Pattern making

I made my second pattern of all time. . . my first one based on an idea with nothing to copy except a picture of something similar! I cannot believe that I pulled it off and it only took 2 tries.
Last night I started trying to come up with a romper that I could put ruffles on the butt and still look adorable! The first attempt . . . well let us just say . . . not good! I tried to use the pattern I had for a 'bubble romper' basically a pillowcase dress made into a romper, Very cute, but didn't make for a cute ruffle romper. After 3 attempts of sewing and ripping apart and re-sewing, I decided to call it a night and go to bed, as soon as I got into bed the proverbial light bulb turned on! I had to get back up to draw a picture of my idea or I probably would have forgotten by the morning! When I woke up this morning I could not WAIT for nap time! As soon as it came I got busy!
I would like to share with you the final result.

pleated neck

cris-cross back and ruffles

My little beauty

and the beat goes on. . .

Last night, at mid-night, I finished the last surprise pair of bloomers! I can hardly contain my excitement, they turned out SO much more awesome than I had visioned. I really don't know how I am going to wait the 3 or so days it takes for USPS to deliver them so I can share the pictures with you all. ARGH!

I also finished making Marcelo's vest! It is adorable. I used this super easy pattern from Burdastyle I made it reversible and instead of buttons (I am still terrified of doing buttons and button holes on my machine) I used snaps, which I immediately regretted since my snap pliers apparently hate me! I tried to get pictures of Marcelo wearing the vest but he wouldn't cooperate and kept wanting to take the vest off. I bet it they were bloomers he'd fight me to take them off! I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities since he will be wearing for Mother's day. Speaking of which I still need to finish GG's dress.



Yesterday I went to the fabric store and got a bunch of really cute material so that I can make up some dresses, skirts, bloomers and swing tops to list on my Etsy site. I hope they will be popular over there and I can 'reinvest' my profits. Especially since I have decided that I want a Cricut. Why? Because I want to be able to make appliques! Plus you can use it for all kinds of fun things like, scrap booking, card making, wall vinyls, glass etching and more! Wow! I have been watching the infomercial WAY too much!
Happy Crafting

In Da Hood. . .

I am going to be attempting to make another pattern soon. This time for a Hooded bath/beach robe. Marcelo got a hooded ducky robe from my nephew and it is the CUTEST thing EVER!! It got passed down to Gianna, along with most of the unisex items that we have. I love this little robe so much and both times my kids have grown out of it I get a little sad. This is the only robe I have found like this and even Google cant seem to find any like it. . . so what do you do when you can't find what you want? You MAKE it! With the help of my Mother in law of course!

Gianna

Marcelo

Today I started and finished the cart/high chair cover. It is adorable! I found some multicolored polka dot minky. . . I am obsessed with dots right now! As soon as I get a chance I will take pictures of it in action.

Just an update! I have officially decided on what the 3rd pair of bloomers will be and I am SO excited to get started!
On an unrelated note I found a pattern for a toddler boys vest! It looks SO easy. 3 pattern pieces. . . seriously!
Ok now I am rambling. . . Happy crafting xoxo

RRRRRRRRuffles!

Saturday I got my fancy new ruffler foot. I am so excited to put this bad mam-a-jamma to work. I played with it a little bit last night and it was pretty awesome but a little bit intimidating. There are so many variables that you can adjust to make the ruffles or pleats bigger or smaller or deeper or fuller! It is crazy but SO FUN! It is going to make sewing ruffles to much easier and faster. I ordered it on ebay for $16 (plus $2 for S&H) and I really cant believe how fast it got here. My only (semi) complaint is that it only ruffles the edge of a fabric. . . say I want to put a ruffled stitch down the middle of a strip of fabric. . . Nope can't do it because there is a little metal guide thing-y blocking the fabric from going in any deeper than just that much. Bummer. . . but that's ok it won't stop me from using it and putting unnecessary ruffles on everything.

