Project Run & Play Sewalong- Season 10: Week Three (Crystal)

It’s week 3!  And this time I’m ON TIME with my post.  Applause welcomed.  This week is all about denim. Jay Leno would be ecstatic (that one’s for all of you Adam Carolla fans).  Denim is actually pretty versatile, and way fun to sew with. I thought a looooooooong time on this one and then stopped thinking and just started sewing.  This is what appeared from my chaos- The Denim Darlin’

We’re not really cowpoke over here.  We’re city slickers to the max.  As a matter of fact, a bee got into my house today and I swear to you it made me a wreck.  I’ll be hearing bees in my sleep.  Even though I may be the indoorsy type, I love the cowgirl LOOK- especially the whole “worker meets ethereal being” effect denim and chiffon make.  It’s just lovely.  Did you just picture Arwen Evenstar driving a tractor and feeding hogs?  Just me?  Ok, then.

I used the Jane pattern by Violet Fields threads and took off the sleeves. I added an extra column of buttons because the dress was just too loose for my taste.  Since I used denim from an old pair of pants, I couldn’t just make a new one.  BLAST!  But, I made it work like a hotty farm hand.  I think it turned out pretty sweetly.  I dig it like ...a piece of heavy equipment that...digs.

I added a few pickups, flowers, and some pretty rose trim to make it a bit more flouncy and girly since my little peanut likes things that pixies would wear.  Pixie cowgirl...Tinkerbell shoveling poo...

That’s it!  I kept it pretty simple and my little cowgirl is ready to go to the grocery store and ride a motorized horse.  Seriously, I’m afraid of riding horses- tried it once as a grown woman and cried like a baby as it moved.  I mean, it’s a ride that THINKS ON IT’S OWN.  Scary stuff, man.    I can’t wait to see what everyone else sews up!

-Crystal-

Guest Post: The Life of a Compulsive Crafter- Reusable Snack Bags

The school year is back into full swing. This post is for all the mama's making sack lunches for their children. While I think reusable snack bags are awesome in summer - you shouldn't pack them up when the weather begins to cool down. Reusable snack bags are a great way to lower your household's carbon footprint all year long. All those plastic bags we use for chips and cookies and carrots and... well you get the point. They can be replaced with a few of these, and they're really easy to make. Toss them into your child's lunch for a fun and environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bags. You can use either laminated cotton or use any cotton fabric + vinyl over the top (available at Joann's and many other fabric stores). 

There are so so many great tutorials on how to create these bags, so I'm going to link the one I used as well as some other options you may want to try out!

Snack Bags with Velcro

Snack Bags with A Zipper

Snack Bags with Snaps

I really love the ones with snaps and can't wait to give them a try- I feel like they'd be very easy to wash. BTW you may be wondering how to wash these little guys. I usually use a damp washcloth with soap and wipe out the inside making sure to really get into the corners, then I rinse them out really well, and open them up and place them on my drying rack. I'm leery about putting them into the washing machine, but you can certainly give that a try if you're braver than I am. 

I'd also like to mention that they make great gifts! I had a friends daughter turning 1- which is such a tough age to buy Birthday presents for. I needed something simple to give her so I whipped up a couple of these and grabbed a few boxes of her favorite snacks. Seriously, it was quick and USEFUL. 

- Mae 

(The Life Of A Compulsive Crafter)

Project Run & Play Sew Along- Season 10: Week Two (Crystal)

It's week 2 of Project Run & Play and the theme is "Hand-me-Downs" which translates to upcycling (essentially)...which translates to FREE (nearly)...which translates to WOO HOOOOOOOOOO (totally)!  Lets jump right in, shall we?

