Ruffle Pants Mode.

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Ruffle Pants Mode.  I'm taking Grace's pants from last year (except the cords), and converting them into capri's with the ruffle on the bottom. 

• Dark Blue Jean with Bulldog ruffle fabric
• Light Blue Jean with brown/black stripe
• Medium Blue Jean with floral ruffle

Now I'm making some more pants, same sized pattern (from the Kwik Sew Pattern book) in size 3T.  These pants work well, with her having to go potty, so trying to have her in clothes, where I don't have to help her so much in the bathroom....to help her be independent.  (But I keep forgeting to leave the light on, as she wants that light on!)

I'm working on two Dark Blue Jean pants.  One with a multi color heart fabric, and I haven't picked the next fabric yet, but I'll probably survey her tops in her closet, and try to find a multi colored fabric from my stash, or maybe a pink variety colored fabric. 

Prior to me sewing up the inside seam of the pant leg, I'm attaching the ruffle, ironing it, then top stitching it before putting the let together.  This might make the ruffle, though a bit flat, when I put the leg together.

Today she is wearing her baby Jaguar print long sleeved shirt from Kohls (size 5, in case you are thinking of anything for holiday presents..) along with what she calls, her cat pants. (Black leggings, Garanimals from Walmart, sized 4T)  She says that she is "Dora", from Dora the Explorer, and that she is wearing her Jaguar clothes.  Cute.  Way too cute.

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A year ago today.

I started this blog, a year ago today. 

Went to JoAnn's today, to purchase some 99 cent McCall's patterns.  I bought two versions of the knockoff  DNKY Multi-wrap pattern, and two fleece scarf/headwear patterns.  And proceeded to purchase some on sale pumpkin and bat cookie cutters. 

I then went home made some sugar cookie dough, and tried out the cookie cutters! 

This past week, I took in 3 pairs of Grace's pants.  I took off some of the cuff's of her last winter pants that I made, and added some pink and black bulldog fabric ruffles onto the jean pants.  Look real cute with her Pink Bulldog shirt from this year. (Photo to come.)

One day, I'll be making me something....who knows what that will be....otherwise....I'm thinking maybe some name pillows for Christmas Gifts.

Sew Long!
gaileee

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Love 2 Wear What Someone Makes 4 Me!

Look at this!  Isn't this cool?  My BFF made this for my 50th (*shudder*) birthday!  (Yes, I have a 3 1/2 year old, and I'm going to be 50!)

It is a Simplicity 2603 Cardiwrap and a Ottobre 2/2007 Tank!

It was wrapped in Chico paper, when it was delivered, and I thought, well I didn't see that in the store last week.  (Yes, I visited Chico's after a 7 month absence--I bought two pairs of dark denium pants and a semi-cami brown top....I had my birthday coupon....couldn't resist...)

Anyway, so I'm having fun trying to figure out all the diferent ways you can wear this cardi wrap.  Here is a link that Tammy sent me.

Here's a link to the DKNY video that shows all the ways to wear the cardi-wrap:  http://www.dkny.com/womens/cozy_video.html

 

So, this blog isn't about what I love to sew, it is also what other people like to sew for me!  (ha ha!)

 

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Oh, look what that Singer Featherweight Ruffle Attachment Can Do!

So it is a tradition here to dress up your little girl in either a cheerleader outfit, a dolled up Bulldog t-shirt, or some other cute outfit for the football games.

Look what I did with my Singer Featherweight Ruffle Attachment.

Now I didn't like the way the attached skirt came straight down, so I had to figure out how to make it more flowly.  I took part of it off (I wanted to keep the ruffles), and add a more flowly part to the outfit.

Here is what I came up with.  Moved some things up, added a ruffle on the bottom with a flared insert piece and attached it to the original bottom ruffle.  This worked out pretty well.

Here are the two Bulldog type outfits that I've made so far.  What you haven't seen are the Bulldog capri pants.  That is another post!

Here is our model, with her coordinating Bulldog hairbows, showing off the outfit.  All with the Singer Featherweight 221 Ruffler.  Now, if I could get the Singer Featherweight ZigZag attachment to work, then I could finish off the edges all on one machine.  The zigzag attachement is kinda cagegy.  Anyone know how to make it work well?

