mommyhood celebrate

the delaney dress tutorial - celebrate color!

October 25, 2011

ohhhhhh, i've caught the fall bug big time folks! i've fallen head first into those wonderful tones of orange, purple, pink and green and who better to feed my fabric cravings for these yummy tones than amy butler! i used disco flower in tangerine from our sponsor stitchsimple.com for this dress. love! today's tutorial is part of the fabulous "celebrate color"! it's been so much fun being a part of this wonderful event & helping to organize it and i hope you've all been getting your entries in for this month as there are some awesome prizes to be won!

for my tutorial for october i couldn't resist continuing along with the same retro flair as my september's tute - the autumn tunic. i wanted something simple, classic yet modern and fun. i'm totally crushing on the full skirt, double stitched bias tape trim and belt and the sleeves....love the sleeves. harper just melts my heart in this little frock.

and guess what? you can make one too! i kept it nice and easy for you all. a great base for you to start with if you are just learning to sew and one for more advanced sewers to add their own personal flair. there's no zippers, buttons or tricky detail work. it's simple, fast to make and oh so fun to see your wee one wear!

i mean how cute is this for fall???

it was so hard to resist jumping in the leaves and rolling around with her. i can just feel the cozy fall sunshine radiating off that dress. want to make one of your own? let's get ready!

The Delaney Dress Tutorial - Approximately Size 1-2yrs

Materials:

- 1 yard fabric (I used quilting cotton) pre-washed and dried. trust me. you want to do this :)
- co-ordinating thread
- 1 package co-ordinating double fold bias tape or handmade bias tape in the distance to suit the size of your dress.
- sewing machine
- pinking shears (*optional)
- iron
- fabric marker

Pattern pieces:

You can print out the following pattern pieces by simply clicking on the link below. Make sure when printing the image is at 100% with no shrinking or resizing.

Bodice Back
Bodice Front
Sleeve

Instructions:

*All seams have a 1/2" seam allowance unless otherwise stated.

1. Print out the pattern pieces above on standard size paper with no shrinking or resizing. Cut them out. Place on your fabric taking care that if you have a print that they are all going in the correct direction and that you are cutting with your fabric give going from left to right (you can check this by pulling the fabric to see which direction gives the most ease or stretch) and cut. Set aside.

2. Cut out two pieces of fabric 12"L by 25"W for the skirt. Place skirt pieces right sides facing together and pin sides. Sew together your side seams with a 1/2" seam allowance. Press. Finish seam with a zig zag stitch or clip with pinking shears.

3. It's time to ruffle that pretty skirt up! There are many ways to ruffle a skirt and because I am still learning the best one on my machine I still do it the more involved way. Simply stitch along the entire top of the skirt using a basting stitch with a 1/4" seam allowance taking care not to backstitch at all. when done simply pull the bottom thread (bobbin thread) of your seam to ruffle the fabric. don't pull too hard though - you don't want to break it & don't ruffle it too much, we need to fit it to the bodice later.

4. Grab your bodice pieces. Place fabrics right sides facing together and pin. Sew together your sides seams with a 1/2" seam allowance. Press. Finish seam with a zig zag stitch or clip with pinking shears.

5. Pin straps of bodice together with right sides still facing each other. This is a good time to try the dress on your little one to make sure the sizing is going to work with your toddler. If any adjustments need to be made to the bodice width now is the time to do it. If all is good your next step is to sew both straps with a 1/2" seam allowance or size to fit your child's body. Press. Finish seam with a zig zag stitch or clip with pinking shears.

6. Fold your bodice in half marking the center point of the bodice back with a fabric pen or pin. Measure down 3 inches and make another mark. Cut a straight line from one mark to another. This will later form your "v" neck back opening.

6. Grab your cute sleeves. Take the outer edge and fold in 1/4" and press, then fold 1/4" again and press pinning the last fold down as you go. Now you're ready to stitch that lovely hem down. Sew your sleeve edging close to the inner edge of your fold. Press.

7. Fold sleeve pieces in half making a finger press fold and mark where your center is with a fabric pen or pin. With bodice wrong side out (wrong side showing, right side inside) and sleeve right side out (right side facing and wrong side inside) place sleeve inside the opening for the sleeve matching center point of sleeve to center top of sleeve opening. Bottom points of sleeve should be overlapping for a clean finish. Sew with a 1/2" seam allowance. Press and finish seam with a zig zag stitch or clip with pinking shears. Do this for both sleeves.

8. Time to put that skirt with the bodice! Take your ruffled skirt - wrong side out, and your bodice - right side out and place bodice inside the skirt matching the bottom of bodice to top of skirt. Pin down making sure the ruffling of your skirt matches up evenly around the bodice. You don't want some areas more ruffly than others. Sew the skirt to the bodice with a 1/2" seam allowance. Press and finish seam with a zig zag stitch or clip with pinking shears.

