The Train To Crazy

12 Days of Christmas Sewing: Easy Merry Pillow

It's November and I'm kicking off the 12 Days of Christmas Sewing series with an easy DIY merry pillow cover tutorial! This cute christmas tree pillow tutorial is so quick you can have one of your own in 30 minutes.

This simple merry christmas pillow will look great anywhere!

I mastered this Halloween

I planned too many halloween projects this year. And finished every single one.

• One complete Incredibles costume (with an iron on FAIL)
• Two mermaids complete with capelets
• One White Witch dress and cape

The White Witch (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe) dress and cape were self drafted. The white fabric was some free swag from JoAnns from the GNO a few weeks ago. The cape is just fleece. She loved it. Nobody knew what she was but that's ok.

I was super excited to draft the collars on both the dress and the cape. Thanks to a little lesson from Carrie I think I nailed them!

I'm particularly in love with the mermaid costumes. The skirt is self drafted, as are the capelets. One capelet has a collar. The other doesn't. All fabric was from JoAnns. The leotard was a pattern from one of the big 4. I don't recommend it though. I had to alter it a ton to make it fit a regular sized child. If my kids were about 20 lbs heavier they might have fit well.

And it's a good thing those are leotards because that's one large slit up the back I made. Yowza! At least they could still run!

Yes, the fins are quilted. That's my favorite.

Photo bomb by Jack Jack. I love his costume too. The pants are pieced. They're pretty much jammies. I used my new leggings pattern to make them and self drafted the shirt. 

He adores the Incredibles but thought this was the worst outfit ever when I put it on him. He tried to get it off for 15 minutes then caved. One point for mom.

Sewing News

As all the Halloween projects get wrapped up we're all starting to fade into Thanksgiving and Christmas gear. So much is going on around the sewing blog world. Have you heard of any interesting series or events? Here are a few fun ones for you to check out:

Basic Bodice Design Series at iCandy Handmade. Learn how to use a basic bodice to make a lot of different designs. This series will really help you learn how to draft your patterns for yourself! Three months of guests and opportunities for you to join in on the fun.

Knock It Off: A series at Elegance & Elephants. A whole month of designer knock offs from a bunch of talented bloggers. I'm excited to be included in the bunch!

Holiday Bake, Craft, Sew: A month of tutorials at Skip to My Lou, According to Kelly, and A Southern Fairytale. Look for me there soon!

12 Days of Christmas Sewing: A little series by me. I'll be sharing 12 of my own Christmas tutorials throughout the month of November. I'm already having fun sewing and I can't wait to share!

I'll be kicking this off November 1st with an adorable pillow I've been working on. 

Do you sew for Christmas?

 

Quick Bandana Skirt tutorial

Need a quick project? This easy bandana skirt tutorial is about as quick as they get! I needed to make an outfit for a western wear day for my kids and this bandana skirt fit the bill. Full instructions for how to make this easy bandana skirt below.

Handmade Costumes: DIY Incredibles Costume Tutorial for the whole family!

I recently found Allison at Freshly Completed and her costumes impressed me so much I had to ask her to stop by and share one with you! Today she's sharing how to make Incredibles costumes. These tutorials are super easy even for people who don't sew much! Make matching family costumes!

See the complete Handmade Costumes Series Roundup for over 65 costume tutorials!

Hello, everybody at The Train to Crazy!  I'm Allison and I blog over at Freshly Completed.

I'm happy to share my Incredibles tutorial with you.  Halloween + kids = lots of fun.  Each year I look forward to what cute/easy little costume I can put together for the kids.  Here's a look at some of our favorites:

1. Harry Potter

2. Sheriff Woody

3. Iron Man

4. Batman

5. Mary had a little Lamb

6. Man in the Yellow Hat and Curious George

This year I've actually already got our costumes done-- Wha-hoo!

As you can see this year's theme is Little Red Riding Hood.

1. Red Riding Hood Cloak Tutorial

2. The Big Bad Wolf Tutorial.

But I think I'm getting off topic.  I've been asked to share The Incredibles.

Handmade Costumes: DIY Olivia Costume Tutorial

Every little future reader loves Olivia and this costume tutorial by Kara from Mine for the Making is super adorable. Not only is it adorable but this DIY costume is easy! Check out all the other handmade costumes in the series! 

Hello there Train to Crazy readers!

I am thrilled to be here today.

My name is Kara and I'm a creative mommy blogger over at Mine for the Making.

I love sharing tutorials, recipes, printables, frugal decor ideas, mommy adventures, fashion, and all things DIY. I enjoy painting and designing wooden signs and I also LOVE making jewelry and hair accessories for my shop. Today I am going to share the handmade OLIVIA costume I made for my daughter last year for Halloween!

