Cufflinks Tutorial

I wanted cufflinks for the second smocked dress I created.  After searching the internet, I could only find two tutorials on how to make this fashion accessory. 

At the first site, the designer used thread to hold the links together...it was okay but not a professional looking finish. At the second site, Martha Stewart showed how to take two buttons and by using a jump ring the buttons were joined together.  "Great idea", I thought, just the look I wanted. Well, I tried it and I would have needed to use a really large jump ring with the buttons I choice which once joined, looked horribly out of proportion. 

Here's how I solved my design quest:  

You'll need the following supplies:

• 4 buttons with shanks 
• 1 1/2" of wire
• jewelry pliers 

Step 1:  Wrap the wire around the shanks of two buttons, creating an slightly round oval.

That's it!  Such a simple solution.  Do the same with the other two buttons and you've got a set of cufflinks.

A peek at my smocked dress.  It's finally finished & it just needs a model to try it on.  YEA for finished projects!

A Hat, A Vest & A Monkey

Let me explain this post with a little explanation about my family: I've got four children, all married and so far we have five grandchildren that live literally all around this wonderful world of ours. Their parents have awesome careers and I wouldn't want them not to strive to be the best at what they're doing & I try not to complain, I really do. These little darlings just live so far away that it takes a while to get to them.  When my husband or I get the chance, we'll hop on a plane any day we can arrange it. That's just what we did this past weekend.

So, what does a creative grandmother do before she prepares to visit her grandchildren? 
Why, make gifts of course. This past weekend, my husband and I flew to St. Louis to visit our youngest daughter's family. It's a nonstop flight to go and see them so we decided to see how we liked quick weekend trips to her new home.  In preparation for this visit, I made my grandson a reversible hat to wear with the puffy vest I made him a few months ago and a monkey so he would have a new toy to love.

The idea for the monkey came from a comment my daughter made about how her son makes the best monkey sounds and then I found the blog mmmcrafts with a free pattern for a girl monkey. But I needed a boy monkey and I had limited fabric because I was using my leftover vest scraps. Here's what I did to change the monkey pattern: I first shrunk the pattern about 30%, added a different face using upcycled button eyes and a centered smile, plus an oval nose, I made his legs and tail longer and skinnier, left off the skirt and shoes, added a little xo on his behind & a heart carefully stitched on the monkey's body.

Our photo shoot was taken at the end of my daughter's neighborhood. It was my second time being in a corn field. The first time was probably 10 years ago when I accompanied this same daughter as a youth leader, while going through a corn maze right before Halloween. Compared to the previous time, this felt like we were really in a wild maze.

We loved our weekend trip. Too bad the rest of our children aren't a nonstop flight away!
A fun thing about this 16-month old grandson-- "probably" was his "word of the day" on Sunday. That morning, I said, "probably" and he must have liked the word because he started mimicking me.  He's got great verbal skills and it's pretty funny the words he picked up while we were there. Another was "pop goes the weasel."

It was a great weekend and we can hardly wait for our next trip to see family. Time to get the gifts I've planned finished for our next trip. xoxo Grandma

Gorgeous Plaid

This is week three of Project Run and Play and once again, I'm sewing along.  The goal was to sew an outfit using plaid.  I'll admit, my first outfit was a flop!  It turned out but I wasn't crazy about it.  It didn't have any WOW factor...you know, the feeling you get when you finish something and you feel really, really good about the results.  It's kind of discouraging.

Because of this, last Wednesday, I was really annoyed at myself and wondering if I should just not submit anything for this challenge. "No," I told myself, "Just go find another fabric."  I work full time doing something not related to crafting or sewing, so I spent my lunch break searching and that searching resulted in finding this gorgeous black, white and grey plaid with embroidered flowers and vines running through the fabric. There are sequins sewn in the center of each flower making it a gorgeous plaid!  It's tag claimed that it was a drapery panel and it was $3.20.  A steal, wouldn't you say?  I could picture a tunic or dress for my tall 18 month old granddaughter...something girly and fun and the idea kept growing and this is what I came up with:

I used a peasant style pattern for the dress and added 6 inches of black lace to the sleeves making them elbow length - perfect for fall.  I also added a custom made red accent, satin flower using a little black tulle and a gorgeous upcycled, silver, sequined button. The flower is removable so the dress can be thrown in the wash.  Next, I made a hat but my model didn't want to wear it...luckily, I quickly snapped one photo with it on her.

I also dressed one of my elephants with a plaid cummerbund, black lace shawl and a red flower ear piece.  Mrs. Elephant wasn't my model's favorite toy, you see, I took one of the fleece giraffes I'd made to give to her as a thank you gift & she loved the giraffe.  But if you like my elephant, here's a free pattern, please make one using this pattern and share it with a child to brighten their life.

A huge thank you to a dear friend for letting me try this dress & hat on her daughter.  I'd forgotten 22 month old children do not like having their clothes changed. 