9. Hem your dress to your preferred length. I folded mine 1/4", pressed, then folded 1/2" and pressed. I stitched down close to the inner side of the folded edge then pressed again. I then topstitched close to my hem line for a double stitch finish to match the bias tape finish you will be doing soon. Add a label if you are using one and voila!

10. Next we are going to finish off the neck. We're almost done! Taking your bias tape, starting at the top of one shoulder, pin down along the entire neck and back opening taking care to fold properly at tops of back opening and bottom of "v" opening in back. (It would take me a whole post to explain the sewing of bias tape so I'll just direct you over to Dana from Made's handy post here for making your own and here for sewing it). Next sew down your bias tape close to the edge taking care to catch the underside of your bias tape. When stitching the "V" opening I sort of folded the bias in on itself to form a v point at the bottom and stitched it down (see picture above). Press. Stitch along the entire neckline again but this time close to the opposite edge. Purdy!

11. It's time to add the tie! Cut bias tape the length you would like making sure to be able to tie a bow in the back. Mine was 64" long. Fold bias tape in half and mark center point. Pin center of bias tape to corresponding center of dress. Pin bias tape down with the joining seam of the bodice/skirt in the center of your bias tape. Pin from left side seam straight over to right side seam. Stitch close to left edge from this side to the other. Backstitch. Start again on the bottom right seam and sew over to the bottom of the left seam. Backstitch again. Another pretty finish! Now the next step is up to you. You could continue the same two stitch lines along the entire bias tape ends that will be tied in a bow but I got lazy and didn't cause I actually prefer to not sew bias tape. We have a love/hate relationship so I left mine unfinished....for now :)

12. Press your dress and stand back and admire your hard work! Great job!!! Now go take a fab photo of your new frock and post it in our flickr group so we can admire your sewing skills! And don't forget to leave me a comment too so I can see how it turned out! Also, feel free to email if you have any questions or problems - luvinthemommyhood@yahoo.ca

i hope you have lots of fun with this dress! delaney was one of the names i had loved for harper that didn't make it past the hubby test so i had been saving it to use :) i can't wait to see the fabric combos, buttons, custom bias tape and all sorts of trim goodies you guys come up with to rock the delaney dress out with! go have fun and don't forget to celebrate color in style!!!

what are your favorite colors to sew in for fall? do you have a favorite dress to make for the cooler months? what do you guys think? do you likey? make sure to leave me a comment below if you make one so i can see your pretty dresses :)

The Autumn Tunic Tutorial - Celebrate Color!

September 20, 2011

It's time for some Celebrate Color fun! I'm joining in on all the celebrate color excitement over on the lovely Rachel's blog - "Stitched in Color" by doing a fall inspired tunic tutorial for your wee ones today called the Autumn Tunic! I heart this top and want one for myself too! Have you all gotten your projects added to the linky party? (You can add them here.) I heart autumn and love this rich season filled with leaves and blooms left from summer. The color palette for this tunic was inspired by Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC. My ol'stomping grounds. I have very vivid memories of Mackenzie's first autumn there when we did a mini photo shoot of her romping in the leaves. The colors still stick out in my mind and they are still, to this day, some of my favorite photographs.

It makes me get all teary eyed to look at those pics now. A bad case of where has the time gone.....

I always have good memories of autumn. The rain hasn't started pouring in buckets for 6 months straight, the weather is still warm enough to go without a coat/sweater (sometimes), the sun peeks it's head out and man does it feel good. Nothing can bring me down on those days filled with crisp orange, red & yellow leaves....trees adorned with golden jewels, sitting and basking in the warm breezes, flowers still soaking up every last drop of sunshine just the same way we do. Mackenzie and I still love to stop and stare at those yummy moments of autumn just the way we did when she was a wee one and we hope Harper will be just as enamored as we are with autumn.

So keep those parkas at bay a bit longer...pull some leggings or jeans on your wee one, pack a sweater and add an Autumn Tunic and go soak in those autumn rays...I promise it warms the soul :)

Note: This pattern fits my almost 4 1/2 year old daughter. She is small/short for her age. Make adjustments accordingly for your child's size/age by simply decreasing/increasing the width/length of the top pattern (taking care to leave enough room to do your box pleats across the bodice, you will need to add the width of fabric for her size to the width of fabric needed to make the box pleats), length of armhole line and size of sleeve (again, making sure to leave enough width to make your inverted box pleat). All of these can be adjusted quite simply by resizing. I made a pattern using freezer paper and can usually eyeball her sizing by wrapping it on her and by also using other garments that she owns for calculations to match up to the measurements of her body. Measure a fave top of your child's to see the distance between the top of the shoulder to the armpit join or measure your child. Lay both pieces of fabric rectangles on top of each other and mark this distance on your fabric the same as you would in Step 2 of the tutorial below. For any other help resizing feel free to send an email my way to luvinthemommyhood@yahoo.ca, I'd be more than happy to help you out.