This weekend I also made myself a pillowcase dress, which turned out pretty darn cute! I do think that it needs a lining under it though since the fabric I found (an adorable polka dot pattern) is kind of thin and see through. Now I just need to do Gianna's. Once I get them both done I will make Julio take pictures of our super cute matchy-ness (not a real word but it works). I still need to figure something out to make for Marcelo for Mother's day. I want to make a vest or something for him but I am scared of buttons and button holes . . . eek! I found a pattern for a hat but I don't know how to get it to go together properly so I am still working on that in between projects.

I really wish I could create and craft full time. I LOVE making things for people (plus the fabric store is my nirvana). There is something about making things with your hands that just fills me up inside. I don't know if I could describe it but its magical. It is always different and exciting and interesting. If ever you get bored with what you are working on you put it down and pick up something else. That simple. I love it. xoxo

Happy crafting!

SUCCESS!

Today was a great day for 2 reasons.

1. I found zebra print fabric! Not only in cotton but SATIN as well!!!
2. I successfully made my first pattern! YES, I, Brandi Gonzalez, Made a workable, wearable, pattern.
For what you might ask? For the CUTEST open back swing top/smock EVER. Do you get the sense that I am REALLY proud of myself? If not, well, I am!

A little back story. I was introduced to this website by a friend, http://www.rufflebutts.com/ , which has the cutest bloomers and swing tops. Which incidentally my mom used to dress me in little swing tops and bloomers almost exactly like the ones on their site. So of course Gianna HAS to have some! After scoping out the site and realizing I just can't afford to pay 30 bucks for a infant top that she is going to grow out of in 3 months, I set out to find a pattern for them. I searched high and low, Google-d until I could Google no more, alas I could not find a pattern that would produce a type of top I was looking for. Then it hit me! Why don't I email them and see if they sell the pattern? NEGATIVE! Back to the drawing board. . . I started thinking about how hard could it possibly be to make this top? What if I order one from the clearance rack and make my own pattern template from it? BINGO! I ordered one for 10 bucks in a size 3T . . . all they had left but no matter I just needed it for tracing. 20 minutes, 6 pieces of paper, and 8 pieces of tape later. . . I had a pattern. I put the kids down for nap and got busy! Now to share with you the final result. Drum roll please. . . . . . . . . . .

My lovely assistant

The ensemble

Bloomers

Back

Front

side ruffles

So So SO SOOOOo cute! I can't wait until next week when we are getting the family pictures done! Gianna is going to have so many cute things to change into.

Now I just need to figure out how to 'size' my pattern and how to get it put on adobe so I can share it will all of you! If any of you know how to work that kind of stuff PLEASE HELP!

A kid in the candy store. . .

Any day that results in a trip the the fabric store is a good day. Add to that marking off some items on my wish list = A FANTASTIC day! Today I made a trip to Joann's with my 3 coupons, one for 50% and two for 40% off. I headed straight for the scissor aisle to pick out a new pair of pinking shears, but instead found a rotary cutter and a pinking shear attachment. I also found a clear ruler (I think that its for quilting) which will be perfect for cutting straight edges and a 2 pack of fabric markers! WOO HOO for coupons! What I didn't find at Joann's was zebra print fabric. I asked the sales clerk (who is HILARIOUS and I love going to Joann's when he's working) who said 'I just don't understand why that crap is so popular! It comes in and its sold out a few days after!' haha Then he also reminded me its prom time and a lot of the kids/parents make their own dresses and accessories! Grr. . . Damn prom kids!

Today I got to see my friend's daughter in the pillowcase dress I made for her! I tried to get a few pictures but she was a non-willing participant! She looked ABSOLUTELY adorable! I have an order of ruffle bloomers I am going to be working on this weekend and I can hardly wait to get them done and post pictures of them! I wish I could hand deliver them to Ms. Brooklyn so I could take some pictures of her cute lil tushy in them, but her mom has promised to get some super cute ones for me. Until then Happy crafting.

