So while perusing pinterest, I saw this darling monster shirt!!  I knew I could make it, but was curious where I could buy it. Guess what!!  It wasn’t for sale anymore… So my decision was made.  These would be perfect Christmas gifts for my monster lovin boys!!

This is basically an applique tutorial, super simple, so grab your supplies and let’s go!!

I’m making two shirts at a time here, so forgive me for switching in and out of pictures…

I decided to iron both my big monster felt pieces at once to save on heat-n-bond.

I actually ironed my scrap pieces of felt to the heat-n-bond before cutting the shapes out.  It just makes them easier to cut.  Just have an idea of how much of your scrap piece you will need, for whatever add-ons you decide to give your monster.

I left a bit of an opening at the bottom for the teeth to slide into.

This will secure everything and keep it nice through all your washes.

So I made my 3 yr-old try his Christmas present on.  I know, lame.

I didn’t tell him what it was for, I just told him if he put the shirt on and let me take his picture, I would give him chocolate.  He will do anything for chocolate.  He takes after his mama:)

and then he looked at his shirt…

and thought it was pretty cool…

So we had to take it off quick before he could ask any questions…

You could totally customize this for a girl as well, I may just do that for my 6 yr-old!!  Have fun creating!

Linking up HERE this week!

So a couple of weeks ago, I told ya about this gorgeous coat…

I found it on Pinterest, and knew I wanted to create my own version!!

So I finally bought some wool, and gave it a go.  If you would like to refashion an old wool coat, follow along and I’ll show ya how:)

Grab your supplies, and lets get to it!

Your going to want to cut a strip that’s either 1 1/2 times or double the length.

I had to cut two strips of each width, to get the length that I wanted.  Sew the two strips together before hemming.

I pinned it as well b/c the wool fabric doesn’t stay down very well.  Sew right along the folded edge to hem.  Next you’re going to sew a gathering stitch along the opposite side (raw edge) of the strip.  For instructions on how to sew a gathering stitch, click HERE.

You want to make sure your raw edges are along the bottom.  Sew the ruffles in place, and iron on the opposite side of the coat.

Just follow the same steps as before to create the smaller ruffles.  Pin the raw edges to the inside of the pocket, so that when you flip the ruffle over the hemmed side will be hidden.

If you would like to make a sash, cut another LONG (the length will depend on your waist, and how you would like it to hang) strip about 6 inches wide.

Make the second strip 1 1/2 times or twice as long as your sash strip.

Pull the boppin thread to ruffle this strip of fabric as well.

Sew along the outside edge, taking care not to sew the ruffle on the inside.  Leave one end open so you can turn the strip right side in.

Fold in the ends of the fabric and top stitch in place.

This coat will give me another season’s worth of wear with my ever expanding belly!  No need to buy a new coat now!!

Linking up HERE this week! Read the rest of this entry »

How was your first week of November???  I feel like we’ve officially entered the “holiday season.”  I’m sooo excited!  I’ve got my Christmas playlist all done, my favorite hot cocoa (Stephen’s Candy Cane Hot Chocolate) stocked in my pantry, we even had a little snow this week!!  It’s time to start decorating for the season:)

Yeah, so I still haven’t started my front door project (remember how I said it snowed this week…) But my plan is to finish by this weekend!!!  And I haven’t even SHOPPED for Christmas fabric yet, let alone started to sew with any…  It’s all in the plans I tell ya:)

BUT, you know that didn’t stop me from adding a lot few more pins to my boards!!!  Where do I begin????

Ok, so I have this boring grey wool coat from last year.  It’s BORING.  It needs a little something more…  So I apologize, this has no tutorial or website, just an image, but I’m SO going to attempt to “knock-off” this darling coat!!

Ok, another knock-off project for ya…  Once again, no website, just an image…  But I’m SO going to make these as well!! Aren’t these knee socks DARLING!!!

Here they are with boots…

LOVE ‘EM!!!

So what are you working on this week?  Or this month?  Or this year:)  Once again, if you need an invite to Pinterest, just let me know!!  It’s the best, I’m telling ya:)  Happy Project Creating!!!

