A Little Bird Dress

When I used to talk to this little girl on Facetime, we'd talk like this, "Cheep, cheep-cheep!...Cheeeeep, cheep?"  She loved pretending she was a little bird and her birdhouse was my son's old brown plastic football toy chest. So for her birthday, I made her this little bird dress.

When I thought about making her a special dress for her birthday, I decided that the pattern needed to include ruffles, birds and it needed to be pink. Last year, I made her this yellow dress and she immediately told me that she did not like yellow.  So this year, I knew I needed to stick with things that she positively liked. And that was pink. 

Before I started this dress, I found a fun site for testing out fabrics you're thinking about using for a project. The site is called Pattern Jam. First on the site, I found fabrics I loved and then "favored" them. Then I found a pattern called the Bali Hai which I knew my granddaughter could put on by herself with lots of girly ruffles. Next was the fun part, dropping those "favored" fabrics into place to see which combination I thought looked best. Pattern Jam is a way to audition fabrics and designing before you sew. This is what auditioning the fabrics looks like:

The process of "auditioning" fabrics made designing this dress so much easier.  

I know she likes this dress because she's already worn it three times in one week.  I'm giving myself a big pat on the back for pleasing a four year old!  And also for finding the site Pattern Jam, which helped me design this dress!

Give Pattern Jam a try! As an added bonus for signing up at Pattern Jam, this company is giving away a bundle of fabric when people share Pattern Jam with their friends. When you sign up, you're given a unique code that you can provide your friends. This code enables the company to track where referrals come from. I'd love to hear if you like this design program too.  xoxo Grandma

Linked to: Threading My Way, USS Crafty

How to Make a Ballerina Pinata

This past week I've had more grandchildren visiting my house. One of them was about to turn the fun age of four. To celebrate, she requested a ballerina birthday party with a ballerina piñata.  

Let me tell you, I had no idea this little request from a four year old would be such a stressful project! I searched high and low for a ballerina piñata, but I couldn't find one anywhere, not even on the internet. The closest girl looking pinata I could find was a fairy piñata. So, voila! Being a resourceful woman, I turned that fairy pinata into a ballerina.  If you have someone that loves ballet, you'll appreciate this tutorial.

• Girl looking pinata (I used a fairy piñata)
• 6-10 feet of netting or tulle
• Thread
• Scissors
• Craft glue
• Needle

1.  Cut off the fairy wings using sharp scissors.

2.  Cut the dress up to the tops of the piñata's legs.  Trim any excess tissue paper to form the piñata's leotard.

3.  Add a lot of glue to the upper leg area of the piñata.

4.  Press the cut leotard tissue paper into the glue.

5.  Let glue dry.

6.  Sew several layers of netting together using a gathering stitch along the top of the netting.

7.  Pull the gathering stitch to create a tutu skirt.

8.  Tie the threads together in the back of the skirt to the piñata.

Doesn't that sound so easy?  

Now, to top it off, fill your pinata with treats or prizes, get a blindfold, grab a stick or plastic baseball bat and have fun!  xoxo Grandma

Make a Simple Fairy Hammock

Most children love helping with craft projects. So, this summer, make a fairy hammock with your child out of twigs and a few other supplies you may already have.

Supplies needed: 

• Leather cord
• Netting about 8" long
• Twigs (Cut 2 sticks that have a "V" shape.  The sticks need to be cut to the same length.) 1 stick that's for the cradle base.
• Jute
• Scissors
• Super glue

1. Make a slip knot at the end of the leather cording.  Attach to the end of the cradle base twig.  Pull the end tight.
2.  Wrap the leather around the base and the legs, creating an "X" as you wrap.

3.  Repeat step 2 to attach the twig onto the other legs.

4.  When finished wrapping the leather cord, your hammock base will look like the first photo.
5.  Bunch the netting with your fingers and tie it onto both sides of the top portion of the cradle bases.
6.  Add a drop of super glue to all the joints and around the netting.  Let dry.
7.  Once completed, your fairy hammock should look like this:

Time to sing a little rock-a-bye song for some little imaginary garden friends as your child plays outside.  xoxo Grandma

Part of this post was originally shared as "Fairy Fun" with Nap Time Creations.

READ THESE POSTS:
A Fairy Cottage:

Or a fairy house like THIS.  

