Ruffles and Lace Tee

I finally did it.  I made this shirt from Tea Rose Home. (This top was long sleeved, and I cute the sleeves off and sewed the ruffles right on top of a stain on the front of the shirt!)

And then I had my sister model it for pictures.  It looked better on her than it did me. 

So I told her to keep it.  And when she goes on a date, I tell her to wear it.  It looks that good on her.

Now I need to make me a new one for myself. :)

Hope you had a wonderful weekend like I did! I have some gorgeous pictures to share on Thursday!

~Lynette~

Flowered Side Paneled Top

(The hem lays flat, it was just super wrinkled that day.  Sorry about that!  Just keeping it real…)

I bought this brown shirt for $5.00 at Seagull last year.  I added these panels because the shirt felt a little tight.  Here’s my sister modeling it for you.  I used this tutorial from Crafterhours.  It was pretty easy to follow.  The only thing I don’t like about this shirt, is that there are two seams at your arm pit that kind of bug me after wearing it for awhile.

Have a fabulous day!

~Lynette~

T-shirt Gone Cardigan: Navy Blue Ruffles

(I am wearing this with a cream shirt underneath.  No idea why it appears to be stark white.)

This used to be a shirt.  I came home one day, and my husband had been helping with the laundry, and I discovered that there was a grease stain at the bottom of the shirt in the middle.  No biggie.  So I cut that thing right down the middle, grabbed two strips of scrap navy blue knit, and gathered one each end.  Then I sewed it to my shirt, and I have a brand new cardigan.  I love this one because it’s a thin shirt, and it’s easy to layer and I don’t get too warm in it.

Catch a Wave Top

(Don’t you love the blue half-painted 84 Jimmy in the background…that’s what I affectionately drove back in high school…and it still runs on a good day.)

Hi there!  Here’s a 20 minute project tops.  I started a corsage shirt last summer, and never ended up liking how it particularly turned out.  I still had some extra fabric from the second shirt (I bought a very large size).  When I saw this project, I knew I had to try the technique!

Super simple, super quick, and you can try it too!

~Lynette~

How to Make an Adjustable Waistband the Easy Way

I have been searching for the perfect light wash jeans for about a year now.  I never really found any.  So I made something work, like I’ve learned to do recently.  I used this technique to fix all 5 of my professional dress pants that I got from target.

Some pants can be altered this way, and some can’t.  Here’s how to figure it out.  Take your fingers and try to pull apart the two layers of fabric that form your waistband on your pants.  If they can pull apart around the whole waistband, then you can use this technique.  If not, check out this tutorial for an alternative route.

You’ll need:

Pants

elastic (I use woven, and make sure it’s thinner than your waistband)

Buttons

Needle and Thread

Safety Pin

First, mark where you want your buttons to be on the inside of your pants.  I usually put them where a belt loop is on the outside of the pants so your stitches to hold your button don’t show. (Do this on both sides of your pants, I just pictured one side.)

Then lay your elastic on the inside of your pants, and cut it to size matching it up with your button marks.

Now we’ll mark where we want our buttonholes.  I did the first hole 1/2 inch from the edge, and then spaced the other two holes 1 1/2 inches apart.  I only do three holes, but you can do more if you’d like.

Make button holes on both ends of the elastic piece.  A little nervous about making button holes?  Check out this tutorial from Dana @ Made.  She makes it easy.

Sew both buttons on over your button marks.  I start the knot on the inside of the pants, and also end the knot of the inside to make it as invisible as possible.  I used yellow thread here, but you could use something that actually matches your pants.

Then take your seam ripper and make a slit to form a casing in your waistband.  The hole should be on the back side of the button.  You don’t want your hole closer to the zipper side.  (That was really hard to explain!  Let me know if you have questions.  The next pictures may help too.)

Now take one end of your elastic, roll it up so it makes it kind of bulky, and pin it.  Then thread your elastic through your casing.  When you get close to the end, make sure to button your elastic to your pants so your don’t lose the other end of your elastic inside the pants!

Here’s an inside view of them all done.  I usually wear my pants set to the second button.  As they wear and get washed, I usually can put it back at the first.  The waistband looks a little scrunchy when you’re not wearing them, but once they are on they look smooth.  Super simple, and now you won’t have falling-off pants!

