Clip-on bow-tie for GIRLS (or boys)!!

 

I really should have a better "Introducing baby Luca!" photo for you all, but if you really care about seeing my adorable, now 2 month old baby boy who weighs THIRTEEN POUNDS, we are probably already friends on instagram. If you follow me on there then you already know how super cute and pudgy he is, how he looks just like my husband, and how the reason I haven't blogged in 2 months is due to trying to cope with 3 kids 3 and under, and a week long stay in the hospital that lead to 2 more weeks of double vision. <----not at="" computer....="" for="" good="" p="" staring="" the="">
I am now getting into the swing of things and am better adjusted to this crazy crazy life of mine. It is NO JOKE taking care of three baby/toddlers! Just taking them somewhere is a workout. Getting three kids buckled, un-buckled, into strollers etc is killing me. I don't like having to go too many places because I'm sweaty and worn out! But one day they will all be able to walk themselves, unbuckle themselves, and get themselves situated in the car and life will be a tad easier in that department. For now I am just trying to focus on how cute they all are (when they aren't screaming at each other or coloring on the walls of course). I love being a mother, more than I ever imagined (I always thought I didn't want kids--HA!), but its also even harder than I imagined. Luckily I have a really great, helpful partner/husband who gives me lots of rest on the weekends. Only 3 more months left til that's over and he starts his Ob-Gyn residency! ahhh!

Okay, so on to the subject for today: BOW-TIES! Yes, tutorials are all over the internet, and in fact one of my most popular posts of all time on pinterest, is the Big Bow Tutorial. Which you can use to make the bow-tie itself. This tutorial is for making it work on girls, women, and baby boys with crew neck instead of collared shirts.

 

Materials needed:

a bow, large or small, fabric, leather, felt, crochet/knitted, whatever you want!

2 snap clips as shown below

hot glue/gun

I love bows and bow-ties, but the traditional way to make one has a band around the neck, or a clip that goes sideways, and both require a collared shirt to be worn. I originally came up with this solution when a friend of mine asked me to make some felt bow-ties for her baby who mostly wore onesies, but I figured out it works for adults as well.

 1. hot glue the two clips on to the bow, at the width apart that works for the wear-er/ bow. Okay, now you are finished.

Attach to yourself, your baby, your son or daughter! I love love love mine, and made 3 at once.

 And if you happen to own one of THESE adorable collars, then you can attach it for another look! Eek! (note: she didn't make the collar shown above, hers are higher quality (I own quite a few), this was an attempt at making a rectangle that I somehow accidentally made into a curved rectangle, much like a collar!!)

Pregnant and trying to look cool?...

my favorite new $5 purchase

  2 days ago

A month ago

Besides the photos of myself modeling my headbands (which I do out of convenience), I don't really take many photos of myself. Its mostly just the girls these day (no--not THOSE girls!!--my daughters!!).

Anyway, I bought this shruggy, thing at Forever21 a couple months ago and when I got to the register it was only $5!! Don't you love when that happens? Only problem with FL is that it is usually too hot to even throw that thin piece of cloth over my outfit most days. But it has been cool enough 2 times for me wear it and I loved the outfits so much I made my husband take a photo.---which I always feel very silly doing, but I tell myself its for the blog. Because goodness knows no one where I live gives a rat's patooty about the clothes I am wearing (well maybe one or two people but not most!). And I know this is totally vain, but since getting dressed to me is an outlet for creativity (not all days, but occasionally) I feel like these outfits need to be documented somewhere!

Anyone else feel this way?

Bobo Choses for my kids' clotheses

I've been eyeing Bobo Choses kid clothes for a long time, but I certainly couldn't fork over the dough for something they will grow out of so quickly. So I used Easter as an excuse to finally make something inspired by their awesome prints (the collar is definitely not bobo choses-esque, that's just my favorite clothing accessory).

Here we are again on Easter... (side note: my husband is in desperate need of better fitting church pants. I told him as soon as he graduates we are getting him to a tailor).

 

 (the two pieces that inspired this dress)

I did a freezer-paper stencil for the triangles on the fabric.
I traced a dress for the pattern (and cut the pattern out of 4 pieces of fabric so I could do lining by sewing them together in twos, turning inside out, and then sewing the back and front pieces together).

 I did a detachable collar by sewing large stitches on two long rectangles, and then pulling the thread. (And I scalloped the bottoms using my fancy sewing machine function). (Other collar tutorials of mine here and here.)

I added my own seam binding made from the same material as the dress, and sewed on a velcro closure! I love that the collar can be put with anything, but I am sure my friends are already sick of seeing this collar on my girls...

Hope you find something in this to be inspired by! Or maybe you all just think I'm crazy.

whatya think?

I got some new glasses today! I have been coveting these for awhile now, but didn't think they would actually look good on me, so I went on a virtual search for an alternative. Found these ones and I am in love! (I mostly wear contacts, but I haven't bought new glasses in about 3 years so  I was due for some new ones.)