The next step for me, is to get this boxed and send a little love to Tennessee!  
xoxo Grandma

Sweet Cotton Candy Dress

We're onto Week 2 of Project Run and Play - Sew Along. This week's goal: Candy-Inspired Outfits. My inspiration for this project was cotton candy. To see more pink ideas go to The Dedicated House.

For this project, I made a size 12 month dress for my next granddaughter, who is due in a few months. The mother-to-be, who lives on the opposite end of the country, has always loved smocking. So to show my love long-distance, I learned to hand smock. I used a soft pink, cotton-poly, which is a bonus for a busy mom because the fabric doesn't require ironing. This is the pattern I used - a 1955 classic. 

Introducing the Sweet Cotton Candy Dress:

This dress has all the finishing touches: French seams, white piping, tuck pleats and hand smocking! 

A huge thank you to a dear friend for letting me try this candy-inspired dress on her adorable 1 year old, so I could check the sizing and snap a few photos. This cute model really just wanted someone to open a bag of candy for her. 

Below are a few photos from this dress making process.

If you've never smocked (you're in for a treat), you'll first need to get a transfer pattern like the one below. This transfer is from 1952 and due to it's age, it's done transferring... so to get it onto my fabric, I made a copy of it and then pocked a hole through each dot using a really fat needle, then I used a fabric pen and pocked the tip of the pen through the holes onto the fabric.

Tip: use a fabric pen that has to be removed with water.

Using white embroidery thread, I stitched the smocking, then unpicked the smocking, stitched, unpicked, stitched & finally on the third try, I got the stitches to look even.   

These little pink flowers are called bullion roses.  This was a new technique for me, which I learned using this tutorial. It was quite helpful...just in case you want to try it too.

I also made a ruffled diaper cover to go under the dress. Back in the 1950's a baby would wear a ruffly slip under her dress ,but that just didn't seem like something today's mother would put on her wee one. 

On the back pattern piece, I added three layers of ruffles, evenly spaced. Then I sewed the diaper cover together.

I hope the owner of this new dress likes smocking (and candy) just as much as her mother. Happy sewing! xoxo Grandma

A Little Stuffed Owl - FREE Pattern

 WHO, WHO wants to make this little stuffed owl?  

I created the pattern because I wanted an owl to put in the pocket of this dress.

For the owl pattern click here.

Supplies needed:

• Fabric scraps
• Small black beads
• Fiber Fill
• Thread
  
  I have to be honest, at first, Mr. Owl looked like a cute little penguin instead of an owl.

Now he is really soft and he's pocket size too! He's perfect for little hands. I bet your child or grandchild will want one. So pull out your scissors & soft fabric scraps & sew, sew away?  

xoxo Grandma

FALL POPOVER REMIX

So excited to show you what I've put together for Project Run and Play Season 7 Remix Challenge

I started with this Pattern: Oliver and S Popover Sundress
This may sound odd but my inspiration for this outfit's design came from the waistband I used in this upcycled project.  I unpicked it and decided it was just too pretty to throw away. Let me explain; the waistband had ribbon and one row of a running stitch already embroidered onto it - thank you Banana Republic for finishing your pants with a touch of wonderful. 

Yup, my depression era mama would be so proud with how I've learned to UPCYCLE!   I purchased the blue floral print and one skein of floss - all the rest of the supplies were upcycled.  Total cost for this outfit = $5.50

I added a layer of green machine embroidery (you know that stitch on your sewing machine that you've always wondered what to use it for) and then more hand embroidered details to create this unique contrasting border.  The final layer was a green 2" ruffle.

Then I softened the yolk turning it into a curved design, added maroon piping, more hand embroidery and a few random buttons.  

I also added a ruffled embellished pocket that Mr. Owl fits perfectly inside.
I think every little child needs a play thing in their pockets. 
Here's where you'll find the FREE Pattern to Mr. Owl.  

Next, I wanted a shirt to wear under the tunic but why buy fabric when you have a Battenburg lace pillowcase that has soft cotton and beautiful edge work and isn't being used in your home decor?  Here's the fabric I used for the peasant blouse:

   
It was tricky cutting the blouse out but I love how it completed my Fall Popover Remix outfit. 
Here's the shirt without the tunic on top of it...a perfect longer top to wear with anything.  

Next  step was to reproduce the outfit for an 18" doll.  My daughter's Samantha (a retired American Girl doll) was the perfect size & luckily it was literally collecting dust for who knows how many years on her dresser.  

Tada - Samantha in her new outfit - the link to this free pattern is found HERE

*A huge thank you to the mom of one of the adorable children that I use to teach for letting her daughter model this outfit & letting me photograph her in it. 

Happy sewing!   xoxo Grandma
See The Dedicated House for more things to make out of blue.

Measurement Charts for Children

All my grandchildren live in a different state which involve a flight or two and two of them live in a country half way across the world from me.  Sadly, right now, that's how it is but I still love sewing for them.  Because of this drive to create, I'm always asking my children to measure their children.  Yes, it's a  pain!  I've found two charts that help with measurements and thought I'd share those today.
  
3 - 12 Childrens Measurement Chart

Happy sewing!  
xoxo Grandma