RIBBON CARNATION TUTORIAL

Start with a 15" length of ruffled/gathered ribbon. I found this great ribbon at MARDENS for .20 a yard "I KNOW RIGHT BARGAIN"

I thread a needle with coordinating thread and start on the end of one side of the ribbon. You will then take the ribbon and start gathering it together in a circle and sew it in place as you go to form the carnation. Set aside and start the hairband.

Cut a piece of fabric 2 x 32 and iron it in half length wise wrong sides together (just like you make your own binding). Take it to you sewing machine open it up so that you can match the two ends with right sides together and sew the ends with a 1/4 seam.

This now creates the casing for the elastic to feed through. Fold the casing back together to have it look like binding casing again so that all wrong sides are together and hidden. I then sew a straight stitch on the very edge of the open end of the casing. Leave a 1" opening to feed elastic through.

Cut a piece of 1/4 elastic 16" and feed it through with a safety pin. Sew the two ends together and close opening. Your band is now down. Sew the Ribbon Carnation to the band. Carnation hairband is now done. !!!

LINKED PARTIES



BUTTERFLY GLITTER SHIRRED DRESS

When I first saw this beautiful fabric with the gold sparkle I just knew who it would be for and what I would be making.

I made this shirred Summer dress for my girlfriends daughter Meghan. The Fabric has beautiful gold butterfly's on a green background print. I added some gold crown trim to the bottom hem and the trim on the shoulder straps. The shoulder straps were made from some black velvet ribbon I had. The dress was finished off with a 1" velvet ribbon to tie around the waste.

I bought some gathered ribbon about a year ago at "MARDENS" but never could come up with a project to use it on. This worked out great to make my carnation flower. I placed the finished flower on the right side shoulder of the dress and made a hairband with another flower attached to it.

LINKED PARTIES

SHIRRED SUMMER DRESSES FOR GIRL INSTRUCTIONS

This is a great sewing technique for a quick and easy summer dress or top to be made for any age at all. You can add any embellishments and trims along with a combination of fabrics. My two cute little models picked out their materials and what the length of the dress they wanted it to be.

The first dresses print is a fat quarter bundles I bought at MARDENS yes my favorite fabric store Mardens. you can not see the full print in the photos,  but trust me they are vibrant and full of color's of green's and blues. I made the little matching hobo handbag to go with the dress as they just love purses.

I searched all over the web for a small sling/hobo handbag to make, but could not find one so I created this pattern and will have it scanned and uploaded to share.

The second dress is just precious with the pink and black and the two prints together have to be my favorite combination.

 Look at her just sporting that little handbag

I need to work on my closeup photo's as these are a little blurry, but it does show some of the detail of the flower. On these I pulled apart the flower after I had sewn it all together in the layers to give it more body. Instructions for this one cane be found HERE.

"WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Shirred Dress

YELLOW SUMMER POP OVER DRESS

The signs of spring for us here in Northern Maine would be the buttercups that pop up all over the edge of the loggign roads. It is such a beautiful site with the vibrant yellows.

I found this darling fabric at Mardins YES Mardins by far my favorite fabric store here in Northern Maine. WAIT oh thats right the only fabric store for 300 miles LOL. I have two Mardins to shop at one to the South of me about an hour away and one to the north of me about an hour away.

The Fabric flower was created using the tutorial I have HERE on my blog for the first layer.

The second part of the flower is done with a 3/4" grossgrain ribbon. Set your sewing machine tension on the highest, mine is 9 and set your stitch length to the longest straight stitch your machine will do.

I cut the ribbon for this one at 22" and then sewed a straight sticth along one long side and watched the majic begin. You will want to be sure to watch where it starts to curl as the first time I ran a piece throu it actual turn right into the needle and I swede over it. So once I begin to sew I place my hand behind the sewing area and just guide it to stay behind the needle.

Once you have sewn it you then just shape your rose and sew it together on the bottom side.

NESTABIBLITIES FABRIC FLOWER

I wanted to make a fabric flower that matched my Daisey Reversible apron and one that I could take off when I washed the apron. Below you will find the instruction using my Round scallop Nestabilities. 

I first chose the size of round nestabilities I wanted to use. I only cut one at a time in my Big Shots

Cut 4 of the larger size

cut 4 of the next size down from the larger one

I chose to not use the samllest one in this photo

You will now fold your circles into halfs and the forths to form the petals

Sew all 4 petals together stagering them one on top of the other

 Do this with the second layer of the second print

NOT SHOWN

I added one more layer of petals the same size of the second layer but only used 3 instead of 4

Once you have all petals sewn in together at the center points just fluff the flower up to give it shape
I glued a clasp on the back side so that I can take the Fabric Flower off the apron when I want to wash it