Shirred Skirt from a T-shirt

I saw this awesome idea on pinterest and couldn't wait to try.  I thought I was pretty well versed in sewing, but it turns out there was at least one technique I wasn't aware of: shirring.  Apparently shirring is like smocking (which I had heard of) but slightly different (not sure how).  I had no idea that you could smock (shir) on your machine.  All you need is elastic thread in the bobbin.

To make this super comfy, stretchy skirt you need a T-shirt, elastic thread (and of course your other basic sewing supplies) and half an hour.  I found this T-shirt at a thrift store for $1.50.  I got the elastic thread at hobby lobby for $0.95 (after coupon).

#1 wrap your elastic thread onto your bobbin.  This needs to be done by hand to get the tension right.  You don't want it to be loose, but you don't want it to be stretched out either.

#2 Cut the sleeves and neck off of your T-shirt.  The bottom part will become your skirt.
You could cut just below the sleeves, but I cut a little higher than that to get my skirt as long as I wanted it.  I just sewed up the little openings on the sides where the arm holes had been.

#3 Start sewing to create your shirred waistband.  To shirr, just sew like you normally would, right side up (so that the elastic is on the inside of your skirt).  The first few rows don't seem very tight, but they will get tighter as you do more.

Don't forget to back-stitch when you start and stop!
(Or you could tie the ends of the elastic together when your done.)

I used a long stitch and tightened my top tension a little.  You'll have to see what works with your machine.

#4 Keep adding more rows to your waistband.  I just used the edge of my presser foot as my guide to keep my rows relatively even (1/4" apart).  Be sure to spread your fabric out flat in front of the needle as you sew.

I sewed 10 rows, but you could do a few more too.

#5 After you have all of your rows sewn, you can hit the elastic with a little steam from the iron (of water from a spray bottle) to help the elastic tighten up.

That's it!  You're done!  Half an hour later and you have a super comfy skirt.  I have worn mine several times and love it!

Note: The T-shirt that I got was a 3x.  That was great for the length, but when I first started wearing my skirt I felt like it was going to fall off.  So I just took it in a few inches on one of the sides.  Now it is great!

Birthday Party Decorations

We have a Hello Kitty party planned for Miss Janey tomorrow, so I've been working on some special party decorations to hang around the house.

Hello Kitty String

1- Print out pictures themed to the party.

2- Cut out, and then connect by sewing--gently pull threads back as you sew a few inches, sew down a paper pic, sew a few more inches of empty thread gentle pulling thread back as you sew, sew down another paper pic....etc.

String of Tissue Paper Flowers

1- Make a handful of Tissue Paper pom-pom Flowers.

2- Before fluffing, attach tissue paper fans to a ribbon or string.

3- Fluff flowers and hang!

DIY Baby Bow Tie

This morning I decided to make a cute bow tie for Freddy (he's not so great at holding still for pictures yet, but still pretty darn cute!).  Here is what I came up with.

For the Bow Tie:

All seams are 1/4"

#1 Cut two pieces of fabric, one 4 1/2" by 8" and one 1 1/2" by 3"

#2 Fold the fabric in half (hot dog style, right sides together) and sew down the long side.  Do this for the big and little fabric rectangles.  I also serged the edges before sewing to keep things nice.  You could zig-zag the edge if you don't have a serger.

#3 Turn your fabric right side out, with the seam in the middle and press. Do this same thing for the little rectangle.

#4 Fold the rectangle in half (hamburger style, with seam on the outside) and sew the open edges together.  Do this same thing for the little rectangle.

#5 Turn the seam to the inside, center it and press.  Do this same thing for the little rectangle.

#6 With the big rectangle, fold it in an "M" shape.

#7 Tack it in place by hand with a needle and thread.

#8 Slide the small piece onto the bow.

For the Neck Strap:

#9 Cut a rectangle 14 1/2" by 2 1/4"

#10 Fold it in half (hot dog style) and sew a seam along the long edge and along one of the short edges (I serged the edges before).

#11 Turn it right side out (you can use your scissors, a dowel, a skewer, etc. to help).

#12 On the open edge, turn the fabric to the inside, about 1/4" and sew it closed.

#13 sew 2" pieces of velcro to the ends (opposite ends on opposite sides).

#14 Thread the strap through the loop (small rectangle) of the bow tie.  I tacked the bow tie in place with a little hot glue.

Ta Da! A cute bow tie for you little man!

Pillowcase Dress How To

Just finished the girls Easter Dresses!

And its still a week away.  I'm doing good.

Last year I made them very simple pillowcase dresses.  This year I got a little fancier (to keep the ribbon from slipping off their shoulders), but same simple idea.  Either project only takes a couple hours, and is easy. These dresses are great for Summer Time too.

 I will list instructions for both types of pillowcase dress below.  They are very similar but I only have a pic-toral "How To" for this years "Fancier" Pillowcase Dress.

