Reverse Applique Football T

It's football season y'all!

So today I lit a pumpkin spice candle, turned on the game, 

and whipped up this little t-shirt for Charlotte!

Y'all, I am so in love with reverse applique.

It's like regular applique but faster and easier and...reverse.

I'm gonna make one for my other two kiddos too! and maybe myself!

You know you want to try it out - keep reading for the tutorial!

Supplies:

t-shirt

jersey knit material (or an old t-shirt you can cut up)

embroidery floss

needle

scissors

Step 1:

Trace your pattern onto the shirt.

I used cookie cutters, but you could also print something

out that you find online.  This will be the line that you sew along.

Step 2:

Place your colors of knit under your design.

You can either just pin it in place, or use a little

craft glue to baste it.

Step 3:

Sew along the design that you traced with embroidery floss.

You can just use a running stitch.

(be careful to only sew two layers, not the back of the shirt!)

Step 4:

Now carefully separate the top layer from the bottom layer
and make a small slit with your scissors in the top layer.
I highly recommend a pair of tiny applique scissors for this,
but you can use regular fabric scissors in a pinch.

Step 5:
Now slide your scissors in sideways and begin to cut away
the top layer of t-shirt, revealing the color beneath.
This is the most fun step!!

Step 6:
Turn the shirt inside out cut the excess around the edges -
this is most important if your t-shirt is white.

And you just repeat those steps for the football!
I love this heart-shaped one for the girls,
but I'll do a regular shaped one for Hunter's.
I think she liked it!

Happy Football Season!
Jessica

{DIY} No-Sew "Ribbons and Bows" Holiday Shirt

So there's no better time to make holiday shirts for your kids, than the day of the party right?  Perhaps I'm the ultimate procrastinator, or perhaps I like to live life one day at a time, but I woke up this morning realizing the girls didn't have any cute party shirts to wear to Daddy's Work Christmas party....at 2:30...hmmmmm.... I always love the idea of embellishing t-shirts, but a really hate sewing anything onto jersey knit.  Even with stabilizer, I feel like it bunches up and starts to looks really funky.  BUT I didn't want to use glue either...so I fished around in my supplies and came up with some magical Stitch Witchery.  If you have any aversion to sewing, this product can be a lifesaver!  So here's my no-sew tutorial for the

Ribbons and Bows Holiday Shirt

Here's what you'll need:

Stitch Witchery
Iron

Various Ribbons

Scissorrs

A plain T-shirt or onesie (or both!)

Step 1:  Begin by tying your bows.  I used 3 on the shirt, and 2 on the onesie.  

Here's the best way to tie perfect little bows:

-Make two loops with about 2" of ribbon between them

-Cross one loop over the other

-Pull it through and tight

-Adjust the length and size of your bow

Step 2: Lay out the ribbon on your shirt.  Cut some pieces of Stitch Witchery to the length of your long ribbons. 

I then cut my S.W. (Stitch Witchery) in half, lengthwise because it was thicker than my ribbon.  You can of course buy S. W. that is the right size for your ribbon, but that would've made things way too easy ;)
Step 3:  Simply follow the directions on the S. W. box - fusing the ribbon to the shirt using the heat of the iron.  Tuck under the ends 1/4" before you press it down, so you won't have any raw edges showing. 

Then add a small piece of S.W. to at the bottom of the ribbon and cover it with a bow. 

Press again to fuse the bow to the shirt.  Continue this process until all of your ribbon is on the shirt.  Put a dab of Fraycheck or clear nail polish on the ends of your bows so they won't unravel.
(turn the shirt inside out when you wash it)
Enjoy your holiday season sporting these sweet little T's!!

Happy Crafting!!
xoxo
jessica

*Inspired Homemaking* - Fourth of July Dessert Roundup

I am assigned to bring a cute July 4th dessert to the family party.  

Which should I make?

What are you making?

Loving these Mason Jar cupcakes!

I also think they could be made with angel food cake, strawberries, 

blueberries, and whipped cream.

Cheesecake pops.  Yum.

Cupcake Kabobs.  So adorable.

Beautiful White Chocolate Cheesecake

They're all cute right?

What do you think?

xoxo

jessica

Classic Americana - a dress tutorial

It's that lovely time of year - fireworks, berry cobblers, cookouts, and family gatherings.
Hooray for the red, white, and blue!

Charlotte needed a new dress for the 4th of July. 
We had snagged a Tommy Hilfiger dress shirt at our local thrift store,
and I decided it would make the perfect patriotic outfit! 

