GLITTER SHOES

 

This year has been a tough year, as we found out my beautiful 39 year old sister has pancreatic cancer. It has been a long road for all. No one can understand the full impact of CANCER until they are touched personally with it. It can destroy households, reek havoc among the calmest individuals and can leave you feeling completely broken.

 

HOWEVER, through FAITH and the miracle of GOD we do not have to let CANCER do any of those things.

 

I believe GOD will give us a miracle when the time is right. So with that said. I knew I just had to make my sister her glitter shoes to go out and celebrate when she beats CANCER.

 

 

 

I took a pair of Black suede high heels I had purchased and covered them with decoupage and then added purple (purple is for pancreatic cancer) glitter all over. I did the same thing to the heal and bottom part with silver glitter. Once it dried completely, I blinged the shoes with diamonds.

 

 

 

It was a very easy project to complete and she will look just stunning

PILLOWCASE DRESS

If you want a fast and easy dress that works both in the winter and summer or even wear it with a little shirt and legging's then this is the cutest one to create. You can add appliques, pockets, bows, and trim to create several different styles. 

The white trim on this is actual bedding border trim that my mother In-Law had in her wonderful stash of fabric that was passed onto me. 

This set is for a dear friend of mine for her two little girls. There are several sites with patterns even free ones that you can find on the web. Just do a search for pillowcase dresses and several will come up. Be creative and make your own styles. 

I also make these to send to "Little Dresses for Africa" 

Below are several that I made for Africa.

Brown's, pink's and creams are a perfect combination. 

This one is my Mini Mouse style. Wouldn't a little girl visiting Disney be dressed just perfect.

Love these two fabrics together.

Little bugs print and mint green polka dots

"AHOY"  off to a day at the sea with this adorable one. 

I love the main body fabric as you can make several styles with many different colored fabrics

Can you say ADORABLE!! 

BELOW ARE SEVERAL LINKS TO THE PILLOW CASE DRESS INSTRUCTIONS

FREE SITES

• Jen Leheny
• Nancy's Notions - Little Dresses for Africa
• Little Big Girl Studio
• Prudent Baby - This is a little bit of a different design "Just Fabulous"
• Everything Sewing

PURCHASE INSTRUCTIONS - have to pay

• Foot Loose Fancy Free 
• Foot Loose Fancy Free - Tiered Pillowcase dress
• Hadley Grace Designs
• Carletto - Etsy Store
• Viola Lee Patterns

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THESE DRESSES AND DONATE THEM TO CHARITIES BELOW ARE SOME GREAT SITES.

Have a gathering at your house or even your local school and have a sewing party to make dresses to send to the charities below.

LITTLE DRESSES FOR AFRICA

DRESS A GIRL AROUND THE WORLD

GARDEN TIME A-LINE DRESS

This is the simplest and easiest dress style I have ever made and there are so many designs you can create from it. 

I purchased the pattern at "Whimsy Couture"

For the dress above it is a size 2T. I bought this beautiful cotton fabric at Mardins for $2.99 a yard and have had it for about a year. I think it came out just perfect for this style dress. I added some Ivory lace trim to the bottom hem. I always finish each of my garments off with a serger for that professional finish. 

This next design I took and printed another pattern the same size as the first one 2T. I then decided were I wanted the seam to be on the dress and cut the pattern. You need to add 1/2 seam allowance to each part you just cut for your sewn seam allowance. 

I added some Ivory trim and made the little rossette from ruffled lace . 

This one and the next one are size 5T. 

This fabric reminds me of vintage time. I love the color and the trim was just perfect. The trim is embroidered lace trim with a flower pattern. 

This combination of fabrics are just GORGEOUS together. I added red ruffled lace to the bodies seam and to the bottom hem. The rose is made from Grosgrain ribbon. I took and ruffled the ribbon on my sewing machine and then made the rose. 

SARONG WRAPS

I came upon an AWESOME youtube video on how to wear a sarong several different ways. I went to my fabric closet and started taking out all the sheer fabric I had bought a couple years ago at Wal-Mart for $1.50 a yard. I measured my material at 44 length x 68-72 in width and serge all 4 sides. This took no more than 10 minutes to complete each one. I spent the afternoon making several for myself and several for a friend. I will be looking for some solid colored bikinis/bathing suits to match all my sarongs. I live on a lake so these are perfect for the summer time. 

The above one is made with a sheer black fabric.

Below are several others I made for this summer season. 

This beautiful Brown and Cream combination is perfect for a night on the town. I tied to knots at the chest area and then tied it around the neck for a secure fit. 

I love this Black and Ivory print. I tied it at the chest in two knots and let the extra fabric hang down to make it look like a bow. 

I slipped a clear plastic bangle like in the video from youtube and tied it in the back. I love this look the best. 

Again tied at the neck and I added a fabric flower for a touch of elegance

This picture does not do this one any justice as it is extremely pretty. I tied it at one shoulder for a night time look. 

I made this one for my girlfriend who has beautiful red hair so you can imagine the oranges and teal will be beautiful.

There are so many other ways to be able to tie these beautiful sarongs I have made into many clothing items. Search the internet and you will find many. 

I will be heading to Mardins to get some other types of summery fabric to make several more. 

HOW TO DRESS IT UP

My favorite thing to do at a fabric store is to mix several types of prints together with different shades. I selected this combination of fabric with no project to create at the time, but I knew I just had to have it.

