Polka Dot Dress Tutorial

Ok... I am being brave. I am going to attempt my first real tutorial...

Keep in mind that I am still very new to sewing (I just started sewing 2 months ago) so I am still working on sewing in a straight line and am working on getting my techniques down. :)

I have had a few people ask me how I made this dress- so here you go!

I originally got the idea for this dress on the Elle Apparel blog (so awesome- check her tutorials out). She has a tutorial to make a dress very similar to this one and I made it but ended up having to tweak it a little to get the fit right for me. So this is what I came up with.

Here is what you need:

T-shirt

1 yard of fabric

2 inch wide elastic

I started by trying on my t-shirt and figuring out where I wanted to cut it off to add the elastic and skirt. I wanted the waist band a little higher so I cut mine off high to make an empire waistline.

So lay your t-shirt out flat and use a straight edge to cut off at the desired length.

Next cut out your skirt. There really isn't a pattern for this part. It's totally up to how you want your dress to look. I will show some different variations of this at the end of the tutorial, but for now I will just show you what I did for this dress. 

So the t-shirt I was using was 15 1/2 inches wide when laid out flat. So I wanted my skirt to be that same width. So I cut the top of the skirt out at 16 1/2 inches wide (allowing for 1/2 inch seam allowance on each side)

Next- I wanted the skirt bigger at the bottom so I used a straight edge and tapered it out so that the bottom of my skirt was 10 inches wider than the top. Again- this can be whatever you want it to be- as full or not full as you want it.

Make sure you have 2 pieces for the bottom of the skirt that are the same exact size. 

(when I made my mellow yellow dress I cut the back side of the skirt in the middle of the fabric not really thinking it through and I ended up having to improvise on the front piece of the skirt to make it work)

Next turn the fabric for the skirt so that they right sides of the fabric are facing each other and pin the sides together so you can sew them.

Next it is time for the elastic. My favorite thing right now is to dye my own elastic to match my dress. (Most elastic comes in white of black so it is nice to have a color to match) I used the tutorial on the Made blog (one of my favorites- Dana is pretty much a genius in my eyes!) to dye mine. 

Here is my only tip- I have used both the Rit powder dye and the Rit liquid dye and I recommend using the liquid to get a more even dye. The first 3 times I tried the powder and I didn't get it all the way mixed up and ended up getting some dots of unmixed dye on my shirts (kinda looked like ink spots) so it was frustrating... Spend the extra dollar for the pre mixed one! I totally think it is worth it.

So with this project I used 2 scraps of leftover elastic from previous projects to make my waistband so I sewed them together on the sides- but usually I use a fresh piece of elastic so I just have one seam instead of 2.

Measure your waist and add once inch to it and cut the elastic to that measurement (this allows for 1/2 inch seam allowance on each end of the elastic. If you are using 2 pieces of elastic like I did, you will have to allow for seam allowances on each side so cut accordingly.

Next, turn your skirt and sewn elastic waistband right side out and and pin the elastic all the way around the skirt. Line up the seam or seams with seam on the side of the skirt.

After it is all pined, sew the elastic to the skirt. I think it is easiest to sew on when the "right" sides of the of the fabric are facing up (if that makes sense) So that you can eyeball the edge of the elastic as you go to make sure you are sewing in a straight line.

Next do the exact same thing with the t-shirt. Make sure it is facing right side out and pin the elastic onto the top of the shirt. Make sure that you line up any seams in your elastic with the seams in the side of the t-shirt- it looks better and it helps you to make sure you are sewing the skirt on evenly.

Next try on the dress to make sure it fits properly and then measure where you want the hem to be and hem up the skirt.

And you are done!!!

Now you have your own version of my Polka Dot Dress!

Here are some other variations I have done with this dress...

The Mellow Yellow Dress

With this dress I used seersucker fabric instead of a knit fabric like the Polka Dot Dress and I wanted the skirt to be fuller so the top of the skirt measured the same as the bottom. Then when I sewed the skirt to the elastic I had to stretch the elastic as I sewed to create the gathered skirt.

The Little Sailor Dress

This dress has a tiered skirt on it. I made this one by skipping the first step of cutting off the t-shirt... Just leave it long for now. 

To make the skirt- I started by sewing the bottom layer of the skirt with a basting stitch at the top of the skirt so that I could pull the threads and create the gather and then pinned it evenly around the shirt and sewed it to the t-shirt. Then I followed the regular steps for the top layer of the skirt and then sewed the elastic onto the shirt just above where the bottom layer of the skirt was sewn on. After both layers of the skirt are sewn to the t-shirt, then you can cut the access of the t-shirt off from underneath the skirts to reduce the bulk. I loved the way this one turned out! The fit was so cute and I loved how puffy the skirt was! 