Your thoughts?

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Ruffles, can a girl have too many?

Adding a ruffle to the bottom of the top.  Whoops!  I should have added the rest of the strips to the fabric before I added it to the top!  Well, you only make a mistake once (hopefully) to learn this lesson.  Grace wanted to wear this before I finished it!  (An idea for later!)

Here is the added strip, then a mix of colors for the added ruffle.  I had to gather the top of this strip, in order to fit it easily to the bottom ruffle on the top.  Worked out well, and was easy to put together.  So maybe this is an okay way to do it.  I'll have to get out my Pfaff or Serger that Tammy gave me, and next time finish off the edges with a zigzag, or a sergered (oh my gosh!) edge.  The serger scares me....it even has the thread, still threaded in it, so I'll have no problem threading....hmmm.

Here she is at Mother's Day Out, wearing her bulldog print dress.  The girls tend to wear their cheerleader outfit, or school t-shirts the weeks, that a football game occurs.  Right here, Grace is trying to get Cooper to wake up.  "Wake Up Cooper!"  He still sleeps!

And one of her 24 month skirts, I added a test ruffle that I initially did with my Singer Featherweight 221 ruffle attachment.  She can still wear the skirt, as she is no longer in diapers!  (Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose!)

What else can I ruffle?  Ideas anyone?  Please give me a post/link and I'll try it!

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Ruffles on Winter pants (or, have I grown taller since December?)

Here we go!  Adding ruffles to the end of her toddler pants from last winter.  Using my Singer Featherweight 221 Sewing machine, and the 221 (which other models can use too), ruffler.

Sewing the wrong sides together, before putting it into the ruffler.  The ruffler doesn't seam to want to put much material through it (thickness wise).  Maybe there is an adjustment to make on the ruffler, to take thicker fabric?  Mom?

Using my 1/4 patchwork foot on my Singer Featherweight 221 machine. 

Here I am using the Ruffler for the 221 machine, on the edge that I just sewed together.

Putting the ruffled material, now on the capri pant.

I'm sewing the ruffle on.  I switch back and forth between the ruffler and the 1/4 inch foot like in no time.

After ironing, topstitching, to further set the seam.

And here are the pants!

Here is the model wearing her new capri pants, with matching ruffle hair bow from previous project!  Lots of orange in this household (Go POKES - Oklahoma State University!)

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My TeeCycle and Simple Hair Bow Efforts

Finally Sewed!

Took ideas from GrosGrainFabulous website tutorial at:
http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2009/08/teecycle-dress-tutorial-and-giveaway.html
and made my own TeeCycle dress!

• Cut off one of Grace's Mother's Day Out t-shirts.
• Then measured the bottom of the t-shirt.  Multiplied times 2.
• Cut three strips of fabric 4 inches wide by 52 inches long.
• Sewed a long stitch, and hand gathered the top edge of one of the strips.
• Then sewed on the other two long strips onto the gathered strip.  
• Sewed on the gathered edge onto the bottom of the t-shirt.
• Then cut out two  7 inch wide by 52 inch long strips.
• Sewed the two 7 by 52 inch strips together at the short end.
• Folded the fabric wrong sides together (form a 3.5 inch strip), and sewed 1/4 inch to make the ruffle part of the dress.
• Put on the Singer Sewing Featherweight Ruffle attachment to my machine, then just kind of guessed, and ruffled away.  
• Pressed the gathered edge, and attached it to the bottom of the dress 1/2 inch seam.  Then pressed.
• Then I topstitched the edge of where I attached the ruffle onto the bottom of the dress (Thanks Tammy!).

Additionally, made a long tube of fabric, changed up the ruffle adjustments a bit, and made a long ruffle, on both sides of the fabric.  Then I used the "How to make a simple Bow" tutorial at: http://smallvillestudio.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-make-simple-bow.html 

Here is the finished product!

Hair Bow Up Close!












Here is Miss Grace, lounging in her new playdress!

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