Not Your Momma's Homemade Prom Dress

I know I haven't posted in a hot minute, but I wanted to showcase the prom dress I made for my beautiful stepdaughter. She bought a dress online and it didn't fit properly. It was way too much to fix so, she gave me 10 days to put a dress together. Yes. 10 days! We sketched up exactly what she wanted, visited the fabric store and got to work.

We used a satin for the skirt and belt, a nude lining and a beautiful black lace for the bodice. We did end up buying a pattern, but it was awful so I threw it away and can't remember what it was. By awful I mean like 10 sizes too big. I ended up using the pattern as a template for the skirt. I used my measurements to cut it down and it turned out great. 

For this gown, I cut four panels for each side (per the pattern) but cut them in to slenderize the look. Basically, the bottom of the two middle panels met into a slight "V" at the bottom. The bottom of the skirt is a circle skirt. ( Look at the Circle Skirt App to get a perfect one for the bottom of the dress.)

For the bodice of the dress, she wanted a cut-out in the back. So, I made a corset type lining so I could easily do a cut-out with only lace and not have to worry about getting both fabrics perfectly in line. Because I was working with lace, I serged around where all hems would be, then rolled that under twice. Made it soooo much easier!

We put an invisible zipper in, sewed an applique onto the belt and we were done! The biggest shocker, I was done early!

Big Girl Tutu Skirt

This Big Girl Tutu will bring out your inner Carrie Bradshaw. Once you put it on, you will feel oh so pretty. I've made tons of tutus for my little love bug but when I saw these all over Pinterest, I had to make one for myself. I think I'll probably have one in every color. Best part is they're simple, easy to make, inexpensive and freaking awesome. Here's how:

Materials:

Sewing machine or serger

About 10 yards of tulle

1-2 yards of lining fabric

1 1/2 - 2 inch elastic

Scissors

Paper for making pattern

To make this skirt we're making a circle skirt or "skater" skirt pattern. You can see how to do that here. Just don't cut out a waistband for it. Use newspaper or whatever you have to make a pattern because you will use it a lot. The waist will be a little large which is what we want, so no worries.

I know this pic is a little "Wicked Witch of the West" so it's just to give you an idea of how full it is!

Cut out your lining. I chose a black poly-blend that is light and airy. Perfect for these types of skirts. Then turn your skirt inside out and hem the bottom. I serged the bottom instead of hemming because I'm just that lazy. 

Next, you have to cut out all of your tulle. I did 5 layers on mine, you can do more or less. Make sure you use the circle skirt pattern. I tried a different way since tulle is such a pain to cut and it didn't work out and I had to redo it. So, make sure you use your pattern! I've also found the easiest way to cut poly and tulle is to lay it on carpet or a rug. It doesn't move around as much and makes it a heck of a lot easier.

Once you have everything cut, pin it all together at the waistline. One layer at at time. This takes the longest so do what I did and watch an episode of Chelsea. It doesn't seem to take as long when you're laughing at something. When everything is pinned, serge or do a tight zigzag stitch to hold it all together. 

Then get your elastic ready. Cut it to your waist measurement minus an inch. Put right sides together and zigzag stitch or serge the ends together. Now,this part starts to get hard and confusing. I tried looking up some YouTube videos to help, but can't find any that would make this easier...so, mark your elastic into quarters. Fold it in half and pin, then in half the other way and pin. Do the same with your skirt. Put the elastic inside out over the right side of your skirt and match up the pins. Pin the elastic then serge or do a medium zigzag stitch to attach it. To sew the elastic, make sure you pull it taught so it stretches out to the next pin and sews on right.

Try it on and go out tonight to show it off! Because let's be honest, this is THE skirt to show off.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Be sure to follow us on Pinterest at makeitlovediy so you don't miss anything!

 

 

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!  

Your Favorite Romper

This week's tutorial: a Romper! Rompers are one of my favorite pieces of clothing. They are so comfortable and a perfect piece for summer! I wanted to make myself a romper because every one I find that I like is way too short or just doesn't fit right.

For my birthday, my awesome Grandma bought me a dress form and then wanted me to pick out some fabric. My Grandma loves batiks fabric and we saw this one at Hancock's. I'm usually not a huge fan of them, but they have some awesome tribal prints and tie-dye ones now and they're 40% OFF this month! Batiks are 100% cotton and pre-washed. If you're using a fabric like this, you need to have a low neckline so you can get into your romper without tearing it. If you want a higher neckline, try using a knit or cotton t-shirt that has some stretch to it or find a poly blend with spandex in it. 

