Hip for The Holidays: Day Two with Guest Blogger Terra from Mama Says Sew

It's day two of Hip for the Holidays, and I am so excited to introduce you to Terra from Mama Says Sew.  She has some mad sewing skills and is always coming up with fantastic projects. Today she is going to show us how to go beyond the onesies, and dress our our little ladies up with this fantastic holiday dress.  I am in love with the black and white with red accents-great color choice for the holidays.

Hi, I'm Terra from mama says sew.  I am so excited to be guest posting here today! I love reading Tricia's blog. Aren't these baby booties amazing?  And she's got some great Quiet Book Pages. Her blog was actually the one that inspired me to start my own blog.  I usually blog about things I sew for my kids, especially my girls (my son gets the short end of the stick when it comes to me making things), but a few other things I make get thrown into the mix as well. Stop by sometime and see!

This is me with the super short haircut that I love, and my husband...well, he loves me, anyway.

For Hip for the Holidays, I'm going to show you a holiday dress I made for my baby.  I used Simplicity pattern 5695, but instead of making it out of one piece of fabric, I used several in different prints of black and white.

I also changed the way of doing the sleeves slightly. Instead of using elastic at the bottom, I added a cuff and button.  You can find a tutorial for doing this at this post on my blog.  The only difference is that I had to make the cuff rather than use an existing cuff.

Here is the whole dress.  I like the way the black and white looks with a few splashes of red from the buttons and the flower headband.

You may think she likes the look too, but really, she's just helping Mommy out by giving Daddy a hint that a serger would be a really nice Christmas present.

She's wearing one of these flowers.  The tutorial is here.

And that's my holiday dress for a baby girl.  Thanks for letting me guest post today!

Thanks Terra.  I think that we are all inspired.  I love the cuffs on the sleeves, a very nice touch. Be sure to stop by her blog and show her some love.  She is quite talented, just check out these fantastic projects (here, here, or here).  I hope that Santa leaves a serger under your tree, and drops one by my house while he's at it.

Link up your holiday apparel projects at our Hip for the Holidays link party.

Holiday Baby Bodysuits

 I love the idea of having something special to sport as you celebrate the holidays.  Everyone can find a little something special for the season.  It seems to be the one time of year that just about anyone can get away with sparkles and sequins.  

I thought that I'd start out the celebration with a couple of embellished onesies for the littlest ones in our lives.  I have sisters and close friends that are going to be delivering some super sweet packages this year, and why not welcome them to the world with some super sweet bodysuits.

The Sequined Snowflake Bodysuit

I'll start out with the simpler of the two featured bodysuits  The top is made by cutting out a snowflake shaped piece of fabric to be appliqued to the top.  I used white rainbow felt for this project, but any scrap fabric should work.  I normally wouldn't applique with felt, but I figure that baby clothes don't typically get much wear, especially when they are seasonal. 

 I found a simple snowflake shape in my publishing program.  I then sized it to fit the bodysuit, and used it as a template to cut out my fabric shape.  I used  fusible  adhesive to attach the center of the snowflake to the shirt.  Next I machine stitched the branches of the snowflake so that they were tacked down in place. You could stop there if you were making a shirt for the little man in your life, but I wanted to really dress it up.  I picked up a small package of iridescent sequins at the craft store, they were less than one dollar.  I then sewed them in place with transparent thread.

If you've never sewn on sequins don't be intimidated.  It takes a bit of time, but is quite simple.  I followed the instructions from this video. 

Christmas Tree Top

This particular top is going to make it's way to my nephew.  I love how it turned out.  It could easily be dressed up with sequins or beads, but I like it clean and simple. 

 To make this top you will need ribbon, a scrap piece of fabric, heat and bond, and a sewing machine. I wanted to work with multiple shades of green so I used two similar colors, and had a bit of brown ribbon on hand as well.  The ribbon that I used was 1 1/2" wide.  

I cut 6 strips of ribbon (three of each shade) that were six inches long each.  I then applied a strip of fusible adhesive to the back of each ribbon. (I did not extend my adhesive to the edges, but you certainly could).  

Next I adhered the strips of ribbon to my scrap piece of fabric, starting at the bottom and offsetting the strips, and alternating shades, as I went up.  

