simple Analogy

Chicago Version of the Warhol Dress

 
Can't say enough about the Warhol Dress.  Just so adorable, comfortable, and easy to whip up.  The pattern download comes with sizes 6-12 months or 3-4 years old.  Mine was for my 6 year old niece, so I had to do a little enlarging.  It may be just a little bit too big, but she'll be able to grow into it.

The original dress pattern has an Italy applique (my favorite) and a banana applique.  But since my niece is getting ready to head to the windy city, I thought a Chicago applique would be apropos.  I googled "Chicago skyline" and made a freezer paper stencil from one of the images.

 
The Warhol dress is the perfect canvas for personalization!  Check out the you MADE it pool for more Warhol inspiration!

Happy Easter

 Compliments of Tattered and Inked

You'll Notice In the Top Left Corner

 
Ok, I've been working on getting my tutorials into a better organized way for you to search through.  The "Tutorial Goodness" category is kind of maddening if you're looking for a specific type of tutorial - say like the fabric flower tutorial, etc. - because they are all lumped in there by date posted and must be scrolled through.  No way to categorize; no organization. 

You know how I love things nice and organized!  So I am making a new page, accessed by clicking the "Tutorials" tab underneath the banner, by searching through the archives and placing all my tutorials into categories with pictures and links to the different tutes.  Here are the categories that I forsee:  clothing, accessories, decor, multicultural crafts for kids, kids crafts, recipes.

Ah!  Organization!  It's a lot of work right now going back through several years worth of posts, but from now on any new tutorial will be immediately added.  It may take me a while to get it all done, so make sure to stop by every now and again to see what else is listed. 

Here's to a happy weekend...

Finger Knitting Necklace

 
The scraps from the skirt... they went toward another worthy cause - my newest necklace!  I used every single piece of that fabric.  No waste!  Nada!

 
Follow the directions from V and Co. for knitting with two fingers (video tutorial here), but leave a little bit longer of a tail to begin with - say 7-8 inches.

 
Knit until your chain is about 10-11 inches long (or however long you want it).  I like shorter necklaces, so 11 inches worked for me.

 
End your chain following the directions in the tutorial making sure to leave a long tail.  Mine was about 17 inches long.

 
Put the longest tail around your neck and adjust the necklace to the length you like.

 
 
 
Tie both tails in a bow right next to the end of your chain.  (I added an extra length of fabric to the bow part to fluff it up a bit.)  Cut the tails to the desired length.

The knit I used was a really soft cotton/spandex mix which gave me a really floppy bow.  If you want the bow more defined, use a thicker/stiffer knit.

It Wouldn't Have Been Spring Break Without One

 
I'm seeing a pattern here.  Spring comes; I want a new skirt.  I have time to sew for myself during spring break.  I make a skirt.  If it happened once or twice, I'd call it a coincidence.  But three spring breaks in a row?  It's a pattern.  (2009 and 2010 versions)  Yes, I know spring break was quite a while ago, but I'm just getting around to taking photos of this one.

Details, details...

Swing Skirt pattern from Alabama Stitch Book

Cotton/Spandex knit from JoAnn's  (So soft with a heavy drape.)

 
Open felled seams with parallel whip stitch

 
Leftover 5/8 inch FOE with herringbone stretch stitch  (I'd recommend 1" FOE, but this was what I had on hand and I made it work.)

Now, I love a hot pink skirt with turquoise open felled seams, but what I really love about this skirt...

 

 
It's R-E-V-E-R-S-I-B-L-E!  Two skirts in one is a lovely thing!

Friday Blessings

It's Friday already?  This week has just flown!  Tis the season of birthdays in my family, and you know how that goes.  There's been a lot of crafting going on, but nothing I can really show you at the moment.  So, it's a good time to count my blessings...

* My local Hobby Lobby now carries Stitch!  This is my favorite sewing magazine EVER.  Full of interesting articles, lots of great projects (that you'd actually want to make and use), great photography, new blogs to visit - it's got it all.

*New fabric - I'm especially loving Robert Kaufman's Metro Living Circles.  I wish I had one of each color!

*We're getting close to being done with school!  We've been dissecting, weaving spiderwebs, writing papers, and trying to wrap up all the loose ends.  The end is in sight.

*Beautiful spring weather.

*My butterfly iris is blooming.  Last year it didn't put out even one tiny little flower, so I'm ecstatic!

*The boys are on the SAME soccer team (which means only one practice and game to go to during the week - yes!) and having a great time. 

*Tomato salad

*The dog is learning how to get around better on three legs.

*The new Craft Hope project gives me a reason to make a ton of these. 

*Plans for a pizza/movie night with the family.  There's nothing we like better on Fridays than spending time with each other.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Chasing Squirrels Doesn't Pay

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

 
Whew!  That was a busy couple 'a weeks!  What have I been doing BESIDES crafting with kids?  Making bracelets!  Fun, fun fun!  These finger knit bracelets are my new favorite.

Not that you need reasons to make these, but here are six...

1.  They are super cute.

2.  They are super comfortable.  Lightweight and soft!

3.  They are super stash-busters.  In other words, cheap enough to make a gillion without feeling guilty about the cost. 

4.  They are super quick to make.  (under 2 minutes each) 

5.  They are superbly versatile.  Wear 'em with jeans and a t-shirt.  Wear em with your Sunday best.

6.  They are green.  Great way to use up all those cheap t-shirts that you bought, wore a couple times, and now have holes where the button part of the jeans rubs the tummy part of the shirt.  Ahem.

There is also a video tutorial if the written one doesn't do it for ya.  You should read the post before you watch the video.  So funny!  Happy finger knitting!

April Kid's Craft Along: Choose Your Own Adventure

Did you ever read any "choose your own adventure" books when you were a kid?  My sister and I sure did, and my boys have done their time as well.  If you're not familiar with them, you read a portion of the story, then get to choose from a few options how you want to continue the story...  If you choose to remain on the Titanic, turn to page 35.  If you choose to enter one of the lifeboats, turn to page 43.  I'll take the lifeboat, please!

We've talked about three countries this week - India, Dominican Republic, Ecuador - and some crafts and activities that help children learn more about them.  So I thought this month's Kid's Craft Along project would be a good way to finish out our week of Multicultural Crafting with Kid's. 

Directions:

Choose your own multicultural adventure (i.e. craft activity) from this year's list...

India activity

Ecuador - Part 1 activity

Ecuador - Part 2 activity

Dominican Republic activity 

... or any of the other projects in the Multicultural Crafts for Kids archives (some pictured above) and have fun learning and creating with your kids!

Suggestions:

Do a little map work - Find the country on a map/globe.

Do some comparison - How big is the country compared to the country you live in?  How far away is it from where you live?  What continent is it on?

Do some coloring - A coloring page of that country's flag is included in each post. (Except Ukraine - it was imported from my first blog and is all in code.  Don't know how to do that!  So, here's the link for Ukraine's flag.)

Remember to add pictures of your creations to the Kid's Craft Along Flickr group!  Have fun getting to know a different country!