Are you familiar with Olivia?

.

Olivia is a character from children's literature and she even has her own show on Nick Jr.

Olivia is adventurous, unique, loud, fun, silly, imaginative, creative...

And that's my daughter. I think she picked her costume well, if I do say so myself. 

Which Olivia did my daughter choose to be?

Well, Ballet Olivia of course!

Here is my Ballet Olivia....

Handmade Costumes: DIY Giant Lollipop Prop Tutorial

Miranda from One Little Minute is here to show us how to sew a giant lollipop! This homemade lollipop prop is as cute as they come! And this fun tutorial completes her adorable Shirley Temple Costume! Check that out on her blog. But now for the DIY lollipop tutorial!

(Psst. Don't forget to check out all the other costume tutorials from other fabulous bloggers!)

Hi there! I'm thrilled to be a part of Andrea's awesome Handmade Halloween series today! I was lucky to meet cute Andrea in person at Sewing Summit, but let me start by introducing myself to you! My name is Miranda. I'm married to a wonderful, supportive man (we just celebrated six years!), mom to two energetic, hilarious boys, and a lover of all things handmade. I sew in most of my spare time (aka after my kids are in bed for the night!), but I also love to run, read, sing, ski, travel, play scrabble, and eat. I really love to eat. I share pieces of my life and adventures on my blog One Little Minute. You're welcome to join me anytime!

Handmade Costumes: DIY Baby Dinosaur Costume Tutorial

Amazing, adorable, baby dinosaur costume tutorial from Mama G. & Co. Gwen is here today to show us ho to make a dino costume! I love this tutorial. Adorable and simple yet looks so much better than store bought! Thanks for the tutorial Gwen!

Check out our whole Handmade Costume Series for tons of great tutorials!

Hi there, my name is Gwen, I’m a stay-at-home mum of two cute munchkins and love to sew, knit and do other crafty things in my spare time. I blog about family and crafts over at Mama G. & Co where you’ll find tutorials like the Maternity Belly Band and how to convert a cardboard box into a toy box, as well as recipes like these French butter biscuits. I’m really excited about guest-posting here today and I hope this tutorial inspires you to make some cute costumes for your babes.

Handmade Costumes: DIY Nacho Libre Costume Tutorial

You are in for a treat. These costumes are. amazing. Sabra from Sew a Straight Line is simply a magician with fabric. She's here to show you her amazing Nacho Libre costumes and she even has a tutorial for el Luchador mask! 

Good morning, Train to Crazy readers!  I’m Sabra and I blog at Sew a Straight Line.

I have been a Train to Crazy fan for years, and I’m excited to play along with Andrea’s Handmade Costume Series.  I have three boys with crazy imaginations and tons of energy.  I love making my kids costumes and encourage them to dress up year round.  It’s so fun to see them mix and match the costumes I’ve made them over the years, and come up with their own alter ego creations.

This past summer my kids watched Nacho Libre approximately 7.3 million times.  My four-year old now refers to tortilla chips as The Lord’s Chips.  All day long we hear “Eagle powers, come to me, please!”, and every meal is complemented by “mmm, good toast.”  So, in honor of Nacho and my sons’ obsession with him and Esqueleto, they designed, and I made them each their own luchador mask.

KCWC Day 5

I'm enjoying Sewing Summit right now so I made these ahead but thought I'd show you a couple more outfits I made this last week.

All of these skirt/legging combos are from the new Go To Leggings pattern soon to be released.

The tank top on the left was self drafted. The tops on the middle outfit are store bought. Outfit on the right was blogged here.

I'll be back next week to tell you all about Sewing Summit!

Handmade Costumes: DIY Magician's Hat Tutorial

Welcome the brilliant Heidi from Elegance & Elephants! She's here to show us how to make a magician's hat with a great tutorial. Check out all the Handmade Costume Series tutorials.

Hello Everyone!  I'm Heidi from Elegance & Elephants, very excited to be a part of this great series hosted by Andrea.  I came up with a fairly easy, no-sew method of creating a fun top hat for the aspiring magician in your life!

Jazz Up your leggings tutorial

I'm over at the Southern Institute today showing you a fun way to "Jazz Up Leggings". Stop on by!

Day Three: KCWC

Once again I'm making samples for my Kids Clothes Week Challenge. Today we've got a Go To Signature Dress (in the tunic length) paired with some Go To Leggings. 

Yes, that skirt is part of the leggings.

I told you this was a "Go To" leggings pattern! These leggings are cropped length. Clearly. There are 4 lengths included in the pattern. 

