Stellar Mother

Homemade body paint for kids

2013-02-06T17:13:00.001+10:00

My 4 year old goes to kindy (preschool) 2 days a week. And the other days? He's bored of course!
Today, while his 2 younger sisters were napping, he and I made body paint and, yes, painted each other.
It was suuuuuper easy! And fun.
I used lotion & food colouring & qtips. That's it!
And it's 4-year old friendly. He added the colours & mixed them. And then he had a blast painting.
Half way through it all, my 3 month old woke up. But she was delighted to be part of the fun, too.
Enjoy!

Pet Bed: For Man's Best Friend made with Man's Unwanted Shirts

2013-02-05T21:25:00.000+10:00

Pet Bed: For Man's Best Friend made with Man's Unwanted Shirt

I love refashioning clothes. You know.... taking A and turning it into B. But this is the first time I've made something for a non-human.

And I love this design:

1) I hate dirty pet smells, and because this one is made with cotton shirts, you can easily wash it in the washing machine.

2) With the velcro opening, you can stuff it with towels, rags, stuffing, pillows, or whatever you want. And you can take out stuffing again when you want to wash it (see #1).

3) Bringing your pet somewhere? Bring this too, it's light & compact and, yes, easy to clean.

And it was very easy to make, and didn't take too long. Here's how to do it:

Take a matching pile of mens' bottom up shirts. Coordinate the fabrics to suit your pet's personality... or your home decor.

Make a template for the bed pieces. I used an old cereal box and measured 12 inches x 12 inches square, and then rounded one of the edges.

Cut apart the shirts, removing the sleeves from the larger parts of material. Using the template, trace & cut 8 pie-shaped pieces for your bed.

Arrange them into the pattern you like, and sew them right-sides together. Use an iron to press the seams (the ironing isn't 100% necessary, but it makes the overall finished product look sooooo much better. Trust me - from a non-ironer, I do the ironing when I sew because it looks nicer).

Continue sewing 4 pieces together to make one full panel (making sure you match your corners in the middle). Repeat with the other 4 pieces.

Add the velcro. This is the trickiest part - you don't want to accidentally sew it on the wrong side (like I almost did), so make sure you're paying attention. Sew it onto the WRONG side (tuck your raw edges under). Repeat with both sides. I made my opening approx 4 inches (10 cm).

Put both panels right sides together (match up the seams to make it look nice & tidy). It's ok if you've made a mistake and the panels aren't 100% the same. Once your bed is stuffed, ie not laying flat, you'll never notice. Also, don't forget to make sure Velcro lines up.

Sew Velcro. And then, with right sides together, sew all around the circle with 1/4 seam allowance. Start & finish at the Velcro.

Your bed is now inside out. At the Velcro opening, turn it right side in & VOILA! You have a pet bed.

Find something to stuff it with (I used old dish towels), and give it to your pet.

FYI these make awesome gifts for "that person" that has everything... and you can use any colors & fabrics that you prefer. Good luck! :)

No Sew Hula Skirt T-Shirt Refashion

2013-01-22T21:44:00.000+10:00

Last weekend me & hubby & the 3 kids spent the weekend at my MIL's house. It's a rural farm-type property, and my kids love it. But... I anticipated a lot of "son-helping-his-mom-on-the-property" time, and that means I would be in charge of the kids. And, although it's a cool place for a kid, there isn't much to do.

So I brought a few old t-shirts, a pair of scissors, and some no-sew refashion ideas for things to make for the kids. I didn't want something that was too time consuming or too difficult. And TA-DA! The hula skirt was born. I've seen similar projects around... this one is easy easy easy and you, too, can ask your two year old to help.

With all the cutting in this, it doesn't have to be tidy or straight. In other words, you don't have to be OCD to get a good final project. Either way, your girl will love it. You'll see.

Start with an adult-sized shirt. It doesn't matter what the t-shirt design is because you won't see it when it's done. My "helper" was there with me, of course, sitting on the table while I took step-by-step photos.

Cut off the bottom hem. And now cut a 4 inch wide piece (this will be the waist band). You will have a tube - cut the tube so you have one long piece. Fold it in half hotdog style... so now you should have one long doubled piece that's 2 inches wide. Set it aside.

Cut the rest of the shirt into 1-2 inch wide pieces. Like the waist band above, they will also be 'tubes.' So, cut them so they are also long and about 1-2 inches wide (the sun was setting as I was taking the photos, look at the pink shirt "change" colors with the light!).