Isn’t this top from Downeast gorgeous!! I LOVE the pleats across the whole shirt.This was my inspiration, but I wanted to add a little more…
How about some feminine lace to add a little flare:)Wanna make one too?  It’s really easy, and super affordable!!
Supplies:

• 2 knit shirts (one to wear, one to cut up)  I used a tank top for one of mine

• a spool of lace

• ruler

• cutting mat and rotary cutters

• sewing machine, thread, and pins

(These shirts were an additional 30% off!!  Gotta love a bargain:)

Step 1:
Measure your shirt and decide where you want the fabric strips placed.Place pins in the shirt to mark, and measure from one pin to the other to decide how long to cut your strips.  Also decide about how many strips you’ll need to cover the entire length of the shirt.

Step 2:  Cut open your second shirt at one of the side seams.Next, cut one side into a nice large rectangle that you will use to cut your strips.  Begin cutting the shirt into strips that are the same length you measured.You’ll need 6 shorter ones for the top of the shirt near the shoulder and neck area.  I cut them all different width to add dimension.Now cut a few lace pieces to be the same length as your strips.  I cut 4, (that was ll I had left on my roll) but cut as many as you would like.

Step 3:  Iron a few of the strips in half to make them curl slightly and add more dimension.

Step 4:  I started out pinning a bunch of strips on at a time, and then sewing them all on at once,but I found it was easier to keep them straight if I did them one at a time.  So begin by pinning each end of the strip to the shirt, add another pin to the middle, and slowly stitch the strip to the shirt in a straight line, removing the pins as you go.

Repeat for all the strips.

Step 5:  Clip all your threads and you’re done!!

You just saved $10 on a shirt!

Linking up HERE this week…
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Ok, so this is my random thought…

Valentines Day is over, but you don’t need a holiday to celebrate “love” do you?  It’s all around us all the time, right… 

So question for ya, I whipped up a few of these Ruffled T-shirts for our Etsy Shop, following my T-Shirt Refashion tutorial found HERE.. 

What do you think?  Are they holiday specific?  Do they work for everyday play?

 Be honest, I can take it:)

Do your kids own any old t-shirts?  How about old white t-shirts, maybe even with a couple of stains, maybe even a couple that are a little on the small side…

Well, my 6 yr-old has for sure grown a foot or two (ok, maybe an inch or two) and I can’t keep up with her shrinking wardrobe!!  I decided to add a few more months to some shirts. 

This “plain white T” got some love just in time for Valentines Day:)

Supplies:

• old t- shirt
• long strip of fabric (40 ish inches will do)
• scrap fabric for your applique
• heat-n-bond
• cutting mat and rotary cutter
• sewing machine
• thread
• embellishments

Step 1:

***NOTE*** Wash all fabric before cutting and sewing.  Decide how long you would like the bottom ruffle to be, this will be the width of your strip.  Measure the circumference of the base of your shirt.  You’ll need at least 1 and 1/2 times or 2 times that amount for the length of your strip.  JJ’s shirt was 25 inches, so I would need at least 36 inches.  Cut or trim your fabric.  I already had a scrap of fabric that measured 40 inches X 10 inches wide, which was perfect!  Love when that happens.

Now cut your letters or applique design.  (I used my Silhouette for the first time for this project, and I have to admit, I was a little intimidated at first, but I DID IT!!) So, whatever method you decide to use, cut your letters out.

Step 2:  Using the directions on your adhesive paper, attach the fabric to the adhesive paper.  For Heat N Bond, you place the adhesive side against the back (wrong side) of your fabric, and iron the paper side for a couple of seconds, just until it bonds.

Next, flip your cut-out letters around, (so they’re mirrored) and trace around them on the paper side of the Heat n Bond. 

Cut your letters out, and peel away the paper backing, revealing the adhesive side of the letter. 

Place the letters or design, right side up, with the adhesive against the t-shirt.  Place the iron on top of the fabric for 8 or 9 seconds.  Straight stitch along the edge of the letters. 

For the “O” in this version, I decided to make a fabric yoyo, and sew a button to the center.  You can embellish however you would like!! 