And my favorite feature of this particular version of the Go To Leggings:

Day Two: Kids Clothes Week Challenge

Day two: refashioned shirt drafted with an altered Go To Signature Dress pattern and some more Go To Leggings.

I've been having a lot of fun making leggings lately. I can't wait to show you more features of the pattern!

Handmade Costumes: DIY Dorothy Costume Tutorial

Sometimes classic costumes are the best. Stef from Girl Inspired is here with a gorgeous Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz dress tutorial. I love the little details!

Check out all the tutorials in the Handmade Costume series.

 Hi there, I'm Stef and I blog over at girl. Inspired.  I absolutely love making my three girls their Halloween costumes, but this year, I've succumbed to time pressures and ended up purchasing two of my girls' costumes.  When my seven-year-old told me she wanted to be Dorothy, though, it pulled at my DIY heartstrings a little too much.  

I just couldn't buy a polyester Dorothy dress from the costume aisle.  I was pretty sure I could whip something up quick.  And it would have been super fast if I didn't find myself staring at a million different trims trying to decide what to put where.  That really slowed me down.  In the end, I went with my initial instincts and today I'm going to share with you a tutorial for a dress that you could probably finish in less than an hour.  Ready?  

You will need the main material and a lining material - I used a really lightweight gingham for the top layer and muslin for the lining.  You will also need three measurements:  chest, underarm to waist, and waist to hemline.  Using my daughter's chest measurement, I cut the bodice pieces.  The front bodice piece width should be half the width of the chest measurement + 1/2" (1/4" seam allowance on each side).  To find the height of the bodice piece, measure from the underarm to the waist, factor in 1/4" seam allowance on the top and 1/2" seam allowance at the waist; then cut your piece at this length on the sides with a smooth curve up to the center.  I hope that's clear.  For the back of the bodice and lining, you will cut a simple rectangle that is the same width as the bodice front + 2 inches if you are going to add shirring as I did AND the length should be just the length from underarm to waist plus a total of 3/4" seam allowance.

 Stitch your bodice front to the bodice back along each side seam; repeat for lining.  Now, cut your skirt pieces.  I wanted a really full skirt so I cut two pieces selvage to selvage for the main skirt and two pieces selvage to selvage for the lining.  The length for the pieces was determined by measuring from my daughter's waist to just above her knee, with added length for seam allowances.  Join the short ends of the skirt pieces to form two tubes (one main, one lining).  Now, you're going to attach each skirt to its corresponding bodice piece.

 Now, we're going to join together the dress and lining and finish the top edge of the bodice all in one easy step.

If you are making a stretchy little dress that is easy to get on and off, you can use this shirring method.  If you're not familiar with shirring, it really is a cinch!  You can read more about it in my shirring tutorial.

Now, to add the classic Dorothy buttons, but with an easy halter strap:

Finally, you're going to finish your hems.  I loved the idea of having the fluffy petticoat look underneath the main dress.  I had a hard time deciding whether or not to add ric rac around the main dress hem or to add stripes with red trim toward the bottom of the skirt; in the end, I just did a plain hem and then added some nice old-fashioned eyelet trim to the hem of the underskirt.  

And that's it!  I put the dress over a tulle pettiskirt for extra fluff and added a little white eyelet bolero that was mine when I was a little girl.  Target stocked the glittery shoes and Toto in basket, thank goodness.  I have to say, I'm so glad I took the time to make this costume  and my Olivia is, too!

Thanks for having me, Andrea!  I am loving this Handmade Costume Series.  There is just so much fun creativity going on!  Happy Halloween!

Day 1 KCWC: Lucy Tunic & Leggings

I'm joining in with the Kids Clothes Week Challenge over at Elsie Marley. I dug into the stash to make this Lucy Tunic top and Jeggings. I used this plaid cord for a messenger bag last Christmas and had never used it again. When I purchased this fabric I had intentions of using it for a front button up dress. I never made that dress but I think the Lucy Tunic is perfect for thie print.

I was lazy while sewing the buttons on and didn't bother to check where the pattern says to put them so they're a bit low bt this top still functions perfectly.

I lined the top with a hot pink fabric. I decided not to make it reversible by putting buttons on both sides because I don't want to see a hot pink tunic walking around my house. 

The leggings are one of the many, many pairs I've been making lately. This fabric was also from JoAnn's but I bought it more recently so you can probably still find it. It is very soft and comfortable.

My new Go To Leggings pattern will be out soon! You can count on lots of fun options.

 

Handmade Costumes: DIY Dwarf & Gnome Costume Tutorial

Toddlers and preschoolers look pretty adorable in dwarf & gnome costumes. Marissa from Rae Gun Ramblings is here with a great super queick and easy dwarf or gnome costume tutorial. It would go great with this gnome hat.