Materials:

1 1/2- 2 yards of fabric

1/2" elastic- enough for your waist

Double fold biased tape

To make a romper, you want it loose. I did mine about 2x my measurements. The least I would do is 1 1/2x your measurements. To make your pattern, use an old tank top that you like. Make sure that the top you choose for your pattern has a low enough neckline that it will be able to slip on easily. Turn it inside out and trace the armholes and neckline then angle it out to the width that you need. Your top needs to be long enough to hit your waistline (or where you want your elastic) plus seam allowance. To make the shorts pattern, use a loose pair of shorts to trace out. Turn them inside out and fold them in half, tracing around them leaving room for seam allowance. Extend the bottom of your shorts down to the length you want plus seam allowance. Then extend the top of your shorts up high enough to reach your waistline plus seam allowance and at least another 1" for your elastic casing. Extend the waistline of your shorts out to 1/2 the measurement of your bodice pattern. Make sure you have enough room from your crotch to the top of your shorts to fit comfortably. If it's too short, you'll have a perma-wedge or even worse, camel toe!

Cut out your bodice front and back and your shorts. To cut out your shorts, have your fabric folded in half and cut the pattern out twice. If you want to add pockets, cut them out too. I cut out (4) 5x7 rectangles for the pockets.

Start with your bodice and put right-sides together and zig-zag stitch or serge your seams and press. 

To sew your shorts, start with the pockets. With each quarter of your shorts, mark where you want your pockets to start on the right-side of your fabric. Keep in mind the extra inch and seam allowance we added to the top of your shorts. I measured down 6" and marked to start the pockets. Pin the right-side of each piece of pocket to the right-side of your shorts. Zig-zag stitch and press your seams.

Now to sew your shorts together. Put right-sides together (front and back) of each side of your shorts. Lining up the pockets and side seams. Pin starting at the top of your shorts, down around your pockets and down the rest of your seam. Then pin the seam under the crotch of your shorts. Zig-zag stitch or serge and press your seams.

Now, this part is a little confusing...once you've sewn up each "leg" of your shorts, turn one right-side out and put it inside the other leg so right-sides are together. Line up your crotch and pin together. Zig-zag stitch or serge and press your seams.

Now that your bodice and shorts are sewn, we need to sew them together. With your shorts turned right-side-out and your bodice turned inside out, pull your bodice over your shorts so the waistlines are together. Pin your bodice about 1" below the waistline of your shorts and zig-zag stitch together. Once they're stitched together, fold the casing down to your shorts. Pin in place and zig-zag stitch down making sure to leave enough room in your casing to push your elastic through. 

 (I forgot to take a pic of this, so here's one from the Maxi Dress from last week of how to create your casing.)

Now to put in your elastic. Measure your elastic out to the measurement of your waist minus 1". Hook a safety pin through one end and feed it through your casing. Once all the way around, overlap your elastic by at least 1/2" and zig-zag stitch together. Then finish closing your casing.

Now keep your Romper inside out and hem your shorts. Fold over 1/4" and press and another 1/4" and press, pin and stitch closed.

Last step is to finish the bodice. Like I've said before, I hate hemming necklines and armholes. That's what we have the double fold biased tape for. I pinned the biased tape to the raw edges of my neckline (I started in the middle of my "v" neckline) and when it got to where the straps should be, I measured out how long I needed my straps and continued to the back middle. Then repeated for the other side of my neckline and the same for the armholes.

Now you've finished your romper! Hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Sometime in the future, I want to make a structured romper, but I've never done boning before so I'll probably have a few too many mistakes before I can perfect it. Fingers crossed it will work out!

I also wanted to talk about sergers. I've had a few questions about them, so I thought I would explain exactly what they are. A serger has 4 different threads in it that basically ties up your seams. Look on the inside of your shirt. The seams that you see are what a serger creates. Sergers also have little knives on them so they can cutoff any excess fabric while sewing your seam up. Sergers make sewing garments so much faster and looks a lot cleaner. You won't have any raw or fraying edges. Another plus about a serger is that you can change the hem. On my maxi dress, instead of hemming the bottom, I used a rolled hem on the serger. A rolled hem is smaller so that you can hem the bottoms of some garments without having to fold, press, fold, press and pin.

 I love my serger! Again, I have an awesome Grandma and she bought me my serger for my birthday last year. I was just expecting a peddle foot for an old serger and she surprised me with a Janome Harmony 9102d! Hancock's tends to put Janome sergers on sale fairly often and you can find something in your budget. The only down side to a serger is that if you make a mistake, you're screwed! If you have the knife up, it will cut any excess fabric off, which sometimes you might need back. If you have the knife pulled down so you're not using it, and you make a mistake, you still have to seam rip 4 threads! It takes forever! I was making a hi-lo dress one night and was so excited that I was almost done. Just needed to sew the skirt to the bodice...I sewed it on backwards and had to rip the serged seam out to turn the skirt the correct way.

Anyways, if you want to start sewing more often, I would highly suggest getting a serger. Even though it takes 4 threads to run it, the maxi-lock thread is only $3/each with something like 3,000 yards on it. You'll use it forever! And it will make sewing garments so much nicer. 

Y'all have a great week! I don't have in mind what's going to be posted next week...there are too many things I want to make and not enough time. It usually comes down to what fabric is on sale.