I'm holding up some uncut headbands (I only find moments here and there to work on them, and tonight is one of those nights--why am I blogging???), because I thought if I just left them like that, uncut, they would make a nice wall hanging! You know, on trend with all the native american-y, feather-y, triangle-y, muted color-y stuff that is going down right now. And I have a new felt feather-y design I will {hopefully} be putting in the shop in the next month (stores are my priority right now)!

Pretty around the neck: Spring Capelet Tutorial

I saw a shirt in the Anthro's spring catalog last year that had a little caplet at the top (attached to the shirt). I had torn it out as inspiration, but when I went to make my own version of the shirt I decided it would be better if I could remove it and wear it with lots of shirts! I apologize that this tutorial is coming umm 4 months after I made it, but I've been a little distracted with life lately:)

MATERIALS NEEDED:
-fabric 54" long (1.5 yards)--I used linen, but you can use other fabrics as well. sheer, cotton, whatever you choose! I think flowy fabrics would be prettiest.

-contrasting fabric for making your own bias tape (I didn't actually cut mine on the bias b/c it was only used on straight edges), or pre-made bias tape

-sewing machine and supplies

 1. cut two pieces from the fabric: 4"-5.5" X 54" (the long strip for tying around the neck)
and 8 1/2" x 54" (cape).

 (this is how I attempt to cut it all the same width: I move the ruler down a bit at a time, and cut toward the inch mark.)  I prefer this to marking it repeatedly down the length.

 2. pin the bias tape around the ENTIRE long, skinny strip (in my photo I hadn't finished) and sew.
3. pin the bias tape around ONE long edge of the 8.5" width piece, and both short edges and sew. (see below)

 4.  sew a long-length stitch down the un-"taped" edge and then pull the string to gather.

 5.pin the long strip on top of the cape part, making sure you center the strip. sew.

 DONE! Love this thing. I seriously regret not taking photos of it much earlier in my pregnancy (I am about 7 months in this photo). I had envisioned photographs with a cute shirt and jeans tucked into my rainboots. But this is what happened.... the most boring, uninspiring outfit I could possibly wear! At least the caplet makes it more interesting:)

I love that it is kinda preppy, kinda funky. I think the next one will be some flowy silk or something fancy:)

color and stripes

Kate Spade Ads (oh so colorful and inspiring) + This Tutorial + Ikea fabric (+ photoshop) =

(In my ideal world I would have taken multi-colored streamers and laid them across the grass to mimic the painted road stripes. photoshop had to do.)

 The tutorial I followed to make this skirt was SO EASY!!! And it links to a great tutorial on putting in invisible zippers which have always daunted me. I plan on making another one of these skirts after I have the baby. (note: I added my own trim and I deleted the bow from the tutorial.)

Below are a few outtakes from out photoshoot. I had fully intended on being shot alone, but Olivia would have none of it. luckily she's so cute it only added to the pictures!

you can see my belly sticking out in this one!

 I never know what to do when I am "modeling" my creations. At this exact moment Olivia walked into my shoe/ I kicked her and knocked her over. OOPS!

 she can't resist her momma and I can't resist her! (FYI: Olivia is wearing an Oilily dress that I scored at a thrift store (along with a bunch of awesome French clothes) for $3!!!!!! I was so stoked when I found it.

 awkwardly trying to get a shot of my skirt...

And since I can't get enough of the stripes... I made this for Olivia!

  I made this for her Friday night and had her model it the next morning. I can't get enough of it!

  (she was staring up at a dog on the balcony and barking at him.)

Tutorial (for an adult size and child size) coming soon!

 I also made these a few weeks ago using some of my favorite Ikea stripes. Olivia LOVES these to play on, lean up against, etc. So glad I took the time to make two (one for the baby) because they are easy but labor intensive.

 and.... a sneak peak of a colorful tutorial coming soon for one of my favorite upcycling projects of the new year!

Made this (and you can see my pregnant belly)

(In these photos I was 18 weeks and now I am 19 weeks, so I am probably a tad bigger.)

Anyway, I adorned this cardigan using this tutorial on Grosgrain Fabulous and I am in love with it! I used to hate this cardigan, so definitely worth my time and effort. Just wanted to tell you all about it so you could make one too! And I have some new tutorials coming your way soon, so look out for them! Enjoy your Wednesday... I am potty training, so not sure how enjoyable mine will be:)

What We've been wearing.

 I love dressing Olivia up. She is young enough that I can pretend she's my barbie doll still. And I will be sad the day she thinks everything I pick out is stupid!
Olivia's wearing:
hand-me-down shrug
handmade dress
gap leggings
handmade babylegs (I just cut off the bottoms of adult knee socks)
"Old Soles" shoes

 Not such a cute expression on my face, but oh well. I think I was in a hurry to get out the door.
What I'm wearing:
Cardigan from TJMaxx last yr.
knit dress from TopShop (London)
Spandex leggings from American Apparel (warehouse sale-$5)
Forever21 shoes
Blue-Eyed Freckle bow clip

Ahhh when there were still leaves on the trees:
Anthro cardigan (old)
Vintage dress
Am. Apparel leggings (warehouse sale)
Old Navy shoes

And there you go! I love doing these posts because it gives me motivation to think about what I am going to wear. Like I used to when people saw me during the day.... I love creating these clothes "paintings!"