Check out all the Handmade Costume Series tutorials.

Hi everyone, I'm Marissa from Rae Gun Ramblings. Costumes are one of my all time favorite things to sew. I seriously use any excuse to dress up my nieces and husband in coordinating costumes, oh yes he's a trouper like that!

Halloween is my busiest time for my Rae Gun Etsy shop so I'm usually sewing non-stop (this year is no exception). A couple years ago after a lot of work on my older niece's Snow White costume I needed to throw something together for the little one. We decided she'd make the perfect Little Dwarf.

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Bumble Bee Costume Tutorial

Autie from iCandy Handmade is here with THE most adorable DIY homemade bumble bee costume tutorial I've ever seen!

Check out all the other costumes in the series!

Hey Train to Crazy!

I'm Autie (it's Autumn, but I go by Autie) and I blog over at iCandy handmade with my friend Jen.  I dabble in just about everything crafty, and when we were invited to be a part of this series, with my love of Halloween costumes, I jumped at the chance to whip up a doozie.

My daughter's costume of choice was to be a Bumble Bee...So, here she is!

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Princess Jasmine Costume Tutorial

Having a well stocked dress up box is fun for all kids. Leisel from Brown Paper Packages created a Jasmine costume and is here to show you how! Check out the dozens of other costumes in the Handmade Costume Series as well!

Hello there!  So excited to be a part of Handmade Costume Series.  Sewing for my three little girlies is one of my favorite things to do-- and sewing costumes is a close second!  My name is Leisel and I blog (occasionally) at Brown Paper Packages.  Come take a peek at a few of the other costumes I have made in the past.

After years of sewing for my girls, I am finally getting around to making them a few dress-ups.  This should have been on the list long, long ago, as store-bought dress-ups don't last longer than a few weeks.  I found my inspiration on Pinterest (where else?) a few weeks ago to actually make it happen.  The concept is to use a simple peasant dress to make various different princess dresses.  Genius!  First of all, The Sweet Dress by Leila and Ben is my absolute, most favorite pattern ever.  Second, even my youngest will be able to dress herself in a peasant style dress.  And lastly, I can whip out a couple of those babies in an hour!

My second oldest munchkin requested Princess Jasmine as the first of many. . .   and so, I thought I would share some of the process with you.

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Garden Gnome Hat Tutorial

This Garden Gnome Hat costume is beyond adorable! Justine from Sew Country Chick is here with an adorable Garden Gnome Hat tutorial. I can't get over how cute it is!

Check out all the tutorials in the Handmade Costume Series.

iPhone cases for those who love to sew

I'm working on some big self imposed deadlines. So I started another project. Naturally. I designed a few iPhone cases that I think you'll like! You can also buy these in prints, greeting cards, canvases, etc. Check out my Go To Designs Society6 shop.

     

What do you think? Any color schemes you'd like to see?

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Piglet Costume Tutorial & Free Pattern

Winnie the Pooh is one of my favorite classic children's stories. For obvious reasons. The stories are so intelligent and endearing. Melissa from Melly Sews is here to show us how to make a Precious Piglet costume with her tutorial and free pattern.

Check out all the costume tutorials from this Handmade Costume Series.

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Nesting Dolls Costumes Tutorial

Have you ever wanted your own nesting dolls? Well now you can sew some nesting doll costumes for your girls! What a fun coordinating costume idea! Jessica from Me Sew Crazy and SewSet brings you this "how to" and full tutorial.

Check out the dozens of other Handmade Costume tutorials as well!

Hi everyone! Jessica here from Me Sew Crazy, and I love being here for the Handmade Costume Series. Seriously though, doesn't Andrea do such a fabulous job putting this together?!! I love following along, and am always so amazed what people come up with!  Its the ingenuity, the imagination, and the creativity that I see that absolutely blows me away. I have to admit something though...Making costumes? Not my favorite. *Gasp* Which is why I like things to be super simple, super easy, and of course cute whenever possible! And when they coordinate, it is like an added bonus.

Handmade Costume Series: DIY "No David" Costume Tutorial

I love costumes based on children's books! Terra from Mama Says Sew is here with a No David! costume tutorial. Perfect for all those little guys in your life! 

Check out the dozens of other costume tutorials in this series!

Hi there everyone! I'm Terra and I blog over at mama says sew. This year for Halloween, all my children are dressing up as book characters. David from the No David! books by David Shannon was perfect for my little guy. David reminds me of him a little, which is probably why I love these books so much. I don't know if I would have liked them as a child {I was more the teacher's pet type}, but having a little lovable guy like David has changed my opinion.

