Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky!

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

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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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A Costume (Link) Party!

2011-10-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

The boys costumes are finished! With a few days to spare, too! I'll share pics of them in the costumes (*if* I can convince/bribe Milo to wear his), but in the meantime, here they are on the hangars!
I want to see what you've been working on, too, so please share your work in the Handmade Halloween Costume (link) Party below!

Milo's boxer costume

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Huck's pirate captain costume

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Your Handmade Halloween Costumes!

Little Monster Baby Shower!

2011-10-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I co-hosted a surprise baby shower for my friend Maureen. Since her due date was right around Halloween, we went with a Little Monster themed shower. The home where the shower was hosted was already beautifully decorated for Halloween, so we didn't have to add too much to the decorations. My contributions were the cake and the party favors. Since this was Maureen's third boy, she really didn't need any more baby boy stuff, so we asked guests to theme their gifts around "something for Mom." I went with that theme for the favors, too, and filled some brown paper lunch bags with grown-up versions of a kid's lunch. I put fancy crackers and brie into little plastic baggies, individual packs of Milano cookies, Ghirardelli chocolates and the kicker: juice boxes of red wine. Yup. That's what I said! Mother's little helper!

I used a black Sharpie to draw a monster on each bag, with the names in the monster mouths. They were a big hit! Although, I have been too afraid to try to juice box of wine!

Now, of course, you all know I am a freak about gift-wrapping. For my gift, I picked up a pop-up UV-filter tent so that she can shove the baby under it at the park or beach and run off after the other two boys. The problem with it was that I didn't have a box big enough to put it in, so it was an oddly shaped package. So I used some pink tissue paper for the mouth, cut some eyes and teeth out of white paper and threw some yellow curling ribbon on top. It made a very cute monster and was super easy.

And as for the cake I was in charge of? Only half of it came out of the Bundt pan. So I thought I'd try to make cake balls and decorate them like baby monsters. Which was a pretty great idea until the first cake ball exploded in the candy coating. So I ran to a local bakery and picked up a delicious Halloween-themed cake. There were lots of cute details that the other gals contributed, as well, like creepy plastic babies frozen in ice cubes floating in the witch cauldron punch bowl, and little rats hanging out on the food table.

The shower was very fun and the best part was when Maureen's water broke just before the cake was served! A few hours later she had her newest little monster!

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Guest Post! Costume Making Tips with Marissa of Rae Gun Ramblings!

2011-10-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today I have a real, live pro-fessional costume maker for you! Marissa from Rae Gun Ramblings has visited here before with an upcycled dress tutorial of the Summer of No Pants and a crazy Caramel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake recipe (yeah, you should definitely check that one out). Today she's going to share some tips on how to simplify your handmade costumes. Here's Marissa:

(snow white and her dwarf)

Hi, I'm Marissa from Rae Gun Ramblings.

I blog about all things crafty, tasty, pretty and just plain life. I'm an insanely huge Harry Potter fan, food addict, and married to a super talented musician. I also run a handmade baby and toddler clothing shop on etsy called Rae Gun and I love love love Halloween. Every year I sew hundreds of costumes for my etsy shop and of course a handful for my friends and family. I wanted to share a few tricks and tips for those of you who are still thinking of whipping up costumes for your little ones. I am so busy before Halloween making the costumes I sell that usually the costumes for my own family are left to the last minute so I've had to use some of these ideas myself. I hope you find them helpful.

(my matador and baby bull nieces)