The Thrift Shirt Transformation Dress

This dress was the same idea but I didn't use a t-shirt. It worked out because you can unbutton the buttons to put it on since it doesn't stretch like a t-shirt does. So keep that in mind when choosing a shirt to make this dress with!

There are so many variations that can be done to make this style of dress. That is what is so fun. There really aren't any rules- no pattern. Just go with the flow and see what you can come up with!

Linked up here.

Little Sailor Dress

Blue is one of my favorite colors! I love all different shades of blue and I always gravitate toward blue clothes, blue fabric, etc. I think it is so cute on little girls too. I just love the nautical look of blue and white stripes... Makes me wanna get on a sail boat and sail away... Maybe one day! :)

Last night I decided to make a dress for my oldest daughter to match the dress I made for my littlest gal to wear to church today. I love having them coordinate- but I like making their dresses just a little different from each other so they aren't exactly the same. I think it is so darling! 

So I made a mini version of the Polka Dot Dress but I added another layer to the skirt it so it was more of a tiered look. 

This dress is so easy to make. We all have old t-shirts that need a little revamp and who can beat $3 for a yard of fabric at Hobby Lobby? This dress cost less than $8 to make and the Thrift Store Shirt Dress cost less than $6 to make. That is why I love sewing. I feel like I can make a super cute dress or skirt or whatever- and if I am thrifty and use coupons when buying fabric or shop sales and clearance bins for fabric, the things I make really don't cost very much and I have so much fun in the process! ;)

Stay tuned for my tutorial coming soon so you can make your own Polka Dot Dress!

Linked up here

Thrift Store Shirt Transformation

When I was pregnant with my first little girl, I was in the D. I. (a thrift store in Utah) and I found this little shirt.

 I thought it was darling, plus it still had the original tags on from the baby gap so it had never been worn... Since it was only $3,  I decided that I needed to have it! ;) So I took it home, washed it, and hung it in the closet among all the other precious outfits I had collected over the past 9 months. Once my little gal was here I realized that this shirt was never going to work for her. It was super short and really wide. It was 3-6 months size, but with my tiny gal it just never fit right- even when she was older. By the time the width would have worked- it was a belly shirt and the sleeves were an awkward length. Bummer! 

When I had my next little gal I thought maybe it might work for her, but since she is even tinier than my first- it definitely didn't work. 

One of my favorite ways to sew a dress is just to use an already existing shirt and just add a skirt to it to make a dress like I did with my polka dot dress and my mellow yellow dress . So I used the same idea to turn this into a dress too.... I cut the sleeves off and added elastic to make little puff sleeves. Some elastic around the waist to bring in the width a little, and added a fun bouncy skirt... I liked the look of the frayed finished edge of the skirt so I didn't hem it- I just left it unfinished. 

So now at 11 months- this little shirt finally works for my daughter. I am so excited to have her wear it to church this sunday!

Now I just need to make some matching bloomers to go underneath!

Linked up here

Make-Up for a Princess.

Not sure who the first person was that came up with this idea but whoever it was was one smart cookie!
My friend Heather is the one who gave me the idea so I am thanking her-

I was at a dinner party with some friends and out of the corner of my eye I saw my little girl playing with real make-up-- or at least what looked like real make-up! I about had a heart attack! I took a closer look and my friend calmed me down before I totally freaked out and I realized that it was just "play make-up"... It looked so real and my little girl was loving it! So I decided to copy the idea and share it with you all...

Here is how you do it--

1. Go to the dollar store and pick out a pallet of eye shadow and one of those little tiny bon-bon nail polishes. You could also just reuse an old make-up case or polish bottle too, I just didn't have any empty to use.  

2. Next- empty the eye shadow and nail polish into the garbage. Clean them all the way out so there is no trace of make-up or polish in them (you can use nail polish remover to rinse out the bottle and clean out the little brush so it is all the way cleaned out)

3. Then pick out some acrylic paint to fill each one of the eye shadow compartments- each a different color.

***Tip*** I wanted my make-up colors to look real so I bought a metallic pearl acrylic paint that I mixed with each one of my paints to give it that "real" look... It took probably 3 times as long, but I liked the way it turned out better than just the regular flat acrylic paint that I tried in another make-up palette.

4. Next- squirt some paint into the empty bottle of nail polish and shake it around to coat the inside to give it the illusion that it is painted. (Make sure you don't stick the newly cleaned brush back in to shake it. Just put your finger over the top while shaking) Then dump the excess out and let the paint dry before putting the lid back on.

5. Let dry for a LONG time. The last thing you want is to give the make-up to your little gal and turn around to find wet paint on her face, furniture, or the wall. Ekk! 

There you have it---  you're done!

Your little princess won't believe her eyes when mommy hands her her very own make-up!  

Patio Make Over

About a month ago while I was at World Market and I was admiring their adirondack furniture and thought how fun it would be to have some on my patio to relax and read a book in. I looked at the price tag and instantly made a bee-line for the door. WAY out of our price range. 