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Jailbird Costume Tutorial

Today Stacey from Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy is showing us how to make a Jailbird Costume with her great tutorial! Such a fun DIY costume! Don't forget to check out the whole Handmade Costume Series!

When I was growing up, my mother ALWAYS made our Halloween costumes. I still remember our annual trips to the Joanne's to look through the costume patterns. It was so amazing to watch her "spin" the fabric into the character of my dreams.  I can't say my three boys feel the same way.  Alas, it's getting harder and harder to argue against store bought Transformer and superhero costumes that light up but I intend to do so for as long as possible.

 

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Barbie Peaches n' Cream Costume Tutorial

Do you remember Peaches n' Cream Barbie? Narelle from Cook Clean Craft made a fantastic dress up costume based on that Barbie. Sew one for your little girl with her easy dress tutorial. We now have dozens of costume tutorials here for the Handmade Costume Series so don't forget to check them all out!

Hi, I’m Narelle from Cook Clean Craft, sharing household tips, recipes and fun crafts, including sewing, cardboard and crochet.

Our house is seriously lacking in dress up clothes, so this series was just the motivation I needed. Thinking back to my childhood, who did I want to dress up as? Barbie, and there was no Barbie more pretty or elegant than Peaches’n’Cream.

So here’s the toddler dress-up version:

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Baby Hedgehog Costume Tutorial

Alida from I Make Stuff made this super cute baby hedgehog costume and is here to show you how to make one as well! Check out all the other costume tutorials as well!

Hey y'all!  I am Alida from I Make Stuff.  I have four rambunctious kids and a hubby in medical school (4th year! Praise Jesus it's almost over!).  To say my life is crazy is putting it mildly, so making stuff is my therapy.  Today I'm going to show you how to make a baby hedgehog costume.

Baby hedgehogs.  Could they be cuter?

Handmade Costumes: DIY Cowboy Costume Tutorial (chaps!)

Vanessa from Designs by Sessa is here with the cutest little cowboy tutorial. She even shows you how to make chaps! CHAPS! How cute are those? If you enjoy this tutorial don't forget to check out all the other tutorials in the Handmade Costume Series!

Hi Everyone! I'm Vanessa. I'm from South Carolina, and my sweet little blog is called Designs By Sessa! I blog about Jesus, sewing, and love it! I'm thankful to be a part of this fun series! Thanks, Andrea, for asking me to be a part of it!

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Owl Costume Tutorial (cape & mask!)

This amazing owl costume tutorial is from Kiki and Company. What a great way to reuse old maternity clothes! This "how to" is so fun I know every little kid needs one of these in the dress up box. Don't forget to check out all the other Handmade Costume tutorials from the series!

Hi everyone! I am so happy to be here today for the Handmade Costume Series. My name is Kiki and I blog at Kiki and Company where I share free printables, projects, tutorials and more!

I have 4 little munchkins, so you can guess that Halloween is an exciting time around our house. As I thought about what I would make for this series, I simply went to my closet to shop..(well, actually to an old bin of maternity clothes) and what I found inspired me promptly to make an entire outfit out of things I already had. I didn't have to go to the store for anything..thus why my project is called "Owl for free"..or "All for free" .:)

Handmade Costume Series: Ruffleump Dress

Welcome Sewing Mama RaeAnna with this adorable little circus elephant dress tutorial! What a cute way to dress up a little baby girl. Check out all the other costume tutorials in the series as well!

Hello Train to Crazy readers!!!  My name is RaeAnna and I blog at sewingmamaraeanna.blogspot.com!  I am mommy to 3 year old boy Christian and 9 month old girl Eva Mae and we live in the Nashville, TN area!    I am so excited to guest post - I've been following Andrea and several other sewing blogs over the past year and I've learned so much from such creative bloggers! I'm excited to hopefully contribute to the craftiness - especially at costume time!!!

I call this tutorial my "Ruffleump" costume because I was trying to think of what I wanted to dress my baby girl and her brother for our fall festivities in October! :)  The circus came to mind and I thought my boy could be some sort of circus animal trainer or ringmaster and baby girl could be an animal!  I LOOOOOVE ruffles so of course I had to include lots!  And then "elephant" and Winnie the Pooh's "Huffalump" came to mind and I thought that would be the perfect word to morph with "ruffle".......and there you have my etymology of the word - "Ruffleump!"  LOL!

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Twirly Butterfly Skirt Tutorial

Jessi from Sweet Pie Bakery is here with one of her signature gorgeous creations. For all the little girls who want to be butterflies this is the skirt for them. This tutorial is so cute! Thanks for showing us how to make this fabulous twirly butterfly skirt Jessi! Don't forget to check out the whole Costume Series! Tons of tutorials!

