Tutorial: Jean top Skirt

Kate,
I finally finished a little skirt for E. She loves it. It twirls a little and she has a hard time standing still when she wears it. She loves to twirl! I took some jeans of hers that were a bit short and had a hole in the knee and this is how I reused them. I used the basics from this website.
It was very easy and turned out cute. I did let her pick the fabric, so it is very E.

First cut off jean top just below the zipper...make sure you leave enough room for a seam. I did cut off part of the back pockets, but I pulled up the inside of the front pockets so those weren't affected.
Then I cut the length of the fabric I wanted for the first tier...make sure it is at least twice as long as the jean width so you have enough to gather. I then gathered and attached it.


Continue to do that for the next layers making sure you increase the width of fabric for each tier so it is at least twice that of the previous layer. I then hemmed the bottom and top stitched each layer... that's it!



Very simple and fun for summer.
Enjoy your day!
Amy

Tutorial: Holey Knees Make the Perfect Boy’s Shorts

Dear Amy,

So yes, another pair of D’s pants has bitten the dust. The boy plays so hard! These were especially tragic for me to lose. I LOVED these pants. I bought them off eBay…Mini Boden brand, a little baggy, SO CUTE!

Inevitably, D’s hectic play schedule has claimed this casualty. Sad. Fortunately, though, this particular pair of pants lends itself perfectly to becoming a cutesy pair of summer shorts. Hooray! Big smiles! I neglected to take a “before” picture of said pants (due to my crazy excitement to complete the transformation), but you get the idea from this picture.

The pants just happened to have a conveniently located seam mid-leg. I cut directly below that seam to remove the legs. I then machine sewed two patches on…one on each leg, large enough to cover the holes and thinning fabric.

I wanted some STRONG patches, so I used home decor-weight fabric and double layered it. I love the look of the unfinished, frayed edges, so I left them unfinished.

I simply sewed around the edges of the patch and then sewed in an X pattern across the center to keep it securely in place. D loves his new shorts and this mama is delighted not to lose one of her favorite pairs of D’s pants. Saved the pants and re-used scrap fabric. Now that’s what I call success. Bring on the summer sun…we’re ready!

Love, Kate

p.s. Here are some projects I’m working on that I can’t wait to tell you about: toddler sleeping bags for the boys, road trip activities for toddlers, spring/summer wreath reusing old t-shirts, clothes for the Easter bunnies, and a fabulous blanket for Eric made from recycled sweatshirts.

Tutorial: Appliqué that Stained Shirt!

Dear Amy,
I LOVE the seedlings you’ve started. It makes me realize how close summer is and how I need to get a jumpstart on our garden this year. I’ve bought some books to help us plan better, utilize our garden bounty more efficiently and use our garden space more effectively. I’m so excited! The first signs of spring make me so happy!
Here’s one more idea for how to reuse kids’ stained clothing. D received a hand-me-down shirt from a friend. The shirt was still in good condition except for some staining front and center and I loved the burnt orange color. So, I set to work trying to figure out a way to keep the shirt while covering the stain.
I had some scraps of knit fabric lying around from a skirt project (Re-using old t-shirts…I’ll tell you about that later.) I decided on a number 2 appliqué because of D’s impending 2nd birthday.I picked two colors from my scraps, a dark brown and a pale blue, and cut out a number 2 freehand from each color. I made the 2 from the darker color slightly smaller for a layered look.
If cutting your design freehand makes you nervous, I recommend finding a font or picture you like on your computer, adjusting the size and printing it out to use as a template.

I centered the larger 2 on the shirt and pinned it in place. I quickly sewed it on, careful to sew through only the front side of the shirt. I centered the smaller 2 over the larger one and pinned and sewed it in place. Knit fabric doesn’t unravel, so I left the edges unfinished so they they would curl when washed.

As you can see, I wasn’t super precise, but I love the outcome. And D loves his 2 shirt. The entire project took about 20 minutes.
What do you think?
Love, Kate

Tutorial: How to Alter & Use Stained Onesies

Dear Amy,
As you know, our two boys arrived very suddenly last spring. They were five months and 17 months old at the time…just babies.

When we made the decision to take the boys and commit to making it work, we were instantly thrown into a whirlwind of preparation. We didn’t have the usual nine months to prepare for their arrival…we had a few days.



We didn’t have a room set up. We didn’t have cribs or car seats or strollers or clothes or toys. We didn’t have anything. Fortunately, generous friends and family rallied to provide us with hand-me-downs from their children. We very quickly accumulated everything we needed to welcome our little ones.

Some of the clothing we received had been worn by more than one child already, and although still in good shape, some of the shirts were showing some staining. But I hated to get rid of things simply because of a little staining or discoloration. So I got creative.

 

I looked around for some sort of solution for discolored onesies. Enter an ingenious little product I picked up at Hobby Lobby, my home away from home. For a few bucks a bottle, you can find tie-dye in little spray bottles. It comes in a handful of colors and is super easy to use.

This time, the basement worked fine for this project. Next time, I hope to do this type of project outside during warmer weather! I placed a large piece of cardboard down to protect the surface underneath. Then I spread out the onesies and started spraying. I combined orange and red on some and blue and turquoise on others. I focused on the part of the onesies that would be seen—mainly the neck and arms. Part of the fun of this project is not worrying about the color being uniform, just go crazy and spray with abandon!



I sprayed several at once and then flipped them over and sprayed the back. Once they were finished, I placed an old towel on my drying rack and then placed the onesies on that to dry. Once air dry, I heat sealed the color in the dryer. The directions for the dye are on the packaging.


Such an easy solution and so inexpensive. This was a life-saver during the winter months as the boys could continue to wear their short-sleeved shirts all winter layered with a long-sleeved onesie.

Love,
Kate