Monday, September 28, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Twirly Skirt Tutorial
I know this is my hair blog, but I ran into a follower and one of my girls was wearing one of these skirts with a cute white sweater and a coordinating headband. She asked if I would share. Here you go!
Threeish years ago, we had to have outfits for a Pioneer parade and I had NOTHING for my girls to wear, so the night before I grabbed some calico I had sitting around and made your basic, gathered floor length skirt for each one of my girls and a basic white apron. It worked for the time and through some tweaking, it has evolved into a fun skirt my girls love to wear. We go to the fabric store and I hear "I would love THIS for a skirt, Mom!!!" Since I am a sucker for fun things for my kids to wear, I happily oblige.
And as a disclosure, I don't like sewing with patterns and I have no idea what I am doing at all. I just get an idea in my head and I start cutting and sewing. I couldn't tell you what a bias is to save my life. Don't judge, mmmkthx.
First I head to my favorite fabric store...side note, I just found the BEST fabric store by where we are currently living. They sell Moda AND Amy Butler! If they carried Heather Bailey, my life would be complete! Okay, back to the tut. I buy a yard of my base fabric, and then 12 inches of a coordinating fabric. Then I measure it on my girl. Usually it ends up being half a yard that I use. For the smaller kids I shorten that. Hence the problem of not using a pattern. Also make sure that you add on about 3 inches for the casing.
Threeish years ago, we had to have outfits for a Pioneer parade and I had NOTHING for my girls to wear, so the night before I grabbed some calico I had sitting around and made your basic, gathered floor length skirt for each one of my girls and a basic white apron. It worked for the time and through some tweaking, it has evolved into a fun skirt my girls love to wear. We go to the fabric store and I hear "I would love THIS for a skirt, Mom!!!" Since I am a sucker for fun things for my kids to wear, I happily oblige.
And as a disclosure, I don't like sewing with patterns and I have no idea what I am doing at all. I just get an idea in my head and I start cutting and sewing. I couldn't tell you what a bias is to save my life. Don't judge, mmmkthx.
First I head to my favorite fabric store...side note, I just found the BEST fabric store by where we are currently living. They sell Moda AND Amy Butler! If they carried Heather Bailey, my life would be complete! Okay, back to the tut. I buy a yard of my base fabric, and then 12 inches of a coordinating fabric. Then I measure it on my girl. Usually it ends up being half a yard that I use. For the smaller kids I shorten that. Hence the problem of not using a pattern. Also make sure that you add on about 3 inches for the casing.
I then cut two lengths of fabric for the main body of the skirt from selvage to selvage.
And I repeat with the coordinating fabric. I cut it six inches.
Fold the coordinating pieces of fabric in half and press.
The place the raw side of the coordinating fabric to the right side of the body material.
And I repeat with the coordinating fabric. I cut it six inches.
Fold the coordinating pieces of fabric in half and press.
The place the raw side of the coordinating fabric to the right side of the body material.
I use a straight stitch. If you had a serger... which I do but it is currently somewhere in two vast storage units whereabouts unknown...You would serge this part together and then straight stitch next to the serged edge. Instead, I have trimmed it with pinking sheers.
Unfold the two pieces and repeat with the other two pieces.
Then press the fabrics flat.
Now, I take and put the two pieces together. The front and back if you will. Right sides together. Then I sew in just over an inch from the selvage. Start from the bottom to make sure your coordinating fabric joints match up.
Like so.
(I didn't actually trim this one with the sheers because it was late on Saturday and when you are thinking "Dang, my girls have nothing to wear to church tomorrow" and it's midnight, well, sometimes you forget things.)
Then press the fabrics flat.
Now, I take and put the two pieces together. The front and back if you will. Right sides together. Then I sew in just over an inch from the selvage. Start from the bottom to make sure your coordinating fabric joints match up.
Like so.
Then trim...or serge.
Now I measure around my daughters waist. I pull the elastic snug and then overlap by half an inch.
Then I make the casing. On the top of the skirt, I fold down the raw edge, depending on how close my fabric is on either side determines the first fold of the casing. That is why I go three inches, because I am not an accurate seamstress and I need to leave room for error. I make one fold and press it down, then I fold that first fold over and measure how much room I have for my elastic and press the second fold down. You can see the press marks in the above picture.
I have plenty of room for the elastic.
Now I measure around my daughters waist. I pull the elastic snug and then overlap by half an inch.
Then I make the casing. On the top of the skirt, I fold down the raw edge, depending on how close my fabric is on either side determines the first fold of the casing. That is why I go three inches, because I am not an accurate seamstress and I need to leave room for error. I make one fold and press it down, then I fold that first fold over and measure how much room I have for my elastic and press the second fold down. You can see the press marks in the above picture.
