Polka Dot Boy

This boy is looking remarkable happy considering he just got home from the doctor after being diagnosed with his first ear infection!

Must be the super cute boy version of Rae's Snowblossom Hat. She posted a great tutorial for this hat which she did for her little girl, embellished with some beautiful flowers.

Here's my boy version of her hat. Don't you love this picture....it looks like he's doing an ad campaign for his yogurt.



I sewed this hat in literally 15 minutes, which is a testament to Rae's great tutorial. I did make a few little changes....I can't help myself.

I didn't want to have a seam in front (and it's one less seam to sew) so instead of the width of each of the 4 fabric (2 for inside, 2 for outside) pieces being:

(Head Circumference + 1")/2

I had 1 piece of fabric (1 for each side that is, inside and outside) with a width of:

Head Circumference + 1/2"

This way I had one long piece of fabric that I sewed into a tube and put the seam in the back of the hat. The rest of the instructions I followed, but didn't cut the top into petals, just did a regular fringe.

I also used a cream colored interlock for my inside instead of fleece. The goal was to make it less bulky, which it is, but the downside is that the interlock slips away from the fleece, so it peeks out more than a fleece lining would. I could have done an edge-stitch all the way around, but I was worried it would stretch it and make it rippled looking.

I do love this fleece. Unfortunately, one of the few boy prints I could find. We need a Celebrate the Boy fabric shop. Any takers?

Anyway, another great tutorial from Made-by-Rae....and very easy too! Thanks Rae!

Fabric Flower Tutorial

I'm getting ready for a craft fair this weekend and wanted to make something that would make a simple cute gift. I've looked at a number of fabric flower tutorials and came up with my own version that borrows a little bit from each. It's VERY easy. Here's what you need:

Some kind of synthetic fabric....I used a polyester/nylon blend
embroidery floss
thread and needle
candle
fabric stiffener (optional)

I first made a pattern since I was going to be doing this many many times. But really, all you need are 4 (or a few more or less) circles that are different sizes.

Next, hold the edge of the fabric above the flame, really in the heat rather than the flame. If you get too close, the fabric will burn, or maybe even catch on fire! Please, be very careful!!

You can see how the edges just curl up. There are a few burned spots, which I think gives it a little texture.

When all your pieces are "ruffled" lay them on top of each other and secure with a simple stitch in the middle.

Next, fold the flower in half and very carefully make 2 small cuts on either side of securing knot, on the bottom of the flower. The cuts need to go through all layers.

Now, we're going to use the embroidery floss to make the stamen, or center of the flower. It's fun to experiment with color here, so be creative.

Cut a piece of embroidery floss about 18 inches long and another that's about 3 inches long. Hold the longer piece between your thumb and forefinger and wrap it around your finger about 15 times (or until you use up all your thread).

Take the shorter piece and thread it through the center of the loops you've just made on your finger.

Tie the shorter piece in a knot to secure the loops, leaving about equal length of thread on either side.
Now, with the loops in the center of the flower, feed each of the ends of the shorter piece of floss through the 2 holes you made in your flower, and tie them in a knot on the bottom to secure the stamen.

This is what the top should look like. Now, you can either leave it like this, which is kind of a neat look, or you can cut the loops.

If you cut the loops, make sure you are cutting in the center. Now you can trim them up or leave them long, whatever you prefer. I found that spraying some fabric stiffener on the center especially gave the flower a more flowery finished look. If you spray the center, and then kind of rub the threads with your fingers, the threads loosen up and have a more natural look.


There you have it! So fun and so easy! And again, this is not an original idea. There are many other flower tutorials out there. I put a few ideas from others together for my own spin on it.

I made my flowers into headbands, barrettes and pins. But you could do a lot of different things with these. Maybe even a smaller version made into a ring. Have fun and send me a picture or leave me a comment if you make some.

A Vest for the Boy

The fall weather is in full swing and the kids and I have been decked out in our vests. My son has been wearing this old vest that is a hand-me-down from his sister and really starting to be too small......but I LOVE it!


So, since the vest I made for my daughter was such a success, I decided to try my hand at a boy's vest. This posed a challenge since the one thing I avoid like the plague is sewing zippers.