And while we’re on the subject of jeans, I’ll show you what I did to these boring pockets!  Embroidery thread fun stitch, and that’s what I came up with.  I searched for a tutorial for you, but I couldn’t find it’s “generation,” correct stitch.  If you want to know how, let me know and I’ll make a quick tutorial.

Hope you’re having a fabulous day!

~Lynette~

Ruffle Shirt with Impromptu Flower

I made this shirt about a year ago.

And I started the post a year ago too.

(My cute sister modeling the shirt for us)

I finally got around to getting a photo it, and here’s the post.

I was planning on doing this to this shirt, but once I pinned the ruffles on several times in several ways, I decided the style is too bulky for my little body.  So I opted for something more simple, and I love it.

I just sewed one ruffle (2.5 inches wide) to the front neckline.  I ended up getting off track and sewed the ruffle a little crooked, so instead of picking apart the seam…I just added a flower to the top! 

I had a bit of ruffle left over, so I just set it on the shirt in a flower shape, and sewed it right to the shirt with my free motion foot. 

I added a button, and a little pleat and buttons to the sleeves, and I love the end result!  Sachiko from Tea Rose Home shows us how to do the sleeves in this tutorial (and yes, I NEED to find me some lace so I can make that whole shirt too).

Took me about a year to find some lace…but I did it (made the whole shirt that is). 

That post is coming up soon. 

Promise!

~Lynette~

How to Make Beaded Watch Bands Using Beads as Spacers

Hi there!  I’ve got a non-sewing tutorial for you today.  I needed a bit of a breather, and since beads were my first crafty endeavor, here we go again.

I’m going to show you how I made this watch band. (They were super popular a couple years ago, and still are…I just never made them.  I was given one from my student teaching cooperating teacher, and now I’m hooked!) 

If you’ve noticed most watch bands, they have silver pieces divide each section of the watch band.  They are called spacers.

And I couldn’t find any in my area…or 400 miles away from my home either (although I didn’t look very hard because I was spending over $100 on just fabric…more on that later).

So I decided to improvise.

I used other beads to act as the spacers, and I came up with this fun look.

You’ll need: 

Claw Clasps (I have used small, but I got bigger this time)

Stretchy Cord- I use 1.0 mm, but I think I’d like to go a tad smaller next time I buy it for using smaller holed beads.  I’ve heard that .8mm works well, but I couldn’t find it when I was hastily looking.

Super Glue

Scissors, beads, a brain

Ready, Set, Go!

Cut a piece of string.  I can’t tell you how long, because you’ll have to figure it out according to your wrist size.  And because we’ll be using beads as our spacers, add on several inches to that for safety’s sake.  The first band I made was barely long enough for my husband to tie.

Take two of your clasps, and form a bead sandwich like so.  You’ll want to you either 2-3 small beads, or one kind of short/long one.  Trial and error baby.

This is important.  See how both of the hooky things where you open them are facing the same way?  I didn’t think about this the first time I made a band, and ALL FOUR clasps were set differently…may need to chop that one up and fix it.  So pay attention.

String beads any way you like. 

Big, small, chunky, matchy-matchy, pattern, or spontaneous. 

It’s up to you.

When you’re about 1/3 done with your band, slip on one of the beads you’ll be using for your spacers.  (Pre-test the beads to make sure you can slip 2 pieces of the string through your beads.  Some beads may not have a big enough hole.)

Now take the other string, and slip it through the bead to make a loop.  Confused?  Have no fear, I took more pictures of the process on the 2nd spacer of this band.  Stay tuned.

Pull tight, and you’re 1/3 of the way!

Add more beads until you’re 2/3 of the way.  This middle section should be your longest section by the way.  The other two are kinda short.

 

Slip on that ‘spacer’ bead. 

Then take the other string and put it through the other end of the bead.  Does that picture help?  Thought it might!

Pull those two strings, and you’re 2/3 done with this thing!

Put on more beads until you’ve got it to the size you want.  Then make another clasp sandwich, making sure the hooky things are facing the same side as the OTHER clasps on the other end. (Sorry, forgot a picture of this part!  Oops!)

Then tie a square knot (right over left, left over right).  Then I tied one more right over left, just for fun.  Then I spaced the beads out like this, super glued it, and kept my hands there to take a pic for you. (I was terrified of getting super glue on me by the way!  But I made it.)

Let the super glue dry, cut the ends of your string close to the knot, and wear it out to walk to the mailbox (that’s where I’m headed!)

~Lynette~