My Fun $2 Project + a Money-Saving Tip

I'm about to give you a great tip that will save you money and hopefully inspire you to create something! It's the first thing I do everytime I visit a fabric store and I'm never disappointed. Here it is:

Always visit the clearance bin in the fabric department for discounted fabric remnants.

It's no secret that I am a big fan of the chevron print. And yes, I know they say chevron is on its way out, but I don't know who 'they' are and I'm pretty sure 'they' didn't ask me how I feel about it. However, I still like it and it will always be cute on girls clothes (and my living room curtains).

I also happen to be a fan of the aqua/turquoise/teal family. So, when I found this 1/2 yard of aqua/white chevron cotton fabric for $2, I quickly did the math in my head and knew this would make a cute skirt for my 10 yr old - without having to even make a cut. Win, win - people. It doesn't get much better than that.

I got home and got to work. Don't know how to make an elastic waist skirt? Check out this tutorial for all the juicy details.

My big girl loves her skirt and can't wait to wear it!

Do you shop the clearance bin?? Have you found any great fabrics for those quick and easy project ideas? I found more today and can't wait to show you what I make with those! Stay tuned....

Lined Handkerchief Skirt {+ Matching Appliqued Shirt}

This skirt is probably one of the easiest skirts to make for your daughter. It is just like making this elastic waist skirt, but there's no hemming and this one is lined. The only seams you're sewing are side seams and around the waist and it's surprisingly simple! You can make an entire outfit for less than $10. Handmade. Monogrammed. It's never been easier. Are you ready to try it?

For this skirt, I bought 4 handkerchiefs from Hobby Lobby @ .99 cents/each. Two printed handkerchiefs and two white ones for the lining. There are many possibilities with handkerchiefs. I made this for my 5 1/2 year old daughter, but could probably still make skirts out of handkerchiefs for my very tall 8 year old and petite 10 year old. You only need at most 2 inches for folding over the top edge for the waist and there's no hemming so that leaves a good bit of fabric for the length. If the length is a problem, you could always add cute trim to the bottom.

Now that you've got the handkerchiefs, measure how long you'll need the skirt to be from waist to length. I leave the width as is. Elastic takes care of the width, so don't worry about cutting it down unless you're making this for a baby or young toddler. Check out this chart for more info on sizing and measurements.

Once you have your waist to hem measurement, mark and cut your handkerchief length, if necessary. This will be the only cut edge of the entire skirt. Do the same thing for the lining handkerchiefs. I kept mine the same length as the patterned handkerchiefs, but you can make the lining an inch or so shorter if you wish. {You could also do the lining piece longer than the patterned ones, for a layered look.}

Now, take your patterned pieces and lay them right sides together. Lining up the sides as best you can. Make sure the cut edges are lined up.

Pin the sides right sides together.

Sew each side seam. 5/8" is the standard seam allowance.

Repeat with the lining pieces.

Now, put the lining inside the patterned pieces as if it were finished. Note: the lining piece should have seams facing outward toward the patterned pieces' seams. This allows the inside of the lining that touches the body to be smooth. Basically, the lining appears insideout.

Once you have both the skirt and lining together, flip them together insideout so that the lining is now on the outside and the skirt in inside. Now, fold both rough edges (waist) over an 1.5 inches. Pin the rough edge to hold it in place.

Now, sew around the rough edge to make a seam. You will sew all the way around and leave about 3 inches unsewn so that you can thread the elastic through the waistband.

Once elastic is threaded through, sew the ends of the elastic together and then sew the 3 inch opening closed.

Flip the skirt right side out and you're done!

 

Make a matching shirt by using one of these methods for making an applique: I used my Silhouette Portrait to cut out my A with the heat n bond on the back. All I had to do was iron it onto my shirt and sew around the applique for reinforcement. You can still make this without a Silhouette - print out a letter in any font you like with your printer, cut it out and pin or trace it to your choice of fabric. Iron your fabric to Heat n Bond following package instructions. Cut out the fabric and then iron it to your shirt. Stitch around the edge to reinforce it.

Make it even more personal by embroidering the name next to the letter or by adding embellishments, etc. I added the name just to give it a little extra pizzazz! I love how it turned out and so does my sweet girly girl. {Pic of the finished product coming soon!}

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you'll try this easy skirt and if you do, please come back and tell me how it went!

How to Start Sewing Today

Do you have a sewing machine and aren't sure how to start sewing? Well, you've come to the right place!

Get your machine out. Set it up according to instructions. Now, sit down in front of the machine with the manual and learn the components of your machine. {Parts, how to thread your machine, etc.} You might like my post on How to Thread a Sewing Machine. It's pretty similar on every regular sewing machine.