This is the fun part: Stretch the 1-2 inch wide (and long) strips. I mean pull those things. And pull and pull. Stretch them as much as you can. You'll see they will fold onto themselves and make almost like a rope. This is a great time to ask your "helper" for help.

Now, work out how long you want your hula skirt lengths to be, and DOUBLE it. So, if you want the skirt to be 6 inches long, then double it to 12 inches. Cut the looooooong rope-like strips into 12 inch (or whatever you choose) lengths.

Get your waist band and cut little holes into BOTH sides of the waist band, about 1/2 inch or so from the top.

Fold your hula lengths in half and thread the loop end through the hole in the waist band, and put the ends through the loop and pull tight to tie it onto the waist band. I'm sure knot this has a name but I have no idea what it is.

Continue doing this for the whole skirt.

When you're finished tying the hula loops, you can cut the waist straps to fit the girl. Make a knot, and put the ties into the same fringe (cut into strips, pull tight, etc). The only difference is you're not going to cut the strips off, but leave them dangling.

And that's it. All together, you can finish this skirt in less than hour. Put skirt on your girl and watch her twirl. Girl Twirl. Love it.

Mistletoes 2012

2012-12-21T15:22:00.002+10:00

Is it just me or is time going waaaaaaaay too fast??

Sadly, I haven't posted in nearly a year, and because 1) I recently had my 3rd baby and 2) I turned 31, I became nostalgic and decided to read through my blog old posts. I re-read my mistletoes from last year, and realized I hadn't yet taken any impressions of my kids' wee prints in a year.

But like I said, time is going waaaaaaay too fast.

So here are the directions for my "2012 MistleToes:"

Cate was my helper while her almost-4 year old brother and 2-month old sister were napping.

I used a sheet of construction paper, some paints, and markers. I decided to wait to write the kids' names until AFTER their feet were on... just in case.

VERY important: a practice step! (good thing - Miss Cate & Momma's aim needed work)

When did my 2-year old's feet get so big???

I used red paint & thumb prints to make the berries.

And a few hours later, we have a complete set! The kids enjoyed it - and what a fun & easy keepsake for our family. And at the rate of these growing feet, I'm going to need a larger paper next year...

Merry Christmas :)

Guest blog: T-Shirt refashion to Yoga Pants

2012-01-07T16:53:00.000+10:00

T-Shirt refashion into Yoga Pants

First of all, thank you Casey for giving me the opportunity to do a tutorial for Stellar Mother. My usual blog www.mywaterjar.blogspot.com is very different from clothes refashioning, but this is definitely one of my loves.

This refashion is not my original idea, but if you haven’t come across it previously make note of it today because I think it is one of the most ingenious t-shirt refashions I’ve seen around - and if you are preggers and looking for something comfy for your bump, these are perfect.

If you are an experienced sewer it will probably take you about half an hour or less to throw together, but even if you are only new to this glorious hobby I would consider this an easy project.

What you will need:

T-shirt

Scissors

Sewing machine (you could make it by hand, it would just take a bit longer)

First, get yourself a men’s t-shirt, I got mine for $1 at the op shop (that’s Australian for second hand store). I used a size medium (although it seemed large for a medium) and it came out about a size 10 so keep that in mind when you find yourself a t-shirt. If you get a shirt that has a colour accent or some pictures on it like mine does, remember that will be in your finished shorts (which can be good or bad)

You will need to make 4 cuts: cut the sleeves off along the seam, cut the neck off – straight across and cut what is left in half (make sure this cut is even on each side otherwise you will end up with different sized legs.) You can throw away the neck part, but keep the arms because these will become your waist band.

The arm holes become the crotch, so next you need to turn the ‘legs’ inside out (right sides together) and pin/sew up the outside (if you are a confident sewer you can skip the pinning – but you’d know that already). I sewed from the bottom up because I won’t be hemming the pants so I wanted to make sure they were even on the bottom. Also, leave a minimal of seam allowance so that you can make sure the shorts are big enough. Once you’ve sewn the crotch you can try them on and fit them to yourself however you like.

Next comes the most ‘complicated’ part - sewing the crotch. This part was what kept me away from making pants/shorts, because I thought it was really complicated, but just do it once and you’ll see it’s very straight forward. First, turn one of the legs right side out. Then, in order to sew the crotch, the two legs need to be right sides facing...sooooo....take a deep breath and put the leg that is right side out inside the leg that is inside out so that the crotch lines up, then pin the two crotches together (it’s sort of ‘U’ shaped)and sew. It really is that simple.

And hurrah! We’ve got shorts!!