I decided to do a boy look this week since my little guy has officially grown out of all of the hand-me-downs we inherited from the wonderful male cousins that came before him.  Since 3T clothing usually doesn't outlive the year of use because boys turn into filthy and crazy daredevils that destroy everything, I was so sad to know I'd have to buy stuff.  The death of a cheapo.  So sad. Luckily I can upcycle and BAM!  Stylish stud

Imma gonna go ahead and start with the fancy pants he's wearing.  For this look I used a pair of MY old pants and a GIRL pattern.  I totally reused girly things for a boy look.  I bleach dyed the jeans using the preschool method of tie dying with random rubber bands all over.  It turned out just as I had pictured and worked like magic with the Sis Boom Katie pattern.  I forgot to get a pic of the jeans before I bleached 'em...whoops!  But I got a pic before I cut them, so points for me!

The vest was ALSO a "girl" pattern.  I used the Allspice by Paisley Roots without the pintucks to make it.  I added some length to get it to be manly and decided to go reversible because it's just cool.  The peach side has pockets (the original pockets from the fugly shirt from Grandma- she wouldn't even wear it) and the khaki green side has some custom stitching.  For that side, I used a pair of my husband's old torn up shorts.  Seriously, I don't even want to know what kind of bathroom issues cause a hole THIS GIANT to form in the crotch seam.  Gonna leave that one alone. All I had to purchase for this look was a reversible separating zipper.  That's it for the WHOLE LOOK.  YAY!

The hat pattern is from Apple + Fig. and is SO COOL.  The size ranges from baby to adult, so it's a good use of the dinero.  I used the rest of the mystery injury shorts to make it and added a little sea turtle reverse applique with the leftover bleached denim.  My boy loves sea turtles...it wasn't just some random "I like turtles" moment.

The shirt was made from a shirt.  So clever, I know.  But I love the fabric of this shirt and my husband didn't like the original, so yeah.  I made it better.  I used the Flashback skinny tee from Made by Rae.  It's so cool!  Love this pattern.  Easy and comfy and the perfect fit.

That about sums up my look!  4 pieces that can be interchanged with the rest of his wardrobe.  They'll blend right in with his other stuff....like a dresser ninja!

-Crystal-

CraftingCon: Princess Month!

Yay!  it's Crystal's turn over at Friends Stitched Together for Princess Month on CraftingCon.  Go check out her Ariel inspired look and a bunch more pics <3

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Thanks for checking it out!  We always appreciate our friends =)

Paisley Roots All Spice: Summer lovin'

Summer time.  A time for ice cream, water fights, breezy dresses and bare shoulders.  A season that if you haven't made an All Spice yet because of some irrational fear of sleeves you should hop to it.

Here we had to pretend there was a little bit of summer in between showers of mist as our rainy season begins to descend upon us (I'm told it doesn't really start until next month but here's day two of cloudy mist).  But you get the idea.  One cutie patootie in her sleeveless size 2T All Spice.  Oh and please forgive the stubborn creases.... I swear I ironed this before putting it on her but alas there was no steam left in my iron and it was quickly becoming nap time!

Paisley Roots All Spice Week! Springtime!

From the creator of the Autumn and Winter "All spice" That's What SHE Crafted productions brings you.... "ALL SPICE Spring"

 It has pintucks, it has zippers, it has buttons it has FLUTTERS... DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN

Now those sweet pictures weren't very "dun dun duuuuun" worthy.  Shoot.  I thought I had a good thing going.  Well since that was a flop, here's our wonderful pal Mae showing off her pretty springtime Allspice.

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If you haven't seen me in prior guest posts, let me introduce myself! I'm Mae and I blog at The Life Of A Compulsive Crafter. I guest post with these lovely ladies on TWSC because they're such a fun bunch! This guest post has me excited because I really enjoyed sewing up the All-Spice dress. In fact, I made THREE of them before all was said and done! The first two are on my blog HERE and HERE if you're interested in seeing even more All-Spice awesomeness (not to toot my own horn, but they're pretty fun!). 

This version of the All Spice is much more classic, and features the flutter sleeves in black and white gingham, while the main fabric is a stormy black that I've been loving for a few months. I used snaps for the front closure so yay for ease of use and no buttonholes! This dress has such a great variety of looks- from the closures to the sleeve lengths- it's so much fun!  