If you're are not a seasoned seamstress don't stress yourself out by forcing yourself to sew. You can easily make cute costumes by cutting cheap articles of clothing you already have on hand or find at a store. For example Peter Pan or a Pirate and can be made from an oversized T-shirt and cutting some points out of the bottom and tying it with a sash. And the sash doesn't need to be sewn. A strip of fabric will do the job just fine. Also fabric glue will do the the trick in many instances.
Think about how long you need this to last. If it's just for the night or the weekend make sure the time and energy you invest is proportional. Lots of people try to do costumes all out with lining and lots of time consuming detailing. But most of these costumes are going to be on kiddos in bad lighting moving very fast so the detailing might not even be noticed. Don't kill yourself trying to reach perfection if these are just for a day or two.
Don't under estimate the power of embellishing premade clothing. Try to use items you already have or can purchase from a store. It's easier, faster and you'll probably get more wear after the trick or treating is done. You can sew or glue fabric or felt to make a contrasting tummy, owl feathers, dinosaur scales or more to a sweatshirt that will probably get more action than a lot of other costumes.
If you've got girls consider taking advantage of the tutu costume trend. Tutus are super easy, cheap and quick to make see my tutorial here. Throw on some cat ears for a cute kitty, make her any princess with a crown and septor. Pretty much any girly costume can be made with a few accessories and a tutu. Plus you'll have a cute tutu to play with after Halloween is over.
Finally if you do want to sew. You can do things simply. There is no reason for crisp clean edges on costumes that are only going to be worn once. My niece's dwarf costume was made in about 20 minutes. I just sewed shoulder and side seams cut a big B and stripe of fabric for the sash. I made the hat with two weirdly shaped triangles and she looked darling. Think about what is necessary and if you don't want/need this to be something fancy smancy save yourself some time and energy and simplify.

(wonder woman costume for my friend)

Thanks, Marissa! If you haven't visited Marissa's Etsy shop, you are missing out on the cutest butt ruffles and Halloween costumes (I especially love the Pebbles and Bam Bam costume!). Go check it out!

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Round-Up! Easy Hoodie Costumes

2011-10-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

As far as easy, hand-made costumes go, you can't do better than Hoodie Costumes. I think you could wear a lot of these on non-Halloween days, too! Here are a few of my favorites from around the Interwebs. Be sure to click on the little "Source" links under each pic to see the tutorials for how to make them:

Source: fiskars.com via Marigold on Pinterest

This is a great tutorial for a monster hoodie. I love the tongue sticking out!

Source: kirstyneale.typepad.com via Marigold on Pinterest

I love this dino hoodie just for every day wear! Pair this with the dino tails and you've got a great costume!

Source: marthastewart.com via Marigold on Pinterest

This Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf would be a great couples costume, too!

Source: evilmadscientist.com via Marigold on Pinterest

This bat's wings are made from an umbrella! Simple idea that looks amazing!

Source: purejoyeventsblog.com via Marigold on Pinterest

This one is an owl costume. Be sure to check out the tutorial, which also has a free template for a felt mask.

Winner!

2011-10-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Aaaaand the winner of the book Crafting with Cat Hair is..........Adrienneandco.
Congrats! I will be contacting you shortly to work out the details of sending your book. If you haven't heard from me by tomorrow, please check you Spam folder first, then contact me at sadsilver@gmail.com.

Thanks for playing!

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Child-Sized Costume Boxing Gloves Tutorial!

2011-10-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

This year for Halloween Milo wants to be "a punching guy." So I'm making him a Boxer costume. I searched and searched, but I had a really hard time finding a template for boxing gloves online, so I made my own and want to share it with you here. Please keep in mind that these are costume boxing gloves only! They are lightweight and not intended for use in the ring. The template I made is one-size fits all, and fits comfortably on both my 3 year-old and my 5 year-old. My hand can even squeeze in there (although it is tight), so this would probably work for kids up until about age 10 or so. You could enlarge the templates if you need to size-up.

Child-Sized Costume Boxing Gloves Tutorial

Supplies:

Child-Sized Costume Boxing Gloves Templates: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

1/3 yard light-weight costume pleather
1/3 yard soft cotton flannel
Polyfill
8 large eyelets (and eyelet tool)
1 yard cording
Clear tape

Tools:
Thread in contrasting color
Scissors
Sewing machine

1. Print out the templates and tape together pages 2 and 3, matching at the dots indicated. Cut out your templates.

2. Fold your pleather in half, right sides together, them pin down and cut out templaye pieces 1 (glove palm), 3 (glove back) and 4 (thumb back). Fold soft cotton flannel in half, pin down and cut out a lining for the gloves using piece 1(glove palm).

This is what the pieces for the right glove should look like.
The opposite-facing pieces will be fore the left glove.

