Giveaway!

It's time for a giveaway!  Enter the rafflecopter giveaway below to win one of 3 prizes.  You can win a $25 gift certificate to the website or my most popular baby blanket kit (Karavan) or 2 yards of Frozen fabric!  Starts now and ends at midnight on Jan 4th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FREE SHIPPING on US orders over $50!!!!

I am pleased to announce that I now offer FREE domestic shipping on all orders over $50. Shipping on the website is a little different then before. For US addresses it will automatically be free when you spend over $50 in merchandise. On etsy I am also offering free shipping but you must use the coupon code "freeship" at checkout. To get the free shipping on etsy you must remember to use the coupon code at checkout. I will not be refunding shipping if the coupon code is not used.

International customers: sorry due to the high cost of shipping internationally I am not able to offer free shipping at this time. The shipping costs are now by value of your order instead of how they were before. This may result in a higher shipping charge then it should be (it is very difficult to do international shipping by value and get an accurate price). Don't fret, if shipping charges you paid is more than $2 over my actual cost of postage you will be refunded the difference when your order ships.

To visit the website click HERE

To visit etsy click HERE

Lazy Susan Frozen Dress!

 

I made this dress for a 2 year old relative that loves Frozen.  It is going to be a Christmas gift so hopefully the mom does not see this!  But, I just had to share because I love how it came out.

Last week I got a shipment of brand new Frozen fabric.  I had pre-ordered them several months ago so there was lots of anticipation in this house waiting for these fabrics to arrive.  Frozen is very very popular here.  My girls were excited to finally get these fabrics and wanted me to make stuff for them right away.  But, I told them I have to get Christmas gifts done first.

Now for the details!  I made this dress using the Lazy Susan pattern from Brownie Goose.  I did the split bodice and skirt hem band options on this dress.  The directions to do this are included but the skirt hem band requires a little bit of simple math.  For the fabric I used Frozen Ice Skating Hearts Framed and the accent fabric is Michael Miller Fairy Frost in Fancy.  These two fabrics pair together perfectly!

The back of the dress has buttons.  My original plan was to do use fabric covered buttons using the fairy frost fabric.  But, all I had was 1/2" and 7/8" buttons on hand.  I tried to cover the 1/2" ones but I have always had a hard time with that size and it wasn't working for me again.  All I ended up with were sore fingers.  3/4" would have been perfect but I didn't feel like going to the store.  So, plan B was to use wood buttons that I have in my stash.  I bought a bunch of these and usually use them on my son's button up shirts.  I think they look OK because they kind of match Anna's hair.  I would have preferred a fancier button.  But again, I did not feel like packing up my 3 year old and going to the fabric store so these will just have to do!

Made for Mermaids Sophie Dress

I just love the newest pattern from Made for Mermaids.  I have already made 3 of them.  This one pictured I made for my 3 year old niece for Christmas.  I made this using the Sophie pattern.  It can be purchased here. 

This dress has several different options.  First, you can choose between 3/4 length sleeves or long sleeves.  I made this one with 3/4 length sleeves.  The center of the bodice is the perfect backdrop for embroidery.  I used a Disney princess design of Aurora from a Brother card for my embroidery machine.  For this design you must have a Brother machine that can use Disney embroidery cards.  I purchased my machine and this card almost 8 years ago so I don't know if this card is available for purchase anymore.  I choose to do a flat piping on the bodice and the instructions for that are also included in the pattern.

For the back there are 3 different options for closures.  The options are buttons, zipper, or exposed zipper.  I did an exposed lace zipper on this dress.

Now for the details on the fabric used.  For the main fabric I used a brand new Disney Princess fabric called I Am Princess.  It can be found on my website here.  For the center of the bodice (white) I used Michael Miller Fairy Frost in Snow.  It is white with a subtle shimmer to it and is a great back drop to the embroidery.  For the flat piping on either side of the bodice I used Riley Blake's Floriography Branches in Pink.  The zipper I bought on etsy from a shop called Fabricmade.  She is located in China so it took about 2 weeks to get in the mail.

Halloween Costumes, Frozen Style

I know it is a little late to be sharing Halloween costumes.  But, considering the extreme popularity of anything Frozen these costumes would also make excellent Christmas gifts for dress up play for the Frozen obsessed.  I made everything shown above, with the exception of the Olaf hat.

