Sunday, July 29, 2012

Barbie Bathing Suits

So several weeks ago, my Mom, who is amazing, gave me all my barbies I had when I was a kid. After washing them in the dishwasher, and combing their hair, I gave them to my daughter to have fun with, but then I found myself with a problem!!

And I can't be the only one with this problem....

NAKED BARBIES.

I don't know whether its just to hard for my daughter to get the barbie clothes on them, or if she just likes changing their clothes a lot, or maybe even both! Either way THIS is how her barbies usually look. (Warning: Due to the graphic nature of this picture, I had to cover most of it!! hee hee)


So my solution...I went to Walmart, bought these bottles of nail polish.


They were the cheapest well covering nail polish I could find! (under a $1) It takes more nail polish than you think!! And you have to make sure it covers well, some look great, but would take a hundred coats! 
Then you paint whatever version of a swimsuit you choose. Mine was just a easy no strap version, but you can do whatever you want.


Here is a tip....If you put the arms and legs just right, they stay up by themselves, and you can move onto the next one sooner!


Ta-Dah!! The solution to naked barbies!! They honestly don't take long, dry relatively quick, and she cant take them off! She really loves them, and they have lots of pool parties! 
Good luck, and happy painting!


Until next time....

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Steel Days Boutique

So this past weekend I participated in the Steel Days Boutique. I was my first time entering a boutique, but a very good experience. If you weren't able to make it, here is some pictures from it.

Here is my "booth".


And here is a few pictures of everything in it....


Cute little outfits


Crayon books


My little brothers wood workings, and driftwood lamps.


Isn't he talented!


Cloth books


Nursing Covers


Bow ties and Skirts, and Blankie Buddies squeezed in there on the left


Cute little onesies
(BTW I have a something new coming soon with these onesies. Can't wait to show you!!)

And I had car seat canopy's and inside car seat blankets too, but no pictures... :(


This is my awesome little brother Chesson and my super sweet sister-in-law Shantelle, both whom I couldn't have done this without!! (My husband was super great too! He took half a day off work to take care of the kiddos! But I don't have a picture of him! ;) )

What a great weekend! I should have my Etsy Shop open soon with more stuff too! (I know it just keeps getting better.) ;)


Until next time....

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Appliques...

As school is nearing, I start thinking of the dreaded school clothes shopping. 
I decided to do a how to on appliques to help with the expense of school shopping. I love to applique.....alot! With my kids growing so fast its hard to stay on a budget and by them new clothes every time they grow! This summer I decided I would make most of Lucy's summer clothes. It involved some shorts, a few skirts and a few tops. Clothes seem to have gotten so expensive so that's why I turn to to the applique. Let me explain!

 

Remember the fabric from this skirt...
Well, I went to Old Navy and got some plain "old" (Ha Ha) T-shirts for $2.40 each.
One looked like this....


Then since the material had apples on it I found a coloring page of a apple I liked and cut it out.


I separated it into 3 pieces.


Got my handy Heat n bond or Wonder Under either works.
And traced it on.


I then cut my pieces smaller and ironed them onto the WRONG side of my fabric.


And cut them out.


Then I put them exactly where I wanted them on the shirt. And ironed them on. Remember no steam with your iron on this.


Last of all I stitched it all on using coordinating thread. I went in about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. Remember to back stitch. This will just help it stay on and then you never have to worry about it in the wash! ;) And.....


Ta-Dah! All done! Here is a few other appliques I have done....

 





Good Luck!


Until next time....


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

A Skirt and a Very Happy Girl...

So the other night I was looking through my fabric and found some that I had bought at the beginning of summer and decided to make a new skirt for Lucy. The only thing I knew it needed was pockets. She loves finding random things and carrying them around!! So this is what I did....


I collected what I needed. 1/2 yd. of fabric, 3/4 inch elastic and bias tape.

Then I cut out my pieces. I cut the yoke (part with the waistband) 5inch by the waist measurement +5
Lucy's waist measurement is 26. So my piece is 5x31-inches (it's folded in the picture)
The next cut was for the skirt. I did my yoke measurement (31) x 1.5 which equaled 46.5-inches. I just ended up doing the width of the fabric. To get the other, I needed her length. Her length from waistband to knee is 12 inches. Since we are also adding a yoke, I cut the skirt to 10 inches to for seam allowance, waistband and hem. Am I making sense to anyone else? The other piece is 5 inches by 6.5 inches this is for the pocket.
Then I sewed my seams.









Next set your stitch on as long as it can go. Then sew 1/4 inch seam without back stitching on top edge of skirt only.


You can see it next to my surged edge. Change machine back to normal settings.

Fold top of yoke down 1/4 inch then again 1-1/4 inch. Sew 1/4 inch seam to make casing. Leave 1 inch opening near back seam to put elastic in later.


Next round one edge of pocket pieces. Then fold down top edge and sew 1/2 inch down.


Add bias tape sewing close to inside seam.


Place pockets as close or as far apart as you want, just remember you will be gathering the skirt a bit. Oh and make sure the seam is centered in the back. Sew onto skirt.


Then pull strings to gather skirt to the size of the yoke. Match seams and sew together 1/2 inch seam.




 This part is not needed but I love a finished look. Fold seam up and stitch 1/8-inch above the seam.


Remember the 1 inch opening? Thread elastic threw here. I just attach a safety pin onto one side and pull through. Then sew elastic together.


You do not have to do it this way, I have just found that it lays flat and stays stronger than any other way. To do it lay one side on top of the other and sew a square or rectangle! Pull skirt so elastic is in all the way and close your hole. Hem to length and you are done!!


YEAH!! Super easy! Please let me know if anything is unclear, so I can fix it!


My model loved it so much she needed her picture taken ASAP! (Hence the bed-head hair.)


And again once she was "Completely Beautiful" as she put it!! Love her!



Until next time...











Thursday, July 5, 2012

Treasures in the Basement...

Hoe you all had a good 4th of July!! I know I did!


So remember those black gigantic garbage bags...


well, they are full of wonderful treasure from my Mom.


70 1/2 pounds of fabric she has had stored in her basement!! Some of it are remnants leftover from clothing she had made for me and my brothers growing up, its was like a walk down memory lane seeing it all!!
Others are yds. of great fabric (denim, corduroy, jersey knit, knit, and much much more) she had gotten for a good deal and never had the chance to use. You can definitely see where my love for fabric comes from...(and the need to have it all to myself!) ;)

Here are just some of my favorites..







And just about every color you can think of in denim and corduroy!! It was so neat to look at the fabric and see remnants of dresses or clothes my Mom had made for us or herself then once they were outgrown she cut them up and made something for someone else!! Talk about $$$ saver! It made me really appreciate clothing and fabric more! It can have so many lives as so many different things! It wasn't just discard when outgrown! I decided I am going to really make the effort to think, should this really be discarded, or can it be reused somehow!!


Any who..... Isn't my Mom the best...I think so! Not just for all this, but like a bazillion other things too!! Look for some super fun projects from all this material to come!!

Until next time...
.