Lots of cute tutorials have been done using dress shirts to make dresses - I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, so I made a basic pillowcase dress out of the shirt! 

I made it with the thought that the buttons would go down the back,

but it could really go either way depending on our mood.

It's a pretty simple process. 
You'll need a man's dress shirt and about 6"x 45" of coordinating fabric.

Step 1:  Cut the arms and collar off the shirt.

Straighten up the edges so that you have a rectangle - mine for a size 3T was 19" wide x 20 1/2" long.

Step 2:  Right sides together, sew up the side seams, stopping about 5" from the top. 
I used a zig-zag stitch so I wouldn't have raw edges on the inside. 
Then open the underarm wide and pin the raw edge toward the wrong side of the dress.

Stitch in place with a zig-zag stitch.

Step 3:  Turn down the top edges about 1 1/2" toward the wrong side - making a casing for the straps.
Stitch in place.

Step 4:  Cut the coordinating fabric into two strips:  one 2 1/2" wide and one 3" wide.
Using a basting stitch, gather the 3" strip.  Pin it right sides together with the bottom of the dress and sew on.

Press it well.
Step 5:  Fold the 2 1/2" strip in half, right sides together, and sew along the length - creating a tube.  Try not to say bad words while you turn it inside out.  Attach a safety pin to one edge and guide it through the casing at the top of the dress.

Sew the two edges together.

Adjust the straps so that those edges are hidden in the casing.
And that's it.  Instant cuteness.

Happy sewing, friends!
xoxo
jessica

{DIY} Graduation Hat Bunting - with paint chips!

We're getting pretty excited, Ryan is graduating from grad school in 9 days!!! He's been in college now for 9 years...needless to say we are planning a huge bash.  Lots of things to celebrate!  So I am busy with party prep - including this little hat bunting made from paint chips!

(If the orange and blue offends you...just imagine it in your very own Alma Mater)

If you would like to make your own for that special graduate in your life here's what you will need:

Paint chips in the appropriate colors

ribbon

tape

scissors

hat template

Step 1:  Print and cut out the template.

Lay it on a paint chip and trace around.

Step 2:  Cut it out.  Continue this until you have the desired number of hats. (I had 15)

Step 3:  Next punch holes in each end of the hat - feed the ribbon through them until they are all strung together.

Then hang your little bunting!
(I'll have pics from the actual party too - it's in Florida
so obviously the bunting won't be hanging from my mantle...)

Have a great day!!

jessica

Pretty Flower Easter Eggs - Pottery Barn Style

While shopping with Beverly, from Flamingo Toes, last week, I found some easter eggs at Pottery Barn covered in little hydrangea blossoms. (sadly I could not find a picture online of the inspiration eggs, so you'll just have to take my word for it)  I love hydrangeas, in fact they are my favorite flower. 
We had them at our wedding in our bouquets, on the cake, and on the tables.

 

My great-grandmother used to grow huge bushes of hydrangeas, and my mom and dad have one of the plants transplanted from her old home. So, I'm really happy that they seem to be "in" right now.  I'm not really sure the silk flowers I used are actually hydrangeas, but they looked close enough and were only $1 for a bunch of 3 at Michaels.  The eggs at Pottery Barn were $6.00 each, making the cost for 6 eggs, $36.00.  I spent $10.39 on the supplies to make my own.  Here's how you can make some for your home!

Supplies:

6 paper mache eggs (I got mine at Michaels for $2.50 

- I thought they would withstand the hot glue better than plastic ones)

ribbon

silk hydrangea flowers ( I bought 2 bunches of each color, $1 a bunch)

hot glue/glue gun

scissors

Step 1:  Heat up your glue gun and snip all of the blossoms off the stems.

Separate them by color,

then by size.

Step 2:  Cut 6 pieces of ribbon about 6" long.  Put a dab of hot glue on the top of an egg.  Gently press one end of the ribbon in the glue.  Loop the ribbon around and glue it to the secured end.  Now you have a pretty little loop to hang your eggs.  

Step 3:  Begin gluing the blooms on.  Start with the large blooms.  Just experiment with the gluing method - I got better as I went along.  You might have to put a dab of glue in the center of the flower first - stick it on - then add some glue to the petals.  They don't have to lay flat - in fact it's better if they don't - but you don't want them sticking out in every direction either.

Step 4:  Once you have a nice coverage from the large blooms, begin filling in the spaces with the medium and small sized blooms.  Just keep going until you can't see any of the original egg.  

Then you're finished!  Hang in a lovely spot or on some branches in a vase.

Happy gluing and have a great weekend,

jessica