Hello!  I'm Jessi from Sweetie Pie Bakery.  I'm sharing with you this twirly butterfly skirt today, but make sure to stop by my blog tomorrow to see the rest of Aeris's fourth birthday festivities!

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Elephant Costume Tutorial (includes tusks!)

So you need to know how to sew an elephant costume? Good! Jess from If Only They Would Nap is here with a great DIY tutorial to help you make someone into a cute little elephant! Don't forget to check out the rest of the Handmade Costume Series as well!

Hi there!! I'm Jess from If Only They Would Nap! You can find me there drinking lots of coffee and sewing for myself and my three little boys. If you're in the market for some DIY maternity pants or to make some prefold cloth diapers, those are two of my most popular tutorials.

When I asked my almost five-year-old what costume he wanted to wear for trick-or-treating this year, he didn't even have to think about it. "An elephant. And make it yourself, Mama, okay?" Well, if I must... So, if your house needs an elephant for your dress-up box too, here's how you can easily make one of your own. I find a lot of my fabrics, especially for costumes, by upcycling clothing that I find at thrift stores or that we no longer wear. [Go ahead and take a look at a few costumes that I've done in previous years... it's alright, I'll wait for you right here] Of course, you can just as easily use fabric from the store to make this.

 

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Rapunzel Dress Tutorial

Today Googiemama has outdone herself!! She shows you how to make a Rapunzel dress with this fabulous tutorial. And wait until you check out how to make Rapunzel hair!! And there's a Pasqual too (sort of!). Don't forget to check out all the other costume tutorials in the series as well!

Handmade Costumes: DIY Batman Costume Tutorial

A Batman costume is essential in any budding superhero's dress up box. This easy DIY Batman mask and gauntlets tutorial from Cheryl at Sew Can Do is fabulous! Don't forget to check out all of the other costume tutorials in the Handmade Costume Series!

Hi Everyone!  I'm Cheryl from Sew Can Do.   I'm a self-taught crafter and designer who loves making all sort of things.  I'm proof positive that you can get creative and learn new skills on a real person's budget and limited schedule.  I learned to sew just a few years ago and I share my crafting adventures, tutorials and project ideas on my blog: 

And as a mom of 3, I especially love sewing special things for the kids - clothes, toys, accessories. Here are some of the tutorials I've created:

Free Pattern & Tutorial

Free pattern and instructions

Recipe & tutorial

Bag Tutorial

I also host a weekly link party called Craftastic Monday, where people can link up their latest crafty creations and discover other fantastic, creative blogs.

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Pizza Chef Hat Tutorial

Welcome Delia Creates to the Handmade Costume Series! This pizza chef hat tutorial is fabulous! I love it!  Check out all the other costume tutorials too!

I am not quite ready yet to start sewing for Halloween, mostly because my kids change their minds a million times before we settle on the right one.

  

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Eye Patch Tutorial

Every young imagination needs a pirate patch for the occassional adventure at sea. Learn how to make a DIY pirate eye patch in this quick, easy tutorial. Just a couple scraps of felt, a little elastic and 5 minutes and your pirate will be ready to go.

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Conductor's Hat Pattern

A conductor's hat is just a great item to keep in the dress up box. Kids love hats and what little boy or girl doesn't like trains? This conductor's hat pattern comes in two sizes and is sure to fit your child of any size. 

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Mermaid

Today we have a special guest, Kim, from Seven Thirty Three showing us how to make a Mermaid costume. This easy DIY mermaid tutorial is fabulous! Don't forget to check out the other costume tutorials in this series!  

Hi ladies!  My name is Kim and I blog over at seven thirty three, a creative blog full of craft tutorials, party ideas and free printables. I am a Marketing Director by day and Crafter/Blogger/Blog Designer by night.  If you are in the market for a new blog design, I would love for you to visit my design site, seven thirty three – – – creative blog design.  For even more seven thirty three fun, you can find me on Facebook or follow along via Twitter!

Handmade Costume Series: DIY Animal Ears Tutorial

Some adults aren't that interested in dressing up. Enter the headband ears. Ears on a headband were the greatest invention for underachieving adults who want to put on a costume without really putting on a costume. Of course they're good for kids too! These DIY animal ears headband tutorial is about as easy as it gets.

Welcome to the opening day of the Handmade Costume Series! Two months of costume tutorials! There will be opportunities for you to link up your own costumes as well!

If you have 15 minutes and some fake fur, you can make this.

Handmade Costumes: A Series

I'm so pleased to announce this year's Handmade Costume Series!! You'll find all your favorite bloggers sharing DIY costume ideas just in time for Halloween and Holiday gifts! Check back all through September and October for all the costume tutorials you could need! Don't forget to check out all 26 costumes from last year's series!

