Roundup of Free Baby Knitting Patterns : : Toys
Lil’ Monster (free pattern on the right hand column)
Chubby Chirp (free pattern on the right hand column)
Bunny (free pattern on the right hand column)
Toddler & Baby Refashion Roundup
Adult T to Toddler T Refashion
Adult Dress Shirt to Girls Dress
Adult Dress Shirt to Girls Dress
Adult Dress Shirt to Girls Dress
Tutu Dress
Every little girl needs a tutu dress in her closet! For the crafter in the family, it’s a quick and easy way to make a “twirly” dress for hours of play and imagination.
If you do not have a sewing machine, you could make this into a no sew project by using ribbon. Simply take the chest measurement and tie a knot at each end of the ribbon marking off the measurement (leave excess ribbon on the ends beyond the knots for tying a bow). Tie the tulle around the ribbon, and easy peasy, you are done! Wrap the dress around your little one and tie it off in a big bow. If the dress is too loose you can loop another ribbon at the front of the dress to create a halter strap that ties behind the neck.
Tutu Dress Tutorial
Supplies:
* 3 to 5 rolls of 6” tulle (I found mine in the wedding section of JoAnn’s)
* 1” elastic
* Flower for embellishment (optional, use one with a strap on the back intended for a headband and it becomes a cinch to attach)
* Ribbon (optional, for halter strap)
* Foamcore Board or Cardboard (optional)
To make the tulle cutting process quick and simple find a flat sturdy piece of cardboard or foamcore that is cut to the length of the dress. My dress was made for a 4 year old and a standard size foamcore board was the perfect size already. Wrap the tulle around and around. When the roll runs out, take scissors and cut one end of the tulle. Now you have several strips of tulle that are twice the necessary dress length.
Next, take your elastic and cut it to fit snugly around the chest (allow 1/2” extra to account for the seam). Sew your elastic ends together to form a circle.
Place the elastic loop around your thigh and you are ready to tie and attach the strips of tulle.
Take one strip of tulle and fold it in half. Slide it under the elastic loop and prepare to make a slip knot.
Fold over the top of the loop and pull the tails through the loop.
Pull tightly, tugging the tails back towards you. Make sure that the elastic does not fold over.
Your first slip knot is done! Now repeat this step over and over until your loop is full.
The knots formed from creating the slip knots should end up on the inside of the dress, hidden from view. If yours are on the outside, simply turn the dress inside out.
Optional: To add the flower - pull a piece of tulle through the loop on the back of flower and tie your slip knot. That’s it!
Winter Knits Roundup! Free Patterns
One Architect + One Designer = Home Renovation
The Project : :
Dining Room
The Details : :
* Paint the ceiling and walls
* Replace the sliding glass door
* Replace the light fixture
The Reveal : :
Dining Room
(Image by FromMeToYou )
(Image by FromMeToYou )
(Image by FromMeToYou )
Sweet Potato Fries
Once you go sweet potato … You never go back!
Sweet potato fries are a delicious and nutritious alternative to regular old french fries. This version is seasoned and baked in the oven. Once I tried these I became a french fry snob!
The best part, they are only 89 calories per serving!
The recipe and tips on preparing them are located after the pics …
Tip #1 : For fries that are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, flip the fries halfway through cooking. This way they get an even cook on both sides.
Tip #2 : We use ancho chile powder. It’s got a perfect flavor for this recipe
Tip #3 : Try the turkey burgers listed in this recipe. They are delicious!
Grilled Cheese with Prosciutto, Basil, and Dates
With the holidays behind us now, I have to say that I have had my fill of turkey, mashed potatoes, and casseroles. It’s time for something different!
How about a grilled cheese with a twist …
We were a little leery of mixing all these ingredients together, but the combination of flavors was fantastic! It’s also a great way to get power packed nutritional dates into your diet.
