Regally Ruff

The weeks is up! My last tutorial is here, it was the first time I have done this many in a week and it was busy, but thanks to my husbands help last weekend, I was pretty well done before the week started. What a guy! Before I give you the winners, here is the tutorial for my regally ruff collar. I went to see Mirror Mirror with my daughter for her birthday in April and it was so so cute. If you haven't seen it, it's a must! And yes I realize that putting the above picture of me next to Julie Roberts is sacrilege and not at all nice to myself. Anyway, the costumes were amazing and I loved her neck ruff so here is my version

1/4 yrd or less-Bottom weight or other woven fabric

1-2 yards netting/ tulle /lace of your choice

1-2 yards complementing color of netting/tulle/ lace

1 yard lace with a decorative edge

I made an 8 inch diameter ring by tracing a bowl and just sewed it closed for my base, it doesn't have to be super perfect. I cut out 14 8 inch circles of the cream netting and 12 of the blush. I then made a ruffle with the decorative edged lace. I folded my circles into fourths and sewed the curved edge together so it didn't fluff out so much (we are not all Julia Roberts). Then pinned them with the point folded over the circle. I sewed the lace ruffle to the bottom which helped it lay really flat. That way the base ring was in the middle and didn't make anything puff up. I folded my blush squares into fourths and pinned them on top of the cream but folded more over so it didn't cover the cream. I hot glued the big pearls, it was so thick by then it would have been hard to sew. Then stitched the ribbon the back and done! Next I think I will make a black one!

Okay on to the winners!!!!! Thanks so much for all the love and all the people who started following, it was a fun week! I decided I really needed 4 winners because my page views doubled so I am doubling my prizes!

the prizes are- you may pick one item from this weeks tutorials and I will make and send it to you!!!! The refashion from Monday will be lace instead of crocheted since I don't do that!

Drumroll...............................

Winner number one- Michelle O.

Winner number two- Candice U.

Winner number three- Jocelyn H.

Winner number four- Sara S.

 

Seriously thanks for the love!!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Reversible Peter Pan Collar

I love all the fun necklaces around, and while I know the Peter Pan collar is not exactly a revelation, I have wanted to do one for awhile. I will be loading a printable pattern for the collar ASAP. My late scanner, that's right, late, as in, dead, forced me to go somewhere else to scan it and I had to go to the pediatrician instead with a sicky. But it's super easy it's just two pieces exactly the same, one is just flipped. I used a cream knit, one layer of really fine tulle, and pearl strands and ribbon. I used my machine to put the tulle on the knit and then just hand stitched a couple of ropes of pearls around the edge. Then stitched the black ribbon onto the back. Super easy and I am sure all you people can come up with a million variations. I like that it is basic but you have the option of the bow in back and front. The top I am wearing is the simple top from Tuesday actually made out of a pillowcase. I added a small dart on each side of the chest. The bottom looks like a cute tunic finish and it's almost as good as wearing pajamas, only cuter!

Front and back

Also a thank you to my little sister who was so nice taking pictures when she got to my house at 11:30 last night. And then took them again when I decided that the first set were hideous.

The berry preserves pinafore

 

Clearly my new favorite activity is dyeing with tea, you can not mess it up it is so fast! I love it! I got this tank at Walmart for 3.87 or something like that, it was white, dyed real quick with tea and then made this dress! It almost makes me want to garden which is a big deal because plants come to my house to die.

You will need-

1 tank or shirt

1/2- 1 yard of jersey depending on the size of your girl

1/2 yard for bottom apron piece

1/2 yard for top apron piece

(you may not need this much but you can use excess for the flower)

2 - 2 yard pieces of ribbon

1 button

Do you see my lovely photoshop skills? They are getting better, slowly but surely!!!

The back. All in all a sweet little dress for summer!

20's trouser and simple top

I am kind of obsessed with the 20's right now, I found the top image browsing the web and thought the pants were super cute, so I gave them a go, they aren't exactly exactly like the top pair, obviously, but they are cute and summery and the top is fun and looks good without looking like its trying to hard! All in all a good go to outfit!

Supplies-

1 yard bottom weight fabric

Thread

 

also- you can tie the tie in front or back

So if your waist is 25 inches you would cut 2 pieces 21 x 32 ( desired length plus hem) then you do 3 pleats equal distance apart to get your front piece down to 12 1/2 inches. I pleated by taking one inch, folding each side a half inch over to meet and then back. Then you cut a strip that is 7 inches by 13 inches, fold over, iron and sew your pleated front to it so you have your flat front waist band. Then make a 26x7 strip, fold sew down and then cut it in half. Then fold your back over 3 1/2 inches see it down, thread 12 1/2 inches if elastic through it, pin your front and back right sides together, sew and you have a skirt if you want to stop there, if not, try your pants on and see where you eant the critch to be. I wish i could come up with a formula for this but it really depends on your build and how you want them to fit. Turn your pants inside out fold them in half lengthwise and cut up to where you want, sew the pant legs closed and hem the bottom to desired length. Pretty easy!