Now you can try them on inside out and make sure you like the fit. If they are too big or you want to shape the legs a bit, use some pins to make adjustments where you want them and resew as needed. I left them as is, partly because they were a little on the small size (next time I’ll use a bigger shirt) and also because they are just for lounging so I don’t mind the straight leg look.

Now to finish them off we will need to make a waist band for them. This we will make with our cut off arms. The waist part can be done in a various number of ways. You can use elastic, or a tie, or as I did, you can just sew it on as is and it’s tight enough to stay put. You could make a ‘v’ front for a bit of a variation (also good if you’ve got a baby growing).

First we need to cut them open along the seam, and cut off any leftover seam.

Then cut the arms so they are nice and even.

Then we sew the edges (right sides together) on both sides to make the waist band.

Next we need to attach the waist band to the shorts. I’ll just show you what I did but obviously feel free to do it however you like.

First I pinned the raw edge of the waist band (right sides together) to the shorts (notice the shorts are tucked into the waistband at this point.) You could fold it over and sew the waist band on in one go, I just wanted to make it a bit neater on the inside.

Next, fold the waistband over (wrong sides together) so that the inside half comes a bit lower than the first stitching and pin. Then ‘stitch in the ditch’ to use a quilting term (except that I don’t quilt). I sewed on the outside (right side) of the shorts in the little ditch that that first stitching made.

And you’re done! They are a bit tighter on me than I like, but they do the job. You could do just about anything you like to them to suit your style and I would imagine you could use different shirts besides a t-shirt as long as it had stretch to it.

ENJOY.

***

Thanks Shawna for the excellent tutorial - I love comfy clothes & I have heaps of t-shirts... I think I know what my next refashion project is going to be...

MistleTOES Christmas decoration for kids

2011-12-31T07:33:00.000+10:00

I saw these cuuuute "Mistletoes" from funhandprintart and love the idea!

And they were a big hit with the grandparents, too.

My kids loved them, too. They didn't take long to make, and I already had the 'ingredients' needed for it.

First get some posterboard (or if you want to use a tile, plate, etc, to make it a permanent gift. I am trying to reduce the 'stuff' in my house, so I didn't want to do a 'thing', but was trying to capture their small feet.), and trace a large plate for a circle.

Using craft scissors with a designed edge (or regular ones), cut them out. Use your child's shoe to make sure the size is right.

Before you get out the paint, you must do some PREP. I put a little bit of water in the bath, and had a rag next to me at all times. I used both of them.

In fact, we did the painting next to the bathtub. It saved me from worrying about getting green footprints all over the floor.

Practice the footprint-on-paper before you use real paint, so your child knows what to expect.

Using a paint brush, paint your child's foot (one at a time) - you can use acrylics or Crayola finger-paints. Beware - it tickles!

Then, use a few other colors - red, blue, purple, and gold for us - for the lightbulbs, using little thumbs to make them.

Don't forget the cluster of berries at the heels!

Hang them on the Christmas tree. Perfect & easy Christmas memory.

My 3 year old loved these so much - I can see these "MistleTOES" being a tradition in our home.

Merry Christmas xoxo

Quick coin purse refashioned from Jeans

2011-12-23T15:51:00.001+10:00

Need a last minute gift idea? Or do you need a project for a young girl to make these school holidays?

I refashioned this coin 'purse' from a jean pocket. Grab an old pair of jeans (I used these jeans for my baby girl jeans refashion), and cut out bum pocket.

Add velcro to the inside flaps. I'm not worried about fraying because I sewed the velcro... hopefully that will prevent fraying?

Time will tell!

And that's it. I thought about embellishing it with felt, bias tape, buttons, paint, applique. Perhaps even a long ribbon to make this a purse??

But to be honest, I was happy with it plain. As it is.

And now this refashion jean pocket is in my purse holding my coins.

Merry Christmas!

Couch to 5K - here I come!

2011-12-20T15:05:00.000+10:00

My good friend Tash told me about "Couch to 5K", a worldwide movement getting people off the couch & into exercise.

Me? I'm active - I run around after my kids & walk the dogs - and I love the idea of being fit, but find it hard to fit it into my schedule.

So I looked into this "Couch to 5K" program & the idea is this: In 3 months, you will go from the couch to running 5 Ks (3 miles). There is a plan & a whole network of support. There's even an app for your phone!

Tash & I are doing this program starting January 2012. 20 minutes for 3 days a week. The program starts at walk/jog/run intervals. Again, it's designed for the couch potato, NOT the marathon runner.

Sound good?

The hardest thing about working out (getting off the couch...) is having the support.

