Mommy Monday: Baby Pod

Of course I had to include something from my friends on Threadbanger. I love those guys, truly. A while back, they created this awesome video tutorial on how to make a baby pod from an old, soft sweatshirt. It's a slightly more complicated project, but should take more than a few hours and you can customize it however you like. Lots of fun possibilities with this one. Without further ado, the video:

Tutorial Tuesday: Sweater to Bag

So, I've decided that winter is officially over. I'm sick of it, and I am ready for spring. Therefore, it's time to chop up those old sweaters and not look back! Cindygert (fiber fashioned with flair) has created a brilliant tutorial for how to turn a winter sweater into a purse perfect for the transition between winter and spring. Enjoy! Click here for the tutorial.

Tutorial Tuesday: Muumuu Top

Today's tutorial is another from our friends at Stitch Lounge - this time a refashioning adventure! It's a slightly more complicated project than the ten-minute top, but the results will be worth it. Plus you get to take something that is mostly unwearable, though horribly comfortable - the muumuu (I used to have a real thing for muumuus) - and turn it into a still-comfortable, much more wearable, adorable top! :) Click here for the tutorial.

Tutorial Tuesday: Sweatshirt to Flirty Skirt

I think all of us have that sweatshirt - you know, the one you just love for whatever reason (maybe it's super soft or maybe it has sentimental value), but you just never wear it. It's a bit bulky or it's not flattering. Well, Do Stuff (leethal blog) has come to the rescue and created a tutorial for turning that lovable old sweatshirt into a cute new skirt that's totally you. Click here for the tutorial

Mommy Monday: New Take on the Baby Tee

When I was in middle school it was all about the baby tee. What that meant was that basically we were all wearing tiny t-shirts that barely covered our stomachs, paired with flannel shirts and baggy pants. It was an interesting time. And a tough time for trying to be modest. Thankfully I made it through that period of my life and the flannel shirts and baby tees are behind me.

Or are they? This Mama Makes Stuff may actually have made me change my mind. Today's project is a different take on the phrase "baby tee" - this project has you turn your old t-shirts into adorable gowns for the newborn baby in your life.

Click here for the tutorial. Enjoy!

Mommy Monday: Sweet Booties

So, I guess I can make the announcement here as where as everywhere else: I'm pregnant! :) Litte Baby West is due in August, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have babies - and baby projects - on the brain. So, I've decided to dedicate Mondays for the next couple of months to Mommy-related topics, mostly projects to make for the precious little packages. Now, those of you who do not currently have children or aren't expecting, don't feel left out. These projects are fun and mostly pretty easy and would make absolutely sweet gifts for the next baby shower you attend.

Today's featured project is making this adorable pair of baby booties:

The tutorial is here on the Craftzine.com blog. I think the booties themselves are super cute, with or without the LED lights. So, tech savvy or not, these are a fun project with great results.

Getting Ready for Fall: Hoodie Tutorial

So, I love Threadbanger. Love, love, love Threadbanger. And today's episode was no exception. They took us on a fun tour of the American Sewing Expo, then taught us how to make a hoodie out of an old flannel and an old t-shirt. I am thinking I'm going to have to raid Savers/D.I. and find an old BYU T-shirt and blue flannel and make mine soon! Fall is here, and I am anticipating the cold. Anyway, here's the video so you can get to creating yours:

Modest Homecoming Dress Giveaway

Note: If you don't want to read my random rambling, scroll down to the paragraph that begins "I have a brilliant idea."

Ok, so we're all depressed that school is starting again and summer is over (when I say we, read: I. I am depressed. I am pining away for scorching hot days and stifling nights. I know I am the only one who actually likes this. I am only partly deluding myself when I say we.), but there is a lot to look forward to (even for poor, little ol' depressed me).

First of all, football is back on. Maybe this is not good news for everyone, but for me it means a big fat bag of kettle corn, a feeling of camaraderie with the entire town of Provo and beyond, and up to four hours with my husband where he does not have his computer on his lap (he does not know this bugs me; mostly, I've accepted it as part of his identity, but it's still nice sometimes to get away from it). Ah, football.



But the point of this post is not football, it's what goes along with football: homecoming. Now, I did not know this, but homecoming is not technically about football - it's about welcoming back former residents and alumni; however, it's usually associated with a football game and of course, a dance. Now, that's what I've been getting at this whole time.

I have a brilliant idea. Yes, brilliant. Here's my idea: I am going to do a giveaway here on the blog (because I think it's so cool when other blogs do them, and I'm jealous of their coolness). Every week until homecoming I am going to go out and find a cheap(ish), probably used, probably d.i. dress and turn it into something amazing that would be appropriate to wear to a homecoming-type dance. I'll post pictures of the dress before; then, when it's ready (hopefully after a week), I'll post the picture of my beautiful creation. If you leave a comment on the blog requesting to be entered in the drawing, well, then you will be entered in the drawing and hopefully I will draw your name out. And you will have a cool dress made by me.

So, I went to d.i. today and got my first experiment. I am going to ask for some help on this one because, while I have some ideas of the direction I want it to go in, I'd like some suggestions on the particulars. Ok, so without further ado, here's the dress:

(Note: I put the little kitty in the corner mostly just because I could. Check out Picnik, it's way fun.)

Ok, so it has a little stain on the front that is hard to see, but I still want to do something about it. What I'm thinking (besides, of course, washing it) is that I want to dye it. Here is what I'm thinking: either black, dark chocolate brown, or possibly blue. What do you, as possible future owners of this dress, think? Please give me some ideas on this!

Also, please let others that you may know about this giveaway extravaganza. I really want this to be something useful to those out there who would like to wear a modest dress to homecoming (or any other dance, or date, or school, or out bowling, or you know, wherever you want to wear a moderately fancy dress). So please pass the word along.

Ok, this post is definitely long enough. Over and out!

Memory Skirt

Well, I am happy to say that I put another one of the tutorials I've posted on this blog to the test--and it turned out moderately successful. I used the men's shirt t0 skirt tutorial to make a skirt out of three shirts I wore on my mission. These shirts were very dear to me, but they had really seen better days. I wanted to hang on to them and had some sort of half-planned ambitions of making a quilt, but I don't think I have quite enough old mission clothes to pull off a real quilt. So this tutorial was a great solution for my what-to-do-with-these-shirts-I-don't-want-to-toss dilemma. So, here's the finished product:

The front:
The back:

My favorite detail, the lace:

Unfortunately, even with the lace it's still a bit too short--guess I have pretty short arms. As you can see in the following picture, I have to sag it way down to get it to the right length. I've got to figure something out, because I think it's really cute and I don't want to have to abandon it. Any ideas?

DIY Skirt Idea

Here's a fun and really simple idea for making a skirt out of some old men's button-downs. Looks like a great way to make something unique and modest to add to your wardrobe without much pain in your wallet. :) Enjoy.