Fairy Named Locations HERE

Fairy Named Locations

Skye Fairy Pools, Scotland - photos copyright by Lindy Minert 

This summer, take your children or grandchildren on a hike or enjoy a peaceful walk to one of these "fairy" named locations throughout the world:

Locations in the United States:
Alabama:  Fairy Alley in Hueytown 
California: Fairy Falls or Pixie Woods Amusement Park
Colorado: Fairy Caves, Fairy Gardens and Fairy Hills
Connecticut: Nature Walk with 100 fairy houses and Fairy Lake
Georgia: Fairyland Elementary in the town of Lookout Mountain 
Idaho: Fairy Gardens
Illinois:  Fairy Festival in South Eljin
Indiana: Enchanted Fairy Trail
Maryland: Faerie Festival
Minnesota: Fairy Lake in Sauk Centre
Mississippi, Fairy Lane in Vicksburg
Missouri: Fairy Cave Lane in Mark Twain National Forest
Montana: Fairy Lake

Nevada:  Fairy Falls and Dry Creek Loop
New Hampshire: Fairy Houses Day
New Jersey:  Fairy Lake in Hudson County
New York: Fairy Trail and Fairy House Tour
Ohio: Fairy Lane in Carlisle
Oregon: Fairy Falls
Pennsylvania: Fairy Festival 2015
Tennessee: Fairyland Caverns
Texas: Fairy Homes in Zilker Botanical Gardens
Utah: Fairy Forest and Fairyland Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park
Vermont: Fairy House Festival
Virginia: Fairy Stone State Park
Washington: Fairy Falls and Fairy Bakery
Wisconsin: Fairy Springs Road in Hilbert

Wyoming: Fairy Falls and Fairyland Basin in Yellowstone National Park

International Locations: Australia: Port Fairy
Canada: Fairyhill, Saskatchewan
China: Fairy Bridge
Jamaica: Fairy Hill
Ireland: Templemore Park Fairy Trail
New Zealand: Fairy Falls
Scotland: Fairy Glen, The Fairy Knoll, Fairy Pools & The Fairy Bridge 
Turkey: Fairy Chimneys
Vietnam: Mui Ne Fairy Stream

You could also go for a drive or take a bike ride down a road with an enchanted name.  For a list with places in the United States to go HERE.  xoxo Grandma

This post was originally shared at Nap Time Creations.

Other Fairy Posts:

READ THIS POST HERE

A Summer of Fairy Magic

This post was originally shared over at Nap Time Creations but if you missed it there, I'm going to highlight a few of the things I shared. This summer I've planned a little extra special magic for my grandchildren when they come to visit us. Since I have some pretty girly little granddaughters, I've planned several activities around fairies, including stories, treats, crafts and fun outdoor activities. Take note of these ideas and join us in the fun!

FAIRY STORIES

To start out that fun, I plan on reading to my three and five year old grandchildren, "The Night Fairy" by Laura Amy Schlitz.  This is a chapter book with beautiful illustrations. The story is about a night fairy named Flory. When she was three months old, her wings were injured by a bat. She falls into a human's garden and because of her injury, she can't fly away. It's a darling book I know they will enjoy.    

Reading chapter books with younger children can also be entertaining. Another fun chapter book to read to older children is "The Fairy Rebel" by Lynne Reid Banks.  This is a fun chapter book about a woman who is sad. When she goes to her garden, she meets a fairy and then confesses to that fairy that she really wants a baby.  Let's just say this fairy livens up this women's life.

If you have younger children, a really enchanting fairy book is "The Faerie's Gift" by Yanya Robyn Batt. The illustrations are beautiful. In the story, a kind woodcutter helps a faerie that's in trouble.  In return, that faerie gives the woodcutter a very special gift. I loved this story and how the woodcutter uses his gift to help his family. 

When you're done reading this book, ask your child what wish they would ask for if they were given just one wish.  My grandson said he would wish for all the bad guys to go away and then all the jails could be taken down.  I told him that sounded wonderful.

FAIRY TREATS

When stories are through, doesn't everyone like a good treat? My grandkids do! We'll be making fairy dust. My grandchildren helped by stirring the ingredients together.  This magical treat is so easy to make and the best part is there is no hot summer baking. Here's how to make it:

Fairy Dust Recipe

•  1/4 c. powdered sugar
•  1/4 c. granulated sugar 
•  Red or pink food dye. 
•  Strawberries, raspberries, grapes or bananas
•  Colored toothpicks

With a spoon, mix together the sugars and stir in two to five drop of food gel or food dye until the sugars have speckles of color.  Cut up fruit as desired and add colored toothpicks to each piece of fruit. Dip the fruit into the fairy dust.  

We'll fill a very small container (I'm talking really small, like a toothpaste cap) with this mixture and then I'll have the children take it to our garden and leave it for the fairies to enjoy.  Make sure you don't put it where ants frequent...that could bring unwanted guests to your party!

ACTIVITIES

Online at Flower Fairies Fun and Games there are free computer games, printable activity sheets, and coloring pages which are always fun for children.