If you like the yoyo idea, there’s a great tutorial HERE.

Step 3:

Make your ruffle.  Hem the strip of fabric by folding each side in 1/4 inch, and then another 1/4 inch.  Press and pin in place.  Next, sew along the folded edge. 

On one side of the strip, sew a gathering stitch (longest stitch setting on your sewing machine) from one end to the other.  Pull the bobbin thread to gather up the ruffle.

Step 4:  Attach your ruffle to the shirt.  First, sew both ends of the ruffle together, right sides together, forming a little skirt.  (I forgot this step, so in the picture I hadn’t sewn the ruffle ends together yet, but it works much better if you do, trust me:)  Turn the ruffle so the right side is touching the right side of the t-shirt, and the ruffled edge is against the bottom hem of the t-shirt.  Starting at one side seam, pin all around the base of your shirt.

Then sew the ruffle to the shirt using a straight stitch and about 1/2 seam, all along the base of the shirt.

Flip the ruffle over, press in place, and voila!!  A little ruffle goes a long way!!

I made some fun little “love” shirts for my boys too, I LOVE how the mustaches add some boy charm to such a frilly girly holiday:)

You can totally make your own, but for the next couple of weeks we will have them for sale in our Etsy Shop, just in time for Valentines!!

Linking up HERE this week!

This is one of my favorite projects ever, just b/c my kids are obsessed with their hoodies and wear them all the time!!

When I went to the Oh Sweet Sadie Academy way back when, one of the instructors, Dani, taught us how to do these really cool monster hoodies…

I made one for my son, but liked the idea of running the spikes all the way down the back, and layering up the eyes.  I loved how it turned out!!

So my other kids had to have one of course, even my girly princess daughter! 

(My kids take after their accident prone mama, hence the bandaids on their faces…) 

So here’s the tutorial for ya!

Supplies:

• hoodie, cotton or fleece (I’ve used both)
• long strip of fleece
• ric-rac (optional)
• buttons
• thread
• sewing machine
• scissors

Step 1:

Double up your fleece, you can do this by folding it in half or laying one piece on top of another. 

Cut in a zig zag shape, making sure to leave about an inch from the edge for your seam. 

You can use whatever shape you would like to go down the hood and back.  (I rounded them out for my daughters’ hoodie).

Step 2:  Split open your hoodie by cutting it in half right at the seam, if you continue down the back, just try and follow a straight line. 

You can make this as precise as you would like, I just eye-balled everything.

Step 3:  Sew your two pieces of fleece together along the zig zag edge using a 1/4 inch seam.   Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of this part…

Step 4:  Now were going to sew the fleece to the hoodie.  Turn the hoodie inside out.  Starting at the hood, place the fleece between the two pieces (right sides together) with the points or bumps pointing down inside the jacket, and pin in place. 

Sew along the entire edge using a 1/2 inch seam. 

Turn right side in.  

Step 5:  Ok, we’re switching to my daughter’s hoodie for this next part.  (Optional)  If you would like to add ricrac along the edge of the hood, take the ricrac and cut a strip a little larger than the entire edge of the hoodie.  Fold the ricrac so the raw edges are tucked under, and start sewing it to one end. 

I didn’t pin this, just carefully sew one little bump (is that what you would call it?) of ricrac at a time.  Continue along the entire edge, and finish by tucking in the raw edges on the other side.

Step 6:  Add your buttons.  You can get creative.  Add as many as you would like, layer them up, choose crazy colors, go WILD!!  Just handsew each button onto either side, Clip all threads and you’re finished!!

How fun was that!!

Side view…

My little monsters:)

Linking up HERE this week:)

Including:

Check out these super cool reversible capes by Increasingly Domestic  My kids would LOVE these!!

Oh my word, these pillows are DARlInG!!  I love the idea of using ribbon and sweaters…  Go see them over at Felt So Cute

La-de-la-de-da has the cutest ribbon wrapped bracelets over on her blog, be sure to stop by!

These are my picks, can’t wait to give them a try. 

If you’ve been featured, be sure to snag a button!!