Tour de Fat!

   If you know anything about Tour de Fat, you know how fun it is! This year my boytoy and I sorted through old prom dresses at the thrift store to find one that I could butcher and alter to make a fun and flashy costume with that would match my boytoy's no-shirt blue tux outfit. 

   Unfortunately I totally spaced on taking before pictures of the dress. I know, I know, but you'll just have to use your imagination to picture the original dress, which extended to the floor and had no flashy sequin belt or large ruffle. 

I cut the dress at knee-length, and then used the fabric from the very bottom of the dress to create a large ruffle. Having a serger saved loads of time, as I simply just serged along the edge of the pre-cut ruffle, and ta-da!

Using the overlock machine on the ruffle. I pinned small pleats to create a puffy effect.

I had to sew the sequin belt (which I also found at the thrift store) just below a large opening in the back of the dress where the zipper was. The dress was a tad tight, and depending on the day it was a challenge to zip it all the way to the top. I decided to extend the belt just a tad and add a button with elastic under it, this way the dress would be held together with the button closure at the top of the zipper, yet be covered by this added belt.

Oh, and I also used some of the scrap tulle from the bottom of the dress to cut into strips and tie onto my pigtails, somewhat noticeable in the pics. And we used some of the sequin belt to attach to my boytoy's top hat to match our outfits. What a fun costume, and what a fun day!

Bag Holder

  Just for fun I made my boytoy this plastic bag holder. I love the vintage Snoopy scraps I was able to use on it!

Quilted Serger Cover

  I finally made a beautiful quilted cover for my serger! I love everything about it: the red corduroy, the Japanese heart with typewriter fabric, and the small strips of linen.

Superhero Capes

  After making superhero capes with an Octonaut theme for my nephew's fourth birthday party I decided to make some more neutral ones with simple stars on the back. Simple cotton fabrics with velcro closures make for an easy dress-up item for preschoolers. I wish that I had a few of these when I was working in a Pre-K classroom, I'm sure they would've been a big hit!

Teal with red star

Blue with orange star 

Light purple with pink star

Blue with red star

Caterpillar Costume

  It has been way too long since I've posted! After taking a break over the summer I've been very busy designing and prepping many new clutches and other items to list on my Etsy page before the holidays are upon us. But before I list those I have two adorable Halloween costumes to share!

  I was asked to create a caterpillar costume based on Eric Carle's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. After looking at many ideas I decided to use felt for mine with a bodysuit for the body and a hat for the caterpillar's head. The original costume was made with a red infant cap that the parents purchased for me, and I added the antenna, eyes and nose. I then purchased extra red felt to create two small felt caps for the two costumes that I've listed for sale on Etsy. 

  I absolutely love this costume! It's sure to be a hit on Halloween. It'd look even cuter as a group costume with a butterfly and some of the caterpillar's favorite foods nearby. 

Get one before they are gone!

The Lazy Girl's Way to Upcycling Old Jeans into Shorts

   I basically live in jeans, but I also have a pile that I never seem to wear. I decided to go through them and find ones that had a great fit at the waist and butt, but that I avoided wearing due to the leg cut or length. I found two pairs that seemed perfect for my go at upcycling my own jean shorts.

 Step One: Decide on the length you want, measure, cut and then serge along the hem (this is the lazy part- if you don't have a serger you'll have to do the good old double-fold and iron for your conventional machine).

    I decided that I wanted these shorts to be about mid-thigh, coming about 6 inches above the knee. The lighter colored pair I cut and serged at an 8" inseam, and the dark wash jeans I cut and serged at a 7" inseam. Adjust to make yours shorter if desired.

  Step Two: Turn jeans inside out, and iron a 1" hem.

Step Three: Stich decorative hem. I decided to do a double stitch using my double needle for the thinner, light colored jeans, and a single stitch for the heavy, dark wash pair, both sewn with my conventional machine. I used Jeans Topstitching thread to compliment the threads used in the original manufacturing.

Use the lines on your needle plate as a guide for a straight hem (I did 1" on both pairs). 

What the stitching looks like on the inside.

Voila! The perfect casual jean shorts that aren't showing off my butt cheeks and don't have the folded over edge like every pair made in stores nowadays! Next: Upcycling khakis and making some super cute short shorts :)

Octonaut Rescue Capes

   Every minute used and every dime spent on these rescue capes were more than worth it after watching my nephew and his little friends run around excitedly at his birthday party! I may not be able to design a scuba suit for little ones, but they were more than happy with the 'rescue capes', and hopefully they'll be able to play with these well into the future. 

*Currently I do not have any more of these for sale, however, 

if your little one absolutely needs one send me a message and we'll see what I can do :)

Flower Power Diaper Clutches!

More diaper clutches are now available in Flower Power print! Get it on ETSY.

"Girly" Superhero Capes

 Special request!

You Know Things are Heating Up...

   ...When you have to start ordering labels by the hundreds!

Diaper Clutches

   Here come the baby items finally! I love these diaper clutches, as they can be used as a quick bag to grab for shorter errands and outings (no need to lug around the whole diaper bags sometimes), or you can also just use it as a diaper carrier and transfer it among your favorite larger bags and purses. 

Get it on Etsy Here!

Every Baby Needs Stuffies!

   I'm an Auntie again to my brother's new baby girl! And although I'm usually the first to say what a waste of space stuffed animals- or stuffies as I like to call them- can be, I knew that my new little niece needed a bright and colorful stuffy, adorned with a beautiful satin heart. Pretty darn cute if I don't say so myself!

Superhero Capes

   Nothing tickles my fancy more than someone I know requesting me to design and sew a particular item for them. Luckily this was also a very fun project! I made the little guys cape with a big "X", which starts his name, and then made a few extra to sell on Etsy. I couldn't help but use super cool, shiny satins and a big yellow star- how fun?! There's only a few, so grab them before they're gone! 

Special request for Mr. X

Black and Purple Satin

Light Denim with Starry Design

Black and Gold Satins

Spring is in the Air!

   Sunshine, warm air, birds chirping and flowers sprouting- and it's only February! Yes, I happen to be a Denverite and enjoy every sunshiny day, especially getting new bright spring fabrics, like this linen. And if you're in the Northeast like my family, just hold on, you're almost out of the cold, too!

Snack Bags with the Serger

Get it on Etsy

Corduroy in Black and White

   I can't decide what I like more, the fact that the polka dot fabric is corduroy, or the polka dot and zig-zag designs in general!

Get it on Etsy

Lessons in Sewing From the Past