I will start with Elsa first.  For the pattern I used the Create Kids Couture Elise pattern in the tween sizes. They also offer this pattern in girls, women, and doll sizes.  I made the size 7/8 and added length.  I would say the sizing is spot on for the size I made.  Each fabric used in this was from a different source.  For the main blue fabric I used Michael Miller Fairy Frost in Caribbean.  I sell it in my fabric store and it can be found here.  A lot of people were using satin for their costumes and I absolutely hate working with satin.  What is so great about Fairy Frost fabric is that it is cotton so it is easy to sew with but still looks fancy at the same time!  This color is perfect for Elsa.  For the sheer knit on the top of the bodice and sleeves I used a fabric I found at Hobby Lobby.  It has small circles of silver sparkle all over it.  It was kind of a pain to sew with but it turned out great.  The cape fabric I found at Joanns and I got lucky finding it.  I bought it probably a month and a half before Halloween and it was jammed in between 2 other fabrics hiding in the wrong section.  It is an organza with silver foil snowflakes on it.

Next is Anna.  I made this dress way back in April for her birthday.  She loves it so much that she literally would wear it as soon as it was clean.  For the summer I made her a short sleeve peasant top to go underneath.  I just used plain boring Kona cotton for this one as I made this before I started carrying Fairy Frost fabric.  But, I have made this same dress using Fairy Frost fabric and the results are stunning.  I have made it easy for you and now offer a kit to make an Anna dress here.  The embroidery designs on the bodice and the skirt are both from Frou Frou by Heather Sue.

Now for Olaf.  I decided to go the route of a crochet hat rather then the type that you see with the mass produced Olaf costumes you could find at Wal-Mart.  This way he could wear the hat more then once.  Maybe there will be a few days here in California that will warrant wearing a hat this winter and he could wear it again.  Since I do not know how to crochet I bought the hat on etsy from this wonderful shop.  The hat's craftmanship is fantastic and her service was excellent.  I bought the hat way back in September (I was planning ahead for once) and at the time I didn't know what I was going to do for the rest of the outfit.  Then peek-a-boo patterns came out with a free tutorial for the body!  I had to upsize it to a 2T but it was not difficult at all.  For the brown undershirt I used Patterns for Pirates deep sea v neck shirt.  I love her patterns and now this brown shirt is used for pajamas paired with Olaf flannel pants.  The white pants were made using the pants pattern from the Alex and Anna pajama pattern also by Peek-a-Boo patterns.

It All Goes Here Sewing Organizer

If you are like me and are constantly losing your important sewing notions when you most need them then this sewing project is for you!  I decided to try and be a little more organized so I would quit searching all over my sewing room for things like my seam ripper when I most need them and made myself this sewing organizer.  I used the It All Goes Here! Sewing Organizer pattern from Fishsticks Designs.

 

This pattern is from their Go Fish series, which is very simple patterns which sew up quick and are perfect for beginners.  I have also made several On the Go travel pillows from the Go Fish series.  These pillows are my go to when I need a quick birthday present for one of my kids' friends.

 

 

The sewing organizer features 8 pockets along the front of various sizes to store all your goodies.  On the left side is a loop that you can tie your small scissors to with ribbon to keep them handy for thread snips.  The right side features a handy magnetic pin catcher.  The organizer has a pocket and you slip a ceramic magnet inside.

 

 





When I first read the pattern and saw I needed a ceramic magnet I thought "where the heck am I going to find one of those?"  After a quick google search I found that Home Depot sells them.  So, I tagged along with my husband on his next Home Depot run and found these magnets in the same aisle as all the screws, nuts and bolts.  They came in a 2 pack for around $4.

 

 

This organizer was super easy to make and sewed up very quick.  I think the whole thing took around 45 minutes to make.  Now my daughter is begging me to make her one for her sewing machine.  She is 9 and might be able to make it herself with my help with the instructions.  She has already picked out her fabric for hers. 

 

 I used Heather Bailey's Lottie Da Sprig fabric for the front pocket, Heather Bailey's Lottie Da Butterfly Dot for the top of the pocket and magnet cover and Ta Dot in Lime for the mat.

 

 



EYMM Zander Jacket

My poor son usually gets neglected when it comes to sewing clothing for him.  It is so much harder to find cute patterns for boys.  So, when I saw the newest Bundle Up from Pattern Revolution with all boys patterns I knew I had to get it.  This jacket is the second thing I have made from the bundle and is probably one of my most favorite things I have ever made.  This pattern is only available though Bundle Up through tomorrow but will be available to purchase from the designer on September 10th.  The designer is Everything Your Mama Made and this is the first pattern of hers I have ever made.