You can find the recipe Here
One Architect + One Designer = Home Renovation
The Reveal : :
Kitchen
(image by From Me To You )
(image by From Me To You )
(image by From Me To You )
(image by From Me To You )
Check out the Before Pics and Process Here
One Architect + One Designer = Home Renovation
The Project : :
Kitchen
Details : :
* Paint Ceiling and Wood Beams
* Paint Walls
* Replace Ceiling Fan
* Remove Upper Cabinet Cornice
* Refinish Mid Century door bell
* Remove the half door leading to the stairs
The kitchen was an interesting project. We had a tight budget for this space so we knew that replacing the cabinets and flooring was out of the question. Instead, we went for simple, inexpensive, aesthetic changes. The first thing to go was the upper cabinet cornice. This was a HUGE eyesore and did not have any context to the style of the home.
Brian was very excited about having to get up on a ladder again to paint the ceiling and beams!
I wouldn’t recommend painting like this. Not the safest of moves, but it got the job done. The insides of the cabinets were a bare wood. So, we painted all of the interiors with a white to match the exterior. This was an easy step to bring the cabinets up to date and begin our time in them with a fresh, clean start.
The ceiling fan was very traditional and lacked in design so we replaced it with a more modern twin fan. This turned the ceiling fan from an eye sore to a feature in the kitchen.
By removing the cornice, the upper cabinet immediately transformed. We were able to achieve the look we wanted while salvaging the cabinet.
We wanted an “appetizing” color for the kitchen - one that would be bright, bold, and complement the color palette for the rest of the house. We chose a sassy green reminiscent of a tasty, tart granny smith apple! The color also pairs well with the bright orange wall in the living room. This was an important aspect because the vantage point from the front door allows you to see both colors at the same time.
Mini Project: : The Mid Century Door Bell Renovation
We didn’t manage to take a “before” photo of our door bell, but the above 1950s / 60s Nutone door bell is spot on to what we had. We loved the retro lines of the door bell, but knew it needed some updating. So, Brian went to work on it. He found a cheap perforated metal tray and cut a rectangular piece to replace the brass mesh. Then, he painted the bell a matte white finish.
It looks fantastic! It became one of our favorite little treasures in the house!
As always, our favorite time in a room reno… adding the artwork. (Artwork above is EVRT Studio)
Check out the After Photos Here
Pretty Girl Tutu Tutorial
What little girl doesn’t love to twirl around in a tutu! This is a very easy gift and can be made in one evening while sitting in front of the TV (watching a Christmas movie!). There is very little to no sewing required.
For the sew version, you can use elastic for the waistband. Sewing together the elastic to form a loop is the only sewing required. I generally take the waist measurement and subtract 1/2” for the final sewn elastic measurement (remember to add in your seam allowance when you cut the elastic).
For a no sew version, you can use ribbon instead of elastic. Measure the waist, tie knots in the ribbon to mark the waist measurement. You will attach the tulle between the two knots. The left over ribbon (beyond the knots) will be used to tie a bow.
There are lots of tutorials online for completing this project. I’ve seen some where they tie a double knot and others which tie a slip knot. I tried both and feel that the slip knot looks cleaner. Depending on how you tie the knots you may need to flip your tutu inside out when completed so that the knots are hidden on the interior of the skirt (this is what I had to do). Look for tips and the tutorial after the pics …
Tips for making the tutu:
UPDATE:
Here is a tutorial for tying the slip knots…
1. To ease the process of cutting the tulle I purchased 6” rolls (found at JoAnn Fabrics in the wedding section). This eliminates the need to cut the tulle width wise because 6” is the perfect width to use.
2. To cut the length I found a book that was the appropriate length, wrapped the tulle around the book and cut one end. This allowed me to cut multiple strips at one time. You can also use a piece of cardboard or foam core board.
3. Slide your leg through the elastic loop until it rests on your thigh (like a garter). Then, begin to tie the tulle around the loop. This makes it very easy to tie on strips of tulle.
Enjoy!