Finally. . . something for the boys!

Today I got busy on a little project I have seen a few places around the net and a Facebook friend, thanks Jaimie C., suggested it as a cute item for boys. A tee with a tie! can it get ANY CUTER?? Personally I don't think so. Since I couldn't really find any directions or tutorials on how to do this I made it up as I went along.
First I started off by making a tie template. Easy enough right? Except for the part where you have to make sure its even and in proportion AND is an adequate size for the boy (or girl) you are making this for. The first template I made looked like it would be a good size then I held it to the shirt I was working with and realized this is WAY too small! So I drew a new one, that at first glace looked ok but as I was cutting it out I realized it was lopsided! Attempt # 3 BINGO. . . third times the charm. . . and all those other 3-some sayings.
Next I picked a scrap of fabric I had laying around and pinned it down and cut it out. I also cut out a piece of iron on interfacing, which I have never really worked with interfacing but I will say I am glad that I did! It gave the tie a 'stiffness' that helps keep it from getting 'lost' on the shirt.
Moving on.. . I found a plain 'ol t-shirt of Marcelo's and pinned it on lined my presser foot up about 1/4 in. from the edge of the 'tie' and stitched it all the way around.
Et Volia the finished product!

Mr. Marcelo, My handsome model

Strike a pose!

Enjoy!

Every little girl needs ruffles

Today I took on a new project that I have been wanting to try since. . . well since I had Marcelo. Making baby bloomers/diaper covers. They are so cute and there are so many different ways to personalize them from embroidery, to appliques, to my personal favorite . . . RUFFLES!!! Since I made Gianna a pillowcase dress she needed matching bloomers . . . of course (especially since I am still bitter that the shoes I made and worked SO hard on DIDN'T FIT!).

The cutest little butt you have ever seen!

Her matching dress

For a first run they came out pretty good, I do however, need to perfect my ruffling and placement. the first row of ruffles is to wide and the second and third are too low (the third row is practically under her butt). This project made me wish I had a Serger even more than I already do. A serger would have made the whole project go a little more quickly and smoothly.

All the sewing I have been doing lately I have made a list of tools that I would like to invest in. . .or if anyone want to send them to me free that would be even better!
My wish list:
serger
Rotary cutter and mat
Pinking shears
a walking foot for my machine
a sewing machine that does embroidery (anyone have a spare Bernina laying around?)
yard stick (I didn't say everything was expensive)
marking pen (you know one of the ones you can mark and it disappears)
Magnetic pin cushion
a pretty sewing box
This is all I can think of now but I know there is more. now to convince the husband that I NEED these things haha.

I love sewing!!!

Today I some how managed to convince the hubby to let me sneak away and sew for a good portion of the afternoon while he and Marcelo vegged out and watched nickjr (I suggested a trip to the park but Julio said it was too hot. . . where is the eye roll smiley when you need it?). I made 2 dresses one pillowcase dress for a friends daughter and I tried out a new pattern and made a dress for Ms. Gianna the pattern is called the Mango dress http://www.etsy.com/shop/ManiMina This lady on Etsy has ADORABLE patterns and it was pretty easy for the most part (this is where I tell you how much of a ding dong I am and that I couldn't figure out how to put the pattern pieces together then after I finally figured it out I only cut out 1 skirt piece when I needed 2 . . . yea I deserve a HUGE . . . DOH!) and the dress turned out fantastically. Here is my little model showing it off
.excuse the bed head she had just woken up from nap . . . personally I think the look suits her well.

I love that she is flirting with her daddy in this one

This is my favorite Gianna face!

The pillowcase dress is so far my FAVORITE thing to make its simple, doesn't require a pattern, and can be made in ANY SIZE! Which means I AM MAKING ME AND GIANNA MATCHING DRESSES! Here are some pictures of the dress I made today.



I am so proud of ME!
I will be selling the pillowcase dresses for $20, so if your little lady needs one let me know and I can get one whipped up for her in no time!