 

 

When I was planning out making this jacket I intended to make a Star Wars theme and embroider Darth Vader on the back.  But, I made the mistake of taking my son with me to the fabric store and he begged me for Spiderman.  He is currently obsessed with Spiderman and wears something Spiderman just about every day.

 

 

I made this jacket with black sweatshirt fleece and lined it in Spiderman flannel.  The pattern calls for a knit lining but flannel worked just fine.  I made a size 2/3 and it is a little bit big on him since he is so tiny.  But, it will last a long time.  I appliqued Spiderman's head on the back of the jacket and it matches perfectly with the Spiderman design on the flannel.  What is so unique about this jacket is the asymmetrical zipper.  When I showed my husband he said "the zipper is crooked".  I told him it is supposed to be and he didn't get it at first but he is a man so you will have to forgive him.  You must use a separating zipper and I choose to use a sport zipper because I liked the look of the bigger zipper teeth.  The supplies for the whole jacket cost me around $20.

 

 

 

 

Hopefully he will get lots of use out of this jacket this coming Fall and Winter.  Where I live it doesn't get very cold so he can probably wear this throughout the whole "cold" season.  I am very pleased with the way this came out and now my daughters are begging me to make them both one too.  Of course they do not want Spiderman but are requesting Elsa and Anna jackets.

 





A Closer Look at Cinderella Princess Dress Kits

Cinderella has always been my favorite princess.  Today we are going to take a closer look at the Cinderella dress kits.  Princess dress kits come with everything you need to recreate your own princess dress from size 1/2 up to 8.  You receive beautiful Fairy Frost fabric from Michael Miller, elastic for the neck and sleeves and black ribbon to make a cute bow at the neckline.  You can even buy the pattern in one stop if you do not already own it.  All you need is a sewing machine and other basic supplies you already own such as scissors and thread.

Cinderella's dress uses a light blue fairy frost fabric and has white peplums and sleeves.  Fairy Frost fabric isn't just plain boring solid fabric.  It has depth, different tones and shimmer.  The quality is top notch too.  If you have never seen this fabric in person you are in for a treat!  Even the white has depth to it but it is hard to capture in photos.

 

 

 

In the pattern there are 2 options in which you can sew the peplum.  The first is using 1 layer and doing a rolled hem with your serger.  The second is using 2 layers and making a lined peplum.  You will receive enough fabric to make the lined version.  I know not everyone has a serger and I prefer the finished look of this method over the first.  The peplums are then gathered and sandwiched between the bodice and the skirt.

 

 

 

Another great thing about this dress is that there is a sash.  You can tie it as tight as you want for a better fit and allows room for growth.  This dress will not just fit for only a few months!  Made for Mermaids peasant dresses are shaped.  This means that there are full pattern pieces for the front, back and sleeves.  The front is lower than the back.  Some other peasant patterns out there are just measurements with an armhole cutout.  My opinion is the way Made for Mermaids does it is 1000000x better.  The fit is more flattering and more comfortable as well.

 

 

 

Another sweet detail is the cute little bow at the neckline.  You will receive enough ribbon to make a bow on your dress too and without buying a whole spool of ribbon to do so!

 

 

This dress would be perfect to wear to a Disney trip, Halloween, or just wear out and about.  It is cuter and more comfortable then itchy store bought princess costumes.  Another plus is that it is fully washable and dryable! 

 

The Cinderella kit can be found here:

http://www.baileygirlsfabric.com/item_495/Cinderella-Dress-DIY-Kit-sizes-12-4-or-5-8.htm

 

I am going to leave you with some more cute photos of the Cinderella dress in action.  All photos from this post were taken by Kristina Kazarian Photography www.kristinakphotography.com and www.facebook.com/kristinakazarianphotography .  She is located in Orange County, California.

 

 





New Princess Dress DIY Fabric Kits!

In preparation for my daughter's 7th birthday party I decided to make her a Snow White dress to go with the princess theme.  I decided to use the Everyday Snow White Pattern from Made For Mermaids and chose to make it with Michael Miller's Fairy Frost.  I fell in love with this fabric and thought it makes a perfect princess dress suitable for everyday use.  The dress turned out so awesome that I had an idea to put together dress kits with everything you need to recreate princess dresses with the Fairy Frost fabric.  I approached Megan from Made for Mermaids and she liked my idea as well so for the last few months I have been working hard on creating the perfect princess dresses and turning them into kits.

What is so great about Fairy Frost fabric you might ask?  Well to start it is 100% cotton making it washable and dryable.  Also, not only is it easy to work with but comfortable to wear too!  However, it doesn't just look like boring solid color cotton.  The fabric has subtitle tones to it and shimmer (sometimes glitter).  So it looks fancy while being practical at the same time.

