Category Archives: Apparel

Happy Halloween

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We look forward to Halloween every year simply because it gives us an excuse to be creative and silly – well, okay, we need no excuse for that do we?

Every year, we think of a theme and costumes that aren’t terribly hard to make/assemble.  Here’s a look at us over the years – all decked out.

Made:

  • Luke Skywalker and Yoda jackets
  • Yoda headpiece (complete with receding hairline) – this is a hat that covers his baseball cap, which he loves to wear and never takes off (perfect!)
  • Princess Leia dress, belt and hair buns (made using ear warmers – perfect for the chilly walk around the neighborhood)
  • Lightsabers – wrapping paper rolls, electrical tape and tin foil

Made:

  • Sushi Chef – Jacket and headwrap
  • California Roll – Entire roll, front and back
  • Shrimp Sushi
  • Soy Sauce Packet – Felt (by the yard) and printed paper for writing

Made:

  • I purchased Z’s lil man outfit and altered it to fit him.

Made:

  • Dress and skirt
  • Headpiece
  • Accessories
  • Pharaoh staff

Made:

  • Box – complete with animated toy caterpillar inside

Made:

  • Dodgeball protective padding & unibrow (no, this is not real)
  • Snakes on a plane t-shirt, airplane wings and body

Made:

  • Fat suit
  • Woopie cushion

There you have it. Halloween at it’s best.  Hope this inspires you to make your next costume!

DIY Romper

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As with most of my projects, this one too, stemmed from a problem.  Zander’s birthday party this year was Hawaiian themed and of course, I had nothing to wear.

With the Fall and Winter months ahead, it was pretty hard to find anything “Summery”, much less Hawaiian – and so my mission began… I needed something that was:

1. Hawaiian themed
2. Breathable, since it was a hot day and the party was outside
3. Easy to maneuver in, since I’d be running around hosting, carrying Z and of course, jumping in the bounce house

I actually picked up this fabric months ago in an LA fabric store in the rummage pile. Coincidentally,  I bought it with full intention of making a romper – one day. Z’s birthday was  the kick-in-the-butt I needed to make it happen.

I gave myself 1 night to complete the outfit, start to finish. It took me 3hrs and costs $3 in materials – score!

The pattern is actually fairly simple. The top is 2 square pieces, front and back – elastic around the top. Bottom, I used my loose fitting pajama pants as a pattern. Top and bottom are sewn together and the seam is covered by the belt. And there you have it. A summer outfit that’s cute AND practical. Hope this inspires you to take on those projects you’ve been putting off, too!

 

Girls Summer Dress

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I know what you’re thinking… finally, something for a girl!  Most of what I’ve made revolves around Zander, which means tees, jackets, pants and shoes. It was nice to finally make something cute for a little girl.

I followed this tutorial for the most part, but added a second layer underneath to match the material used around the neckline and straps. Made of light-weight cottons it’ll keep her feeling and looking cool all summer long.

Roll-up Pants

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I like to call these Zander’s ‘fancy pants’ because I made them for a wedding we went to recently.

Knowing the wedding would be held outside in possibly 100 degree humid weather, I wanted to make something both comfy and fashionable for him. I followed this tutorial to make the flat front linen pant and added the buttons and tabs myself to convert them into shorts. Perfect for fancy weddings or for lounging barefoot around the house (or at the beach).

4 Ways to Turn Pants into Shorts

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If you’re anything like me, you have a surplus of pants and a shortage of shorts. Not ideal for summer at all.

In a few easy steps, you too, can turn pants you don’t wear much anymore into shorts you’ll love. It’s a win-win-win situation. You make the most of your current wardrobe, save the cash for something else, and they’ll fit perfectly because they were your pants to begin with.

Hemmed:
1. Turn pants inside out
2. Mark desired length with a line
3. Cut 1 inch below ‘desired length line’
4. Serge both pant legs so they don’t fray (optional)
5. Fold and iron at ‘desired length line’
6. Sew all around both pant legs

Cut & Fold:
1. Mark desired length with a line
2. Cut 1 inch below ‘desired length line’
3. Fold (toward outside of pants so raw edge is showing) and iron at ‘desired length line’
4. Tack (sew a few stitches back and forth) so it won’t unfold. Tack along the sides and front and back (4 total) – Example below

Rolled:
1. Turn pants inside out
2. Mark desired length with a line
3. Cut 2 inches below ‘desired length line’
4. Turn pants right-side out
5. Fold 1 inch and iron
6. Fold 1 inch again and iron
7. Tack (sew a few stitches back and forth) so it won’t unfold. Tack along the sides and front and back (4 total) – Example below

Cut:
1. All in the name… cut it and you’re done! Edges will fray naturally after wearing and washing.

 Example of tacking:

Baby Shoes with Reversible Insole

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These shoes were made especially for Zander’s little friend in the neighborhood. He’s just learning to walk so I wanted to make him something cute and comfy. I purchased this pattern on Etsy and altered it to fit his narrow feet. I also added a foam insole for more cushion as he walks and soon enough, runs. For added fun, I made the insole reversible. Hope this inspires you to make your own version of these cute shoes for the kiddos in your life!

T-Shirt Turned Tank

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Quick and simple tutorial on how to turn a t-shirt into a tank. Perfect for the warm summer months to come!

Step 1:

Fold tee in half and cut arm holes and neckline. Tip: Use one of your tank tops as a guide to mark where to cut.

Step 2:

Hand sew along dotted line.

Step 3:

Pull on thread to gather material. Tie the thread at the end to secure the gathering in place.

Step 4:

Measure about 2 inches down from neckline.

Step 5:

Fold (accordion style) down to the 2 inches you measured. Hand sew in place.

Arm holes and neckline can be left unsewn – they won’t fray.

There you have it! Five simple steps to turn your tee into a tank. Enjoy!

The Twofer

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Zander is ready to kick it old school in his new hoodie. This was the second hoodie I made using this pattern and it came out almost perfect – to my standards at least.  If you try this pattern, be sure to use these tips to align the pockets. It didn’t work perfectly for me, but it was definitely an improvement from my first hoodie.  The best thing by far about this hoodie is the “twofer” factor. That’s right, two jackets in one!

I know what you’re thinking. In the age of smart phones and media players, he’ll never know the true beauty of cassette tapes.  Well, thanks to his Daddy and Auntie Angie, he’ll grow up with a complete set of 80′s mixed tapes and an original Sony boombox to play them with.  Here’s a pic of Z at 9 months, ready to jam.

 

 

Herringbone Hoodie

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Since Zander outgrew his favorite grey hoodie from Baby Gap, our options were to:

1. Shell out another $45 for a similar one

OR

2. Make an even better one for much less

As you can see, I went with option 2. I started with this pattern and adjusted it to be one-sided. I also added in the herringbone around the hood and elbow pads which aren’t part of the pattern.  Zander now has a one-of-kind grey hoodie with a hint of herringbone.

Cost of materials: $12

Seeing my son wear something I made: Priceless!

3 Tees = 1 Reversible Hoodie

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As you all know, I have lots of t-shirts from my husband’s collection and my own, as an Inker. I couldn’t think of anything better than to make my muse, Zander, a reversible hoodie. For once, I purchased this pattern instead of trying to figure it out myself. Smart choice considering it took me 10+ hours to figure it all out WITH the pattern and instructions in front of me. Using bits and pieces from 3 different shirts, I had enough material to make him this sweet hoodie:

Zander is officially ready for Spring in his new reversible, color-block hoodie. Hope this inspires you to make something new for your Spring wardrobe.