Tutorial: How to do a Reverse Applique

Here it is!
My first TuTe-DaY tutorial :)

I am new to the whole tutorial thing so feel free to ask questions if I don't explain it thoroughly enough.

Today's tutorial is all about the Revers Applique. A super simple and Super fun way to jazz up those plain old tee's that everyone has laying around.
No serger required either!
All you need is:

A plain shirt (or hoodie, pants, skirt, etc...)
A design from an old tee that will fit on the intended finished product
Scissors
thread
sewing machine
Straight pins

For this project I took my sons plain H&M long sleeved tee (on right)  to applique and a men's tee (on left) with a design I likes for the applique

First things first, make sure your design is small enough to fit on the shirt you want to applique. Silly... but sometimes overlooked (I know this from experience)....

Cut the design for the applique out leaving 1/2 inch around the design and position on the tee.

Then you need to turn the tee inside out and place the applique face down on the tee, keeping your original position in mind.  Pin applique securely in place. I tend to over pin but better safe than sorry I guess ;)

So here we are with the tee inside out and the applique face down. ^^

Next take the tee to your sewing machine and stitch a simple straight stitch all the way around the edge of the applique.

After that step you are almost done!
Next just remove all of your pins, snip your threads and it should look like this

Turn the tee the right way and you have this

Give the fabric a pinch to separate the tee material from the applique

Snippity snip a little hole in the center of the sewed area and trim all the way around the sewed area leaving about 1/4 inch of the tee material, revealing the applique.

Then Viola you have done the reverse applique!!

aaand in the process you have made some little dude (or dude-ette) VeRy happy!

Don't forget to do something for yourself too!!!
Here is a skirt I did of mine :D Me LiKeY!!!

So go on now!!! GO sew!!!
<3 <3

It's been awile!

WoWza, has 7 months really slipped by with me neglecting to post.
My apologies ;)

2012 is already off to a start and I am feeling the need for change.
I suppose that comes with the season.
None the less, I am feeling the need for change.. even a little bored and un-challenged.

I decided the best way to go was in my work. My passion. What I usually thrive for was feeling grey and dull and that left me feeling very uneasy.
I wasn't feeling the drive to get in my creative element and make new.
Maybe it was the overwhelming desire to buy new fabrics. If you are a seamstress you can relate.
Fabric is yummy, there is no doubt about that.
So are donuts...
Too much can be a bad thing and I was feeling bogged down with it.
Guilty for buying so much new when my original plan was to recycle. Make new from the unwanted/ old. Bring things back.
My love for fabrics can still flourish there.
I can walk into any thrift store and look right past ugly, out dated clothes and see the fabric screaming to me "Help!"
I cant stop myself.
I run to it.
I want to turn it into somthing. Anything. Save it, in a silly way.

I wasn't far from my original plan, I justified it by recycling t-shirt.
That's good, but not what I want.
I mean sometimes. Sure. I love making thse fun little twirly dresses. I plan to offer a few custom spots in my store and even make and stock them for Etsy. You can count on that.
But I dont want to be drug down by them. I want to pick up some old drapes and make a killer handbag with reclaimed buttons on it and baubles from who knows where. Somhing nobody else makes. SOmthing One of a Kind.
For you, your home and your children.
I will let my creativity go and just make.
Paying special attention to every detail untill the item is exactly what my minds eye pictured.
Somthing I can promise you will like ;)

So please stick around!
I plan to activly Blog and share tutorials. Anther thing I wanted to do from the start and plan to stick to. Once a week is my goal and I am starting next week with a tutorial on how to do a reverse applique. Super simple and will DuDz up anything outdated in your closet.

Whats your talent?

I have been thinking a lot about a new contest for my Facebook page that would get people thinking and doing... and doing and thinking.
"You are so talented"
I have been hearing that a lot these past few months and as good as it makes me feel (I really love hearing that from happy customers!) some of the people have also said "I wish I had a talent".
As much as I love hearing people say how much they love my duds.. I can't stand hearing people say that they don't have a talent.
I think everyone has been gifted with some sort of  talent. Everyone. It is just up to the individual to recognize it, mature it and put it to good use!

This leads me to my contest.

OK, lets start with the prize.. shall we!?
I am willing to give away anything listed in my Etsy store, any one item (some listings have two items in them and they are available too!) to the winner. I have lots of custom spots so there should be something for everyone. Think gifts too! Christmas is only 6months away (is it sad that I am already preparing for the Holidays..lol)!

Now on to the contest... whatcha gotta do to win the prize..
I am looking for you to tell me what your talent is and if you can, show me a picture of what you do or a picture representing what you do. Be creative.
Post them on my Facebook Page here and then come to my blog and comment under this post that you have "done" so.
I am going to give you until I reach 1600 fans to do so!
That means this.. if I have 2 or if I have 20 entries once I reach 1600 fans on Facebook I choose a winner.  No matter what!
Sound good?

Please only one entry per person but DO get as many people as you can to LIKE my Facebook  page.

Thank you and GOOD LUCK!
PLEASE ask questions if you don't understand any of this mumbo jumbo ;)

To Do list

My To Do list is extra long this month. Or maybe I am starting on a new and "Extra Busy" path.
Either way.. I can feel the pressure!
I am having fun with it all though. That is the most important thing. I want to keep what I LOVE to do.. fun.
On my sewing forum (not "mine" but the forum I participate in) hosts swaps and I love to get involved when I can. I signed up for two this month and am running the line with my shipping date. I signed up for the Toddler clothing swap (2t-4t) since this will be the only time the twins will be able to be in that one.. and I also signed up for the mama stuff swap. A swap entirely mama based. All kinds of goodies get swapped in that one!