I have plenty of room for the elastic.
Next, I sew a straight stitch around the top of the casing. This step isn't necessary, however I have learned that it keeps the elastic from twisting and makes for a prettier top.
Then I sew the bottom half of the casing, leaving a two to three inch opening.
Like so.
Then take two safety pins and attach one end of the elastic to the fabric and attach the other safety pin to the other end of the elastic.
Then thread the elastic through the casing.
I pull my lead out and attach it to the other safety pin while I even out the fabric as much as I can before sewing it up.
I overlap my elastic by an inch and a half and sew a square around the edges and an X from corner to corner.
Then I pull the skirt and stuff that elastic up into the casing.
Pull the casing flat and sew. Remember to back stitch.
Then I sew the bottom half of the casing, leaving a two to three inch opening.
Like so.
Then take two safety pins and attach one end of the elastic to the fabric and attach the other safety pin to the other end of the elastic.
Then thread the elastic through the casing.
I pull my lead out and attach it to the other safety pin while I even out the fabric as much as I can before sewing it up.
I overlap my elastic by an inch and a half and sew a square around the edges and an X from corner to corner.
Then I pull the skirt and stuff that elastic up into the casing.
Pull the casing flat and sew. Remember to back stitch.
It only takes me 20-30 minutes to make one of these puppies and we have tons of them now. Hopefully these instructions make sense. Let me know if you have any questions!
With a couple of tweaks, you can do so many things with this skirt. I have done an overlay and and under skirt. I have made a plain edge without the coordinating fabric and just hemmed it. I have wanted to sew strips together and make a striped skirt with the coordinating fabric on the bottom, but I haven't gotten around to that yet. My friend thinks it would be darling to put belt loops on the casing and thread a ribbon through. I agree with her.
Next tutorial, the super easy headband.
Next tutorial, the super easy headband.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Natural Sophistication: Real Bride
Jackson-Owens Wedding
Brookside Gardens
Wheaton, MD
Submitted by Coretta Gray
Photography by Cedric Carter Photography
Sunday, September 13, 2009
time for another short one
I was watching my cousins little girl the other day - cutest thing ever - but her dad brought her over & had just pulled her hair into a loose ponytail that was falling out (loved that he tried) so of course I jumped at the chance to do something fun with her hair. I'm sure I have posted this with my own girlie's hair because I am often doing these cute head bands (except ours usually goes into a side pony) they are just SO super fast & too cute!
Section the hair that you want included in your headband. Secure the rest back with an elastic so you don't add it.
Section the hair that you want included in your headband. Secure the rest back with an elastic so you don't add it.
Start from either side & make your way to the opposite side, spacing them evenly.
When you get to the very last one on the END, you don't want to include the headband in this. You want it's own little piggie. Because you bring it back to the existing headband & add it to it - because this is where it ends.
This is what it looks like once you take that last piece & add it back to the headband (not sure she's too happy about getting a picture yet)
I didn't get the best of shots of after - but it was DARLING!! I roundbrushed it to give it volume & then took a curling iron very quickly to the ends of her hair & curled the pony on top. Add a cute bow & it's just too cute. This seriously was a very fast do for us - even with the blowdrying part. & it can be done on long hair also.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Vintage Hollywood Glam
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
I'm so sorry I haven't posted or been answering people's questions. Life is just crazy & my little girlie started preschool this week where she is gone Mon - Thurs 11-4. So hopefully with her being gone during the day I'll find time to post more often. I will try & answer your questions & emails this week too for those who have left them.
Here's todays post:
Here's todays post:
I started by putting elastics around the top of the crown - making sure not to go down too far because you will be adding some elastics underneath this. If your girly has thinner hair, do all of it up - instead of half up/half down. My girl's hair would be too thick to do this.
Do a row right below.
Next, start on one side & twist over your hair around each other (like shown in previous posts - scroll down til you see how to). Stop once you get to the middle one & do the other side, stopping in the middle once again.
Here's what it looks like once you've twisted both sides.
Pull all into a pony tail (half up pony tail:)
I just did a flower bun to finish the pony tail off but you could do whatever you wanted. I have people ask if I would show how to do a flower bun - if you click on "buns" on the label list to the right & scroll down until you see flower bun & the directions are there. I just quickly curled what was down.
I just did a flower bun to finish the pony tail off but you could do whatever you wanted. I have people ask if I would show how to do a flower bun - if you click on "buns" on the label list to the right & scroll down until you see flower bun & the directions are there. I just quickly curled what was down.
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