gathered skirt. This striped gathered skirt is my latest sewing project. I finished it a couple weeks ago but never got around to taking photos of it. I based it off this tutorial which was a great start but I had to figure out a lot on my own. In theory, it was a step up from the elastic waist skirt but in reality it was about five steps up and therefore kind of over my head (i.e. the ‘invisible zipper’ in the back is anything but invisible).I used a medium weight fabric from ikea which gave it some nice body. Last weekend I wore it out for the first time and kept on having flashes from that scene in Parent Trap where Hayley Mills #1 is dancing around with half a skirt on and frilly undies peaking out (that’s one of the best scenes in the movie, right?).
felt organizer As I start this post I am giggling (and I think my mom would have a good chuckle too). Something you need to know about me sooner rather than later is that I am NOT very organized. I usually put stuff away in 'a-place-I-will-definitely-find-it'. I made some minor changes to details, here and there. You will need: 4 different colour sheets of felt (2mm). A small piece of ribbon Thread (beads are optional) The template or Scribd version belowpage 1 page 2page 3page 4Unfortunately my Mac (and my lack of tech knowledge) couldn't add multiple pages to a pdf so there are four seperate pages for the template (sorry) Apologies in advance for the bad photo lighting (most of my crafting occurs at night.) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Now find a place to hang it! Love and blessings
side braid updo I wore a more relaxed version of this hair style in an outfit post in June of 2009 but for reasons unbeknownst to me, I never did a tutorial for it. Recently though, a few of my lovely readers have asked for it …so here it is. Enjoy! If you can’t see the video go to: Pretty Side French Braid Updo * * * it would be so pretty with flowers pinned in * * * * . . . wearing the braid out . . . . . . and a few days ago, I wore it more casually, with straight hair . . . My bro took these last four the other day …the ones above these four, I took …from the reflection in the mirror, which didn’t turn out as fantastic, for obvious reasons. Have Fun! Find all my Hair Tutorials Here
cascade/french braid I’m not the originator of this hair style but I’ve gotten so many requests for it, I thought I’d give it a go for you. I don’t know what it’s called either so I haven’t researched it and/or found any other tutorials for it …thus, this is my version of it, and I’ve dubbed it the Partial French Braid w/ Cascading Hair. The photos I’ve seen online show the braid a little more straight across the back of the head and mine sort of braids at an angle, similar to my side/low french braid up-do. I’m sure this is 100% easier to do on someone else’s hair than your own but it goes pretty quickly once you get the hang of it …I mean, it’s my shortest hair video tutorial to date. That’s gotta mean something, right Enjoy. Note: Apologies in advance for the yelling of “NOOOO” towards the end, where I momentarily fear I’m going to lose my entire braid and have to start over. Have Fun! Find all my Hair Tutorials Here.
heart wall art I loved how my Valentine's Day garland and wreath looked so I decided to make another Valentine's Day decoration. In our living room we have a big blank wall that is patiently waiting for us to finish the wall art we plan on hanging. I decided to use that space and try to make a simple, cheap wall art. Supplies: Card stock, pattern to print (I did sheet music), scissors, tapeCost: $0 (I already had all of the supplies) I started off by printing off sheet music. Then I found a heart shape that I liked (via google images). I cut out the hearts by hand - I'm very jealous of people with cricuts or other similar machines that do it for you. :-) I had originally planned on just taping the hearts to the wall (I was going for very simple wall art) but decided it might look neat if the hearts stood a little bit off of the wall. Does that make sense? I printed the outline with the folding lines (light grey) onto card stock and cut them out. Then I taped them to the backs of the hearts. All done!
braided updo I know I said I would post this hair tutorial yesterday, but obviously I'm a no good liar because today is not yesterday, it's today. This hairstyle is basically the same thing as milkmaid braids, only modified to up the volume and lessen the big part in the back. Pigtails or regular milkmaid braids make me look like I'm balding, as I have a wicked scar in the back of my head. I would recommend doing this in a mirror and checking the back to make sure it's all neat and tidy as you go, because I did not and it's a little (or a lot) messy in the back. I redid it before heading out and it looked much better, so make sure you use a mirror! What you need: dry shampoo or volumizing product (like the Sachajuan volume powder I often use) bobby pins brush If your hair needs added texture, you can use a dry shampoo. Pin the newly teased section (make sure the top layer is smooth, to cover the mess) with a couple (or more, if you need them) of bobby pins.