Made for Mermaids patterns are also awesome as well.  Most are peasant dresses but what makes hers different is they are shaped (i.e the front and back are not the same cut with the back higher than the front).  I think this makes a more comfortable and better looking dress.  Her directions are excellent too, even for a beginner.  Let me tell you, I am far from a beginner but I suck at putting in zippers.  When I made the Anna dress I put the zipper in right the first time and didn't even have to use my seam ripper!

Now to get back to the kits....  They all contain everything you need (minus the sewing machine and notions like thread and scissors) to recreate the princess dresses shown in the photos for each listing.  I have taken the guess work out of which fabric colors go best for each dress.  It is hard when looking at a computer screen to know which color will be the best choice (especially since there are over 100 fairy frost colors).  I also provide the exact amount of trim and elastic you need.  What that means is you don't have to buy a whole spool of ribbon just to get the small amount you need!  Each listing lists what is included in that particular kit.  They are all made using patterns from Made for Mermaids.  So, the pattern is needed in addition to the fabric.  There are two options to buy.  If you already have the pattern needed or would rather buy it directly from Made for Mermaids then you can choose just to buy the fabric.  If you do not own the pattern you can choose to buy the fabric and the pattern together at the same time.  Then I will email you the pattern within 24 hours.

As of this date I have 5 kits.  Anna, Snow White, Cinderella, Belle and Rapunzel.  Sleeping Beauty is coming soon.  They can be found on my Etsy or website.  Right now they are on sale on the website only through this coming weekend.

Now for some pretty photos.  The following photos were taken by a photographer local to me in Orange County California.  So, if you live near me check her out.  Here is her info: Kristina Kazarian Photography www.kristinakphotography.com and www.facebook.com/kristinakazarianphotography

Wedding Pillow Cover Tutorial

I came up with this pillow cover last year when I needed to make a wedding gift for my husband's co-worker. Recently I had a request to make another one to give as a gift to an upcoming wedding. I didn't write down my math the first time so I had to figure it out all over again. So I decided this time to write a blog post on how to make it so I could refer back to it later and also share with others in case they want to make a unique wedding gift. The embroidery design can also be changed to make a pillow for any occasion.

Materials needed: Makes a cover for a 16" pillow form

~ 1/2 yard of a non-directional print or 3/4 yard of a directional print. I used Black Damask from Riley Blake in the pillow cover shown

~ White or other solid color fabric for the middle panel at least 10.5" x 8.5"

~ Embroidery or applique design of your choice. The embroidery designs I used was from Embroitique. I used the Ryan font frame and the font is the Jacob font.  I used the font frame with the finished size of  8.49" x 5.61".  I did have to add the period with my embird software because this font does not come with one.   I used the 1" size and slightly shrank the est. 2014

Step 1: Embroider your design on the solid fabric. Your finished size will be 10.5" wide by 8.5" tall. You can either cut it to size before you embroider or after. I like to hoop a larger piece so that I can hoop the fabric instead of floating it on the top of the hoop and cut it to size when I am done.

Step 2: Cut your pieces. You will need the following:

~ (1) 10.5" wide by 8.5" tall of the solid color fabric you embroidered on

~ (2) 11.5" wide by 17" tall pieces of your patterned fabric for the back of the pillow

~ (2) 4.25" wide by 8.5" tall pieces of your patterned fabric

~ (2) 17" wide by 5.25" tall pieces of your patterned fabric

If you want to change the size of the piece in the middle you just have to redo the math so that your final size will end up to be 17" x 17".  Don't forget to account for seam allowances.  I am using 1/2" seam allowances.

Step 3: USE 1/2" SEAM ALLOWANCES

With right sides together sew the 4.25" x 8.5" pieces to each side of your embroidered piece. Finish your seam (serge or zig zig)and press the seam away from the center towards your patterned fabric.

Step 4: With right sides together sew the 17" x 5.25" pieces to the top and the bottom of your embroidered piece now with sides. Finish your seam and press away from the center.

Step 5: Take your back pieces and fold in and press one long side of each back piece to the wrong side 1/2", then 1/2" again. (If you’re using a directional fabric, fold and press the left side of one back piece and the right side of the other.) Hem.

Step 6: With right sides together pin your back pieces onto your front piece, overlapping them in the middle. Sew with 1/2" seam allowance all around the square. Finish your seam, turn right side out and you are done!