Materials:

- one yard fabric - fabric marker
- coordinating thread - pinking shears (optional)
- 2 buttons
- iron
- sewing machine
- hand sewing needle

Pattern piece for sleeve:

you can download/print the pattern piece here or simply click on the image below so it's full size and print from there. I'm also fiddling around with using google docs for my pattern pieces now but don't trust what I did...lol...so you can find that version here if you prefer it. *When printing do not shrink or resize the picture. Print it out as is.

Instructions:

1) Prep your fabric by pre-washing and drying. I used Buttercups by Amy Butler and I got the fabric I'm using from www.stitchsimple.com and she does all the washing & pressing for ya with unscented & chemical free detergent. The fabric shows up all ready to go! Seriously...best thing evah!

2) Cut out your pattern pieces for the sleeves and cut out (2) rectangles 22"W x 17"H (the top will look huge but when you put it on in the end it's almost like butterfly wings when your wee one lifts up her arms. My girl loved it!). Lay both rectangles on top of each other. Now we're going to use those sleeve pieces you cut out as templates to get your sleeve holes super accurate instead of doing some fussy measuring and trying to desperately draw a straight angled line..haha. Take your sleeve pieces and match up the side of the sleeve pieces (the side should be about 7 1/4") where I've shown the dashed lines in the diagram above. Mark this line with a fabric marker. Move sleeve piece off and cut along the line you just drew. Now just barely trim the top of your 2 rectangle pieces (your top - front/back) and the short end of your sleeves (this side is about 5") with pinking shears. Literally just enough to put the etches in..we don't want to lose fabric length here. Or you could choose to zig zag stitch these edges instead. We're doing this to finish the fabric & prevent fraying for a step later on in the tutorial.

3) Take your sleeve pieces and press a 1/4" seam along the curved edge, fold 1/4" and press again. Stitch down the hem.

4) With right sides facing each other (WS up) stitch the side seam of the sleeve (the one you used to draw the line in step 2) to the coordinating angle on the side of your top using a 1/2" seam allowance. Press your seam and finish it with a zig zag stitch or mock overlock. This gives your garment a nice professional finish. It is, of course, optional and trimming with pinking shears works just as well. *Note: if you are using a serger you can skip the steps for finishing the seams all throughout the tutorial.

5) With right sides still facing (WS up) match the underarms together of your front/back pieces of top. Pin along the side seams of your rectangles from the armpit down. Do this for both the left and right side of the top. Sew this with a 1/2" seam allowance. Again, press your seams and finish the seams with a zigzag stitch or mock overlock.

6) Mark with fabric pen (or use a pin) the center of both your front and back of your top. Fold and press (2) 2" box pleats (it takes 4" of fabric to make a 2" box pleat), (this video is helpful if you've never made a box pleat before), to the right and left of your center mark. Do this for both the front and back of your top making sure the space between the outer edge of your pleat to where the sleeves join the rectangle are equal on both sides (left to right) of the top.

7) Baste (you are going to do this to hold down the pleat when you finish the neckline to avoid shifting of the pleat) down "only" the top of the pleats with the smallest seam allowance you can.

8) With WS facing fold and press entire neckline 1/4" around the top. Stitch this seam down and press.

9) Find and mark the center point of your sleeve. Fold in both sides equally to make one inverted pleat (here is a great post showing inverted pleats). Do this for both sleeves. Press.

10) Get your 2 buttons out and hand sew your buttons on to each sleeve on the neckline between where your pleat meets up.

11) Try the garment on your child to check the length you would like to hem. I did a very wide hem so I will have lots of room in this tunic for Mackenzie to grow. I can take out the sleeve pleat and let down the hem as she gets bigger. I folded and pressed 2" and then folded and pressed 2" again to equal a 4" hem. I stitched this down the width of my presser foot in from the inside edge. I then topstitched 1/4" away from the first row of stitching to almost the edge of the hem. Press.

12) Attach your label. Press/fold your pleats (you can also blind stitch your pleats by hand down a few inches if they don't stay in place..mine were fine but this may change based on the fabric you are using) and go rock your new Autumn Tunic!!! So fun!

I would love to see if you make an Autumn Tunic for your child! Come upload any of your projects to the luvinthemommyhood flickr group so we can all take a looksie! I hope you have fun with this top and feel free to add your personality to it. You could add a different fabric border for the hem, leave out the buttons, embroider the neckline..there are lots of ways to customize the tunic for your child. It's perfect for summer/fall as is and just as adorable with a long sleeve t under for the winter. So go get some yummy colored fabric and Celebrate Color! Have you entered yet? You don't want to miss out on those FABULOUS prizes that Rachel, I and the gang have rounded up!