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Thanks Mae!  That was so much better.   The All Spice really is fantastic for all of the seasons and I think the flutter sleeve version is our favorite.  Mae made a couple and even Viever and Crystal had flutters on their minds.


 

Make sure to pick up your copy of the All Spice HERE!

-The SHEs-

Paisley Roots All Spice through the Seasons: Winter

We love the All Spice Dress at our house.  We currently have three and I'm working on a forth for my girl.  Crystal covered the fall look for when the temps start getting just a bit cooler.  You know when it's cool in the mornings and you need a sweater but warm enough in the middle of the afternoon in the sun.

Well now I'm here to bring you the long sleeved winter look.  But let's be honest, us Californian implants to the Pacific NorthWest are already pulling out the jackets, coats, long sleeves, and jeans.  So my long sleeved looks have more of a "fall" feel in their fabric choices since we're still in our year of adjusting to cooler temps.  So here are my two long sleeved All Spice dresses on my petite girl.  Both dresses are the 12-18 month size.

Paisley Roots All Spice Week!: Autumn

It’s Allspice week here at That’s What SHE Crafted.  Our very own Karly came out with her sophomore pattern “The Allspice” under her pattern company Paisley Roots.  We decided to spotlight this pattern because we are fine with shameless friend promotion.  It means more Christmas present for us when she becomes a millionaire and Crystal's broke and in prison for being sarcastic with the president or something.  Anyway...THE ALLSPICE!  Here's a pic of all 4 versions sewn by Karly, herself:

 

Here’s the description from her Etsy listing because we're too lazy to write a new one:

“The All Spice dress features a square-neck with 2 different closures for the front: Button or Zipper. Back is completely closed. It also comes with 4 sleeve options: Flutter, Sleeveless, Cap and Long sleeve. This dress is perfect for all seasons and has a size range that stands from baby to tween!

It comes in 11 sizes:

6-12 mos.
12-18 mos.
2T
3T
4T
5
6
7
8
10
12

Skill level: Advanced Beginner - Skills used for this pattern *zipper, *buttons, *pintucks and a lining.
(closure is optional depending on preference and pintucks are optional.)

Pattern comes with a full tutorial and color photos in an easy to print PDF."

Man, that was hard work to write....er copy and paste ;)

Since each sleeve option represents a season, we’re starting with Autumn.  The cap sleeve version is perfect for the Autumn weather. It’s great for layering with a pretty cardigan and pairs well with boots and tights (or, you know, tennies).  We would also like to point out that the Allspice is great for school.  Crystal's girl has worn 3 of them to school already on non-P.E. days.

    

They're easy to dress up or down depending on your girl's personality and taste. The lines are super classic and pintucks never go out of style.  Your kid will look fab while scarfing down a pumpkin muffin and drinking a pumpkin spiced cocoa while at the pumpkin patch full of pumpkins.  We really miss Autumn. It’s almost here, though, so get your Autumn Allspice on!

-The SHEs-

Project Run & Play Sew-along- Season 10: Week one! (Crystal)

I have been massively MIA, lately.  My daughter starting kindergarten has ZAPPED me.  Thank goodness I have Project Run & Play to snap me out of my blogging funk.  It's season 10!  I started sewing along with season 7 and I'm super excited about my 4th time in the PR&P zone!  I was THISCLOSE to being voted in as a contestant, but a very worthy competitor won (although all of the looks I was up against were so cool and just as worthy) and I can take it much easier from this side.

 



Aaaaanyway...Season 10's week one theme is 80's cartoons!  My head almost exploded with all of the ideas.  And I had originally thought about using a gnome dress that I had made for the link-up based on my LOVE for David the Gnome, but I had already shared it on some sewing boards and wanted my PR&P post to be fresh.  I was given some epic retro My Little Pony fabric and decided that was my best bet!  I mean it's pastel and it's MLP, so it just SCREAMED 80's.