SOOOO this weekend with it being -10 degrees here in Northern Maine I knew I just had to bring some sunshine to a very cold weekend.

I knew I wanted to make a dress with these fabrics so I searched through all my patterns to create just the right look.

I started with a basic bodice from the book "Little Girls, Big Style" using the white print and then created the skirt using the grey fabric and measured the length I wanted by 19w.

For this one it was 2 @17L x 19W for the skirt part of the dress.  

I wanted just the basic straps as the dress would just be a pull over.

I added a ruffle as the hem of the dress by cutting the yellow fabric 2 @ 4 1/4 x 39 1/2, folded it in half and serged it to the bottom hem of the dress.

Now we could be gone with this cute little dress and it would still be just as adorable BUT!!! Lets DRESS IT UP!!!!

I used the yellow fabric next to make a peasant top to be placed under the dress for the colder season. The pattern I used for the undershirt is one I found on "Fairytale Frocks and Lollipops" by the designer  "Monkeybugs" "Sweet Petticoat Slip Dress".

I did however modify it by making it a shirt and not a full slip

Can you say ADORABLE!!

I also took some of the remnant from the gray fabric to make a pinwheel flower that was glued to a clasp pin so that I could take it off when I wanted to change the look.

 

Now we have the two items to combine them together for a new look. LETS DRESS IT UP!!!

Now how adorable it that!!

For one more look I had some beautiful black velvet ribbon that I made a sash to wear with the dress. I took off the flower and removed the yellow shirt and now it has a touch of elegance with just the sash.

So many looks from just combining several patterns or modifying some that you have to achieve the look you want.

LINKED PARTIES

TEDDY AND ME

Corduroy is one of my favorite fabrics to work with as it is very stable and easy to work with.

I received a SUV and I do mean a SUV full of fabrics, trims, notions and tools for sewing from my sister In-Law (Hubby's sister) the weekend of Christmas. Their mom passed away 10 years ago and she had been saving it in hopes to one day sew. She offered the materials to me this Christmas and I must say I was overwhelmed with JOY to receive such a precious gift.

Imagine all the material from a generation before me to create some pretty amazing and beautiful things.

Well I was so tickled pink that once I came home and sorted and placed everything in it's rightful  place I begin to IMAGINE and the creations started.  

This one is by far my favorite as it takes me back to when I was a little girl and how I just loved to wear matching corduroy outfits.

The pattern I used for the top is from McCall's easy stitch #6377

The pants is the pattern from Viola Lee patterns on etsy. This outfit is a size 3T

This adorable outfit can be worn together or just the top/dress with a pair of leggings or tights. Place a cute ruffled shirt underneath and it can be worn all year long.

COUNTRY CHARM PILLOWCASE DRESS

This pattern is one of the easiest and simplest patterns to make. It is the "SEW FLOUNCY" Pillowcase dress pattern from Foot Loose and Fancy Free.

She has several styles to create and the designs are endless once you know all the correct sizes. I did however adapt the measurements for a 4 tier ruffle instead of the 3 in the instructions.

I wanted to incorporate the bottom trim fabric that was given to me by my sister In-Law. It was my mother In-Laws fabric she had been saving. Once I saw it I new exactly what I wanted to make with it. I had the perfect fabric to match the trim.

I new the finished length from the Sew Flouncy instructions for a 3t and I was not changing the bodice measurements so it was only the two tiers I needed to adjust for the addition of the lace trim.

The 2nd and 3rd tier called for an 8" width for a total of 16"

My bottom lace trim was a 5" so that leaves 11 inches I need to make up. I cut the first and second tier at 5.5 width giving me my total width for the whole length of the dress.

I find many treasures at my local "MARDINS" surplus store and the 2" lace trim was just perfect for this darling little dress. I think I paid $.15 cents a yard for the lace trim.

What is so perfect about this style is that it doesn't just have to be worn in the summer it can also be worn in the other seasons by just adding some leggings or tights with a cute top.

LAST MINUTE GIFTS FOR HER

I made the investment into a serger. It is the one at the very lowest cost that is out there, but I wanted to be sure I liked it and I would use it before I made a larger investment. I heard so many bad and good reviews and the # 1 complaint for all sergers is the threading process. HELLOOOO its all color coded and a breeze to do.  I bought the singer serger profinsher at joanns on sale for $199.99. I LOVE IT!!!!

Okay so I have all this great sheer fabric that I bought for $1.50 a yard and really haven't done much with ut because it is a very hard fabric to work with. SOOOOO I decided why not just try it. YUPPERS HOME RUN!!!! I made some scarfs and we all know those scarfs are now becoming a #1 accessory for all our wardrobes. This took be literally 10 minutes to complete one. This is from cutting to finishing. Well I went to work and made some last minute gifts for some friends who I know just love to wear scarfs.

I cut the fabric the length of the fabric x 9". You can make it as long or as wide as you want.

The upper loop thread and right needle thread is set to 2 and the bottom loop thread is set to 4

Tension is set to fine

Place it in your serger being sure that your serger is set for a rolled hem. I have mine set for a 3 thread rolled hem. Let the machine do all the work for you. I just guide it as it is being serged.

Use different thread colors with the many fabrics to use. Give it contrast.

Now that you have completed your scarf you can wear it several different ways. Let your styling begin for all your outfits.