3. Tape piece 2 (guide to stitches, cut, eyelets for lacing) on top of the pleather glove palm (placement indicated by the gray line on the piece 1 template). Using piece 2 as a guide, use thread in a contrasting color to stitch as close to the guide as possible. I used a decorative stitch that made a thicker line.

4. Cut a slit up the center of the glove palm as indicated by the dotted line on piece 2. Carefully fold and make a narrow hem the edges of the cut you just made. This part can be tricky. I found it easiest to fold the fabric and lower my needle into it to hold it in place, then adjust the fold and lightly keep my finger pressing down the fabric as I sewed.

5. With right sides together, attach piece 4 (thumb back) to piece 3 (glove back).

6. Set your machine's stitch length as long as it will go and without back-stitching, follow the guide on the template (about 1/8" in from edge) to stitch all the way around the thumb back and leave some extra thread. Do the same following the guide on the glove back.

7. Carefully pull on the bobbin-side thread to gather up fabric on the thumb and glove back until the edges line up with the glove palm edges.

8. With right sides together, pin the glove back to the glove palm, adjusting the gathered material so that the pieces fit together nicely. Stitch all the way around with 1/4" seam allowance, leaving only the bottom edge open. Trim all of the excess thread.

9. Place the cotton flannel lining glove palm on top of the pleather glove palm and stitch it on within the seam allowance, again leaving the bottom open. Turn the glove, making sure to turn through the facing pleather pieces so that the pleather is on the outside with the lining on the inside of the glove.

10. It should really be starting to look like a boxing glove now! Attach the eyelets to the glove next to the slit according to the guide on piece 2. Follow the package directions to attach the eyelets.

11. Stuff the glove with poly fill between the lining and the glove back. Shape it appropriately, adding more stuffing to the thumb and top part of the glove, and just a little stuffing to the lower part. Make sure that it fits well and isn't too tight.

12. Fold the bottom hem of the back glove piece up and over the edge of the lining. Since pleather won't fray, you only need to fold it up once and not twice. Pin in place. Hem the entire bottom edge, making sure the lining fabric is securely tucked into the hem.

13. Use clear tape to seal the ends of your cording and prevent fraying. Cut it in half and lace up each boxing glove with 1/2 yard of cording.

14. Put up yer dukes!

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Guest Post! Baby Leggings by Malinda of Dahlhart Lane!

2011-10-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today my guest is Malinda of Dahlhart Lane. Malinda is sharing an easy tutorial for making baby leggings from an old t-shirt. I love this idea, because when Huck was a duck one year, I had an impossible time finding leggings that looked good with his costume. I wish I had seen this tutorial then! Here's Malinda:

A picture of my niece wearing my son's pumpkin costume from several years back.

In 2008 I decided that my son HAD to be a pumpkin for Halloween and to show off his cute chubby limbs, he NEEDED a tight green and striped number to be worn under his costume. Try as I might, I could not find what I was hoping for. Just before the big day, I trotted over to our local thrift store, bought a green and white stripped knit tee and made it work! Since there are so many adorable costumes out there that don't come with leggings, I thought I would share how I made mine in hopes of helping your Halloween dreams come true, too!

When making leggings, I like to use knit fabrics because of their nice stretch. You can buy a knit fabric that you like, but more often than not, I find what I am looking for at a much cheaper price with a used t-shirt in our closet or from a thrift store. Plus, with a shirt, you already have the edges finished already so it is one less thing you have to worry about!

When You get your fabric, take a pair your child's pants (I like using pajama bottoms since they are usually a little more form fitting) and turn them inside out. Fold them so one leg is on top of the other and place them on your shirt or folded fabric like so:

Make sure that the outside edge or your leggings is on the folded edge of your fabric. Cut two of pieces.

Open both cut pieces up and place one on the other with right side's facing in. Pin the two top sides together and sew.

Then match the freshly sewn edges together so that your shape now resembles pant legs. Pin and sew along the inside of the legs.

Fold about an inch of your top down and sew along the edge. Be sure do leave enough room in this fold for your elastic to fit through. Also be sure to leave an inch open so that you can string your elastic.