I had a hard time deciding what to make with my amazing fabric. I even asked for opinions for "epic vs practical" on a sewing board.  Almost everyone said epic and I was totally on board, and then I remembered that my daughter had been begging for skirts.  So with a guilt filled heart, I went practical.  While trying to decide on the perfect skirt, I started working with a coordinating knit and made a top.  I used the Skipper Top by Sew Much Ado.  I LOVE this pattern.  I've made a few and they're always perfect for what I need.  Fancy while feeling comfy...it's this yoga pants wearing mom's dream.  The freaking BEST thing about tees is that they work with a wardrobe in so many ways.  I loved it with my skirt, but it's perfectly adorbs when paired with just jeans (I did NOT make the following jeans.  They were RTW $10 jeans from Target).

 

So...the skirt.  I went back and forth and forth and back and climbed up to the top of the crazy tree before I finally settled on the Daphne's Bubble Skirt and Top by Create Kids Couture.  Bubble skirts are SO FUN and when you're sewing with such playful fabric, a bubble skirt just works like magic.  I used the same pink knit that I used for the shirt for the skirt ties.  It's the best bubble skirt ever.  Don't argue.  You know you want one.

 
 

 Ok, now I'm getting to the part that you guys are either going to love or hate- and I don't care what them haters say because  I LOVE SPARKLE, yo.  I gave my daughter practical.  But I could not let go of the epic.  I couldn't.  I just couldn't.  So I decided to add some mega bling by making an accessory.  FYI, the pic below cracks me up so bad.  Sometimes the best thought-out photo ideas look ridiculous...like "holding a brazier" ridiculous.  But I had to post it so you could laugh with me...and see my versatility (yeah, we all know it's soley for the giggles)

I took the collar pieces from the Ava Dress by 5Berries Patterns and turned it into a tie-on necklace.  I used leftover sequins fabric from the Elsa dress I made and put together something that keeps the top casual if it needs to be but fabulous if it WANTS to be.  Besides, sequins are so 80's.

I hope you like my week 1 look and I hope you link-up, too.  It's a ton of fun and really pushes your creativity.  I'm also SUPER excited to see what the official contestants come up with.  I have a feeling it's going to be tubular!

-Crystal-

GingerMelon stuffy sewn by Jenn!

Well... it seems this Jenn was a bit absent this summer.... no worries, I didn't break up with TWSC. I was just enjoying the warmth. and the fun of summer with kids....

BUT, now I am back! and first up is a little pattern review! and full disclosure I bought this pattern with my own coins!  

So gingermelon was having a sale the other day and I LOVE her patterns, but I do not love handsewing.... and then I saw this cloth kitten pattern and it is using a machine! Up my alley! 

Plus does anyone have little girls who hate kittens? I mean look how cute!

This pattern is a little time consuming since the face is painted on, but the face is in the pattern so you can get it right! and I don't know about you, but sometimes I really REALLY enjoy picking up a brush and taking the time to be a little fussy, I find it relaxing.

 Also a quick note that the pattern pieces are not computer drafted. I personally have no issues with hand drawn toy patterns as long as they are well done and this one is very well done and tidy. All the pieces are labeled and fit well. No taping pattern pieces together. My finished kitten is about 12" tall.  

The kitten is not hard to sew, at all. Though I do wish I had a proper water soluble pen to use for this, the crayola washable marker was a bit of a hassle and didn't wash out well where painted on. Not that you can see that since I painted over the lines, but you can from the back side.

I really love how this pattern came together and I love the details on it! The little purse to go with - how cute! and the dress and purse patterns are included! I added the trim to the bottom of the dress to make it my own, a plain hem seemed a bit boring.

Now, I just need to decide what to do with this kitty! My kids all want it... but I love it too. Not that I need a soft toy, but neither do they really as they have oodles.

What do you do with your just for fun crafting that has no real "use" in your house?

~Jenn