The Train To Crazy

Taking pants down a size (or two) tutorial

The problem with losing weight is having to buy new clothes. Often in sizes you don't wish to own. So what do you do when you find yourself wearing jeans that look like this: 

No, this won't do! No worries. There is a very quick fix that doesn't involve taking apart waistbands and hems.

1. Put your pants on inside out. Figure out how much extra in the waist and legs you need to take in. PIn the top and carefully step out of the pants.

2. Sew down each side. Make sure to sew an even amount on each side so you don't have a wonky seam up your backside. 

Notice here I made an original seam then tried the pants on and realized I wanted to take them in 1/4" on each side so I sewed another seam.

3. Finish the seam. Use a serger, pinking sheers or a zigzag stitch. 

4. Sew the seam down at the waist and bottom of the pant leg. The outside will look like this: 

Can you see that stitching 1/4" to the left of the seam? The inside will look like this: 

Sometimes you will want to take in the inseam as well to get a better fit. Just go for it in the same manor you did the side seams.

Now wear those pants with pride for the next 4 weeks until you go down another size!

Looking for adorable little girl patterns? Have you seen Petite Kids Boutique?

Messenger Bag Sew Along Part 4

This is the final installment of the messenger bag sew along tutorial. When you have completed the next few steps your bag will look like this.

Are you ready to sew your own now? I think this Robert Kaufman print would make a great messenger bag!

Click here for Part 4 of the sew along.

Have you completed a Keyka Lou messenger bag? Add it to the Flickr group. Don't forget that all the Keyka Lou patterns. are on sale right now! Only $5!

Messenger Bag Sew Along Week 2

There is still time to join in! Check out Week 1 of the sew along where we gathered supplies. Of course, you can always finish at your own rate!

It is now time to cut our fabric and get started sewing! When you are finished with today's portion you'll have completed this:

Yay! Now hop on over to the full Sew Along for Week 2 here.

Who are you sewing your messenger bag for?

Make your own camera bag

There are so many fabulous camera bags out there right now. I know you've been wanting one but that $90, $200, $350 price tag is a bit out of your budget, right? Or maybe they just aren't quite your style. That was me. Not quite my style and a bit pricey to justify. I'd rather spend more money on the camera than the bag. Using a few different examples around the web with some tutorials and semi tutorials I created my own. (like this one from Vanilla & Lace, Tales of a Wife, or My Messy Manger)  

All you need to create your own DIY camera bag is a bag that has good space, some foam, fabric and either some fabric glue or a sewing machine. Velco is useful and optional. You don't even need to know how to sew!

The best part about my DIY camera bag? The safety padding fits in more than one of my bags. I can change it out whenever I want! So for the price of an $80 camera bag I have 2 very nice bags. If you are a bargain shopper you could definitely make your own for less than $20. This is not a tutorial but if you combine this tutorial with my photos you'll be able to easily figure out how to create your own.

Bag One (an ordinary bag)

Bag Two

  

The Insert

The Adjustable Lens Protector

Make sense? What do you think? Want to make your own camera bag?

Possibly linked here

Check out Peganders Etsy Shop: notebook, bag, kid supply, craft PDF pattern store

Handmade Dress Up: DIY Potato Head Costume Tutorial

Welcome to the Handmade Dress Up Series! Like what you see? Support the guests by pinning their project or stumbling it!

 

Welcome Alison! Thank you for the Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head Costume Tutorial!

Hello friends!

 

 My name is Alison.  My blogging home is Oopsey Daisy.

I am thrilled to be here!  You see, I've been riding on the Train to Crazy for quite a while... Because I am the queen of oopsey daisies!  :) I like to sew, modpodge, craft,

decorate, photograph, hammer, paint, teach, and create.  Most of all, I love to

create things for the people I love. 

Fall is my favorite time of year, and I've been itching for Halloween for months!  In our house, we only watch one movie:  Toy Story.  So naturally, this year we are all dressing up as Toy Story characters!

 

And guess what?  

We're actually re-using the costumes we wore in February!  When my Little Man turned two, I threw him a Toy Story birthday party.  He dressed like Buzz Lightyear, and we asked all of our guests to dress like Toy Story characters, too!  

Mr. Oopsey Daisy and I dressed up like Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head!

 

 I sewed our costumes in 1 afternoon, and they were a piece of cake.  Are you ready to learn how to make your own?

Let's get started!

I did a few measurements on my husband including:

*Distance from shoulder to shoulder

* Waist circumference

*Distance from neck to knee

 

I purchased 2 1/3 yards of tan felt--that's 84 inches!  

Once I folded it in half lengthwise, I had my Mr. Potato Head!  He just needed a little trimming!  So I followed the measurements above to cut out an A-line shape. 

At the top of the fold, I found the center, and I cut out a 6-inch semi-circle to create the hole for the head. 

 

Next, I cut out Mr. Potato Head's eyes, nose, mustache, mouth, and ears from felt.  (I studied pictures of Mr. Potato Head while I did this.)  I pinned these on to the front of Mr. Potato Head.