messy bun I get questions about my messy bun all the time, and I've always been hesitant to do a tutorial. Why? Because this is my lazy go-to - and I never really knew how to do a step by step on how to make your hair into a rat's nest. The volume powder spray I use in the video is: Sachajuan Volume Powder. p.s. EDIT: I just realized that when I uploaded the video, it cropped a lot of overhead space - you can barely see what I'm doing with my hair! firefly jars My birthday is on June 17th, which, when you're a kid, is a pretty great day for a birthday. You never have to go to school, the activity options are endless, and your party can always include a squirt gun fight. Related Video: But, each year I also get another special, seasonal gift. Unfortunately, they seem to be one of those internet phenomena where things get passed around, and no one seems to know the original source. "Flick glow-in-the-dark paint onto the inside of a mason jar. Make 'em. Update: Cyndee, in the comments below, was able to locate a how-to from what seems like the author of the original photograph. spotted on We Heart It
transfer design to wood In the middle of a new project that I was working on, I realized that I had a problem. I needed to transfer a very large design (think 4 feet by 4 feet!) than I want to paint onto a primed piece of wood, and I couldn’t figure out how to do it. I laid the printed design out on the wood and thought I could just trace the design on the paper with firm pressure and a little impression line would be left on the wood that I could just go back and trace. Um, nope. Then, I tried a ballpoint pin. I was getting pretty desperate at this point. Then a light bulb went off in my head: Newsprint! This technique will be especially helpful if you have a very intricate design, a very large design, or you just don’t want to take the time to cut out your design and trace like a stencil. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Try this technique the next time you want to transfer a pattern or stencil a word onto a piece of wood.
embroidery stitches You can add to your needle-and-thread versatility with a repertoire of the basic embroidery stitches. You’ll find no limit to their usefulness, from making a patch ornamental, a handkerchief more personal, a guest towel more inviting, to giving your wardrobe and your house furnishings, in general, a more precious look. Here are several examples of attractive border designs using basic embroidery stitches (vintage patterns). You’ll find details of the stitches used at the bottom. *Click the images to view a larger copy Vintage Border Designs - Click To View A Larger Size Basic Embroidery Stitches Used In Borders - Click To View A Larger Size Source: The New Encyclopedia Of Modern Sewing (1946)
sheep pillows Several years ago I drove through Europe in the Springtime and I will never forget seeing all the adorable lambs frolicking in the fields. They were unbelievably, utterly cute. I wanted to get out of the car and pet each one we came across. Recently when I was thinking of a project to add some springtime cheer to my apartment I kept thinking of the little lambs and decided to try my hand at making a lamb inspired throw pillow. This project turned out to be even quicker and cuter than I imagined so I sewed my first little lamb a friend to play with. Materials To make a set of two pillows: One 18-inch square piece of Wool Felt in TanOne 18-inch square piece of Wool Felt in EcruOne piece of Wool Felt in ChocolateSweet Dreams Cotton Stuffing100% cotton thread to match each wool color.One Little Lamb Pillow Template (available to download for free here) printed and cut out Cutting Choose either the tan or the ecru felt as the body color of your first sheep. Sewing Stuffing and Finishing
Rosette Bracelet So I posted my What I Wore Wednesday post yesterday and showed off this awesome (ifIdosaysomyself:) Rosette Bracelet I made to wear to a baby shower. And the crowd went WILD ... all 7 of you! lol ;) So I worked real hard today to get a tutorial up for ya'll! I didn't take any pictures when I made the white one, so I took this opportunity to make myself a yellow one! Supplies: Fabric - I love remnants and scraps for this Felt - preferably in a color matching the fabric if at all possible, if not, no big Ribbon - 7/8" in a color matching the fabric if you can, if not, use a coordinating color and I've used as small as 5/8" but I prefer 7/8" Scissors & Hot Glue Gun Now this is a typical remnant you might find at your local fabric store and was 29" by 44/45". 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Believe me, I've tried lol You just keep twisting and there's no rhyme or reason to it, just twist until you get the shape and size you want. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. It should look something like this ... ish ... 14.