Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky!

Capes for Milo's Preschool

2012-05-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, Huck was invited to join a preschool group at Autism Partnership as a Peer Helper. Since Huck isn't autistic, his role was (and continues to be) to be a behavior model and to help the kids there develop their social skills. Now that Milo is almost four, he has also been invited to join the program as a Peer Helper, and he has started going twice a week to a school-preparation Social Skills group. I am beyond thrilled because this is probably one of the best preschool programs in the county. The teachers are incredible, highly-trained professionals, and even though I have "typical" kids, this program teaches them how to get along with other kids, communicate their needs and make good choices. All for free for my little "volunteers."
As a "thank-you" back in 2010, I gifted Huck's class with a bunch of capes that I thought would be used occasionally for dress-up play, but ended up being used every day for when a child reached "Super Kid" status. The staff asked me if I could make a new set of capes for the kids this year. I was more than happy to do so, and I finally finished a set of ten capes and delivered them today.

I went for a gender-neutral color pallete of primary colors and mixed bold stripes, stars, circles and solids together with a simple star applique on the back of each. Last time I made the capes from shiny materials, but I found that a bit difficult to work with. I also wanted to make sure the new capes would be really durable and washable for regular use over time. I'm very happy with the way they turned out, and it was fun to pick Milo up from school today and see all of the little Super Kids in the new capes!

Teacher Appreciation Day Door

2012-05-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

This year I volunteered (or, rather, was volunteered :) to decorate the door of Huck's classroom for Teacher Appreciation Day. Since the classroom theme is a beachy/Hawaiian/surf thing, I decided to keep that theme for the door decoration:

Mahalo means"thank you" in Hawaiian. I have to give full credit to my husband for the lettering. He has a great eye for typography and he did this very much off-the-cuff and totally freehand.

Here is a low-angle shot so you can see some of the 3D elements of the door. (Apologies for the photo quality-I forgot to bring my real camera and had to take these with my phone.) I used tissue paper for the teacher's lei and the ocean, and those are little drink umbrellas dotted along the sign.
Happy Teacher Appreciation Day to all of you incredible educators out there!

Teepee!

2012-05-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

I got this idea that the boys needed a teepee. Kind of silly, really, considering that we live in an overstuffed 1000sq ft. apartment with no back yard. (And I'm probably exaggerating a little when I say 1000 sq ft.) But, Pinterest! You know? Yeah. You know.

So I found a nice teepee tutorial and gathered a bunch of sticks, and drilled some holes and wrapped with yarn and Viola! I had a teepee shell.

And I spent a day or two looking at it before finally jumping into my stash and grabbing a bunch of old dress shirts that didn't fit Steve anymore and mixed in more fabric scraps and started sewing it all together until I had a slapdash patchwork sheet that fit over the shell.

My favorite part is the closure. I sewed up the fronts of two dress shirts, one on top of the other, and the buttons of the shirt fronts make the door. Then I patted myself on the back for being so darn clever.

And now I have this amazing teepee that doesn't fit anywhere in my apartment! We set it up in the boys room and they "camped" for a couple of nights, but most likely it is destined for the garage. Maybe I can use it as a beach shelter this summer, but I think I'll have to add stakes to the bottom because it was pretty windy today and it got knocked over. Or maybe I'll move so I can set this up permanently somewhere!

S'MOreos!

2012-05-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile I have a have a moment of genius. A few days ago, I started digging around in my pantry for a healthy snack, and this is what I ended up with:

That's right. It's a S'MOreo! Marshmallow toasted over a gas burner and smooshed between the two halves of an Oreo cookie with Nutella slathered on one side. (What? I said I was looking for a healthy snack, didn't I ;)
So, I thought this was my Million Dollar Idea, but if you Google "smoreos" it turns out that tons of people have been geniuses before me. But, still! S'MOreos!

LEGO Bracelet Kid's Craft Tutorial!

2012-05-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is a tutorial for a cute Lego bracelet a child can make him or herself. With a little bit of pre-preparation, this would be a fun activity for a Lego themed birthday party where a child could make his or her own favor. I used a 4x6 bump plate, but I think a smaller 4x4 or even a 2x4 plate would make a nice sized bracelet. If you don't want to take pieces from your sets, and you're not lucky enough to have Lego store near you with a Pick-A-Brick wall, you can always buy individual bricks from lego.com's Pick-A-Brick section.