Standard Pillowcase Dress

1. Measure to find desired length and the child's width.
2. Draw a small dress diagram and write down the measurements (pic below), and then adjust measurements allowing for hems and seem allowances: 7" longer and 1.75 times the width, (allowing for 4" hem at bottom, 2" hem/pocket at the top to run ribbon thru, 1" of seam allowance.)
3. Cut out 2 rectangles of fabric based on your measurements. 
4. With right side together, measure 5"-6" down from top, mark with a pin,  and sew side seems from that point down.
5. Going around the bottom of dress, fold under and iron 1/2" of fabric.  Then using a hem gauge set at 4", fold under and iron from the folded bottom of dress to create hem.  (The 1/2" fold makes it so the cut fabric ends up tucked in once the hem is sewn and that way it can't fray.) Sew hem in place at the top of the hem.
6. At the top, unsewn, part of the dress, fold fabric in (toward wrong side of dress) and iron a 1/2" then roll and iron again.  This once again tucks the cut edges under.  Sew these rolled edges creating the arm holes.
7. To create the hem/pocket for the ribbon at the top of the dress, follow step #5 but set your hem gauge to 2". Sew hem in place leaving ends opens, and creating a pocket to put ribbon thru.
8. Run ribbon thru pockets, then tie over child's shoulders.The dress will gather as you tighten the ribbon to the right width. (Look at the pics above.)

Fancier Pillowcase Dress 

1.  Measure to find desired length and the child's width. Also measure the distance from the center of one shoulder blade to the center of the other shoulder blade.
2. Draw a small dress diagram and write down the measurements (see pic), and then adjust measurements allowing for hems and seem allowances: 7" longer (allowing for 4" hem at bottom, 2" hem/pocket at the top to run ribbon thru, 1" of seam allowance), and 1.75 times the width at the top and then the bottom being 6" wider than the top to create fullness.
3. Using pins to mark the cutting lines and a long ruler, lay the fabric out--doubled/folded in half so you cut out both halves at the same time--and measure/mark where to cut out the dress based on your diagram.  (Hint: measure the bottom width, mark, then the height, then find where to cut the top by coming in 3" from the bottom width on each side, mark.  Lay long ruler between top and bottom and then pin along the ruler to find the diagonal line you want to cut on.) Cut out fabric.  (In bottom right pic I have circled the pins so you can see them better, I have measured and am about to cut.)

 

4.  Cut 2 rectangles that are 3 1/2" high and as wide as the measurement between the child's shoulder blades plus 1".  This will be used to create the pocket for the ribbon.

5.  Place right sides of dress togther.  Measure and mark with a pin 5"-6" from the top of the dress.  

6.  Sew from this mark down to the bottom of the dress, on each side.

7.  Iron seams out flat.

8.  To create a finished arm hole: fold unsewn fabric at top of dress over 1/2", iron down, and fold over again a 1/2", iron again.  Repeat on all 4 unsewn sides.  

9.  The bottom Hem.  Going around the bottom of dress, fold under and iron 1/2" of fabric.  Then using a hem gauge set at 4", fold under and iron from the folded bottom of dress to create hem. You will have some angled, horizontal fold in the hem too, because the fabric wider at the bottom than top. (The 1/2" fold makes it so the cut fabric ends up tucked in once the hem is sewn and that way it can't fray.) 

10.  Sew rolled edge of arm holes.

11.  Sew a reinforcement stitch at the bottom of arm holes.

12.  Sew bottom hem, near the top the hem, from the inside.

13.  To create gathers at the top of the dress, start by sewing a basting stitch with a 5/8" seam allowance, across the top of each side. Then gather the fabric by holding 1 thread on an end and pushing/working the fabric down the thread--gathering toward the middle--do the same thing on the other side, holding 1 thread and gathering toward the center.  The width of the gathered fabric will equal that of the shoulder blade measurement.

14.  Prep the ribbon pockets by folding and ironing over 1/2 of fabric on the short ends of  your rectangle fabric piece.

15.  Sew down this fold.

16.  Fold and iron over 1/2 of fabric on the long ends of rectangle.

17.  To finish dress, fold rectangle in half around gathered dress top, matching and then pinning the fabrics together on 1 end.  The rectangle will just barely cover the basting stitch, creating a pocket for the ribbon.

18.  With the 1 end pinned you can now adjust the gathers to the exact width of the rectangle.

19.  Pin every inch or so across this pocket/gather sandwich.

20.  Sew parallel seems, 1/2" and 1/8" from bottom of rectangular fabric.

 

#21  Thread very long length of ribbon thru pockets.  Tie over 1 shoulder.

 

Jean Apron

Yesterday we made bias tape, and here's something to make with your bias tape.

Happy Sewing.

Making Bias Tape

Oh 

I helped the youth at church with a Jean Apron sewing project using pant leg--cut open to look like an apron--with 1 inch Bias Tape.  

As I was standing in the store, waiting for my fabric to get, I overheard someone talking about a Bias Tape Maker and thought, "I didn't know there was a tool that would make the bias tape? How awesome would that be?"  Needless to say my next stop was the notions aisle where I found the tool that would save me from going insane as I set out to prep 48 strips of bias tape for the youth. 

What is bias tape?

In this case, straight strips of fabric cut squarely and 2" wide. (If the fabric needed to stretch you would cut on the bias to make strips.) Then each strip is folded/ironed 3 times: each outer edge toward the middle and then the strip is folded/ironed in half to make a sandwhich of fabric where the cut ends are in the middle, unexposed.

How does the Tape Maker work?

~The tape maker helps turn the edges over so you can fold/iron them in toward the middle.

¤sing a safety pin in the end of your 2" fabric strip, feed the fabric through the maker, wrong side of the fabric up.

>Lay the fabric strip--with the maker threaded--across the ironingboard.

~Iron the first few inches down carefully.

¤Now keeping the iron a fraction of a inch away from the maker, pull the maker down the fabric and press the edges down as the fabric comes out.

To continue on to the next fabric strip, saftey pin the end of the curent strip to the beginning of the next strip.

¤Pull safety pin through tape maker and iron down the end/begining of the strips.

> Remove safety pin and begin folding/ironing down the fabric strip.