Santa to Leprechaun

Okay I am sure you all are thinking, that's weird that looks like a Christmas onesie, but its March... Well you would be right! However bear with me, I promise by the end this will be a St. Patrick's Day post!

I made this cute onesie and tutu set for my favorite little girl to wear in some fun photos for her first Christmas. I made it knowing that six month olds don't really wear tutus for extended periods of time. It was just a fun prop for her. 

So anyway I didn't blog about it then but I came across the picture in my phone and something clicked, that same onesie but paired with a green tutu she would look like a leprechaun! So I called her Momma and asked if the onesie would still fit, she confirmed, so off to Hobby Lobby I went! (Please use your talented imaginations for the picture at the right, I wasn't able to get a picture of her in it)

I picked up a white headband for .79 cents and a roll of tulle using my 40% off coupon it probably came to $3.00. I know that the rolls of tulle aren't as economical, but they make the tutu making process so much easier. Hobby Lobby didn't have a kelly green in either the bolt or rolls so I went with an apple/lime green. I wish it was kelly but I think it will work for her first St. Patrick's day celebration just fine. The color would actually be perfect for a Tinker Bell costume, so I will probably add more tulle to it so that it can do double duty later in life.

The onesie is just fleece and felt that I cut to look like a belt (Santa's belt in December, and conveniently a Leprechaun belt in March). I ironed it on using wonder under, and then sewed over it to make sure it wasn't going anywhere. 

The tutu doesn't have to go with the belted onesie, it can easily go with any other St. Patrick's onesie that she has. Including the Shamrock one I made her.

So an appliqued belted onesie, a green tutu, some adorable shamrock tights/leggings and she is going to make just about the cutest little leprechaun that ever was!

St. Patrick's Day Onesie

Another holiday, another holiday project! So...

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

This is the last onesie that was shipped up to New York for my BFFs daughter a few weeks ago. You can check out the other ones here and here.

I just did a simple, standard, applique process. I use fusible interfacing on all my appliques. In the past I did not use it, then I did a project with letters, that tend to be more noticeable if they are crooked, so I tried it. Ever since I used it that once, I was hooked! It is not that expensive (especially on sale!) and it really gives a nicer finished product.

I googled clover/shamrock to find a shape that I liked. I cut out a square of fabric big enough, and ironed on fusible interfacing on the wrong side. Then I traced it onto the paper side of my fabric using my laptop screen as a light-box.

I cut out my shape. Ironed it on to the cotton onesie. Then I carefully sewed around my shape using a zigzag stitch.

I thought I was finished but I thought it didn't look girly enough for that cute girlie so I made a little bow out of a green polka dot fabric and hand sewed it onto the stem of the shamrock. Perfect!



Valentine's Day Onesie

Valentine's day is one of my favorite holidays (halloween is the other) so I like to spread my spirit far and wide.

While shopping for the blank onesie for my Super Bowl Onesie, I saw this adorable white with pink, red, and purple hearts bodysuit. I just knew I had to buy and and make it into a V-Day onesie for my BFF's beautiful little girl.

I already had some valentines day fabric for new dog collars (more on that later) so I knew just what to do. I ironed some fusible interfacing onto the back of my cute conversation heart V-Day cotton. Once that cooled down I cut out the individual hearts. I grabbed some lilac ric-rac from my stash and draped it onto the onesie to get it to the right length. Once I had that measurment, I figured out how I wanted the hearts laid out, peeled off the paper and placed them back on top of the ric-rac. Then I ironed them on really well making sure that they stuck to both the onesie an the ric-rac. Next I threaded my sewing machine with invisible thread and a white bobbin. Then I topstitched over just the hearts. Once I finished all the hearts I tacked down the end of the ric-rac under the shoulder flaps so that they were hidden.

Once I had my design in my head the project moved pretty quickly and I am so happy with how it turned out. If I had been using a larger bodysuit or t-shirt I could have easily done two strands which would have looked so cute too!

via instagram: follow me @ iheartpaulfrank1

Appliquéd Half Apron

Even before I started sewing for fun, I saved jeans. I'm not sure why but I still have a bunch laying around. So I put one of those pairs to work... Well that's not totally true, it was a skirt, but still denim and still re-purposed.


So anyway, I cut the skirt in half keeping 2 pockets and ditching the waistband and belt loops.


Then I appliquéd some double layer stars out of cotton and fleece. After that I put a back on it by putting right aides together and sewing all the way around (leaving a hole for turning) then top-stitched the hole closed and the rest of the way around. After that I made a long skinny "tube", turned it right side out, and sewed it to the top as the apron ties. They are long enough to be wrapped around to the front to be tied. I used the same pink plaid cotton as the appliqué for the back and ties.


I love the way it came out! But not enough to keep it from my friend who I made it for. So this was gifted to her along with a set of six measurement magnets. Similar to the ones I have pinned here.

 

Source: threeyearsofdeath.blogspot.com via Leanne on Pinterest



So here is the apron tied in the front. I forgot to take a picture of the back but it is just that  same fabric.

And here it is untied. You can see here how long I actually made the ties. I wanted them long enough to make a big bow when tied in the front or the back.

A Re-do

So you guys may remember this Pinterest Fail post. And for those of you who don't, I saw this tutorial for a simple round zipper case for headphones. I figured I could handle it. I was wrong, very wrong. Well anyway I didn't let that get me down with so much cute fabric staring me in the face! And since my Mom got me pinking sheers I knew I wouldn't have to overlock stitch so I gave it another shot. This time I made sure to watch my my seam allowances and go slowly to make sure I was following the edges closely. Well I am proud to say that my second attempt is not perfect, but it is so much better than my first, and I love it! I was using my first failed one anyway since even thought I failed, my headphones still needed protection from the monsters at the bottom of my purse. Every single time I took them out use them a black cloud of sadness come out with them. But I am happy to say that now I love showing off my new and much improve second attempt. Now maybe I can make some for a few friends! The outside is pink leopard flannel, and the inside is soft pink minky. I used a white 7in zipper because thats what I had on hand.

Here you can see my first attempt (the not round green one) with my much better second attempt

Second Versions

I was able to some more of a few of my favorite projects.

First I made a few more sentimental glass ornaments for a friend for Christmas. Similar to the one I made here. I made one with her and her hubby's wedding invitation and one with their daughters birth announcement. I forgot to take pictures but they came out cute, I promise! The only thing I did differently on the birth announcement one was I was able to put the strip with the baby's name across the front. I really liked that detail.


The other thing I made another one of is my interchangeable iPhone case. It kind of looks like fish scales. I love it! You guys can see the original post here and see what the secret is.

Glass Ornament

Source: christyrobbins.blogspot.com via Leanne on Pinterest

I saw this on Pinterest and decided to make it for a wedding I went to in November. I just cut the invitation into strips using my scrapbooking paper cutter. I was deliberate about my cuts making sure that i got the words on the strips. Then I curled the long strips around a pencil and the short strips around a q-tip. Then i slipped them into the glass bulb that i had pulled the top hanging part out of temporarily. Once I liked the way it looked i put the hanging part back in and ran sone ribbon through it to hang from. Simple and pretty. I chose not to put a charm on it like the one i have pinner. This is an easy and non-intrusive way it give the happy couple a hand made gift.