Materials

4x6 LEGO plate

2x4 LEGO plate

5mm elastic beading cord

Perler or pony beads

Superglue

Tools

Drill and 3/16” drill bit

Piece of felt or washcloth

Tape

Scissors

Using a 3/16” drill bit, carefully drill holes into the sides of a 4x6 bump Lego plate. You want two holes on each of the long sides, directly below the two center rows of bumps.

Cut two lengths of 5mm elastic beading cord, each long enough to wrap around the child's wrist plus a few inches so that you can comfortably tie it off after the beads are strung.

Flip the 4x6 plate over and string 5mm elastic beading cord through the holes,going in one side and coming out of the other side.

Adjust your beading cord so that it is even on each side and snap the 2x4 Lego plate to the 4x6 plate on top of the beading cord.

The 2x4 plate is temporary and is there to keep your beading cord from slipping out as you work.

Cover the child's workspace with a piece of felt or a washcloth to prevent beads from rolling and bouncing.

String beads onto one of the cords until there are enough beads to reach halfway around the wrist.

After each cord is strung with beads, use a piece of tape to keep the beads from slipping off and continue to string the rest of the cords.

Check the bracelet size on the child's wrist and adjust to fit. (For reference, my 3 and 5-year-olds needed 9 or 10 Perler beads on each of the four cords).

Tie the elastic cord with a square knot. Very important: Have an adult add a drop of superglue to the knot and then pull it tightly closed.

When the glue is dry, slip the ends under the beads and then cut off the remaining elastic cord.

Remove the 2x4 plate from the back.

Enjoy your new Lego bracelet!

LEGO Earrings

2012-04-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Lego jewelry is by no means an original idea, but I made these cute LEGO earrings for my nieces, and I just had to share. They were so easy to make with some findings I had in my stash and some E-6000.

For the studs, I glued Lego studs to 6mm earring posts. I ever-so-slightly overfilled the back of the stud with E-6000 and then pressed the earring post onto it, letting a bit of the glue squish out and form around the post. If you make these yourself, remember that it is very, very important to let the E-6000 cure for at least 24 hours. That means don't touch them AT ALL for a full day. If you have the patience, E-6000 will form a really strong bond.

I loved these studs so much that I made myself two pairs in orange and white. Such a cute, subtle way to get my geek on!

For the dangles, I used a 1x4 bump Lego plate and again used E-6000 to glue a cord tip into the back of the Lego (by the way, I have no idea if that cord tip I linked to is the same size as the one I used-it was in my stash). After 24 hours, I attached a hook earring wire to it.

The fun thing about these is that they are totally buildable. You can attach different colored studs to the dangle earrings to match an outfit, or add more bricks to make an original design.

I have one more Lego jewelry project to show you. Come back tomorrow for a tutorial for a Lego bracelet that your child can make (mostly) by himself!

I ♥ Darcy

2012-04-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine is a big fan of Pride & Prejudice, so I couldn't resist buying this book for her 2-year-old girl's birthday:

It is a beautifully illustrated counting board book that uses elements from Pride and Prejudice (2 rich gentlemen, 3 houses, 4 marriage proposals, etc.). I loved the shirt Elizabeth wears with "I ♥ Darcy" cross-stitched across the chest. I'm not a cross-stitcher, so I had to make do with iron-on letters. I found the shirt at Crazy 8 and the heart is a freezer-paper stencil.

Her mom said that she loved it and insisted on wearing it right away and even wanted to sleep in it and wear it the next day. I think we have a little Austen fan in the making!
This, by the way, is the same little girl that I made an Edward Cullen chewy toy for when she was a little baby. I am determined to indoctrinate the poor child with a love for all of her mom's favorite literary characters!

Black Slippers

2012-04-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a pair of slippers that I made for my sister a while back using the Women's Kimono Pattern from I Think Sew. I think that they came out okay, but I'd like to give it another go. I like the idea of a pretty indoor shoe, but these didn't quite fit my foot the way I wanted them to fit. I think maybe a stiffer interfacing would help so that they hold their shape better on their own. I should have taken a picture of them on my feet, but they are 2,000 miles away now, so that ain't happening. Anyway, my sister said she's happy with them.
I picked up a few shoe patterns, and this is actually the second pair of grown-up shoes I have made. The first turned out okay, but looked kinda geriatric, so I didn't post them here. I need to play with the patterns more to get the fit right for my feet. So far, I have only tried making indoor shoes. I would love to make a cute pair for outdoors, but I'm not sure what to do about a sole. Leather might work, but I think I want more shock absorption than that. It's one of those things that seems like it would be fun to do, but also seems like maybe too much of a pain to really try.