I am switching between sewing for the two swaps and today I decided to try something I have been dying to do.. upcycle a men's dress shirt into a girls dress. SoOper fun!!
I got a bunch in the last clothing swap we had and they are in a pile screaming at me to cut them up.
 I went with the flow and made my own pattern as I went along. Great outcome.

I really love the design of this dress. It can be worn as a dress with leggings for sizes 2 through 5-6 as a top!
Thanks for reading!

Playing Dress Up

My little Brother is getting married this weekend!
Congrats Kurt and Mel!
I needed a dress. Those who know me, know that I am more of a... oh I don't know.. I don't usually wear dresses. We will leave it at that.
But for this glorious occasion I felt it was appropriate for me to adorn a dress.
Problem number two then arises. I NEED A DRESS!
I am pretty picky about my clothes, I guess I am lucky that I can sew. I knew from the get go that I would be making the dress I was going to wear. That saves loads of stress from shopping, right? Nope..
I am still pretty stressed..lol.
I found fabric that I adore. Bought 5 yards of it at a great clearance price. Fun.
Never could quite choose a design though. I prefer the boho, hippie, simple style. Easy on, easy off... that sounds worse than I mean, but you get my drift. I prefer my clothes simple.
The fabric I found was alight pink on pink stripe. Very faintly seersuckerd on the lighter stripes. Beautiful drape and flow.

I paired it with a cream colored, organic bamboo cotton blend. This stuff has been in my stash for over a year. I love it. They look great together too.

Very spring. I only used the cream as a lining but it peaks out here and there so I wanted something nice and soft under the pink.

The original dress I wanted to copy, as adorable as it is, wouldn't work with this fabric and I realized that as soon as I cut my circles for the skirt portion of the dress. The knit fabric that I intended to use for my dress was too drapy for the more formed circles of the original. Not good for that pattern.. but still good! I also needed straps on my shoulders. So.. needless to say.. I ditched the original plan and went with my imagination. The dress.. it is O.K. I already have the chest piece picked off so I can straighten the pleats. That's what I get for "quickly finishing" it late last night. I get to fix it today.
I am also NOT sold on the ruffled waistband. I don't like it. I am almost done taking that off but I have no clue what to do in it's place. I am down to scraps of the pink but have lots of the cream fabric. Ideas welcome. I could just remove the top ruffle and reattach the bodice.. that is an option. Well.. he is it now. I will post after pictures.. after it is fixed.

 The necklace rocks with this dress.. should I keep it or ditch it?

Sewing for the soul

Taking what you are good at and using it as a tool to help others. In any small way you can.. that's one thing that I think all people should do. It adds fulfillment to your life. Satisfies the soul. In my experience it has.

With all that people have going on in this day in age, people forget that. Or they just don't have time.
I understand the time aspect. I am a busy mama. 5 wonderful kids that help to occupy my time as well as a husband, 2 dogs, a house, sewing etc etc etc.. you know what I mean. Juggling time is a lost art ;)

Well.. anyways.. in my "free time" I like to quilt. I am a beginner quilter, but have intermediate sewing skills so I think they both work to my advantage with  the kind of quilting I do.
My sisters I and I, along with a great friend of ours, decided to use our talents and abilities to help others and founded a not for profit mission called Enraptured Embrace. Our intent is to help provide a sense of comfort to those suffering the loss of a loved one. To do that we offer quilts and pillows made from their loved ones clothing, free of charge.
We think of these quilts as a stepping stone in the grieving process and hope that they offer the bereaved a sense of love and comfort.

Our first request came from a woman grieving the loss of her daughter. She was well into her second trimester in her pregnancy when she found out her daughter had passed. She gave us what clothes she had gathered during her pregnancy and we made her a beautiful memento. Something we hope she cherishes for a lifetime. Something we hope will help ease the pain that comes with the loss. Something small but filled with love.

 We left on buttons, snaps and little duckie flaps. We also added in the bodice of two adorable dresses. The back is made from the stretchier fabrics and the front is made of all woven fabrics. Our good friend and Enraptured Embrace Volunteer, Mandy, hand binded the entire quilt. Beautiful end result!

To see more, learn about what and why we do what we do or even send a request PLEASE visit our blog :)
http://enrapturedembrace.blogspot.com/

Thanks for Reading!!

Inspired to sew for ME!

I am a hippie chick. I think it's in my jeans (pun. ha ha ha) because my style is similar to that of my sisters and my mother.
I am a HUGE fan of the hippie clothing store Soul-Flower. Huge huge. They are pricey but it is well made so when I can afford to .. I buy... but when I can't afford to... I sew!!

This scoop neck, backless hoodie made me squeal inside. A MUST HAVE in my book.. in as many colors as possible! My checkbook this month though.. not allowing it. So plan B.. copy copy copy..lol.

This was my inspiration (by Soul-Flower)


and this is my version. PLEASE keep in mind that this is my first copy. Perfect for me.. but far from what I would call a done deal. I have plans for more of these.

I changed the top to fit my taste a little more.. I am not fond of elastic in my clothing so I decided to omit that back elastic and in it's place I added a drawstring with extra long ties. The ties are long enough to tie in many different ways allowing for creativity in the wear of the top. I like that the BeSt.

                                                     To save from using my nice fabrics on a proto type I recycled a jersey knit sheet from the thrift store (pre washed of course..lol)

So!! What do you think??