I love a good slightly silky top that can go with a skirt, jeans whatever and I fell in love with this turquoise leopard!

Supplies

1 yard fabric

Thread

I started by folding my yard in half width wise and then length so I had a rectangle. I cut down the top of my rectangle the measurement from my shoulder to shoulder (13 inches) so since I folded I made a cut in at 6 1/2 inches and added 2 1/2 inches to the bottom line and cut a diagonal line down to there. So my top was going to be 13 across the top and 18 across the bottom unfolded. The picture below is how I cut out for sleeves, I measured from the top of my shoulder to the middle of my armpit, 8 inches, and cut that diagonally off of the 6 1/2 inch mark I made for the across measurement.

With top still folded I cut 4 inches in by 2 inches down curving up for the neck line. I then just rolled it in and hemmed it really small. I did my normal sleeves which are ridiculous but somehow work for me, I added a 16x 6 rectangle making a square sleeve, it is going to really stick out, but I pleated the outside the same way I pleated the pants and it made a cute sleeve, which I just baby hemmed like the neck. You are done, I know it probably seems like a dumb set of instructions but if worst comes to worst just trace a top you have, I just love tops like this I can never got enough. They arent too tailored they look good on everyone and it is so easy, add a statement necklace and it looks polished and ready to go,

don't forget to get your like on for some contest entries!!!!

 

Lovely little refashion!

 

supply list-

Knit dress

1/2 yard of knit lining

1//4 yard of whatever lace or netting you want as many as you want

Brooch pin

Elastic

Lipton regular tea

To kick off giveaway week here at The Whimsy Diaries I thought I would share this sweet little dress. I found it of course at the thrift store and knew I wanted to do something with it because I can not crochet or knit and it always looks so good. I carefully removed the yellow yarn and tied of all loose ends. I then boiled 8 cups of water with 8 tea bags. Then I got the dress wet with cold water, removed the tea bags and poured the tea over the dress in a bowl. I stirred it around with a wooden spoon and then dumped it out and rinsed the dress until the water ran clear. I laid the dress on a towel in my bathtub to avoid it stretching if I hung it.

I laid the dress out and measured a lining for it by tracing it and then used a strip of fabric (ribbon works too) and a gathering stitch on the lace to make my ruffles. I then pinned them and sewed them to the lining.

I ran elastic around the bottom of the dress to give it a drop waisted look and just hand stitched it closed. I also just made two little loops of elastic to shut the back of the dress, you can see it on the top picture. I then made a little brooch with my lace and I was done! I was so happy with how the tea dye came out and it was really really easy!

Don't forget to have your friends comment and follow if you are sharing my blog, the prize will be revealed Friday and it is really good!!!! xoxo

Giveaway!!!!

I have been wanting to get in on a few contest and things on different websites but my blog needs to be, well, more popular, and at the risk of shamelessly promoting myself, I need more followers!! So as Bramli was sitting at my sewing machine the other day pointing out things that I should work on, the problem of how to get into said contests came up. She said "Mom, obviously you need to have a giveaway, everybody likes free stuff!" or at least that's what she would have said if she could talk. We have amazing telepathy. So here's the plan, there are 2 ways to win!

1. Share my blog via email, Facebook, twitter or good old fashioned word of mouth! Tell your friends to come to my blog, comment on any post saying you sent them, the person who sends the most people wins!

2. For those of you commenting, if you follow my blog you will be entered into a drawing to win!

There will be a new DIY post everyday this week and can I just say the prizes are definitely worth it!!!!!

Xoxo!!!

 

Ruffled refashion!

I have been trying to post some projects for awhile but either my computer, blogger or my brain is having issues. Shut up, it COULD be my computer or blogger........ Anyway, I have been very inspired by Liz over at cottonandcurls.blogspot.com, if you have not checked her out you must! She is super creative and always has the best stuff. I got the above dress at a thrift store for 3 dollars and had an immediate vision of what I wanted it to be, and shockingly it turned out!

I cut the bottom of the dress off and used it and some black lace I had to make 4 ruffles which I attached at the back just below the zipper. I took the dress in a bit just following the darts that were already in it. I also took the elastic out of the sleeves, shortened them a bit and then pleated them by creasing the sleeve with an iron, pinching a half inch of fabric in each side of the crease and pinning that and sewing it down. I actually just pinched in an inch at the top of each sleeve where it met the shoulder and sewed a straight line which gave the top of the sleeve way more structure.

Sorry for my weird face. I never know what face to make which is why most of the pics I edited it out. Haha! I just hemmed the bottom and was done. I really love it with a skirt or jeans and it was 3 bucks so it's a win win right???

Next up sewing with leather- rawr! Is that how you spell that?