the pattern for Oopsie the Octopus that was posted two days ago from Mellie and Me. I love their patterns and went right to work as soon as I saw her pattern posted. Go check it out here if you want to give this cute little Oopsie the Octopus a try for yourself.

I didn't do the patchwork like she suggested simply because I was using scraps of fabric from the diaper changing kit. I think he turned out cute. Thanks again Mellie and Me for the great pattern/tutorial.

Bean Bag Chair

I have been wanting to make one of these for a really long time. Finally I decided to go for it and make one for my daughter's birthday.

I think it turned out nice. I love the bright polka dot canvas. What I didn't like is that it took sooo much stuffing. I still need to put about 4 more bags in this thing. It is good for her though. I used the shredded foam that I bought at my local craft store vs the pellets because I wanted it to last longer and be more cushy.
I wanted to make a large one so that she could grow into it, or so that her dad could read with her on it. I used the adult size free pattern from Michael Miller's blog.

The pattern was really easy, and I only altered two parts of the pattern. I put in a 22 inch invisible zipper instead of the velcro. I also made the circle applique much larger. I took a large plate and traced it, then added an inch or so to that. I am not really sure what measurement I ended up with.

My daughter loves it and especially loves jumping on it. I sure do hope it holds out through all the rough play. At least she is really enjoying it.

Boy Gifts

My nephews are getting hard to make things for. I just don't think about boy stuff I guess. Here is what I came up with for my nephew who is entering the teenage years. Hopefully he is not to cool for it all.

He likes motorbikes, so I did motorbike appliques on this towel for him. It kind of took a long time because of all the stitching detail I added. It definitely needed it though because I didn't want it to look to little boyish. Anyhow, he is worth it so hopefully he likes it.

I added clothing detail with different stitching and thread colors. I like the way it turned out.

I also made him a tie which my husband is modeling here. I also hope this fits his style, but if not no big deal. He can use it to wash his bike with or something.

I need more teenage boy ideas. Any boy ideas for that matter. I am just so use to thinking girl that I get stumped on the boys.

Fathers Day for instance is coming up. I have no idea what I could make for my husband. He will not wear a handmade tie, so I can count that out. Any ideas?

Tank Turned into a Summer Dress Tutorial

Last year I bought two adult tanks on clearance at Old Navy for $2.50 each. It is made with some lightweight cotton type fabric. I am actually not sure what it is really . Anyhow, I bought it thinking I would make it into something for my daughter.

Now almost a year later I finally did it. I love how it turned out. I also decided to take on the challenge of making a tutorial out of it in hope that some of you can find a similar tank and do the same.

On to the tutorial! (Note: read all the way through before cutting and sewing).

This is the before picture. She thought it was fun just like this and I had a hard time getting it off of her. When I finally did these are the next steps I took.

First I put one of the tanks on the kid, and measured it to where I wanted it to sit and how tight around I wanted it to be. I marked them with pins. Essentially it was about 2 1/2" in on each side. It will probably be different for your child depending on their size.

Next each side of the tank, and also carefully cut off straps. You will have two pieces. The reason I cut them apart is because with the elastic back it just made it easier to get them cut right.

Make sure to pin your elastic on the back piece in place so you don't have to restring the elastic through.

Take the front piece, and fold it over right sides together and line up the edges.

Find your mark at the top from measuring the child, and cut at a diagonal. Do the same with the back piece of the tank.

Line up the sides, and pin them together. Sew sides with a 1/2 seam allowance.

Once your sides have been sewn it should look something like this.

If you have a serger you can finish it off like this. If not, then you can use a zig zag stitch to help finish it off.

Trim away any extra from the bottom.

Using the second tank top you will cut it into two parts for now. Carefully cut just under the elastic band through both front and back of tank. This will be the ruffle. Set the rest of the tank aside for the sleeves.

Now, you are going to slightly gather the piece you just cut off until it is the same size around as the bottom part of the dress piece.

After it is gathered to your liking you will pin the ruffle piece to the dress piece with right sides together. (This is where I forgot to keep taking pictures)

Finish it off with a serger or a zig zag stitch.

For the sleeves you will take the left over tank and cut the sides. Now you should have just the left over back piece. Mine had an elastic piece where I cut it away from the ruffle piece, as well as an elastic piece at the very top of the back.

Next cut this piece in half horizontally. You should have two long pieces each one having one elastic piece. If there is no elastic, measure from front to back on the child where the sleeves would go, and add 3-4 inches. Make a casing for an elastic and pull your elastic through your casing and sew it into place.

Once you have your elastic sleeves ready you will finish off the raw edges by folding and pressing a 1/4" seem and top stitching it.

Position sleeves about 3" in on each side and pin in place (the measurement or placement of the sleeves will vary depending on the child. Sew them on front and back.

Now, you should have a dress similar to the one I have made.

I apologize now for any confusion. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Next time I really need to remember all of the pictures.

Good luck repurposing.

Ruffled Linen Shorts

I love this fabric. I bought a lot of it because I could not get enough of it. I decided to make these ruffled linen shorts for my daughter to wear in the heat.

They were pretty simple to make except for the linen frayed like no other. That made it more time consuming. Plus my serger will not gather fabric anymore for some reason. I need to take it in and see what is up. Gathering by hand is way more time consuming and messy in my opinion because it always frays everywhere, or the thread breaks.

Other than that they were quite simple. I will try making some more and post a tutorial or something. I also have a tutorial for a cute red dress made from repurposed tanks. I might get that posted by the end of the week. Until then, have a fabulous week and I will try my hardest to get that tutorial asap.

A Little Mother's Day

I am super happy to have the mother that I do. I am lucky that my mom worked so hard to provide for my siblings and I. She has been through a lot, but in return she has truly devoted a large part of her life to raising us and giving us what we needed.

I had originally planned to get a canvas print of my daughter, but then I procrastinated and didn't give myself enough time to get it done. So I just printed out the photos for now, and made these gifts up.

I made aromatherapy neck pillows for relaxing. They were really quite easy to make. It only took about 20 minutes. Maybe I should make a tutorial or something.

I have been wanting to make some of these fabric leaves for a while now. Mother's Day was a perfect chance to try them out. They were not as easy as the pillows, but they were rewarding once finished. Now I need to make some for myself.

I learned a few tricks to save time and make them nicer than the first try. I think they turned out great and hope they go well with the decor of the wonderful mothers in my life.

I hope you all have a great Mother's Day and wish your mom's a great day too.