 

Next, I sewed the facial features right on to the front. (Be sure to unfold the felt at this point.)

 

Then I pinned the right sides together.  But before sewing the sides together, I folded up the bottom edge by 1/2 inch.

 

I pressed the fold to create the casing for the elastic.  Here is a quick run-down...  

Once I had the elastic sewed in, I sewed up the sides.

I left the top 13 inches unsewn for the arm holes.  Just underneath the arm holes, I sewed in ears on each side.

In the back, I cut a 4-inch slit and sewed on Velcro to close it up.  This gives a little breathing room for slipping it on and off.

 

I think this Mr. Potato Head is pretty handsome!  :)

 

And here is my Mrs. Potato Head version!

So our family is all set for Halloween, and I can't wait!

 Andrea, this has been so much fun.  Thank you for having me!  I hope you'll come stop by Oopsey Daisy and say hello!

Check out the other Handmade Dress Up tutorials!

Gray striped purse with a yellow rosette for Purse Week!

Have you heard of Purse Week at A Lemon Squeezy Home? She hosted last year and so many wonderful handbags were entered to the contest. Emily from The Boy Trifecta was last year's winner. I adore the bag she made. Definitely my style. I didn't enter last year. I wanted to. But I was a little busy moving and being 8 months pregnant and all. This year I was determined to participate.

I can't tell you all how much I love how this turned out. The fabric is a gray and white seersucker. I agonized over how to embellish the front. This wasn't my first choice but my other idea was perfect in my head and much less perfect in practice. I hate when that happens. 

This yellow polka dot flower works well though. It is bold, which I love. 

The pleating is my favorite part. It adds a bit of femininity and softness I think.

Red polka dots inside. Of course. And a zip pocket, which I messed up a bit but oh well. So there you have it. My new purse. I think it will look great with my dress. I'm considering making the pattern for this purse. I love it that much.

DY(S)G: Sewing for teen girls- Outfit #2

A series of knock off inspired outfits for teens (or yourself!)

Outfit #2

Source: Delia's Dress, Dress Pattern, Voile

What do you think?

Did you see Outfit #1?

DY(S)G: Sewing for teen girls- Outfit #1

Sewing for teen girls could be fun. Very fun. I've put together a series of outfits that may work for your girl. Here is the first.

Outfit #1

Source: Tank Pattern, Skirt Pattern, Chiffon (doesn't fray), Lace

I think I'd like this outfit myself please! What do you think?

Design for Shabby Apple

I'm excited about my Shabby Apple "Dare to Design" entry. Shabby Apple dresses are amazing and I'd love the opportunity to have my design sold on their site! I've seen the other competition though and WOW! You are all talented!

I'm a girl that needs comfortable clothes. I need items in my wardrobe that can be worn in multiple situations and can be either dressed up or down. But most of all, I need something that is flattering and leaves me comfortable in my "I just had 4 babies" body.

This dress is a lightweight jersey knit. I've created it in a heather purple but it would look great it black, gray, teal or even light pink. The defining features of the dress are the scoop neckline, rouched sides and full skirt. This makes the perfect dress for showing off your body while hiding those imperfections!

Dressed up with a sweater and heals or dressed down with flip flops it is so comfortable I'll probably be wearing it to the playground later.

My 6 year old was my photographer. The only guidance I gave her was "make sure my head AND my feet are in the picture." She obliged. She's already shooting artistic shots and doesn't even know it!

Would you wear this? What do you think?

Maternity NO more! Tailor your maternity shirt to fit after pregnancy

Hello everyone from Cook, Clean, Craft! I'm so happy to be a part of Me Me Me Month!

Perhaps you're like me and you wish to burn your maternity clothes after you have your baby. Sick of those same 3 shirts that fit at the end of your pregnancy. Plan to either toss them or make them into dresses for your little girl. Well, maybe there is another option.

You can turn a big, frumpy, (ugly?) shirt into something that may just possibly be cute. Or at least work for you during those transition sizes.

This morning I took this awful shirt:

 

and stitched a seam on each side using a regular sewing machine and a knit stitch. A straight stitch or a small zigzag would work as well. If you have a serger go ahead and use that!

I used pink thread so you can see my seam easier. Notice that maternity shirts are usually wider in front than back. I evened out the front and back panels by taking in more on the front side (see photo above). 

Trim seams. Finish the edges if your fabric is woven. Knit fabric won't unravel so I left mine raw. I prefer to finish the bottom edge by pushing edges to one side and stitching it down.

It will look like this on the outside of the shirt:

Final step: attempt awkward self portrait in mirror instead of setting up tripod...

I left mine still pretty roomy because of the style but feel free to tailor your shirts as much as you want!

Do you have old maternity clothes to tailor?

Spring Top- Butterick B4132

Did you sew anything for the Spring Top Sew Along on Made by Rae? 

This is my "Aloha Tank". I love it. There are things I'd do differently next time but on a whole this is a wearable, comfortable top.

Pattern: Butterick B4132 View A

Fabric: Unknown. Do you know who the designer is? I bought it at a discount fabric store and it wasn't labeled. I believe it is cotton but could be wrong.