Next adhere a piece of fusible adhesive to the back side of your scrap piece of fabric.  Once you have set it in place, you can sketch out, or transfer your image, onto the paper backing of the adhesive.

You will also want to cut a small piece of brown ribbon for the trunk of your tree.  My trunk is the width of the ribbon and about one inch long.  I rounded the edge of the bottom of the trunk. Adhere adhesive to the back of the trunk piece. 

Cut out your tree. Apply fray check  to the edges of your shapes to prevent fraying.

Remove the paper backing from the tree trunk and set it in place with your iron.  Stitch the tree trunk in place.  Next position and adhere your pine tree in place. Stitch around the perimeter of your pine tree.  If you have used fray check on your ribbon shapes you shouldn't have to worry about much fraying.  If you didn't use fray check I would suggest using a satin stitch (close zig zag stitch) to encase any raw edges and prevent fraying.

 That's it.  Your festive and simple holiday bodysuits are complete.  Your littlest ones are now ready to sport their seasonal fashions.

I'll be linking here.

Black Friday Madness

It's Black Friday.  Are you exhausted?  Are you frustrated because you didn't get your hands on those killer deals at your favorite stores?

I must be honest, Black Friday has always been a bit of a let down for me.  I don't have the determination to wait in line all night long, and consequently I don't end up getting those key items.  Luckily we live in the age of online shopping.

I think that it is so fantastic that we can sit down at our computer (in our pajamas) and hunt for the items on our holiday shopping list.  One thing that makes online shopping even better is that you can find practically everything on your list at one online store, CSN Stores.

CSN Stores has some great black friday deals running right now. You should be sure to check them out. Go to their home page at CSNstores.com and click on holiday deals.  

Mom-I found the TV Stand you've been looking for.

You will find great deals on toys and games, baby items, or fitness equipment.  You're sure to find all the items on your list, whether your searching for some new pots and pans, or flat screen tv stands, CSN stores has a great selection to choose from.

Happy Shopping.  See you Monday with Hip for the Holidays.

Sewing Room Gratitude

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday I thought that it might be appropriate to take this time to list a few of the things that I am grateful for....in my sewing room (I mean kitchen).  Everyone has their favorite tools that make their lives a bit easier.  Everything on my list is simple and inexpensive, making them perfect stocking stuffers or gifts.

Olfa Rotary Cutting Tool

I love this baby.  My parents gifted to me last year at Christmas, and I have certainly put it to good use.  It works like a dream and I haven't even had to replace the blade.  Something that makes this tool the tip top of my list is the pinking blade that can easily be used to finish off raw edges (essential if you are serger-less and lazy like me).

Ikea Paper Roll with Stand (don't attempt to stuff this in a stocking)


Now don't go thumbing through your Ikea catalog looking for the paper roll with stand, you need to find it's proper Swedish name (which I have no idea what it is).  I found these wonderful rolls of paper at Ikea in the kid's arts and crafts section.  You can hook the rolls of paper up to an easel, or to an independent base (pictured).  I love to use this paper to make my own patterns.  It is inexpensive and I can cut it to the desired length.  The base has a nice edge for making a clean tear of the paper.  If you are looking for a nice material to make rough draft patterns then I would highly suggest this.  If I remember correctly each roll of paper is around $5.00, and the base isn't too far from that.

14 in 1 Measuring Tool


I love this.  It is a small handy tool that offers 14 standard measurements.  I use it all the time when factoring in seam allowances for patterns.  Obviously I got mine as a free gift from fabric.com, but I know that they are available at craft and sewing stores. I use mine daily.

Pincushions


I made this two pincushions earlier this year.  They used very little material, so they can easily be made with scraps.  I also love having two pincushions on hand so that I can have one near my iron, and one near my sewing machine.  I've been trying to decide whether or not I should write up a tutorial for the rounded cushion, any interest?

Needle Book


I love my needle book.  I am notorious for leaving needles all over the place.  This simple felt needle book gives my needles a home.


What are your favorite sewing room tools?  I'm really interested in making some pattern weights...I hate pinning patterns.

Here's just a little tease for Hip for the Holidays.