Do you have a fave autumn picture/memory? Have you been doing any sewing for fall? What do you think of the tunic? What print would you make it in? Let's chat sewing ladies...I'm on my 2nd cup of coffee this morning (eek) and would love your company :)

celebrate color - what palette inspires you?

September 01, 2011

i've been busy getting all excited for celebrate color and feeling so inspired for fall! it could be the lack of a hot summer where i live, or the longing to sip pumpkin spice lattes from starbucks while cozying up in hand knit sweaters...who knows..lol, but whatever it is i'm ready!

the most important part about celebrate color to me is embracing all the different shades of fall and how differently we may all interpret them and create from those shades. there are so many ways to look at the rainbow palette of fall so i thought i would be fun to share a few pics from a recent trip to one of our fave "makeshift backyards" that got me very inspired while picking out my palettes for my celebrate color tutorials. (what are my palettes? you'll have to wait and see..wink ..wink..)

how about some purples...mmmm....cool, calming...with hints of grey....

soft whites, with warm butter undertones...

bright pinks with flashes of red...

and who can forget the juiciness of orange and red!

make sure to pop over to "stitched in color" today as well for some more info on celebrate color, the rules, how to enter and more! we'd also love for you to sport a button & show your luv! here ya go!

are you all feeling inpsired for fall? are you planning on joining in on "celebrate color"? i can't wait to see what you all are going to whip up! so.....c'mon, spill the beans...what's your fave fall color palette? let's get inspired together :)

all images copyright luvinthemommyhood

bring on the fall with...CELEBRATE COLOR!

August 25, 2011

i've got an announcement for you all today! something fun to make that transition from summer to fall that much more enjoyable. something crafty and filled with color and inspiration. something for sewers, knitters, stitchers...and something with prizes too :) rachel of the lovely blog "stitched in color" has lovingly organized a fabulous 3 month long celebration entitled "CELEBRATE COLOR" partnered alongside emma lamb, mollie of wild olive and myself. woot woot! you guys all know how i can't resist a celebration! especially one that encompasses all of my favorite crafty things! so get ready to embrace the fall!

Source: flickr.com via Silvia on Pinterest

here's some deets about celebrate color:

What is Celebrate Color?

{Inspiration}

Enjoy weekly doses of inspiration in projects, fiber round ups, pin boards and tutorials brought to you by Stitched in Color, our partners and special guest posters! Browse the photo pools to immerse yourself in the colors of fall as seen through the eyes of fellow fiber artists.

{Contest}

Submit your fall colored projects for a chance to win monthly prizes. 1st and 2nd place "Color me happy" winners will be chosen by popular vote each month from each category. The 4 photo pool and contest categories are:

Fabric {Home Decor}: quilts, pillows, runners, etc.
Fabric {Wearables}: clothing, bags, accessories.
Yarn: anything knit or crocheted
Needlepoint: with elements of embroidery, crewel, cross stitch, etc.

You may submit up to 2 projects each month into any given category. And, of course, you may be active in several categories! Projects must be newly created/finished during our event. More entry details to come!

{Prizes}

And what's a good party without prizes? This contest is divided by category exactly so that you can win prizes fitting to your favorite fiber art. We're making our lists and contacting folks now, so let us know if there's something you think would make the perfect prize. Of course, I already have some great ones lined up! Prizes for each category will be announced at the beginning of each month.

{Community}

Celebrate Color officially launches on September 1st when some of the partners and I will be sharing what "fall colors" means for each of us. Remember, this is an interpretive event, so we want to know and see what inspires you as "fall". Would you join us in posting on September 1st an inspiration board, fiber round up or just your musings on fall colors? Rachel's post on "stitched in color" will include a linky so that you can add your post and we can enjoy a community full of inspiration.

rachel, emma, mollie & i will be posting again soon with buttons for you all to sport, contest details and more information about celebrate color. i'm super excited about the whole thing and i hope you guys all join in! it sounds fun right! i cannot wait to see what you guys come up with and what colors you are inspired by for fall. i've even got a few tutorials in the works that will be part of celebrate color as well! i can't wait to show you all.

Source: iamjenna.tumblr.com via Jenna on Pinterest

so get creative, get crafting, start thinking cozy fall and let's all celebrate color together! are you excited about fall? are you going to join in? happy thursday!

want to sport a button? grab one now! woot woot!

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the delaney dress tutorial - celebrate color!

The Autumn Tunic Tutorial - Celebrate Color!

celebrate color - what palette inspires you?

bring on the fall with...CELEBRATE COLOR!