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?

 

spring fling top

I have had this fabric for awhile and figured I should use it. I made one of these tops for each of my girls but Bramli is not big on getting her picture taken so Londyn is my model. As you can see she hates it. . . . . hehe. Here is your supply list, I am estimating as I made 2 tops and had leftovers.

1 yard main fabric (fits 7 yr old)
1/4 yard contrasting fabric
1/4 yard of lining/bib fabric
buttons
thread



I started out by cutting the fabric doubled and folded to the measurement of my girls' shoulders and then the length by measuring shoulder to hip, I then added 1/2 inch for inseams. I simple added 4 inches to the shoulder measurement for the bottom of the top so that it would flare out. I also doubled the fabric and cut 7 inch by 4 inch rectangles, for my big girl, for sleeves. For the bib I folded the fabric and traced a water bottle cap for the bib making it 7 inches long and about the same across, making it oval shaped along the bottom. I did the same thing for the scalloped hem but with a juice lid. Double the fabric, cut it the same length as the bottom of your top and cut your scallops. I just pinned the bib piece to the brown dot and bottom scallop to the cream fabric with both right sides up, and the used my machine to sew them together by following the scallops on the top piece, then I cut the brown dot and the cream to match the scallops. Then cut a 2 by 7 inch strip of brown for the button placket.

Above are the pieces you should have
2 sleeve pieces
front and back piece of shirt, I cut the shoulders on the top fold of fabric so I didn't have to sew the shoulders together
bib piece
bottom scallop front and back
button placket


Here is the bib, same thing for bottom. I sewed the sides of the top together and then attached the sleeves by just putting them into the arm holes right side of fabric together and sewing them. The nice thing about this was that I am sure you noticed I cut the sleeves long and square, once they were in I had plenty of length to play with and I simple trimmed the inside where there was excess in the arm pit from cutting the ends square. I did do a little scallop and then hemmed it. I cut a square neck by folding my top and then cutting it to the dimensions of the bib. I hemmed the neck, attached my bib and button placket and then hand stitched the buttons. the neck is a bit big but it was nice because I didn't have to mess with buttons or anything and she totally has room to grow.

Next time I am going to try to get Bramli to pose for me, people are going to start thinking she doesn't exist!!!

3 sisters dress

The week before Easter was spring break, and my kids and I were lucky enough to squeeze in a quick 3 day trip to see my sister in San Clemente. The weather was gorgeous and we had fun hanging out and playing with my nephew. I took my sewing machine hoping to slip in a project and when I got there my sister (Jayde) and I decided that it was time to make something for us grown up girls!! I literally never make myself anything, but it was fun and turned out cute, so I may just have to try it again! This dress is so easy, I made one for myself, Jayde and our youngest sister Paige in 3 hours tops. While being endlessly interrupted by my kids. Here is the supply list

1 3/4-2 yards of jersey
1/4 yard of a contrasting knit (it does not have to be a knit, but you do want it to have some stretch)
thread


This is actually the layout for Jayde's dress, because I guess I didn't take pics of every single one. I told her to pick a shirt that was pretty loose and that she liked how it fit. I doubled up the jersey and folded it in half and basically traced it. The only thing you want to watch is the length. I knew the shirt that she picked is pretty long on her, but the one I did was a bit shorter and you want to make sure that the top will fit a bit slouchy into the skirt.

Then I measured her hips and her hip to ankle measurement and added a couple of inches for inseams. I doubled and folded my fabric for the skirt, measured 1/4 of her waist measurement in and cut to there. I then cut into the hem 3 inches further than the waist and simply cut a diagonal line until they met. I am hoping this makes sense.You want to cut this pretty much the same size as you are or else it won't stretch and fit you well. It will be baggy. So, for example, if the waist is 28 and you have a front and a back then each side of your skirt needs to be 14 inches. Since you fold your fabric that means that you would cut 7 inches in at the waist. 10 inches in at the hem and then cut a straight diagonal until you have your 2 pieces. Whew! I am horrible at reading directions and now feel that I should apologize to all the people I said wrote stupid directions. . . . . .

Sew your top right sides together, DO NOT SEW THE SHOULDERS CLOSED, only sew the sides! Sew your skirt together. Then you then take your contrasting knit and cut a piece that is 5 inches by your waist measurement. Then you pin that right sides together to the top of your skirt and attach. Don't know why the top is upside down in the above picture.

Finish it off by opening up the neck of your shirt, slide it onto the skirt, upside down and right sides together. Sew the waistband knit into the bottom of your top, if your top is a little wider around the bottom than the top of your skirt, either pleat the excess into either side of the waistband, or do 2 folds equal distance apart on the back. I know its sounds tricky but I eyeballed it on all three and it was so easy and you don't even notice. Turn your entire dress inside out and sew up the shoulders and you are done! Super easy and nice for summer. I need more colors!! And a shout out to my 9 yr old who took the pictures of me in the dress, he was less than thrilled.