Entirely Smitten

Pillowcase Dress - A New Spin on an Old Favorite

Simple Waistband Resizing {Tutorial}

I'm so excited that many of my non-sewing friends have decided to give it a go since seeing some of my clothes hacks.  It's a good idea to start by making simple changes to clothing to get an understanding of basic sewing techniques.  The last thing you want to do is dive into really intricate, complicated sewing projects, get discouraged, and quit sewing for life!  Here is a super easy tutorial on adjusting an elastic waistband.  At some point or another this will come in really handy for you.

 

This skirt is a size 12, but we're going to turn it into a size 7 :)

 

Step 1. The rippin' and the tearin'

Find where the seams are for the skirt.  Here, they're on the sides.

 

Use a seam ripper to get underneath one of the stitches.  The curved part of the seam ripper (between the tip and the red ball) is actually a razor and will cut the thread for you.  Once you cut that first thread you should be able to lift each stitch one at a time and slowly pull it out.  If you don't have a seam ripper you can use a dull fork to lift the first stitch, then snip it with a pair of scissors, then use the fork to pull out the remaining stitches :)

 

Now that you've pulled a few stitches you can see the elastic band inside.  Hook your finger around it and gently pull it out a bit.

 

Step 2.  Size it Up

Try the skirt on and pull the elastic out to where the skirt fits nice and snug.  Once it fits, pinch the elastic together right at the waistband of the skirt so you can sew it.

 

Step 3.  Sew the band

I used pink so you could actually see it :)

 

Step 4.  Cut the Remaining Elastic

Step 5.  Close it up

Using a similar color to the fabric of the skirt, sew the small opening closed being sure to avoid stitching through the elastic.  It should be pretty easy since the hole is so small :)

DONE!

 

So there it is.  Keep in mind that this same technique can be used for replacing an elastic band that has worn out on the favorite skirt!  Just remove the old elastic band, slide a new one through the channel (use a safety pin to help you feed it through) and finish up as shown!

 

Another Dress Hack!

I enjoy sewing pretty much anything, but I have a special love for hacking things.  For some reason, turning a shirt into a skirt or a dress or a pillow feels more creative than sewing from scratch.  In some cases it's easier because a lot of the construction is already done for you, but in most cases you really have to finagle things to make them work in your new piece. 

Here is my most recent hack Before:

Although this Old Navy peasant top was cute, I felt like a moose every time I wore it- which was never, because who wants to look like a moose?  Anyway, I thought it would make a super cute dress for Nimby!

And here it is After:

   See how I did it after the jump!

Shirr Thing {another simple dress tutorial!}

I love, love, love shirring!  It's so easy to do and doesn't require a whole lot of thinking.  I've had an awful headache all day and this project was actually soothing.

The Perfect Summer Dress {Make it}

I'm a huge fan of re-purposing clothing.  When an item from my wardrobe gets tired and I find myself not wearing it, I think about ways that I can reuse it.  A sexy silk top can easily be turned into a sassy pillow.  A skirt that has seen better days can be hacked into a cute top for one of my girls.  A sweater that has accidentally been shrunk (hubbbby!) can be chopped down into a pair of cute toddler legwarmers and a matching vest.  I love bringing new life to something that might otherwise be headed to dumpsville, so when my friend Kate approached me asking for my expertise, I was PUMPED!

The Dilemma:

During their annual spring cleaning, both Kate and hubby Marc decided to pare down the items in their closet.  They decided to make a pile of items that haven't worn in over a year.  To Marc's shock he had over 20 dress shirts alone that had gone unworn!  (Way more than Kate's 12!)  Since most of Marc's dress shirts were in great condition she felt bad throwing them out and was wondering if there was a way to re-purpose them.  I practically jumped all over her!  

The Solution: The Perfect Summer Dress

 

Diy Handbag {& a hint of what's coming!}

Since I know my mom has already checked the blog for the day, it's safe to pop this one up!  This is a handbag I made for my momma for Mother's Day.

 

Doll Clothes Insanity!

The above comparison precisely depicts how I feel about buying American Girl doll clothes.  So much money for such a small amount of fabric!  Would I pay $24 for a pair of undies?!  Hmmmm.  I guess that depends!  But honestly, $24 for a doll's dress?  I've paid less than that for a dress for me!  Now although this is not a tutorial, I did snap a few pics for some of the process.  I will certainly throw up a few tutorials if y'all are interested ;)

 

I literally only used 2 fat quarters for the whole thing! (Like I said about $3 total!)

 

The bodice of the dress

 

The skirt of the dress, if that makes any sense!

 

Sewing the bodice and the skirt together.

 

And I'm spent!

 

  Ruthie sporting her new threads... Kit's going to be PISSED!  That's ok, I'm completely hooked on making doll clothes now. for now!  (Ask me how I feel about it next week!) 

 

 

Easter Dress Hack

I found these matching silk skirts at Savers the other day.  They were only $5.99 each!  Although they were both girl's size 8 and my girls are size 6 and 12-18 mos I knew I could hack them and make them work for matching easter dresses.  I love having my kids match or coordinate for holidays, but having three kids it is getting increasingly difficult to do so.  Finding identical silk skirts was a SIGN!

Read on to see the transformation!

Face Mask Heating Pad - A Tutorial

Desperate times call for desperate measures...

For the past week I have been suffering through the world's worst sinus infection.  I literally could not function.  On several occasions I wanted to go take a hot bath to help ease the pain, but the thought of having to walk myself to the bathroom made me borderline suicidal.  Although I had a "warmie" (a homemade heating pad that my mom made for my son) I struggled to heat my forehead, cheeks, nose, eyebrows, etc. and still retain the ability to breathe.  Not an even trade-off!  I vowed that as soon as I could see straight, I would make one for the face, complete with holes for seeing and breathing!  Well, here it is!

Read on for a step by step tutorial!

It's 1:05 am and shoes are on my mind

 

I started making shoes on whim, because our 18 month old daughter, Marlee, is constantly losing her shoes.  They were so easy and ridiculously cheap to make that not only will I never buy baby shoes again, I'm tinkering with big kid and grown up shoes too.