Mickey & Minnie Drawstring Bags

One week away from my daughter's birthday and I still haven't done anything else but the invitations, and started sewing her outfit!!! Oh well, but that's not what brought me here today! 

I came to show you the finished drawstring bags I was ordered from a friend. They were a total of 26 - 13 each, and although I got to get a few calluses from my eyelet pliers, I got burnt with my glue gun and being up until late a few times, I finished them in time to send it to my friend, as party favours for her son's birthday. She got it a couple of days ago, that's why I waited a bit to show them here. I wanted her to be the first to see it. She said she loved it, so I'm quite happy about it. 

Note this is not my original idea, she showed me what she wanted and I just had to recreate it! I'm glad this project is done. 

I also kind of crossed one of my pinterest challenge items. Kind of because it was a sewing failure! I still plan to share it here and try again. 

WIP: sneak peeks!

I know it's been quite silent around here. I've been busy... pretty busy. This is my daughter's birthday month. And even though it's only by the end of the month, I love to get started pretty soon. Last year I started planning it 6 months ahead. No kidding! But I figured I should save that anxiety problem this year. Project Run and Play and all the other challenges have kept me quite busy so far, to think about that. But it's getting closer, and I have to put my hands on it soon. 

I hurried to get the invitations done by the end of May, so I could focus on all the rest and have an idea of how many guests we were having... 

BUT, June is a busy month for me... not only I have my daughter's birthday, I also got an order from a friend for her kid's party too. She ordered 26 drawstring bags (20x30cm). 13 Minnie like and 13 Mickey like. I am finishing it already (thanks god, I can't stand that many bags anymore! hehe), but I still have to sew 13 ribbons for the Minnie like ones. 

Before this order, I had started doing my kids clothes for her own birthday. A couple of months ago I discovered Marta's blog (DoGuincho), exactly by the time she posted about these pleats. Ever since I wanted to try it myself. By looking at her pictures I didn't think it was hard so it was always on my mind for a future project. And I was really happy when Marta wrote her own tutorial for them, it really made my life easier, so Obrigado (thank you!) Marta!!!

When I thought of what to do for G.'s second birtday, I first thought of a dress, but then I went back... wait... ANOTHER dress added to her already growing-up-fast-list of dresses? No way! I had to donate a few fitting ones because they were just too much, how would I make another one?!

I decided I would do something different this time, but since I know that at least one of my readers will be at the party, I won't show or tell you what my idea was. Not yet, you'll have to wait until after the party!

The only thing I can tell you is that I am finally doing the pleats! And boy... they are time consuming. I think I might have spent about 3 to 4 hours on them already ( I can't tell since I didn't do them all straight), and I still have about the same amount to do... 

sorry for the blurry picture!

And there's more... yesterday I got invited to a Christening of my cousin's kids with two weeks ahead the event. I won't be sewing anything for baby G. but I'd like to sew myself a skirt, and I'd like to sew something as a gift for my little cousin B. She's almost 3 years old but she's wearing basicly the same as my daughter, so size should be an easy issue - I guess. 

Not all yet... on the 17th there's our little niece's first birthday too. And I'd love to sew something for her too... just not even sure what that'll be yet! Any ideas?!

And last... I have to get started on my own project(s) for July's Refashion Month... are you with us?

Pinterest Challenge

I liked to take part of the pinterest challenge a few weeks ago. It motivated me to get around to do some of those things I pinned and were forever waiting for me to give it a try. So I decided I will start my own personal pinterest challenge monthly. I will have to get 5 of my pins done each month. And I have created a board on Pinterest, just to collect all the pins I've done.

So, for June here's my pick - not necessarily on the same order:

#1 - A Piñata Cake for my daughter's second birthday

#2 - Harem Pants for my daughter

3- Potty Training Pants

4 - Old Fashioned Lollipops

5- Something similar to this

I just feel like I'm going through a fase when I need to get challenged! Let's hope I get everything I wish done!

Tutorial: The Emerald Dress

Does any of you remember the Emerald Dress I've refashioned for the Sew-vivor sewalong? Ever since, I've been planning to share the tutorial on how I made it, and it's been postponed ever since.

I am a petit size, so that means I could use the existing dress/skirt to make a petit size refashioned dress. The fabric I used was just enough for the new dress to be at all fitable. So, make sure that you have enough if you're refashioning too.

Wait no more! Here it comes.

1. Lay your pieces flat and draw the pattern pieces. I had a 1cm allowence because I had no more fabric to use, but you can make it bigger.

2. Cut your pieces. For this dress, I needed 4 pieces front and 4 pieces back. I flipped front and back from the original dress, so my buttons will be on the back. Since I was reusing them, I didn't have to leave a seam allowence for the center back.

3. Pin all your pieces together.

4. Sew seams on machine. Press them open on the front center, and the rest to the sides. 

5. On the right side of the fabric sew a paralel stitch (I used my foot's width). 

6. A look of it all stitched down on the front. 

7. Mark your button holes. I used the existing ones, but they weren't enough, so I had to add a couple more. 

8. I traced the pattern into the lining from the original piece and had it cut by the waist. I've used one the original stripes to make the new different one, which was sewn between the two layers of fabric (sorry I was so involved with it at this part that I forgot to take some photos). It was then pinned and sewn to the outter pieces. First right sides together. Turn around and press.
9. Sew a stitch line as close to the edge as possible to keep it in place.
10. I've closed the side seams by hand.
11. Just a look at the finished back.

12. back to the button holes, since my thread was different and contrastic to the original, I had to sew button holes over the existing original ones. you can see it clearly in this picture below.
13. A look at my finished dress, back and opened.
14. For the belt, all I had to do, was sewing a piece of lace to the other stripe from the original dress, add a button on one edge and a button hole to the other. And it was done.