Simple Striped Shirt

I know school is just around the corner, and there are lots of 'back to school sales,' but this year I'm trying to make everything I need for school at home. So as a first back-to-school item, I'm making myself a comfortable shirt. I found the tutorial for this shirt here

Here's what you need:

• Striped jersey knit fabric (about 2 yards, just to be safe)
• A shirt to use for measuring
• Thread of similar color to your fabric

Here's how you make it:

• Lay your fabric down, and lay your measuring shirt on top of it. Cut the fabric so it is slightly larger than the measuring shirt at the edges. You should have extra fabric to set aside.

•  Now, make sure that the outsides of the fabric are facing each other, (inside-out) and that the stripes are lined up, then pin the sides of the fabric.

•  Sew up the sides, making sure not to sew the sleeve openings and the bottom of the shirt.
• Next, take the extra fabric and make two long strips of fabric that are about four inches wide. The strips should each be a little smaller than the bottom of the shirt. (Sorry about the drawings.)

•  Fold each strip of fabric in half, then sew them together at each end.

• Turn the already-sewn shirt inside-out. Pin and sew the strips to the bottom of the shirt.
• Now all that's left is a few hems. Fold in the ends of the sleeves only an inch, then sew. Do the same to the other sleeve, and the collar.
• Turn your shirt back right ways, (if you haven't already,) and you're done!

 

Simple Dog Bed

My dog has needed a dog bed for quite a while now. We had gotten her a couple when she was a puppy, but for some strange reason, she grew! So now we decided it was time. We had to get her a new bed. But all dog beds big enough for her were REALLY expensive. So we took a trip to Joann Fabrics. We found the perfect fabrics for a dog bed at a great price (to my mother's delight). But we still needed the stuffing. A foam rectangle her size was even more costly then one of the dog beds sold at petsmart. It was terrible. We bought the fabric anyway, and hoped that we could find some pillows to stuff it with. Later, while we were at ikea we found cheap bed inserts, and thought to ourselves, "this would make great stuffing for our dog bed!" and it did!

  

This is how it turned out:

Here's what you need:

• A few yards of fabric (depending on the size of your dog, I used about 2 yards for a 35 pound dog)
• Thin bed insert
• Sewing machine

Here's how you make it:

• First, cut out two rectangles of the same size out of the fabric.
• Turn the outside fabrics to face each other (so that it is inside-out).
• Sew up three of the sides with the fabric still facing in, then turn it inside-out.
• Put the bed insert in the pillow, then fold in the corners of the side that was open, and sew the whole side.
• Tie the knots of the side you sewed, and enjoy! 

Upcycle Tanktop Dress

To start off the sewing tutorials, I decided to make a simple upcycle dress. I got the idea from a blog called How Joyful.

There are only three main steps to making this dress.

Here's what you need:
A simple colored ribbed tanktop
An old loose/blouse styled shirt (not see-through)
A thick elastic band (optional)

Here's how you make it:

1. Take the loose shirt. Cut the top/collar/sleeves off so the remaining fabric is the same color or design. Set aside for later.

• Next cut a strip off the bottom of the ribbed tanktop. Cut the piece of fabric on the seams to make two strips.

• Sew a seam along the fraying end of the fabric, the pull the bottom thread to create ruffles.

• Pin the ruffled fabric to the tanktop, creating a small design.
• Sew the small strips of fabric to the shirt.

     2.  Turn both the tanktop and the loose shirt inside out.

• Pin together the two shirts. The tanktop will be the top half, and the loose shirt will be the skirt.
• Sew together the two shirts, then turn it back again, so the right sides are facing out.

    3. (Optional) Pin the black elastic to the outside of the dress, over the seam.

• Then sew along the top and the bottom of the elastic.

                                                                 Enjoy your new dress!

Button CRAZY!

These are fun and easy crafts to do on a weekend. You can make button bags and buttoned picture frames.

Here's what you need to make the bags:

- A store bought bag, or a bag you made.
- A variety of buttons.
- A needle and thread.

Here's how you make it:

- Use a needle and thread to sew the buttons onto the bag one by one.
- Keep sewing them on until most of the bag is covered.
- Tie off all of the knots, and you're finished.

Here's what you need for the picture frames:

- An inexpensive picture frame.
- Mod-Podge.
- An assortment of buttons and beads.

Here's how you make it:

- Apply the Mod-Podge to the picture frame.
- Put the buttons and beads onto the frame.
- Set aside to dry.

Have fun!