When you're ready to start sewing, practice first as in this tutorial on Sewing Lesson #1. Practice on a sheet of notebook paper with no thread in the machine. This will help you get the hang of the speed of your machine, the feel of it, etc.

Now, thread your machine and put in the bobbin. Practice sewing on a scrap of fabric. With presser foot in the up position and needle raised. Align your fabric with the sewing guide (the metal plate on your machine with lines engraved in it). A standard seam is 5/8th inch. So, line up the right side of your fabric on the 5/8th line.

Now, lower the presser foot.

And lower your needle into the fabric either by using the wheel on the right side of the machine or by using the needle button on your machine, if you have one.

Then, start sewing, about 5 or 6 stitches. Stop and press the backstitch button or lever and hold it down while you backstitch over those same 5-6 stitches. Let go of the button/lever and continue sewing as normal. The backstitch just reinforces your seam. You will do this at the beginning and end of every seam.

If you need to sew around a corner, sew down to where you need to turn. Let off the pedal. Lift presser foot, keeping needle in the downward position still in your fabric. Turn fabric to the position you need to finish sewing. Lower presser foot and then finish sewing.

When you are finished with your seam, backstitch again and then let off the pedal, lift presser foot, raise needle, then gently pull fabric (still attached to thread) out to the left. Now, carefully cut the threads with the thread cutter attached to machine.

Need some beginning sewing project ideas? Try these posts:
Elastic Waist Skirt
Basic Sewing Stitches and How to Use Them
How to Hem Pants
Easy Duvet Cover Tutorial

Want more easy sewing tutorials? Follow me on Pinterest, Bloglovin, Facebook, Google+, & Twitter in the top of the righthand sidebar of this page! These are updated several times a week. OR you can subscribe by email, also in the righthand sidebar, to receive new posts by email.

Good luck on your sewing endeavors! Have questions? Contact me or leave a comment and I'll reply as soon as I can.

Happy Sewing!

How to Make a Last-Minute Poodle Skirt

When your daughter comes to you the week of Halloween during your last week of blogging for 31 Days straight and it's one of your busiest weeks with various other activities going on and tells you she needs a poodle skirt, what are you suppose to do? The only option I had was to make one. And it just so happened that I had no time to do it until the day before the 50th Day of School Celebration. Our K5ers celebrate the 50th day by having a sock hop and doing all kinds of activities around the number 50. The kids are encouraged to dress in 50's fashion, although they have no clue what that means, and my little princess just had to have a poodle skirt. So, this is how I did it. And if you find yourself suddenly needing a poodle skirt, this tutorial is for you!

Please keep in mind that this tutorial is costume quality - meaning it will not be sewn exactly by the rules. My goal was to make a skirt as quickly as possible with as little resources possible. I literally made this in 30 minutes (if you exclude the breaks I had to take to run 3 different unrelated errands in between time). It will still last for years if it is properly taken care of.

NEXT:
With right sides of fabric together, sew each side seam together using a standard stitch with 3/4" seam allowance. Pin each side first if you need to.
THEN:
Turn right side out and fold over the rough cut edge about 1 inch. {If you want a finished seam on the inside of waistband, fold over once - iron. Then, fold over again - iron.} Now, sew a seam close to the bottom edge of the section you just folded over. Remember to leave about a 3 inch wide opening so you have room to slide in your elastic. Slide in your elastic and sew the opening closed.
For a full tutorial on sewing an elastic waist skirt, go here.

 

I found mine here. I printed it and then enlarged it on my copier to 150%.

 

 

 

My little 50's girl had a swell day making a fruit loop necklace with 50 pieces, crafting several things about the #50 and hula hooping at her sock hop while drinking her first coke float. I'd say it was a good day! I only wish I had taken a pic of her before school!

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Sewing Tutorials for Beginners

If you've been following along the past few days, you've read a lot about sewing with patterns and WITHOUT patterns. Now, it's time for some easy tutorials for beginners. I've been sewing a long time now and still enjoy easy projects. Not all sewing has to be difficult or take hours and hours in order to be done well. That's what this blog is all about. Are you ready to try some fun projects??

This Bowtie Tutorial is one of my most popular posts and probably the easiest sewing project ever. Try it! You'll have fun with this one!

This is about as simple as it gets with an Elastic Waist Skirt. You could make these all day long. They're easy and can be made in a lot of different colors, styles and lengths. Try it! Or go to this post to see a list of tutorials I found for making other elastic waist skirts.