Responsibility Charts

2012-03-02T17:13:00.000-08:00

I made the boys a couple of Responsibility Charts so that they can start earning an allowance. I was going to call them Chore Charts, but at ages 3 and 5, I am more interested in getting them to work on certain behaviors rather than do chores around the house. They also help keep me on track by making sure that certain things, like daily practice on the piano, actually happen. Also, I feel like we spoil them too much with Lego purchases-both Steve and I are big fans and have "collector" personalities, and we find the toys hard to resist-so I wanted the kids to start earning their Legos, or whatever other things they might choose to buy.
I loved this modern chore chart that was featured on CRAFT, but I wanted mine to be on a dry erase board so that I could change the list of responsibilities and tasks as they boys grow and master certain things. For my charts, I picked up a couple of square magnetic dry erase boards from Wal-Mart for less than $7 each. I think they are 14" squares.

For every task that they complete, the boys earn one magnet square. Each square is worth 5 cents, and they each have 5 daily tasks. If they complete all 5 tasks for the day, they get a special Star Magnet that doubles their earnings for the day. So they can earn up to 50 cents per day, or a maximum of $3.50 per week.
The magnets are made using Avery Printable Magnet Sheets, but instead of printing on them, I used colorful permanent markers.

I cut strips of magnets just under 1" wide and colored them in semi-solidly. They boys wanted to get involved, so I carefully covered the workspace (permanent markers!) and let them each go to town on a few of strips. I then cut the strips into squares and tiled them along the bottom of the chart. I used permanent marker to write their names and make the chart, and used a dry-erase maker to fill in the tasks and change the daily balance.

They really are motivated by the chart system. Huck is eating vegetables, for goodness sake! Also, I never force or fight with them to complete their responsibilities, but I do remind them and mention that they won't be able to earn a magnet unless they complete a task. It has been good for all of us.

Ombre! Ole!

2012-02-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

In 2011, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to not cut my hair (other than split end trims) for the whole year. This was a major thing for me, because I get easily bored with my hair, and I change my style often (and usually drastically) on a whim. It took a ton of willpower, but I managed to keep my resolution into the new year. Although, I did give myself bangs because I had to cut *something*. Still, my hair is the longest it has been since I was a teenager. I love it, but that itch to change it up has been creeping up on me. So it was time to grab a box of bleach and go all ombre up in here. I figured that if I screwed it up, I could just cut off the bottom, right? Right.

But I won't have to do that because it turns out that I like it a lot. It is pretty drastic color change, but it doesn't seem like it for some reason. One thing I really like is that since I wear a lot of black, my hair doesn't get lost on all that darkness. Also, I bleached it out even more on the underside of my hair, so it doesn't look so drastic when my hair is down, but when I braid it, throw it in a bun, or otherwise style it up, it ends up beautifully variegated and textured.

You can see in this close-up that the ends are a wee-bit crunchy and dry. I probably should have had a trim before bleaching it. But I'm hoping a little TLC (and maybe a coat of this stuff) will get it back to normal in a week or two. Also, the color is a little bit brassy. It's okay for now, but once it is soft and smooth again, I may go even lighter. I love this color, getting to platinum at the ends:

And I have been dying to add some fun color. Maybe this summer:

Ha! Dying. No pun intended.
At any rate, I think this turned out way better than the last time I bleached my hair. Which was just about 20 years ago:

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Be Mine

2012-02-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

Ah, Valentine's Day. I always thought it was kind of stupid. But that is another one of those surprising things that changed once I had kids. Now Valentine's Day is one of my favorites. I've come to embrace the cheesiness and syrupy sweetness of red frilly hearts, and I love the beautiful Valentines that my boys make for their friends and family.
This is the first year that we have had to bring valentines for an entire class. Huck's teacher sent home a note asking each child to bring in a box of valentines. No treats or prizes were allowed, and the kids would address and sign all of their valentines in class. I swear I was going to listen and follow directions and buy a box of valentines featuring Lightening McQueen or something, but it killed me, I mean it KILLED me to buy a box of pre-made valentines. I knew what we had to do.
I cut and folded a bunch of red cardstock and then I let the boys go at it with sponge pouncers, white paint, glitter glue and felt heart stickers. In the end we had very modern, gorgeous little cards.

