Cinderella Tunic

I finally got the chance to make it to the fabric store up here and they were having an awesome sale. As we were going in, I was trying to explain to my little one that we won't be long and Mommy was trying to find some fabric to make some new clothes so she needed to be good while we were in the store. She got super excited and asked if she could have a Cinderella dress. I told her we would look at the fabric (it's usually $10/yard! eek!) but it ended up being on sale! So, she picked out her fabric and proceeded to tell every person we passed that she was getting a Cinderella dress and then would start singing a Cinderella song to them. She thinks she is the center of attention everywhere we go, and she ends up being just that. I told her I would start the dress the next day and she didn't forget that! As soon as she woke up, she took her jammies off and was tying to put the yard of fabric around her as a dress. So, I had to start the dress. She watched me the entire time and tried to help until she had to take a nap. Her nap didn't last long and Mommy still had to hem the dress. As soon as it was done, she stared at her self in the mirror for a while then was ready to show it to everyone. She's had it on the past 2 days...I think I'm going to have to make a few more. So if your little one is as crazy about "Erella" as my little one is, this a simple dress to make for them. Heck, you can make one for each day! 

Materials:

About a yard of fabric

Matching thread

A loose dress to use as a pattern

1/4" elastic and 3/8" elastic

To get started, turn the dress you're using inside out and fold it in half. Put it on the fold of your fabric, leaving a couple inches from the fold to where your dress starts. Trace around the dress, extending the neckline and bottom of skirt and leaving enough room for seam allowance around the rest of the dress and cut out 2 of these.

Once you have your pieces cut out, put right sides together and pin the shoulder seams and the side seams. Then serge or zigzag stitch your seams and press.

At this point I tried it on Aubree to make sure the armholes were large enough. That was a huge mistake! She thought her dress was done and would not take it off.

Now, get out your iron and ironing board and press the neckline over (to the wrong side of the fabric) with enough room to put 1/4" elastic and having room for stitching. You may need to notch some places to get the curve to fold over correctly. Then pin in place and stitch down, leaving at least an inch opening to get your elastic in. Then measure around the neckline of the dress you used for your pattern and cut your 1/4" elastic to that measurement plus 1 inch. Slip a safety pin on your elastic and feed it through your casing. Once it is all the way around, overlap your elastic by 1/2" and zigzag stitch together. I always go down, then reverse, then back down and tie off. Get all of your elastic back in the casing and stitch the opening closed.

Time to put the elastic waist in. Instead of making a casing; which I normally do, I cut the 3/8" elastic to my daughter's waist measurement plus 2". Overlap your elastic ends by 1/2" and zigzag stitch together the same way you did for the neckline elastic. Lay your dress out flat and mark a straight line across the waist on front and back (making sure they match up!). Now, slide your elastic band around the dress and pin on one side seam then pull the elastic and find the middle and pin that onto the other side seam. Do this again to pin equal sides of the elastic to the front middle and back middle. Once pinned down, you're going to zigzag stitch the elastic down. Sewing elastic down can be tricky, but all you have to do is pull both sides of your elastic while sewing it down. It will stretch out the elastic to sew down properly then will gather once it's stitched.

 
















Last steps are to hem the armholes and hem the bottom. Hemming the armholes can be tricky too, just notch where needed to get the fabric to lay down flat. I always serge my hemlines so I don't have to press 1/4" in then press another 1/4". If you serge it, all you need to do is serge then press over, pin and stitch. 

Now you have a fabulous Cinderella Tunic that your little one will NEVER want to take off! I made this for my daughter, but you can always use these steps to make one for you too. It doesn't have to be Cinderella fabric, but I won't judge it you want to be a pretty princess!

If you like this tutorial, feel free to share and follow me on pinterest to see all the tutorials I post at makeitlovediy 

Update on color block dress: I STILL CANNOT FIND WHAT BOX IT IS IN!!!!!! It is driving my crazy! This dang dress is almost done and I have no idea what box I put it in while packing. As soon as I find it, I will finish it and post the blog. 

  

Galaxy Shoes

I haven't been able to post ANYTHING in weeks!!! Between moving, finishing school and having family over all the time (yay!) there has been no time for anything. Thankfully my sweet little niece is crafty! She started painting Galaxy Shoes for her, her sisters, cousin and friends. She's been pretty busy painting and I'm sure is just about sick of anything galaxy. Lucky for us, she is guest blogging here today to show us how she makes them!

I love my Shelby. She's 13, super smart, loves anything crafty (she's always asking what we can make that day), a huge 1D fan and just all around one of my favorite girls and now y'all get to see her crafty side! I hope y'all enjoy the blog!

Materials:

Canvas Shoes in any color you choose

(Vans, Keds, Toms, or something similar)

 4 different color paints

(I used blue, teal, pink and white)

Sponge Brush

Paint Brush or Tooth Brush

 Painter's Tape or Vaseline

First put your painter's tape or Vaseline around the rubber (white part) of your shoes so the paint won't dye them.

Then use your first color (I used blue first) and your sponge brush and lightly dab streaks across different parts of your shoe.

Once the first color is dry, use a lighter color (I used teal) and dab around the first color used. 

Then use a bright color (I used pink) and again, using your sponge brush, put a couple more streaks around your shoe.

The last color to use is white. Sponge the white in any open areas and around the lighter colored paint. 

Last step is to get out your paint brush or toothbrush, dip it in white paint and splatter it onto your shoes to create a star effect. Then you can use your paint brush to paint on a couple stars around your shoes.  

Take off the painter's tape and wipe off Vaseline when your shoes are all dry and you're all done!

I hope you enjoyed Shelby's blog! She was very excited to get to make one and put her ideas out there.

If you like this blog, follow me on Pinterest at  makeitlovediy

I know I promised a color block dress and I am almost done with it but I need to find it in the tons of boxes of sewing stuff that has not been unpacked yet. We now live in one of my favorite cities in the middle of the forest, right on the lake. The only downside was downsizing our house. I now have no area to keep all my sewing stuff out since the little one thinks she can sew too and knows how to turn my sewing machines on (Yikes!). So I will be posting as I'm able to make things and when the little one allows me too!