Want to share this series with your readers? Grab a button! 

Updated list of this year's costume tutorials:

                                  

 

Will you be making any costumes this year?

Coming soon...

I've been working long hours on my next pattern(s). If you follow me on instagram (thetraintocrazy) you've seen some photos and sneak peeks. The patterns are nearly ready for testers! Here's a little glimpse at one of the patterns. 

In true "go to" fashion this dress comes in a wide range of sizes and has options!! More peeks coming soon!

Have you been over to GoToPatterns.com lately? A few more patterns and designers have been added and there's a bit of a new look too! Search for patterns by type, designer and difficulty level. 

Are you interested in selling your patterns on GoToPatterns.com? You retain 100% of the rights and we just help you sell! Keep your other shop too! Contact us for more information.

Do you have a blog? Want to make a little extra money earning commissions? Becoming an affiliate is easy! Find out more here.

Have you had made a Go To Signature Dress yet?

Put your photos on the flickr group! I love seeing what you've made!

Teaching sewing

My girls have always been fascinated with sewing. They began begging to learn at an early age. Not a surprise, of course! Now they love it so much I want my machine back! Teaching litle kids isn't as daunting as it seems!

First teach safety. Yada yada.

Next teach how to raise and lower the foot, backstitch, press the foot pedal, etc.

Finally, give him or her a scrap and let them scribble sew. Easy!

I don't see the point in restraining their creativity while they are young. They don't need to think sewing has to be a certain way with straight lines and perfect corners. In fact, they'll probably surprise you by what they come up with!

This is a typical scene from my sewing machine. My 3 oldest and the neighbor girl. All taking turns digging through scraps and sewing masterpieces. 

Gathered Sunglasses Case Tutorial

I recently made a gathered duvet cover and had a bunch of leftover fabric. Using the duvet as inspiration I decided to make sunglasses cases. I love the way they turned out!

First cut your fabric. For the front you'll need a 6.5"x4.75" piece of cotton batting and a 10"x6.5" piece of quilting cotton.

For the back cut a 20"x4.75" piece of fabric and cut the batting 10.5"x4.75".

For the lining cut a piece of quilting cotton 16.25" by 4.75"

You'll also need a hair elastic and large button.

STEP 1: Gather the front and back pieces of fabric so that they are gathered on the top and bottom of the fabric. The front piece will be gathered as below. The back piece will be gathered so it is now 10.5" by 4.75"

STEP 2: Baste the front and back pieces to their corresponding batting piece, right side out.

STEP 3: Stitch the hair elastic to the top of the sun glasses case. See photo for location. Make sure you use a small zig zag and stitch across many times. (see photo) Sew button into middle front of front piece.

STEP 4: Stack front and pack pieces together, right sides facing. Sew along sides and bottom ede with a 3/8" seam allowance. Fold and sew the lining piece. Leave an opening in the side of the lining for turning later.

STEP 5: Stuff the lining and outside together, right sides facing. Pin so that side seams match up. Sew around the opening edges. Make sure not to sew that top opening closed!

STEP 6: Begin to turn right side out. Sew up turning hole.

And you're done! Voila!

What do you think??

Faux Wrap Shorts Tutorial

I shared this tutorial for the Shorts on the Line series in July at Imagine Gnats. I love sewing shorts. So quick and fun and they get worn a lot! Today I'm sharing a fun tutorial for making Faux Wrap Shorts for girls (or women if you love them that much). A fun DIY for any level of experience. This shorts tutorial has a cute ruffle wrap front that I know your little girl will love. 

Cute right? With a little fabric, a pair of shorts that fit well, some 3/4" elastic and a couple hours you can make these too!

Pattern Shop News

Are you enjoying the pattern tour?? I'm just loving how many completely different dresses and tops are being made!! Which has been your favorite so far? Don't forget to check out the Flickr group for all Go To Patterns!

Last week I announced that Go To Patterns is now offering patterns from some of your other favorite designers. 

Have you gone over to see what we have? Today Hilda from Handmade Therapy joined the shop! The first pattern she has in the store is a great fold up car play mat pattern. I LOVE this pattern, truly. 

The Go To Patterns review team reads and approves every pattern submitted to the store.

We are mainitaining HIGH quality control so you can trust what you buy at Go To Patterns. No buyer's remorse here!

That's why I'm adding patterns slowly! It takes time to check them carefully. Plus I need an assistant. How does one get an unpaid intern around here??

So go see what's in the sewing pattern store!

