Simple Skirt

Remember the easy skirts from this post?  Well, today I am going to tell you how to make a really easy skirt!  If you have small amounts of fabric that you want to use, that are just under half a yard or so, try this, you will be happy with the quick and easy results!  You can make several of these in a short period of time.

Here's what you're going to need...

• Fabrics: 1 for the main part and one for the accent panel (if you want.)


• elastic 3/4 to 1 inch wide


• thread, scissors, ruler, safety pin

To begin, measure your recipient and decide the length that you want the skirt to be.  For my skirt,  I want it to be approximately 14 inches long.    I am going to make the lower quarter of my skirt with a different fabric, so I need to determine how long to make each piece of fabric.  (You might want to make sure that you iron your fabric first, especially if you've had it folded for a while...probably should have done that before taking the picture!)

I will be using the entire 44" width by 5" for my accent and 44" by about 13" for the main panel.

Once I have those pieces cut, I am going to begin sewing.   I serged my two pieces together, sewing along the longest length,  if you don't have a serger, just use your sewing machine.  You can allot an extra 1/2-1 inch if you want to fold the seem over to cover the unfinished edge.

Now you should have a one piece total.  Take the short sides and pin right sides together, serge or sew from one end to the other.  Back stitch on both ends.  It should now look like a tube.

Next get your iron and press fabric over a 1/4" on the top edge and the bottom edge, making sure that you press the right side over the wrong side.

Now on the bottom edge, fold that pressed edge over again, another 1/2" and press again.

On the top edge fold it over 1"-1 1/4" depending on the size of your elastic, press.  This will make your elastic casing.

Now sew the bottom edge all the way around.

Sew the top edge, leaving a 2" -3" opening for the elastic.  Back stitch on both ends.

Attach your safety pin to one end of the elastic and feed it through the casing.

When you get back to the beginning, sew the two ends of your elastic together by laying one on top of the other and using a zig zag stitch go over it a few times for extra strength.  Now tuck it in to the casing and sew the opening closed.

You are all finished.  See how easy that was??

Now if you wanted to add a little more to this skirt, you could add a pocket or two onto the front.  Make them round or square, your choice, either would make a cute addition.

I think a little ruffle as the accent panel would be cute too.

Enjoy!  And please if you use one of the tutorials listed on this site, please give credit to the site.  Thanks.

Don't forget to add yours to the Flickr pool.

Robot bag

I make lots of different things for many different people, but I tend to make mainly girl things.  My son has requests from time to time and when he asks for something, I try really hard to meet his expectations!

This is his new church bag.  He asked for a blue bag with robots.  So, I immediately decided that it needed to be a messenger bag with a robot applique on the front flap.  I looked through lots of different tutorials for a kids messenger bag and finally decided to base it off of this one.  I Googled kids messenger bag tutorials and found lost of great tutorials, but decided I like the look of this one in particular.

The main exterior fabric was a curtain from one of my college apartments.  The fabrics that I used for the applique, interior and pockets are from Robert Kaufman's Robomatic line that I bought when my son was a couple of months old.  I loved it, thought I would make a quilt out of it and 5 years later it's a bag!  Nice.

I changed the pockets, adding a big one on the back and several on the front, perfect for his pencils.  I love that this bag had lots of pockets, and tons of room on the inside to put his books.  The adjustable strap is awesome.  He can use this bag as long as he deems it cool.

I think that I may make one of these for myself.  Well, minus the robot, although I really like the robot.  I also Googled robot applique, but I can't remember where I found it, I didn't save it, because I couldn't get it to down load, so this is kind of a free handed version of it!

So, if you are in need of a messenger bag, use this tutorial, it's well written and easy to follow.  You won't be disappointed.  I will have the skirt pattern from this post up most likely mid week, I'm having some issues with my camera...

New skirts and hair clips

What more could a girl want than new clothes and a few hair accessories?  There are days when I find that I need to make something, it's not just a "he it would be fun to make something", it's an "I must make something or I may go crazy."  So on those days, I tend to make skirts and hair clips. (Hence the many hair clip tutorials.)

For years, when this happens I tend to just whip up a really simple skirt.  It's easy to make and it's really cute.  I'll show you how very soon!!

The hair clips change depending on the outfit and my mood.  Some days they're nothing more than gluing a few flowers together and some days there hand sewn and quite involved.  They disappear a few days later, so it's well worth my time and effort...right?

The first skirt and clips were made using fabric from Robert Kaufman's Metro Cafe and Glam Garden lines.  I love the teapot and teacup fabric.  I bought a couple of yards of it in case I decided to make a dress for her, but in my hour of crafting need, I opted for a skirt.  It's so cute, it looks adorable on her.  The matching hair clips were made with cups from the fabric and felt.  I tried one of the big cups in my hair, and well, not so cute on me.  It's an easy skirt and it transitions quite well from summer to fall to winter, with the additions of leggings or tights.

The next skirt I made was a skirt using an owl print from Amy Schimler's On a Whim line, paired with the Amy Butler's lime Full Moon Polka Dot. She loved this skirt, it had owls and purple ones...even better!  Her hair clip is made from a felt owl that I had, she has a pink owl hair clip also.  I think I need to make a purple owl too.  Her pink owl, Sally, is currently wearing the pink hair clip.

So, if you would like to make one of these skirts, you'll need less than one yard of fabric, it's a great way to use smaller pieces from your stash.  I'll post the tutorial soon.

Play Dessert Tray

Sorry that I haven't posted as much this summer.  I assure you, that once things get back into a more structured school mode, there will be more posts and tutorials!  I have a few lined up, it's just a matter of finding a spare hour or two to do it!  My son starts kindergarten next week and once I stop crying , I will get back into a normal routine!

So, I have been sewing a lot of felt food lately.  It's easy to throw in a bag and carry it with me.  The problem is, that I have lots of cute food and not a lot of cute play things to put it on.  So my dilemma was remedied one day as I walked through the dinnerware aisle at Target.  They had a great selection of melamine salad plates and appetizer plates!  Perfect!  My kids can't or would have to try really hard to break them!  So I grabbed two of them and headed home to make a two tiered dessert tray for the play kitchen.

Want to make one too?  It's so easy.

Here's what you'll need...

• Two plates (My plates are from Target, one salad size and one appetizer size)


• a small piece of wood


• paint, paint brush and glue (I used hot glue, because I'm impatient.  You could use something stronger if you want.)

Are you ready? Ok, here's what you do, paint your piece of wood.  Let it dry.  Determine the center of your plates.  Glue the wood in the center of the larger plate.  Add glue to the top of your wood, place smaller plate on top.  And that's it.  Easy peasy.



Paint.

Glue.

Finished.