Summer outfit!

I hope that everyone is having a good week. Mine has been filled with library, parks, and wild indians. To have the energy that my kids have that is what I'm praying for. Maybe I should be the one taking the nap, but then I wouldn't have time to make cute outfits.



I made this outfit for Yavela in a little over an hour. The sun was bright yesterday, so she couldn't look up at me.



I used a fabric scrap that I picked up a couple of months ago. I was debating on what to use it for so glad that I used it for her outfit, it's not your typical little girl fabric, but super cute.

All you need for this project is fabric, thread, elastic thread, elastic and extra wide double fold bias tape.


First thing I did was measure the length I want for this top from under the armpit to the bottom where I wanted the shirt to end for my two year old that was 11". You don't need to add for hemming on this project. Next I measured around the chest for her it was 21" I added 11" to that for the shirring and the seam allowance (11" x 33"). Next I measured for the straps I wanted this to crisscross in the back my measurement was 11", so I cut two out of my bias tape.

I cut two pieces of bias tape the width of my fabric 33" and pinned that to my fabric. Make sure that up put the shorter side up and sew.


Then I sewed a straight line down the straps to hold them together. Measure 4 1/2" from the middle of your fabric and pin one strap and do the other side 4 1/2" from the middle. Sew the straps on. They should be nine inches apart.

The next step is shirring. After you have put elastic thread in your bobbin and adjust your tension. Measure two inches from the bottom of the bias tape and sew a straight line across your fabric. Using your first row as a guide sew four more.


Your almost done and it's starting to look like a shirt. All you have to do now is pin it right sides together and sew a straight stitch then do a zigzag stitch or serge it. Your done! You can easily make this a dress by measuring to your little girls knees.


She trying to learn how to jump.

Now all of my girls want an outfit! Think that I'll whip up another one today. Tomorrow I will put up the post on how to make the knickers.


-emilie

Cut-off jeans skirt

Well I finally got some sewing in. It has been a little crazy at my house with summer vacation and seven kids at home. My sewing time has been minimal due to not enough hours in my day, if only I could cut out the sleeping part. I could get so many other things done.

In my house my girls gets holes in the knees of their jeans almost as fast as my son does. For the last couple of weeks I have been trying to figure out what to do with these pieces. I made shorts out of the jeans and now I'm left with two halves of the legs. Then it hit me. I could turn it into a skirt for one my younger girls.

All I did was cut out the main seam and so it right sides together. Made an elastic casing and there you go a skirt that took about 20 minutes.


This skirt already had all of the embellishment. Its frayed at the ends and it looks a little worn but it's one of those outfits that is perfect for playing outside or running around like a wild girl. We have a lot of those I mean wild girls in my house. Hopefully they slow down a bit this week. They are reading for the summer reading program. Great incentive for kids to read, so glad that mine already love it.
- emilie

We are adding to the family!

I know what your thinking, what they're adding to the family! Are they crazy?! Yes we are. We have adopted three little birdies. We don't have names from them yet. So if you have any suggestions please let me know. Over the past month or so I have seen these cute little projects with birds and just had to do one for our daughters room. (More to come).








Here it is! So cute, right?

So if you would like to make one for your little girls room or whatever room you like here is what I did.

Supplies:

One wire birdcage
Spray paint
Fabric
Black beads
White felt
Thread
Hot glue gun
Sewing machine









I picked up this birdcage at Salvation Army for $4. It needed a paint job good thing I have plenty of spray paint on hand.








Then I found this tutorial online for the birds. Here.


Once I was done with the birds. I took invisible thread and hung them on the top so that I looked like they were flying. Then I made three ruffles to go around the bottom. I left the edges unfinished I like the frayed look. I took my hot glue gun and glued the ruffles all the way around until all were glued.










I hung it by more fabric from a hook that was already on my daughters ceiling. Which by the way I have to move because it's too close to the door, good thing she has two doors! I just love the way it looks with her pink salmon walls that my husband painted earlier this year.

So there you have it, super easy. You can also find lots of other bird patterns online. My main objective was to spend little to no money on this project. The only thing that I paid for was the birdcage everything else I already had. This project cost me $4.








Here's the happy little girl with three little birdies. So worth it!

My life

Here is pic of my family that was taken two weeks ago at my brother in laws wedding. I know, I know it's big. To us we wouldn't have it any other way. Our lives are not always easy or organized and I don't really know if you can completely do that with seven kids and four levels in your house. Our kids were named after the vowels, so we have aeiouy and a again (our caboose). That's six girls and one boy. Well at least he gets his only room right. This is just a little bit about me and my life.