Do you sell sewing patterns? Want to sell them at Go To Patterns?  Download Go To Patterns submission guidelines

Ruffled Sheets Tutorial

Sometimes a simple bed just needs a little something to make it go from boring to fabulous. I bet you can guess that involves a ruffle, of course. Friends, adding a ruffle to a sheet is probably the easiest project you can ever do. This tutorial seems almost unneccessary but here it is!

Seriously, this so easy you'll wonder why you didn't do it earlier.

Pattern Tour: No Big Dill

It's here! It's really here! Day one of the pattern tour is TODAY! Please go visit Katy at No Big Dill and see what she thought of the pattern. I'm sure you are familiar with Katy's work (if not you SHOULD be). She's an incredibly talented seamstress and photographer. Her blog will make you smile. Speaking of smiling, this is the Go To Signature Dress she made. 

Seriously fabulous.

Fourth of July family photo attempts: unsuccessful

Yesterday was Independence Day here in the U.S. and I completely forgot today was Thursday. Each week Make It Wear It creeps up on me and for some reason I refuse to schedule them ahead of time. Sorry I didn't post it but we'll be taking a break from it until August. Keep coming back though because there will be SO many fun things going on here in July!

My kids woke up Tuesday morning and asked me to make them outfits for the 4th of July. I should have said, "No" but I said, "Let's go to the fabric store!" First off, the fabric store with four kids at lunch time BEFORE they eat is just a bad idea. Really bad. But we survived and managed to get some fabric. I didn't have time to calculate how much I'd need or how many pieces because all the crying from the little guy really distracted me. So I bought a lot. 

We rushed home, washed it and then started sewing. They alternated sitting on my lap and I didn't get much done. So once they went to bed I set to mad sewing. By 10 p.m. I was done with 2 outfits. The last 2 are pretty simple and shouldn't have taken me long but they took forever. First my serger refused to thread. I have a Babylock so if the threading mechanism doesn't work, it doesn't work. I fought it for an hour then gave up. Then I tried doing some things I that didn't work out and finally decided on designs and finished around 4 in the morning. Did I mention I didn't use any patterns and decided not to do simple skirts. WHY was that?

At that point the baby was crying "ouch ouch. I want mommy" so not a lot of sleeping happened after that point.

The sun came up and I took the girls to the parade in our neighborhood. Baby was still not feeling well so didn't get to wear his outfit. 

I think that dress on my left is one of my favorite things I've ever sewn. For whipping it up on short notice and drafting it myself it came together beautifully. See all the photos below.

Go To Patterns Blog Tour Kickoff & a cute shorts tutorial

The pattern blog tour starts tomorrow! I'm very excited to announce the blogs that are participating! Stop by each day to see what they did with the Go To Signature Dress! 

 

 

And stop by Imagine Gnats for the Shorts on the Line Series. I'm sharing this fun faux wrap shorts tutorial today!

Best Online Knit Fabric Sources

One of the most common questions I get currently is "Where can I buy good knit fabric online?" Fortunately for you I know many of the best places to buy knit fabric!

Ixat—Tons of print knits you won't find anywhere else. Shipping is a bit high but she ships worldwide so perhaps it is cheaper to your part of the world. 

Fabric.com— Wide variety of cotton and synthetic knits. You can find the new designer knits here.

The Fabric Fairy— Great variety including fun prints for kids. Ships from the U.S. worldwide.

Fashion Fabrics Club— Lots of knit fabrics in adult prints. I've never purchased from here but it has been recommended. They ship from the U.S. to a short list of other countries.

Chez Ami— Great quality knits. Fun prints and stripes for children. I've purchased many fabrics from here and they stand the test of time. U.S. based but ship internationally.

Girl Charlie Fabrics— Loads of great knits for kids and adults. Very large section of cotton knit jersey. Ships from the U.S. internationally.

Harts Fabrics— Great selection of adult knit fashion fabrics. Ships from the U.S. to Canada, U.K. and Australia and U.S. Armed Forces.

Etsy— There are numerous shops selling all types of knit fabrics on etsy. Just do a search for knit fabric and you'll have thousands of options from shops around the world.

Spoonflower— Create your own fabric or buy one someone else designed. So many fun designs here. 

Reader Suggestions:

Banburry Place— Ships from the U.S.

Kids Fabric— Ships from Canada

Sewzanne's— Ships from the U.S. This is where I buy my Ottobre magazines too.

Sew Baby— Ships from the U.S.

Nature's Fabric— Ships from the U.S.

Print Knit Studio— Ships from the U.S.

So tell me, where do you buy knit fabrics? Especially those of you outside the U.S. Now that you know where to buy knit fabric go pick up your Go To Signature Dress pattern!