Painting With Kids

2012-01-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share one of my all time favorite tips on painting with kids. I can't remember where I read it, and I wish I could give credit, because it has transformed our paintings from muddy messes to modern masterpieces. And it's an easy one. Ridiculously easy, and totally common sense, actually. When I saw it, I was, like, "Duh! Of course!"
Just don't give your kid any colors that, when mixed, turn to muddy brown! That means that instead of offering the whole pallet of colors, you should only give two primary colors. When the colors mix, you'll get a third color.
You remember your color wheel, don't you? If not, here's a refresher:

Your primary colors are Red, Yellow and Blue. So you can give the following combinations with the resulting third color:
Red + Yellow = Orange
Yellow + Blue = Green
Blue + Red = Purple

In Milo's painting above, I gave him blue, yellow and green paint (I went ahead and threw an already-mixed green for him because, why not?). To add in more variety of color, I offered him glitter glue in magenta, orange and blue. Since the glitter glue won't change color when it is mixed with the paint, he was able to get lots of colors without the whole thing turning into a big brown blob. Not that brown can't be lovely, but sometimes we want beautiful, vibrant colors! Especially in a painting of the ocean with islands and pirate ships and treasure such as is the painting above (or so I am told).

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Cupcake Apron for Mei Mei

2012-01-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas gift! I made this cupcake apron for my niece Mei Mei. I have made her an apple apron and a floral and polkadot apron, and no doubt I will make her more aprons in the future. I had some fun playing with my new sewing machine's embroidery stitches on this one.

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Sweet Baby Booties

2012-01-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

Pin It I made a few handmade gifts this Christmas, including these sweet baby booties for my pre-walking niece. Unfortunately, this was the first time I had met her (they live on the East Coast) and I didn't realize what a plump little ball of baby she is, so the booties didn't fit :(
It's okay, though. Her crafty mama has is planning to make her a Waldorf-style doll, and these booties will get to live on dolly feet. I picked up the Jaden pattern from I Think Sew, which is having a 50% off sale until January 8th. Check it out because the patterns are around $2 each right now! I also picked up a couple of patterns for my own feet, as I have been wanting to make my own shoes for a long time now. I'll let you know how that goes!

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Red Coat

2011-12-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

My jacket is done! It has actually been done for awhile, but I wasn't happy with the pictures. I was going to re-shoot, but I finally decided that if I do that, I'll never get any pics up at all. So here they are! Grainy and not so great, but you still get the idea and I can be free of this post!

front

back

ya like the lining

Overall, I'd say I'm, like, 80% happy with it. I don't work with patterns much, but I knew that my off-the-rack size would be different from my pattern size. But even thought I followed the sizing on the pattern, the jacket came out a couple of sizes too big. I had to rip the sleeves off and re-sew them on almost 2-inches back. And I had to take in the waist quite a bit, too. I also feel like it makes me look a little bit...well, I was going to say fat, but that's not right. Squat. Like my torso looks too short and my shoulders too broad. I chose the most flattering pictures here. Alright. I'll put up a less flattering one:

See? Something funky happens across the chest there. But at least my goofball kids are cute!
Anyway, yeah, I know I'm pointing out the flaws. So I should say that I don't hate it, but I don't love it, either. I love the color and I think when I add a scarf or my cowl, it helps a lot. And maybe some skinny jeans or a short skirt and tights would help balance it out a bit more?

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A Christmas Post!

2011-12-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

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I have been busy, busy, busy and keep meaning to post about this reindeer hat that I made in one night! Huck's school had a "Holiday Hat Day" last week, and I found out about it the night before. So I queued up Mad Men on the Netflix and had myself a little crochet marathon. It's not from any pattern, but I can't claim it is a wholly original design, either. I looked up "reindeer hats" on Pinterest and a whole slew of red-nosed hats popped up. I think I still may felt this guy to get the wonkies out, but it is cute and warm and I'm impressed with myself for being able to whip it out.