Put a safety pin on the end of your elastic (if you using a shorter piece, pin the other side to your leggings so that you don't accidently pull the whole thing through) and string it through your waist.

When done, sew two ends of elastic together:

Go after you get the elastic waist just as you like, go back and sew shut the opening you left for stringing your elastic. And then you are all done! Hot dog! Now your little one is all set for Halloween night!

If you are interested in seeing what costume I am having my baby wear his leggings with this year, come by my blog, dahlhartlane.blogspot.com where I'll be revealing his costume in the next couple of days!

Malinda has a bunch of other fun Halloween and costume posts on her blog, including really, really terrific Batman & Robin costumes made from men's t-shirts, a DIY paper mache pumpkin tote, a Hungry Little Caterpillar infant costume (oh, my, this is cute!) and the cutest little lion costume you've ever seen. And there's even more that I'm not listing here. Go poke around, you'll be glad you did!

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Guest Post! Felt Mask Round-Up with Jenny from The Southern Institute of Arts & Crafts

2011-10-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

We're continuing the Handmade Halloween Costume series today with Jenny from The Southern Institute of Arts and Crafts. Halloween is two weeks from today, and at this point a lot of you are thinking about scrapping the whole idea of making something handmade. Well hang on! Don't run off to Party City just yet! This week and next we'll be presenting a few ideas for your last-minute handmade costumes. Jenny is here to kick it off with some fabulous felt masks to inspire you:

Hi everyone, it's Jenny from The Southern Institute. I have a confession to make. I had intended to provide you all with an easy tutorial for a fairy skirt, wings, and headband. Here's the problem: I brought some pretty sheer blue and pink fabric from the store only to find, once I got it home, that I had no idea how to sew with it! There goes that idea.

Plan B...

The felt mask trend has not gone unnoticed by me. Or maybe it's not really a trend. Maybe I'm just loving felt masks these days. Felt masks can be so much fun! First off, they are cheap to make. Secondly, you can make them as simple or as elaborate as you please... they always look cute as can be on the wearer.

Case in point: My boys.

These are about as simple as they come, but they get a whole lot of use and have been the centerpiece of many hours of imaginative play.

Felt masks are perfect for a handmade Halloween costume. Pick a mask that you love and start to build an outfit around it, maybe made of felt!

How about this pretty little owl from Pretty Little Things?

source

I can see pairing this mask with a long sleeved white t-shirt, covered with light and dark pink felt feathers. Add a flouncy pink and white tutu and you've got yourself an adorable halloween costume!

This Pirate mask from Sew Love The Day is amazing!

source

Pick up a long sleeved men's t-shirt from the store, or better yet the Goodwill, cut off the cuffs, shred the sleeves, and wrap a black sash around his little waist. A pair of black sweatpants cut off at the shins and chunky boots would complete that outfit. Oh, and a cardboard sword, of course.

Here are some more masks for inspiration.

How would you build outfits around these?

Beard Mustaches

source

Thanks so much for having my today, Marigold!

I wish everyone a happy, fun-filled, and safe Halloween!

Awesome, right? Simple and cute. You can do this! Handmade doesn't have to be insanely elaborate and time consuming. Thanks for the inspiration, Jenny! Remember to visit Jenny's blog, The Southern Institute of Arts and Crafts where she hosts a weekly Creative Me Monday link party. She's also a nominee in the Babble Top 50 Mom Craft Blogs and you should pop over and give her your vote (you can vote for more than one blog, so if you happen to see any *other* blogs on there, say, 5 or 10 ranks lower than Jenny's, you can always vote for that blog, too ;)

A Winner and Another Book Review & Giveaway! Crafting with Cat Hair!

2011-10-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

We have a Big Winner for the Microcrafts book giveaway! Congratulations to Mary Goutermont Standard! Congratulations Mary! I will be contacting you shortly to send you your fabulous prize.