Then a couple weeks later I got an email from World Market saying that their outdoor furniture was 75% off! I jumped on their website and found the pieces I wanted and frantically called the World Markets around my area to locate them. 

My loving husband drove with me to muscle the big boxes into our car and then we were home to start building! They came unassembled in boxes. It was quite the ride home in our little 2 door civic!

If you know me- you know that this is one of the things that I love about buying cheap furniture- You have to put it together. I LOVE IT! Make me feel as if in some way I had a part in creating it- even though I maybe only put a few screws in it to hold it together! But if you are like my friend Tiffanie- this is one of her worst nightmares! ha ha So I guess putting together furniture is not for everyone- but I think it is worth the money I save in buying it unassembled- plus I like a challenge. 

So we got it all together and arranged it on my patio. LOVE IT! 

I love all the bright bold colors. I love that the lanterns are battery powered and have no hanging cords. I love that they were less than 12 dollars for all 4. I love that my little picky eater eats everything off her plate when I let her eat at "her" picnic table. I love that I have a place to sit while she eats. I love that I can sit next to my hubby on the same chair and snuggle. I love everything about it! :) 

So here are my 3 tips for buying Outdoor Furniture...

1. Go with bright colors. Outdoors is one place you can get away with any color, any look. Even if colorful isn't necessarily your style- step outside your comfort zone and go for it! :) When my sister came into town and saw my balcony she said it looked like I was having a birthday party up there since it was so festive! ha ha I love looking out and seeing the lanterns. Totally not something I would put inside my house, but my patio is the perfect place! So step outside your comfort zone... you will be glad you did- or at least I am!

2. Don't buy it the first time you see it. Wait till it goes on sale, or even buy it at the end of a season when it goes on clearance and use it next year. I saved 75% because I was willing to wait a month and a half for it. 

3. This is just an opinion, but don't put too much money into it. It is going to be outside and could possibly get rained on, fade in the sun, your dog could chew on it, a bird could poop on it, etc. If your furniture costs an arm and a leg, then you will be too scared to let your kids eat a popsicle on it, or cringe every time your neighbor plops down too hard on it--- you get my drift.  So make it something that if needs be can be replaced in a year or two and you won't have a heart attack over it. 

So there you have it. Happy Summer!

Foolproof Wreath

I love making wreaths. I think they are so cute and they don't have to be hard to make. Sometimes the cutest wreaths are very simple.

One of the easiest ways to make a wreath is to find a garland of something that you like and hook it to a wreath... I found these little berry garlands a couple years ago at Tai Pan and kinda went crazy with them. I have them in my decor, I use a few strands of them on my Christmas Tree, and then I decided to make a wreath out of them. 

So I bought a grapevine wreath (looks like sticks) at Hobby Lobby with a 50% off coupon. 

*Always check online for coupons before you go shopping to a store like Roberts, Hobby Lobby, Joann, Michaels, etc! Saves you big bucks!*

Then get about 3 or 4 garlands, depending on how full and how long the garlands are. 

At first I tried wrapping the garland around the wreath but it was getting to be too bulky and I was running out of garland fast so I decided to bend the garland to make a circle on the face of the wreath. Every couple inches I would take one of the little individual berry strands and wrap it around a part of the wreath to secure it. No gluing involved and technically if I wanted, I could take the garlands off the wreath and use them for something else since they aren't glued to it. 

If your garland isn't wired then you could get some florist wire and use little pieces of that to secure your wreath to the branches of the wreath. 

Easy Peasy!

Endless possibilities!

A little Chilean flair

My husband served a mission for our church in Santiago, Chile before we got married. In Chile they take buses everywhere they go. He started saving his bus tickets with plans to do something cool with them once he got home. 

After we had been married for a few months he told me that he wanted me to get crafty and figure out a way to put the bus tickets on his acoustic guitar... I love a challenge so I got thinking of all the possibilities to make this guitar look super sweet!
I finally decided on this-

(keep in mind that I did this project 5 years ago so it has had some wear and tear since then and doesn't look brand new... One the other hand- this just shows you that Modgepodge does wonders- the tickets have never fallen off or gotten loose even 5 years and countless hours of being played later! :)

I wanted to leave a little of the natural wood showing through so I came up with the idea to do a star in the corner with all the yellows and oranges, then leave a border of the wood, and finishing the rest of the guitar with the other colors. It was a lot of work to sort through the hundreds of little tickets- lots of cutting with scissors, and an exacto knife plus TONS of modgepodge to glue them on... but  it turned out really cool...no one else has a guitar like this in the world... and my husband loved it!  

I am not a huge fan of displaying souvenirs in my decor especially when they are llamas, Chilean handicrafts, etc, so this was the perfect compromise to show a little Chilean flair but not clutter up my shelves with knick-knacks. I love the way it turned out and I love that my husband is so proud of his "Chilean" guitar. :)