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The boys also made some reindeer. I have a giant box of empty toilet paper rolls. Why? Because that is what crafty people with kids do. We collect toilet paper rolls. So one day I pulled out some glue and pom-poms and pipe cleaners and wiggle eyes and the boys whipped these cuties up.

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And finally, I want to share my Christmas wall. The boys and I painted this wall yellow a few months ago, but it took me ages to figure out what to do with it. I had wanted a wall of silly pictures for a long time, so I had these printed and mounted them on foam core. I made the felt snowmen stockings a few years ago and the "Be Good" piece is from a handmade gift swap I participated in, and it fit perfectly with what I already had up.

I have more to share with you, but they are all Christmas gifts, so I can't put up pictures until all of the gifts have been received!

Have a holly, jolly weekend!

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Last Chance!

2011-12-19T09:14:00.000-08:00

Last chance to order Stinky Boy monster totes and Dreadful Girl tissue cozies! The shops close tomorrow morning (12/20) and will remain closed until the new year. Use the code LASTCHANCE for free domestic shipping!

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A Handy Guide to Receiving Gifts

2011-12-18T14:59:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year! In light of all of the presents that will be exchanging hands in the coming days, I thought I'd put together a little FAQs guide on how to properly receive a gift.

Q: What should I do when somebody gives me a gift?
A: Smile and say, "Thank you!"

Q: What if the gift I received isn't really my style? Should I gently point out all of the reasons I don't like it?
A: No, you should smile and say, "Thank you!"

Q: What if somebody gives me a really crappy gift. I mean really, really crappy? Should I talk about how I intend to return it first thing in the morning?
A: Nope! You should smile sweetly and say, "Thank you!"

Q: What if I open a gift and it is, like, ass ugly? Should I make a face like it stinks? Should I throw it directly into the fireplace and laugh with glee as it burns?
A: No. Instead, try this technique: Curve the edges of your lips up and say, "Thank you!"

Q: Alright, but what if it was my mother/spouse/sister that gave me the terrible gift? I can say I hate it, can't I? S/he WANTS to know how much I dislike it, right? So s/he can do better in the future?
A: I get where you are coming from, but no. You should put a freakin' smile on your face and say, "Thank you!"

Well, I hope that was helpful! And for those of who need a little help in the gift giving department, I wanted to re-share my Perfect Gift Wrapping tutorial!

Part 1: Preparing your package • Part 2: Wrapping your gift • Part 3: Finishing touches

What Coat Sew Along!?

2011-11-30T14:23:00.001-08:00

Today is the last day of November and that makes it the last day of my virtually non-existent Coat Sew Along! And am I finished with my coat? Errr. Ummm. Would you believe me if I told you that the cat ate my pattern?

Because she totally did! At least she nibbled on it a little bit.
Alright, alright. I can't entirely blame my cat. I'm not sure what I was thinking by trying to make myself a coat during my busiest crafting time of the year. I made some good progress on it earlier in the month, but I stalled at the sleeves for-ev-ah, and it has looked like this for the last two weeks:

It just stands there, staring at me, wishing it had a head that it could shake in disappointment. At least I don't have to make eye contact. But the guilt is thick and ever present.
The main problem was that I wanted to modify the pattern to make it look more like the Hiraku sleeves (which if you recall was the pattern I wanted but was unable to buy due to a website glitch). And since wasn't *exactly* sure what I was doing, I ended up avoiding the whole thing altogether instead of sitting down to figure it out. But today I DID figure it out, and I finally took the plunge, assembled the sleeves and attached them to the jacket.
Also, the pattern I got did not come with instructions with how to fully line it, so that was another road bump for me. But, again, I went ahead and cut the pieces today and am trying to trust myself to know what I am doing. There are a few modifications I need to make before I try to assemble and attach the lining. The waist needs to be taken in oh-so-slightly. And I think the sleeves might be a tad too long. Although, I like a longer sleeve with a cropped jacket, so maybe I'll leave it alone.
Will it get done today? Probably not.
Alright. I'll be honest. Definitely not. But it is coming along. And I will finish it!

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Cyber Monday Free Shipping!