Oddly, the pattern I have is a larger size than I need so I did some altering after it was put together. It was a bit wide and short. Notice I had to add length AFTER it was complete. Not cool. But the crazy fabric pattern makes it less noticeable.

On a whole this top came together easily and the instructions are correct. I don't like how low the cowl neck is. This photo doesn't show exactly how revealing it is (thankfully).If I had this pattern in a smaller size I'd definitely make it again. I'm guessing if I started with my correct size the extreme cowl issue would be fixed. Final top rating?

Tutorial: The 60 Minute Dress

Warning: do not attempt this dress if you are a perfectionist OR are uncomfortable "winging it"

If you do dare, this is what you'll get

(shirt version)

(dress version)

(very unflattering adult version)

I have some tips on how to make your adult version much cuter (hopefully).

Measure your subject:

Cut rectangle of fabric by the width and length you measured.

Fold in half one way, then fold in half the other way so the very middle of the fabric is folded at a point.

Cut head hole by dividing head circumference by 4, then cut head hole as pictured. Smaller is better. You can always cut it larger if necessary.

Your fabric will now look like this:

Now here is the "winging it" part.

Start at edge and sew arm hole the turn a 90 degree angle and sew down to bottom. 

Can you believe it will now look like this?

Hints:

• make arm hole big enough
• the "armpit" of the shirt should be 1"-3" away from the body so the dress is a big without the belt. 
• slightly angle side seam back away from body. The more you angle the seam back toward side edge, the fuller the dress will be.
• The heavier the knit, the less "flowy" it will be. On an adult I'd recommend a lightweight knit!! Mine was too heavy. It also doesn't flatter my 5 week post baby body. 
• Try it on, fix if necessary! Too wide? take 3 minutes and make it less wide!

Finish neck, sleeve and bottom of shirt with rolled hem or however you want. Knit doesn't even "need" to be finished.

Finish the dress with a belt. I used a piece of knit a couple inches smaller than the waist. Sewed the ends together and finished edges with a rolled hem.

What do you think? Easy, but do you dare try? I'd love to see pictures if you make one!

Too large shirt to maternity shirt

I found a really cute shirt at Target today. I bought it a couple sizes too big to accommodate that growing baby. The problem with shirts that are a couple sizes too big is that there is too much room under the armpits and the chest. This was my simple solution.

Just a few rows of shirring made a big difference. It could probably use more but I'm leaving it this way.

It looks much better now from the front. Less like a too big shirt and more like a maternity shirt.

  

Thank you!

Wow, what a great response to my dress! Thank you all so much. You are too kind. 

A few of you asked me about the pattern. It is a McCall's M5804 view B. Overall the pattern was fairly easy. It is fully lined so it takes a bit of time but I think it is worth it. 

I'm working on a few more things right now that I'll have to show you later when they are completed. Nothing as complicated as a dress though. I'm definitely going to make another one soon. It is a lot of fun to wear what you make.

In other news, we've had a rough time around here. Starting on Wednesday night while we were on vacation the baby started having a hard time breathing and developed a cough. We came back home Thursday and drove right into the doctor's office. After tests and x-rays we were on our way back home. How wonderful is modern medicine? While babies don't like to be nebulized it sure is convenient to be able to do that at home. So, after many doses of Albuterol and Motrin and Tylenol a few days of being forced liquids she is finally starting to turn toward the better. Still wants to be held constantly and is very cranky, but she's drinking on her own so that's a good thing. I HATE having to hydrate a baby with a syringe. For some reason they just don't like it either...

So now I'm off to do a week's worth or regular laundry plus our snow clothes and sheets and towels and probably wash a bit of my sanity as well. 

The girls sorted the clothes for me last night in the basement and on their way up the stairs I over heard this conversation;

"That was so fun!"

"I know! What a fun day!"

"I love doing laundry!"

I hope they still feel that way when they are 8 and it is their permanent job! Hmmm, maybe 7.

My dress

I've talked about it. I've told a few of you that I completed it. But I hadn't shown anyone pictures, yet. So, without further ado, here is the dress I made for myself last week.

These first pictures were taken in a poorly lit hotel room so you may not get the full effect but I hope you take my word that it turned out very well. And most importantly, I could zip it up.

This dress is a heavy flannel and the band around the ribs is corduroy. I put in my first invisible zipper. It was a learning process but it actually isn't that difficult.

This beauty is fully lined. I should have taken a picture of the lining. It is a great royal blue cotton. This is a winter dress, for sure. And the good thing is there is a lot of winter left!

I love it. The hours it took to make were so worth it. Now I just need to get back my pre-Christmas diet so it will fit properly! 

What do you think? Would you wear it? Okay, imagine it without the pink tights because I know those are throwing most of you off!

This post is linked to  Motivate Me Monday, Show & Tell, Strut Your Stuff Thursdays

Happy Birthday Mom!

My mom has always loved the birthday shirts I make my girls so I made her one for her special day. I hope she doesn't kill me.

Happy birthday Mom. I'm sad that I can't be with you today! I hope you have a wonderful day. You're the best!