Please join me tomorrow for more fairy ideas.  I'm enjoying my son's family this week.  I hope you get to enjoy family too! -xoxo Grandma

Other posts about fairy crafts:

How to Make a Fairy Cottage go HERE or house go HERE.

Pioneer Memories & a Free Apron Pattern For a Doll

Here in Utah, we celebrate something called Pioneer Day every July 24. It's in honor of the first group of Mormon pioneers who entered the Salt Lake Valley back in 1847. This upcoming holiday got me thinking of my own pioneer ancestors.  Do you have any pioneer ancestors?  I have a great grandmother and a great great grandfather who crossed the plains in 1863. In memory of them, I made this pioneer outfit. My favorite part of the outfit is that cute little apron, which I refashioned from a linen napkin.

  

I was given several linen napkins that had holes in them. I turned all of those sad-looking napkins into doll aprons.  If you happen to have some cloth napkins laying around, try refashioning them into doll aprons, you'll love all the detail a cloth napkin adds to it! In fact, let me show you how simple it is to convert a cloth napkin into a doll apron.  This project should take you about 15 minutes from start to completion.

Once the seam has been sewn, the basting stitches can be pulled out.  Iron the edge of the ribbon and you're done with your darling doll apron.  See, I told you it was easy.

If you want to add a pocket, use a corner of the napkin that you cut off and cut out a rectangle. Iron the edges under and then sew the rectangle onto the apron closely around the edges.

Depending on where the holes were in the linen napkin, some of my aprons turned out a little shorter than others.  No matter the length, a linen napkin makes the perfect fabric for a cute doll size apron.

Now, back to my great grandmother, who I mentioned earlier. For most of her journey across the plains, she got to travel sitting on top of a wagon loaded with stoves that her father planned on selling when he reached their destination. Toward the end of their journey, the wagon was going through a steep grade in Echo Canyon and started tipping over. Horrifyingly, the stoves fell on top of her. As luck would have it, she recalled that a folded carpet was used to cover the stoves and miraculously eased the blow of this fall.  Her children stated that she often told them that it was "the protection of an all-wise providence that saved her life." I am so grateful to God for protecting my great grandmother. 

So, if you'd like to join in the Pioneer Day celebration, or any pioneer celebration of your own, you'll want to make your own pretty pioneer apron for your doll. Happy Pioneer Day to all of you two weeks from this Friday! xoxo Grandma

Don't want to make this outfit?  Go HERE for a completed Pioneer Outfit.
You might also like these posts:

HERE

HERE

Linked to: Nap Time Creations

Toddler Cascading Ruffle Dress: a Refashion

Last week, a few days before I headed out of town to visit one of my daughters, I asked her if there was anything I could make her cute little girl. She immediately sent me a photo of this dress she'd had her eye on:

This beautiful toddler dress has a soft cascading ruffle down the front and was refashioned from one of my old shirts I no longer wanted. 

For the pattern, I used a free pattern designed by Shwin and Shwin called the Black Bird Tunic.  The pattern was the perfect size for this toddler and it had the same neckline as the dress my daughter wanted. 

I started this task by cutting up a shirt of mine that looked like the one my daughter is wearing in the photo below when she was pregnant with her little girl. Instead of turquoise, my shirt was almost the right color combination as her requested dress. The shirt definitely looks like a maternity top, I realized once I wore it, and so it had to be eliminated from my wardrobe. So glad I got to create something so cute and feminine out of it.

The part of the dress that stumped me a bit was the ruffle on the center of the dress.  I learned that this ruffle is called a cascading ruffle and after asking advice from one of the sewing groups I belong to called "Sewing For Children" on Google, I was given two useful explanations on how to make it.  Using every scrap I could from the sleeves of my tunic, I was able to get the ruffle cut out, but not the facing.  So for the facing, I decided to use a little sturdier fabric and I cut up a white linen shirt I had purchased from a thrift store.

This light weight cascading ruffle dress will be perfect for wearing on a hot summer day, like it was the day I visited my daughter and her family.  I encourage you to go to Shwin and Shwin which will direct you to a site called Craftsy where you will be able to download a free pattern for this tunic. 

Lengthen the tunic, like I did (I needed the finished length to be 18 1/2 inches), and make a light weight summer dress for your little one. I'm sure they will feel cool and comfortable in a dress just like this one.

Look at the back of this dress and how the top layer of the dress flows over the bottom ruffle. 

I'm glad I was challenged to make this dress.  According to my daughter, it's her favorite thing I've sewn to date. I call that successful sewing!  xoxo Grandma

Interested in joining Craftsy?  Just tell them xoxo Grandma sent you. 

Linked to: Creating My Way to Success