This 15 Minute Table Runner is fun and easy! Straight lines only. You can make yourself a table runner for every occasion on the cheap!

Make a Pillow Cover with a velcro closure to change out with the seasons in just a few easy steps! You can personalize it however you want and the tutorial shows you how to use freezer paper to make a stencil, as well. The sky's the limit with this.

You can also find hundreds of tutorials on Pinterest or Google. Just type in what you're looking for or 'sewing tutorial' and you'll be overwhelmed with options!

This is part of my 31 Days of Home Economics series. You can find the whole series at the tab above labeled {Home Economics}.

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How to Sew Without a Pattern

Have you ever wanted to sew something specific but couldn't find a pattern for it? Or you went to look at clothing patterns in the store and all you could find were patterns for clothes with big sailor collars from the early 90s or giant, flowing coulottes or jumpers?  I don't know about you, but those don't really flatter my body type or my style. It can be discouraging and just make you vow never to sew again if that's all the fashion world has to offer those of us that like to sew for ourselves.

BUT, I'm here to tell you there are other options! Hallelujah! We don't have to get stuck in the last decade of fashion mistakes afterall! I'm going to show you ways to sew without buying a traditional pattern. We all like options, right?

When I realized for myself that I could actually sew without a pattern, my love for sewing went crazy! It became a passion. It was also a challenge that I really enjoyed. I'm not suggesting that it will always be successful or easy, but it's a lot more fun to sew things you will actually wear and use. My sewing machine sat in a dark closet for years until I realized this. Now, it's a permanent fixture in my craft room. (And I took the plunge and got a serger, as well.)

First, think about the items of clothing you have that fit you well and you love. I'm kind of on the taller side and it's difficult to find skirts that hit me at the right spot and look flattering on me, so I went to my closet and found my favorite skirt.
Look over your item and investigate how it was sewn together. Are there straight lines? Gathers? Ruffles? Elastic waist? Zipper closure? Now, if it's something that falls into those categories or categories you are comfortable sewing, why not try to make your own pattern from that item of clothing? Or if you're like me, just lay that item flat on top of the fabric you want to use and start cutting!

Check out this tutorial for a basic ladies' skirt that I made - and you can make one, too, with your own favorite skirt as your guide!

Another way to learn to sew something you'd like to make is to hit up Pinterest. There are thousands of tutorials on sewing so many different things on there. It would be hard not to find what you're looking for. If you look and there's not one, let me know! I might try to do one for you on this blog.
Just follow these directions: Go to Pinterest.com. Enter in the search bar at the top left, "elastic waist skirt" or whatever you want to make. It will pull up hundreds of pins. Look through them and see which one you'd like to make. Then, follow the directions.

If you're making a home item such as pillows or whatever, you can do a search or you can measure the item of yours you want to replicate. {I keep a notebook with all of my notes for measuring and fabric needed, etc.} Write down all the specifics that you need to know and go for it! You'll be surprised at what you can make without an official pattern. If there are basic sewing techniques you need to freshen up on, check out my {Sewing Basics} page above. I'm constantly adding more.

Sometimes, you can print patterns for free off the internet for things you'd like to sew. I've done this before and it actually works really well. I've done this on baby items and small things. It's really a great way to get patterns. Google "free sewing patterns" and you'll be surprised what you can find. Even Simplicity, a name we all trust, {who sells tons of patterns in stores} offers free ones online that you can print from your computer.

Don't be afraid to try to make your own pattern, though. Start with something simple like a throw pillow {or try one of my methods here} and then take the next step to something a little more challenging. You'll be sewing up a storm in no time!

What have you tried to sew lately? Did you use a pattern or just wing it? Have you ever made your own pattern?

This is part of my 31 Days of Home Economics series. You can find the whole series by clicking on the tab above labeled {Home Economics}.

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Tutorial Roundup {Elastic Waist Skirts}

I've been noticing a trend lately and thought I'd throw together a few links to good elastic waist skirt tutorials. I've done a few {click here}, but these are a few more that caught my eye and I wanted to share them with you! Elastic waist skirts are about the easiest clothing item to sew, in my opinion. Whether you're a beginner or an expert sewer, these are fun and easy! I hope these will inspire you to get your machines out and whip up a few for summer!

 {Delia Creates}

 {SEWBON}

 {a small SNIPPET}

 {FRESHLY PICKED}

 {MADE - danamadeit.com}

 {MADE - danamadeit.com}

Please click over and check out these tutorials and show the bloggers some love. 

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Thanks for stopping by!

Shop for these products:
Dritz 9532W Braided Elastic, White, 4.5 Yards by 1/2-Inch