master bedroom

master bedroom by kristin-hibiske on Polyvore

Bubble Dress Tutorial

Shocking...this is not another maxi dress tutorial.  I've moved on (for the moment) to bubble dresses.   But get excited ... you can totally do this in an hour or under!!!  As always I've been pushing forward on my quest to use up the fabric I have in my hoarder's pile and this is the latest treasure to come out of that epically cluttered pile.  I have to admit though I did buy the tank top but in my defense it was super cheap at Target... so I still made this project for under $10... that counts for something... right? :)  Unfortunately I do not have pictures of the actual sewing process so I will just be doing a step by step description.  If enough people are interested in making this dress and prefer to have pictures with the tutorial I will definitely consider making another dress just so I can picture take during ... so let me know if that would be helpful to you. :)

First of all lets just get out of the way how excited Peanut looks in these pictures... can't you just tell she was dying for me to take pictures of her (insert large dose of sarcasm)??  It's definitely safe to say she was completely over me and don't tell anyone but I might have had to resort to bribery... such as candy... desperate times call for desperate measures. ;)  

Supplies you need:

1 tank top... (you could also use a t-shirt)

1/2 yard of fabric for outside of skirt

1/2 yard of fabric for lining inside 

Coordinating thread

Step 1:

Measure your little peanuts waist and multiple by 2.  Then measure to the desired length you want your dress to be and add four inches.  *Keep in mind the skirt will likely be drop waist depending on your tank top so take that into consideration when measuring for length.  Now cut 2 pieces of fabric with these dimensions... one for the front and the back of the dress.  

Step 2:

Now we are going to cut out the lining for the skirt... Use your peanuts waist measurement but this time multiply 1.5 times.  Then for the length use your desired length without adding the four inches we did in the step above.  Cut two pieces again.

Step 3: 

Grab your two pieces that will be the outside of the skirt... place these pieces right sides together and sew a straight stitch down both short sides.  Now instead of have two pieces you should have sewn them together to create one.  Repeat these steps with the lining fabric as well.

Step 4:

Pick up your fabric for the outside of your skirt again and sew a gathering stitch along the top and bottom of your fabric... if your are unsure how to do a gathering stitch ... place your straight stitch on the longest length it can go... mine says 4.5 on my sewing machine... and stitch how you would a normal straight stitch.... when you are finished gently pull either the top or bottom string while you push your fabric away from you and wa-lah you are gathering your fabric :).  

Step 5:

Line your outside fabric and your lining fabric up... right sides facing each other (your lining will be inside your outside fabric when you have it lined up properly) ... gather your outside fabric until it is the same width around as the lining.... pin your fabrics together ... This will end up being the bottom of your skirt.  Sew a straight stitch all the way around.  Then turn right side out so the right sides are facing out and your seams should all be inside.

Step 6:

The top of the lining should be several inches shorter the top of the outside of the fabric... pull the lining up to meet with the top of the outside fabric this will create the bubble...  the top of your fabric should already be gathered and the same width as the lining pin the tops together and run another gathering stitch through both fabrics.

Step 7:

Again gather your fabric by gently pulling the string and pushing fabric away from you until it matches about the width of the tank top.  * (You probably will not have to gather this portion very much if your tank top can be stretched to the width you have without gathering you can skip the gathering part)... Because of the stretch in your tank top... only gather your skirt to the width of the tank top when you gently stretch it out (you want your skirt portion to fit over your peanuts body and unless you use a knit your fabric will not stretch like the tank top will... to fix this problem I stretch the tank top as I pin it to the skirt.  So you can use the already finished hem of the tank top I turn the tank inside out... leave the skirt with the right side out but flip it upside down so the bottom of the skirt is facing up and the top of your skirt is lined up about a 1/2 inch from the waist line of the tank.... sew with a straight stitch and gently stretch the tank as you sew around.

Step 8:

Turn your dress right side out and then top stitch the finished hem of the tank down to the skirt so it lays nicely.

Yeah!  You're done!  Bust out your electric slide or your harlem shake ... pull out a little air chest bump ... and bask in all of your epically amazing fantasticness... admit it's a hard job to be this fabulous... but somebodies got to do it ;)

I'd love to hear from you... questions, comments, suggestions and topic ... leave it below.  :)

Clothing Tags and Labels

I've been on a clothing label and tag quest... you know... one that takes little to no effort... is cheap... and that I happen to have supplies for in my hoarder pile that has been discussed in detail... here, here and here.  That's the thing about hoarder's piles you find unexpected treasures, such as this bias tape.

  

Just as a small disclaimer... if you don't have a letter stitching function on your sewing machine this post is not going to be very magical for you... if you do have this function... it is your lucky day!!  To begin with... I cut about a 5 inch strip of the bias tape to ensure I had plenty of room for my company name.  