2011-11-28T08:47:00.001-08:00

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If you are looking for some fun-tastic stocking stuffers, you should come and visit my shop Dreadful Girl today. I am offering free domestic shipping today only for Cyber Monday. Use the code SHIP4FREE at checkout! (International friends, I can't offer you free shipping, but use the code WORLD10 for 10% off your purchase :)

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Winners and Losers

2011-11-14T09:41:00.001-08:00

Thanks you to everyone who voted in my Which Coat Should I Sew? poll. The Hikaru military-style jacket won handily, getting 61% of the vote. Unfortunately, when I went to buy it, Burda's purchasing software was down! They said to try back later in the week, but it looks like you have not been able to buy anything from the site since late October. To make it even better, they don't mention anything about it being down until you actually go through the process of trying to purchase a pattern! Free patterns are still available for download, but both the Hikaru and the Larissa have to be purchased/downloaded, and I couldn't find either coat available anywhere else. They are both download-only patterns and not available already printed.
Bummer! I could wait a week, but I don't trust that their shopping carts to be back up by then, and with Huck out of school all next week for Thanksgiving, my Quiet Time will be a lot more limited. Plus, I signed up for Freshly Picked and Ardor Hoilday Gift Swap, so I have that on my plate, too.
So I spent yesterday looking for another military-style jacket to alter to look more like the Hikaru.
I found Simplicity 2341, View C:

It isn't perfect, but it is pretty close. The Hikaru's seams are prettier, and I'll have to sacrifice that. I'll also have to adjust the cuff and make the pockets from the Hikaru. Fortunately, Burda lets you see all of the instructions on their website, even for patterns you have to pay for, so I can draft my own pockets and adjust my Simplicity pattern with some guidance.

As for color, a lot of you suggested red, red, red! I also love red, but the problem is that I wear a lot of red already, especially in the winter! I was concerned about too much red on red. I also wanted to take my winter accessories into consideration. I have a black and gray herringbone cowl that my dad got me from Pip Robins on Etsy. I love it, but haven't been able to wear it much with my gray coats.

I also have a pale yellow knit scarf that does look nice with the gray, but would be to pastel-y for a dark red. What I found instead is a deep pink (I'd call it ruby rose) twill. It looks great with the gray and yellow and the darker reds already in my closet. It also goes great with my skin tone :)
I haven't decided on buttons yet. I think I'll have to search around on Etsy for some vintage buttons since all of the ones I liked at Jo-Ann were way to pricey, and I need a bunch of them! If not, I'll make my own fabric covered buttons. Or maybe Shrinkydink buttons!
So there you go! That's where I am with my coat. I'm washing my fabric right now, and hope to get it pinned and cut during Milo's nap tomorrow. The Flickr Pool already had some fun, colorful coats in it. Check it out! You still have time to join!

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Coat Vote!

2011-11-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Help! HEEELP! I'm stuck. I cannot decide which coat to make. I've narrowed it down to two favorites and I've decided to leave it up to the masses and let you guys vote for the one you think I should sew. Below are my two choices (in no particular order), and at the bottom of this post is a voting box where you can cast your ballot. Voting closes on Saturday night! Thanks for helping out!

The Hikaru military-style jacket:

Source: burdastyle.com

OR

The Larissa zippered motorcycle jacket:

Source: burdastyle.com

Your color suggestions are welcome in the comments, too! I was thinking of a mustard yellow (like the Larissa shown here) but I'm open to other ideas.

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Inspired by Famous Not Neutral Jackets!

2011-11-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Well, so far my Coat Sew Along seems to be flat on it's face! Nobody in the pool but me! C'mon! You know you want to join in the fun.

No? Well then you leave me no choice. It is time for some propaganda. Celebrities and whatnot. I've gathered together five iconic, Not Neutral coats and jackets and found look-alike patterns.

Kill Bill

Are you as bad ass as Beatrix Kiddo? Because that boring gray coat you're wearing tells me you are not, my friend. But if you make yourself a yellow Burda 7424 and get a really big sword, then maybe I can finally take you seriously!

Burda 7424

Mary Poppins

Okay, so maybe you're too sweet to pull off a Kill Bill motorcycle jacket. I searched and searched and searched for a look-alike for Mary Poppins' beautiful chimney sweeping coat (wasn't Young Dick Van Dyke just dreamy as Bert?). I couldn't find one! I don't know why there isn't a look-alike out there, as I think it is practically perfect in every way. The collar on Vogue 8473 was the best match and could probably be tweaked just a bit to look more like the real thing. Burda 7304 also has a very Mary feel. Or, if you like the bottom of the jacket that starts at the waist and slopes down to the back, try Vogue 8601.