I had this old blanket I'd found when cleaning out a closet. Yes, we had a Patriots blanket for our babies.....yes, we love football.....


And here's what it became....


I don't love the way this came out, it's okay. It's been worn and it's functional, but not exactly what I was going for. Oh well....sewing for boys is sometimes harder than it should be.

Boy's Muscle Shirt Tutorial

Here in the Northeast, it has been exceptionally hot and humid. I realized one day that I've been dressing my daughter in tanks and shorts, but I didn't have any tanks for my son. I had picked up a "muscle" T in the clearance section and decided to make a few. Here's what I did.....

I used the tank I had, but you could also use a shirt to trace a pattern for the front and back without the sleeves. Remember to add a little for the seam allowance on the sides and shoulders, but to cut the armholes exact since you'll be adding ribbing later.

For this shirt I upcycled a shirt I bought at a thrift store. I try to find XL shirts, since you get the most fabric out of them.

If you're using a recycled shirt, cut along the seams carefully. I was able to make this tank using only the front of the shirt and the existing hem.

I like to trace patterns on knit fabric because it's a little easier to keep the fabric in place while you're cutting. But you could also just pin your pattern down and cut.

Next, sew the sides and shoulders.

I'm going to finish off the neck and armholes using a rib knit. Rib knits stretch a lot and I know there's a rule out there about how much to use....something like 2/3 of the opening size....I usually just fudge it. So I measure the neck and armhole openings and then cut the ribbing a little shorter. I cut my ribbing 1.5 inches wide and then fold it in half.

There are a lot of different ways to finish the arms and neck. I like the look of having the serged-edge like in the 90 minute shirt tutorial on Made. But I can't figure out how to get mine to not break apart when the neck stretches, you know what I mean? Anybody with tips, I'd love to hear it.

So I tried it with and without a serged edge on this shirt. If you want to see how to do the serged edge, go see the tutorial mentioned above.

Cut the ribbing to your desired length. Align the short ends, right sides together and sew, making a loop. Fold in half and press. Sorry, I didn't take better pictures of these steps....

Align the seam you just made with the side seam of the shirt. You also want to match the raw edges, so the folded edge of the ribbing is facing away from the arm or neck hole. Pin in place and sew all around.

Iron the seams flat to the inside and you're done!

Doesn't he look cute! And much cooler too!

I'm new at these tutorials, so I'd love to hear what you think. You could also do these for a girl, they're very simple and can be embellished with a cute applique.

Send me a picture if you make one, I'd love to see it!

I love the blogosphere.....

I must take a moment to thank all those amazing blogs out there that inspire me and keep me excited about sewing and creating. I am keep discovering new-to-me blogs and new patterns and I'm just amazed with all the creativity out there. It's very humbling..... For me blogging is somewhat self-serving, I enjoy putting my creations out there for whoever might be looking to see. And, I hope to inspire someone else, just as others have inspired me.

Having said that, here's a new-to-me blog with an amazing pattern. I saw Prudent Baby's One Shoulder Dressy Dress on Thursday and by Friday afternoon I'd already sewed up 2 and am thinking about doing another one in a jersey knit.







We have many little friends' birthdays coming up......there will be a lot of little Dressy Dressed girls around here!

Go check it out!

And thank you again to all those bloggers who put so much time into tutorials like this one! I admire and appreciate you!

Dana's Summer Scarf Tutorial

Here's a tutorial from another one of my favorite sewing blogs, Made. Dana has a great tutorial for summer scarf that is a simple addition to any outfit and also makes a great gift. I played around with different fabric and techniques and did 2 slight variations on her tutorial, mostly because I was feeling lazy and didn't want to turn and sew the sides of the scarf. For the first, I used a green light-weight cotton gauze and sewed a tube, turned it right side out, ironed the seam to the bottom center, and then shirred it up the middle. Very quick, no sides to hem. This only works on a very light fabric because the shirring won't gather up well on heavier fabrics.

For the second, and my favorite, I used a lightweight fuschia swiss dot and finished the edges with the picot edge stitch on my serger with contasting white thread. Then I shirred it up the middle and voila, another great summer scarf. Super easy and very cute. Thanks for the great tutorial!