If you have a Husqvarna sewing machine and are unsure how to use your letter stitching function... I would be happy to give you helpful tips if you need some... Otherwise your on your own friends I haven't tried this on any other machine.  If your anything like me your instruction booklet should literally be labeled !&%$... it's a four letter word if you know what I mean... don't tell anyone I'm saying this but there's a teensy chance it could come in handy in this instance ;)

Once you have programmed a letter sequence into your sewing machine ... stitch away! After you finish, iron each end under and then place on article of clothing and stitch around all sides.  And Ba-Bam... you have a super cute clothing label.  Unfortunately I was experimenting with different colors and you can't see my clothing label very well on the skirt below ... but trust me it's adorable!  

Just to keep things simple I also used the same method to make a clothing tag.  I used some peacock feather embossed card stock I had on hand... did a little fancy schmancy cutting with my little girls scissors ... mainly because whenever I need my regular scissors they magically disappear... it's like socks when you wash them... somewhere between the washer and the dryer... POOF ... they disappear.

  Next just sew your label directly onto your card stock with a straight stitch with coordinating thread.

Add a little twine for some serious cute factor....

And Ta-dah... It gives your item just that added touch it needed (well at least mine needed it :) ).

Feel free to leave comments or thoughts below!  Thanks for stopping by :)

Every Girl Needs a BFF Period. Dot. The END.

 Every girl needs a BFF.  Period. Dot. The End.  A friend who will brush your hair while watching the worst reality tv with you... (Polygamy USA... don't tell anyone I watch that)...

 someone who will make a homemade music video with you singing along to Pink like the rock stars we are and go on later to choreograph an interpretive dance at 1:00 in the morning adding in a few yoga poses to coffee house music...

someone who you literally pee your pants with over something only the two of you would think was funny... someone who is basically your sister (obviously from a different mister :) )

... someone whose toenails you paint (barf... but these are the sacrifices I'm willing to make :) )  ... someone who also lives by the motto that nobody puts baby in a corner... someone who has a love affair with diet coke on the same level that you do...

 someone you call when you are basically feeling like a frumpy mom and randomly someone hits on you (who cares that he was old enough to be my dad) and you just have to share all the greatness that is you... someone who shares your maturity level of basically a 16 year old...

someone you can basically share your most embarrassing thoughts to and she just gets you... someone that you can admit all of your epic parenting fails to and know she will never judge you...

Someone who will go to her Mcdonalds while you go to your's on the other side of the country just so you can have a morning meeting via phone just about 5 days a week...  someone you vacation with because she is literally your family...  someone whose husband knows along with your own how important it is for you to see each other...

So thankful for the last 9 days I got to spend with my high school best friend and her two kids... we are already planning are epic 20 year anniversary trip which isn't for another 4 years... but we both believe in going big or going home :)

These adorable pictures are our girls together in Tulle Flower girl dresses made by me.

Thanks for stopping by!

Epic Mom Moments...

I might as well admit to you up front... in a recent speech Boo had to do for school, she had to describe her parents and she described me as Amy Duncan from Good Luck Charlie.  I'm not gonna lie... I can admit even I see some definite similarities.  From the moment Boo was conceived I promise you... we have been incapable of doing normal.... and once you are traveling the road to crazy ... you might as well keep it up with all future children as well.  Parenting is full of unexpected challenges... I find laughing my way through the chaos keeps me sane...  So here are a few of my epic parenting moments from this week...

1.  On the way into 5th grade graduation push poor Boo's head into the bushes while she throws up all of her nervous anxiety about graduating.

2.  At graduation... open my lawn chair that the school requested we bring for the ceremony... only to realize that my chair is the smallest beach chair in America, resting about a solid inch off the ground.  This beach chair is a great chair.... at the beach... it is not a great chair when everyone around you clearly got the memo to bring a normal size lawn chair and your head is at the level of everyone else's lap. 

3.  Being an eternal optimist... assume I can make it all the way across town with my crazy kids in tow... without filling up for gas... because really what could go wrong???... I will just head to the gas station right after... only to arrive at said gas station to realize I left my wallet at the previous place we were at... luckily optimism worked in my favor and I rolled into the station with 4 miles due until empty.

4.  Go to Dew's 3rd grade musical only to realize that there was obviously a note that went home explaining kids need to wear a black shirt... where that note went... nobody knows... hence why Dew wore a white shirt.  

5.  While putting the girls to bed... my foot rolled over something squishy and some what wet... (keep in mind the room was dark at this point and I couldn't see ... I was relying on touch and unfortunately smell alone)... so I reach down to pick it up... thinking it's a piece of food and automatically go to take a sniff... Wait for it....  Are you kidding me I am holding a literal poop pellet under my nose with my bare hands....  and all I can keep saying is ... "I am holding a literal turd in my bare hands... again I am holding a literal turd in my bare hands."  My question is where did the poop pellet come from??? Of course everyone says it wasn't them... Clearly a ghost came in and left a turd as a gift for me.

Can't wait to see what next week has in store! ;)