Vogue 8473

Thriller

Are you thrilled about the 80s styles making a comeback? Then perhaps this Blouson style jacket is for you! I wasn't sure if Burda 104 would be a great match for Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket, but when I saw that one of the finished projects was modified to be that exactly, I had to share it here.

Burda Blouson Jacket 104

The Pink Ladies

Perhaps this is the one that you want. I think it would be so fun to have a gen-u-ine pink ladies jacket with "Rizzo" embroidered on the breast. Butterick 5648 was the closest that I could find to the original, but if you want something with the same idea, but with a more fitted cut, try Burda 7582.

Butterick 5648

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

This look was good enough for the Fab Four, and it's good enough for you! Don't you want one? Picture yourself in a boat on a river wearing a Kwik Sew 3466.

Kwik Sew 3466

Wasn't that pun? Now somebody pleeeeease come join me in the Flickr pool!

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A Sew Along!

2011-11-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Last week I mentioned on my Facebook page that I had another sew-along brewing. I got the idea after making Huck's Halloween costume this year and realizing that I can actually make a pretty good lookin' garment with a decent pattern and some some patience. His costume was definitely more work than my usual slap-dash, naptime sewing jobs. There was a lot of pinning and planning and hours of sewing (and ripping seams, unfortunately), but in the end I was impressed with myself and super proud of the final product.
So I want to do it again, but this time I'm making something for me! All of my coats, jackets, cardigans, even my hoodies (and I mean ALL of them) are gray or black. Hmm, what shall I wear today? How about it doesn't matter because I'm about to cover it up with BORING? Yes, I will be a lump of coal today. All winter long I shall be a gloomy little frump of sadness.
"NO!" I say, "And neither shall you!" We will be rays of sunshine together! You and me. We will be rainbows in a sea of rain clouds! We shall warm our bodies with goldenrod and fuchsia and turquoise and plum and the people in the streets will fall to their knees as they exclaim, "COLOR! Your COAT! It is a COLOR!"

Do you see where I'm going with this? It's time to ditch the safety of black and gray and brown. It is time for

I'll say it again: The No Neutrals, Anti-Boring, Gimme Some Color Coat Sew-Along!
Here are the rules: You sew a coat. It is a color. You post a picture.
That's it! Any coat, jacket, cardigan, windbreaker, or cloak...Heck, make a cape if sleeves freak you out. Any kind of outerwear will do. As long as it is a color! That means no black, gray, brown, beige, white, off-white, off-black, camel, coffee, charcoal, granite, dove, smoke...
That doesn't mean it has to be neon. Muted colors are okay. But it HAS TO BE A COLOR.
There is a Flickr Pool where you can post your work throughout the month of November.

More stuff? How about some badges to put on your blog? Done!

Let's do it! I'll have lots of inspiration for you throughout the month. And remember, for those of you who have never done a project like this: just because you've never done it, it doesn't mean you can't do it. Grab a pattern, find some beautiful, colorful fabric that inspires you, and take a deep breath. Who cares if it's the middle of winter? It's time to jump in the pool!

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Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

Here are Huck and Milo in their completed costumes! Well, mostly completed. I think I may draw some muscles on Milo's shirt. I wasn't sure if he would ever put the costume on, so I sort of got disheartened and didn't finish it. Huck will of course have a sword, hook and eye patch, but he couldn't wear those things to his school parade this morning (no weapons or things that may obstruct their vision).
I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to the guest bloggers who contributed their handmade Halloween costume ideas, tutorials, round-ups and tips throughout October. I hope that some of you were inspired by those awesome posts and made your costumes this year! Please remember to share your pictures in my Costume (link) Party.
Have a very happy and safe Halloween! And come back later this week to see the next big project I have been brewing up!

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Miranda R. Mueller Original art for children and their rooms ❀ DIRT Cosmetics Made from earth Hearts & Home A vintage inspired life ❀ Literary Tease Customizable word-based jewelry and accessories

Links for 2010-07-03 [del.icio.us]

2010-07-04T00:00:00-07:00