And if you are not Ms. Mary, don't be too sad, because I have another fun crafting book from Quirk to giveaway today. This time it is Crafting with Cat Hair.
Yeah, that's what I said. Crafting with Cat Hair.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Eww." But lets step away from your usual image of the pile of dusty cat hair under your couch for a second and think about this rationally. Cat hair, brushed lovingly from your cat, really isn't any grosser than, say, the sheep's wool used to make felt. Or the rabbit fur used for an angora sweater. See? Yeah, you're coming around. Let's talk about it some more and see if I can fully convince you.

I made portraits of my two girls, Babs and Lolita, using the techniques in this book.

See?? Cuter than you thought, right? And there are a bunch of very cute projects in here, and some surprisingly sophisticated ones. I was surprised at how beautiful some of the projects were.

The book was originally published in Japan and was picked up by Quirk and translated to English. It definitely has that translated-from-Japanese feel to it, too. There are pictures of cats throughout the book with talking bubbles coming from them saying silly things.

Definitely a fun, funny gift to give to a cat-loving crafter. And it's less than 10 bucks on Amazon! And it's even LESS if you win my copy!

Here's how to win it:

Only ONE entry per person. Let me know in the comments that you either:
Liked Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! on Facebook. (or followed me on whichever social media site floats your boat: Twitter, Pinterest, Google Friend Connect. Whatevs. I'm not picky.)

OR
Voted for Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! in the Babble Top 50 Mom Craft Blogs. No sign-ups, just one click :)

Once again, pretty please, only ONE ENTRY PER PERSON.

Make sure I have a way to contact you if you win - an email address or a username to message you via Facebook, Twitter, Etsy convo, Blogger, etc.

I will select one winner from the comment pool using random.org.

Giveaway is open to US residents only.

Giveaway ends Friday, October 21, 2011, at noon PST.

THE FINE PRINT

Giveaway closes on Friday, October 21, 2011, at noon PST. Comment datestamps must be recorded by that date/time to be eligible. Winner will be chosen by random drawing and will be announced on the same day the giveaway closes. The giveaway is open to US residents. Minors under the age of 18 must have parental/guardian permission to enter (if you are under 18, we will need to contact your parent(s)/guardian if you win and make sure they said it was okay-so ask permission before you enter). I will announce the winner on my blog and make a reasonable attempt to contact the winner. You may wish to leave your email address in your comment, or a place where I can message you via Facebook, Twitter, Etsy, etc. If the winner doesn't respond within 10 days, a new winner will be chosen. Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! (Marigold Haske) is not responsible for loss/damage of the winning item in shipping. If the winner wishes to purchase shipping insurance s/he may do so before it is shipped. By entering this giveaway, you are complying to the official rules as they have been laid out here :)
Blogger's Full Disclosure: Marigold Haske received a free copy of Crafting with Cat Hair from Quirk Books. This is the book that is being given away. No other compensation was received for this review.

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Dreadful Girl

2011-10-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

I opened up a new Etsy shop called Dreadful Girl! This shop is a little bit more...maturely themed than Stinky Boy. Hmm. That makes it sound like I'm carrying porn or something. I'm not! Rest assured! It does carry indiscreet zip pouches for your feminine products. Some are kinda cringe-worthy, but those seem to be the ones that are getting the most hearts, so go figure! I will also keep my tissue cozies in this shop. Including the ever-popular "you have a booger" cozy.
Stinky Boy will still be around, and I have a bunch of half-finished Monster Bags that are waiting for me to get my lazy butt to the store to buy some belting for handles. I also really want to get some patterns in there for things like my Toy Holster. And as soon as I manage those, that shop will be filled up, too! In the meantime, check out Dreadful Girl! Good stuff in there if you're looking for a funny little gift or stocking stuffers!

My Wonderful Sponsors!
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

Bottoms Up! A Costume Round-Up for the Rear!

2011-10-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Source: creativelychristy.blogspot.com via Marigold on Pinterest

Peacock Feather Baby Butt!

Source: etsy.com via Marigold on Pinterest

Felt Mermaid Tail!

Source: etsy.com via Lynn on Pinterest

Wolf Tail!

Source: tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com via Marigold on Pinterest

Dinos and/or Dragons!

Source: etsy.com via Leah on Pinterest

My Little Pony Tail!

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

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