Thanksgiving Food: Coconut Banana Cream Pie and Cranberries

Photo Source: Nestle Very Best Baking

I am quite fortunate to be able to celebrate the Holidays with nearby relatives.  It is nice in many ways, one of which is that I am not responsible for making the entire meal on my own.  I am typically given the responsibility of a salad, pie, cranberries, ect.

I thought that I'd share a couple of my favorite recipes for Thanksgiving: Cranberries, and Coconut Banana Cream Pie.

Coconut Banana Cream Pie is another dish that I have grown accustomed of contributing to the Thanksgiving feast.  I found this recipe shortly after my husband and I got married, and have really enjoyed it.  Paired with a gluten free crust, this makes an absolutely delicious pie.  I always bring this to my Celiac Diseased side of the family (there are a lot of us, we are a medical researchers dream) , and it is always a large hit with the other gluten free feasters. The pie is so delicious though that my family members who aren't gluten free often sneak a slice.  I originally found the recipe in my Nestle Toll House cookbook, but it can be accessed online as well.  Find recipe here.

Photo Source: allrecipes.com Diva

I just don't think that there is an excuse to buy prepared cranberries.  Fresh cranberries, in my opinion, taste far superior, and on top of that they are extremely fast and easy to make.  For some reason my husband still likes to have a can of cranberry jelly at the table, mostly to bring back childhood memories, but he definitely enjoys fresh cranberries as well.

Last year I tried this recipe, with a few omissions, and loved the results. The recipe is Cranberry Sauce Extraordinaire and can be found here.  It has a wonderful flavor, and the addition of some additional fruit and spices mixes things up just a little bit.  For the record, the omissions that I made with this recipe were the nuts and the dried fruit.

I hope that these recipes help put you in the holiday spirit.  Even if you aren't celebrating Thanksgiving this week, these dishes can really dress up any meal.


On the note of Holiday food, I am planning on hosting a Holiday Treat week.  I would love to have a holiday recipe link party, and celebrate the foods that remind us of the holidays.  If you are interested in guest posting please let me know.

I am also still open to any additional guest bloggers for Hip for the Holidays (starting next week).

Hip For The Holidays

It is a bit odd to be a craft blogger and to find myself uninterested in holiday home decor.  I love setting up the Christmas tree, and hanging stockings, but I am a bit of a minimalist when it comes to decorating for holidays. I don't need to have the whole house plastered in red and green to feel the Christmas Spirit. Turn on some Christmas music, make some homemade candy, wrap some presents in shiny paper, and I am good to go.  I have felt a bit out of place in the blogging world, and decided that I need to focus my crafting energy on something that interests me a bit more...sewing.

I really enjoyed Top-toberfest.  It was fun to challenge myself into making so many tops in a short amount of time.  I also really enjoyed gleaning inspiration from all of your creations.  I have decided that in honor of the holiday season I am going to throw another celebration of sorts.  I am going to call this series/theme week "Hip for the Holidays".  Don't get me wrong, I'm really not all that hip, but it was the best that I could come up with.

I love the idea of dressing up for the Holidays.  I have to admit that don't usually dress up much more formally than my typical Sunday dress, but I like the idea of having "Holiday Outfits", you know, just in case you get invited to a fancy schmancy dinner party.

I am intending on starting this series the Monday November 27th.  I am hoping to create a basic holiday look for each member of the family.  I would also love to have another link party where you can link up your holiday apparel.

I am open to the idea of having holiday apparel related giveaways.  If you'd like to sponsor a giveaway during "Hip for the Holidays" then please contact me.  Some items that I'd be interested in would be bows, bags, headbands, holiday themed tops, jewelry, holiday apparel sewing patterns, ect.  Please e-mail me with any questions.

If you have a special project that you think would be appropriate for this celebration please feel free to contact me about the possibility of guest posting.

I hope that you enjoy this as much as I think I'm going to.

Side Note: Due to the amount of sewing that is going into these holiday themed outfits, blogging may be a bit light next week.

The Fantastic Mr. Hobby Fox

I haven't been as focused on Christmas gifts as I probably need to, but I was able to whip up this hobby fox.  I found the free pattern on Ottobre Design (I love them).  

