Lengthening a dress with lace

 The other day I got a cute new dress.

The only problem was it was a little a lot too short. 

Like no mom of 3 kids should ever be caught wearing it short. 

But it was still really cute and on super sale so I bought it hoping I could figure out a way to make it more mom friendly.   

As I was digging through my mountain of fabric/trim/etc. I found this beautiful vintage lace. 

Score! 

I knew it would be perfect. 

So I pinned it around the bottom of the dress (to the front of the dress so I didn't lose the pretty scalloped edge)  

and sewed it on. 

Now I have a pretty, lacy, perfect length dress. 

I think I actually like it better with the lace. 

What do you think?

I wish all projects could be that easy. 

Another one.

Yep.

I did it again.

Another t-shirt dress.

Number 4 to be exact.

(See the others here, here, and here)

I just can't help myself.

They are so easy to make and

so. darn. cute.

Plus she likes them, which says a lot.

(it's not always easy to please this almost 4 year old).

And it's all recycled or thrifted which means it was

super cheap to make.

Probably another reason I like them so much :)

top layer- long sleeve shirt from Salvation Army

2nd layer- part of Aaron's old work t shirt

middle- Roxy shirt from a garage sale

2nd to last layer- thrifted light pink tank top

bottom- light blue Hurley skirt from a garage sale

Recycled t shirt dress

Every time I make one of these T-shirt dresses I want to make 10 more.

They are the perfect quick and easy project.

And the best part about them...is they actually get worn!

Which is a lot to say for my super picky 3 year old who only wants to wear a handful of things out of her closet.

I love being able to take clothes that didn't fit Mackenzie (or didn't fit quite right) and turn them into something wearable.

The top of this dress was an old tank top, the middle was from an old t shirt of mine and the bottom was from a much too short skirt.

Put them all together and you get this cute summer dress.

Yay for summer sewing projects!

Now I'm off to make the other 9...

Flip flop makeover

I've heard that you lose brain cells every time you have a kid.

Each day I'm more and more convinced that is true.

Whether it's actual brain cell loss or just plain ol' sleep deprivation I've been completely void of any good, new or creative ideas.

And it's probably just as well because even if I did have any I'm not sure I would have the time or the energy to make them come to life these days.

But luckily there are a ton of other crafty people out there coming up with awesome ideas like these fabric flip flops that are just perfect for summer.

Check out the tutorial from The Mother Huddle HERE

And hopefully my brain will return to me soon :)

Upcycled T Shirt Dress

Mackenzie loved this dress so much

I had to make her a short sleeve spring/summer version.

Seriously this is the easiest dress to make.

If I can do it, so can you.

Trust me.

And the best part is, it's totally upcycled from old t shirts.

I love a free and easy project :)

How cute is my good friend's daughter?

She is 5 and just so happens to be the exact same size as Mackenzie.

I borrowed her as my model and let me tell you

photographing a 5 year old is so.much.easier. than my not always cooperative 3 year old.

If you're interested in making one for yourself

(and I totally think you should)

check out the tutorial HERE.

A T shirt dress for Mackenzie

Remember this post last week?

I managed to squeeze in some extra time in between boutiques to whip up a recycled T shirt dress for Mackenzie.

It ended up being super easy to make and the best part

Mackenzie loves it!

And I love that it's cozy, warm and wrinkle free.

After I took the first batch of pictures (the ones with Mackenzie modeling the dress) I realized the sleeves on her old shirt I used for the top were a little too small

so I added some extra fabric to the cuffs

and it was perfect.

Plus I think I like the look of it even better.

It kind of tied everything all together.

Want to make a t shirt dress of your very own?

Head over here for the directions :)

My new shirt

I can't believe it's taken me this long

to embellish one of my boring tees!

I've seen so many cute versions in stores (J Crew anyone)

and on blogs

and now I've finally got my own.

When I was thinking about what I'd do to spice it up

I started looking for some ideas.

When I came across this shirt Lindsey did

I fell in love.

Normally when I make something someone else has made

I try to put my own spin on it.

Not this time.

I liked Lindsey's version so much

I pretty much copied it as closely as I could

(just keeping it real).

Here's the finished product :)

Earflap beanie tutorial

Here it is...

the earflap beanie/bonnet/aviator hat

tutorial.

The same basic construction that can be made

girly

for your little girl

or manly

for your little boy.

Supplies:

-An old T-shirt or stretchy fabric of your choice

-Fabric pen

-Scissors

-Sewing Machine

Step 1:

Grab a beanie that fits your child well to use as a template. Place the beanie at the bottom hem of your t shirt and trace leaving extra room for seam allowance.

*Also if your t shirt material is not as stretchy as the beanie you are using for your template be sure to add a little extra room when you are tracing.

Step 2:

Pin and cut around the line you just drew.

Step 3:

Using a zig zag stitch, sew around the top of the beanie.

Step 4:

Flip right side out.

If your simply looking for a plain beanie

you are done!

Wasn't that easy?

Step 5:

Draw an earflap looking shape on a piece of scrap paper. Trace the earflap shape twice onto your folded t shirt.

Step 6:

Pin and cut. Please note that you should have 4 earflap pieces (2 earflaps each with a front and back piece).

Step 7:

Cut 3 strips from your folded t shirt. This should give you a total of 6 strips.

Step 8:

Stack 3 strips on top of each other and pin to hold in place. Sew across the top to secure. (You should have 2 stacks of 3 strips. These will be your ties).

Step 9:

For Wesley's hat I tied a knot at the bottom to make the ties.

For Mackenzie's hat I braided the 3 strips and then sewed across the bottom of the braid to secure.

Step 10:

Sandwich the top of the tie in between the two earflap pieces.

Using a zig zag stitch sew around the bottom of the earflap pieces, being sure the catch the ties as you go.

Step 11:

Pin the earflaps onto the beanie and sew across the top of the earflap piece to secure.

If you want to make a ruffly girly version this is the time to add your ruffle. Cut out a strip of fabric from your t shirt, ruffle (don't know how to make a ruffle?...check out this tutorial) and pin around the perimeter of the beanie.

Yay!

Your done with your earlfap beanie

bonnet

or aviator hat.

Try it on your little one and enjoy!

Feel free to contact me with questions!

Earflap Beanies

There are so many

adorable

earflap beanies on etsy.

I've been eyeing them for a long time and

waiting for a free second to get out my crochet hook

and give one a try.

But my crocheting skills are well very amateur

and I knew it would probably take me forever and a day to crochet them

so I grabbed some old t shirts from my stash

went to my sewing machine (before it breaking)

and whipped up some cotton beanies instead.

a girly ruffley version for Mackenzie

with some flowers

and braided ties

My husband thinks it looks like a bonnet

but whatever.

And a manly version for Wesley

or an aviator looking hat according to my husband

Lightweight and perfect for an after dinner stroll in Spring.

Tutorial to come...hopefully tomorrow :)