Who knows if Clark will have any interest on riding around on a hobby fox, but I remember liking hobby horses when I was younger.  The head is made entirely of felt.  This was a quick (less than 45 minutes), and inexpensive project.  I would highly recommend this project if you are in need of any extra projects or gifts.

You can find the free pattern here.  Thanks Ottobre.

I'll be linking up here.



PS- I am working on some larger projects, but they probably won't be published for another week or so. Bare with me...I'm working.

Women's Leather Coil Cuff

Yesterday I mentioned that I had a more feminine version of the leather cuff.  Here it is, and I'm even going to give you a tutorial so that you can make one for yourself (or anyone on your Christmas list).

The thing that I love about about working with leather is that you can cut right into it, and you don't have to worry about finishing off edges.  I also love that it is soft and really quite comfortable when worn.

I'd like to thank all of the Rodeo Queens out there who want pink and metallic silver chaps.  Thanks to you I can now have these ultra feminine leather cuffs.  This was scrap leather that I picked up on my most recent trip to the saddle store (where I buy all my leather for small projects).  Due to the fact that I am buying scrap leather, you never know quite what you'll find.  I really feel like I hit the jackpot last time.

Read more below for the full photo tutorial.

Leather Cuffs: For Boys of All Ages

I decided that I needed to put some of the extra leather that I have on hand to good use.  I was pretty pleased with the leather bows and belts that I made, but lets face it, leather can be quite masculine.  My Sister In Law and I decided that our boys needed some leather man bands.

Unfortunately when we sat down to craft our 3, 2,  and 1 year olds were less than cooperative.  Luckily these  bands can be quite simple and quick to make. Due to the lack of child cooperation we kept the bands relatively simple.

We added some simple stitching to a couple of the bands, and to the other we added some inexpensive  studs that I picked up at the saddle store.

I had some snaps on hand that worked perfectly for this project.  They are Anorak snaps from Prym.  They are heavy duty enough to deal with leather, but they aren't too bulky.  They're perfect.  I really like the look of them with the leather.  If you decided to go out and buy some you will want to buy the attachment tool as well.  For this reason I'd suggest buying when notions are on sale at Joann's.

Now I couldn't my husband when it came to making leather cuffs.  I made him this simple band with off set snaps.  Who knows if he'll actually wear it, but I didn't want to leave him out of the fun.

For a basic tutorial on making this grown man band click read more below.

Free Knitting Pattern Round-up

 I don't know what it is, but for some reason it is engrained in my mind that knitting is a winter craft.  I have designated October through March as knitting months.

It was just last year that I convinced myself that I needed to learn to knit.  I still don't knit well, and I'm not to the point where I could care at all about obtaining proper gauge, but it has definitely brought me a sense of satisfaction to begin to learn a new craft.  Last year I knit several scarves, and began work on an afghan (which is still in progress).

I am terrified of knitting anything that has any shaping to it, but I have dared to tackle Yarn Overs and Slip Stitches.  I'm pretty pleased with myself.  I think that I'll continue working on square and rectangular shaped items for now.  I just completed my first knitting projects of the year.  What was it?

Wash clothes of course. These were the first wash clothes that I've made, and they are so far from perfect, but I finished a project.  It also allowed me to get back into the hang of knitting and allow me to work on my tension.

The wash clothes come from a pattern found in this book, 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders, by Judith Durant. It was a very good project and pattern to get me back in the hang of things.

I do have hopes of knitting a hat or two this year, but we'll see if I can ever get the hang of circular and double ended needles.

I thought that I'd do a bit of a round-up of free knitting patterns....just in case some of you  are in need of a new project.  All of these patterns were found online, and the photos can be credited to the source. For the link click on the pattern title. For the full list click read more below.

Advent Calendar Sew Along

I don't know if you've heard, but Jill (from Homemade by Jill) is having a sew along. She will be making an advent calendar for the holidays, using this as her inspiration.

I've decided to join in on the fun.  I have my backing cut out, my pockets stitched and sewn on,  and my tree attached to the base.  I just cut out the first few decorations today.  I'm pretty excited about it.  It'll be nice to have a holiday activity for Clark to participate in.

The tree still needs a skirt, but I'll get to that sooner or later.  I'm not sure what guided my color choices...apparently I didn't feel any need to stick to red and green.