And that's why I'm inviting you.

We can be each other's support. Or maybe you want to invite a friend to do this with you, too. Or maybe you're already SUPER FIT... in which case you can support me :)

Tash & I are doing our walk/jog/runs at 6 am. Not only is this the best time for us before the kids wake up, but it's also the coolest time of the day in our North Queensland summer.

So I'm getting a new pair of running shoes for Christmas. I'm excited for this! I've never run 5 Ks... maybe one day we'll be able run them together.

Merry Christmas, xoxo

Casey

Frilly No Sew T Shirt Refashion

2011-12-20T14:07:00.000+10:00

I'm thinking of trying a new weekly feature: "T-Shirt Tuesdays." Because I (and you?) seem to have more t-shirts than I can wear, I'd love to have a weekly feature on how to upcycle, recycle, and refashion a t-shirt.

Your thoughts?

Here's the first one:

I'm not a Hello Kitty fan. But someone out there is... or was.

I found this long sleeve tight-fitting shirt at the thrift store & picked it up for 20 cents.

Refashioning it was very easy.

First, I cut off the sleeves. Then, I put the shirt on again to measure where I wanted my new armpits to be. You can easily do this yourself - just a pin or chalk and mark on yourself (while wearing the shirt) where you want them to be.

From this armpit mark, draw a straight line from the mark to the bottom of the shirt.

Then, up along the front/back seam.

Cut little fringes from the outside of the shirt to the straight line you drew earlier.

Tie them in little knots (make sure they're secure or OOPS! your top will come unravelled. This isn't the look we're going for...)

You can also cut off the bottom hem if you want. I did.

Find a hallway mirror & take photos of the shirt.

This one was very easy, and can easily be done in less than 20 minutes.

Good luck!! If you do this refashion, I'd love to see your photos!! Post them on the comments or email them to me & I'll post them (with your permission).

Check in again next Tuesday for another t-shirt upcycle, recycle, and refashion.

Refashion baby jeans with reverse applique & bum ruffles

2011-12-05T16:43:00.001+10:00

It's summer and stinkin' hot in Port Douglas. The kids & I spend days in the pool, and wear t-shirts and shorts when we leave the house. The air con is on most of the time - and when it's not on, we wish that it was.

But I know my Northern Hemisphere friends are feeling the cold.

So, this one is for you, my NH readers.

Ruffle bums are very popular in Australia, and I thought I'd try to make some ruffle bum jeans - refashioned, of course.

These jeans were a great thrift store find - they are practically new and in great condition. I loved the stitching on the leg, and decided to keep the external stitches for awesome style.

Using a pair of pants, trace the legs onto the jeans with a piece of chalk. Again, I lined up the outside of the leg with the existing jean leg.

Cut it out. (you can put the top part of the jeans aside - perhaps to make a pair of capris?)

Ruffles: I cut some strips about 3 inches wide & 2x the length of the bum. You can use different measurements to your preference. Use a long stitch and gently pull them together for a ruffle effect.
Make sure you fold & stitch the sides under. Put the strips aside for now.

Applique: cut a piece of matching fabric.

Pin it to the inside of the jeans, with the right side of the dot-fabric facing the wrong side of the jeans.

Using a fancy stitch, sew the dot-fabric to the jeans in your desired pattern.

From the outside, it will look like this:

Using fine scissors, gently cut the denim between the decorative stitching. DON'T cut the dot-fabric!!

Add a cute button for a little pizzaz...

... And it should look like this:

Adding the ruffles:
Measure equal markings to ensure the ruffles are evenly spaced. Again, use chalk.

Add a ruffle. Sew it as shown, with the bottom of the ruffle facing up. Iron the ruffle down, and stitch along the top to hold it down in place.

Repeat with all your ruffles.

Turn the waist down, making casing for the elastic. Thread through - and you're done!

I put the jeans on my daughter for the photos - air con blasting, of course.

I also refashioned a red & white polka-dot pair from one of my well-loved & too-small jeans from years ago.

I love the frayed hem on the foot!

Jeans are on my Etsy Store... they are fun to make, but not practical for our climate. And by the time we visit Grammy & Poppa in Colorado, Cate will need a larger pair...

It's My Party and I'll dress like my daughter if I want to!

2011-11-30T19:05:00.001+10:00

Do you remember when 30 seemed OLD? I do.

But I didn't want my 30th to be sad & depressing. My life is wonderful and so blessed, and I wanted to celebrate 30 fantastic years.

In fact, I decided to celebrate the BIG 30 with a party. A huge party. We rented a gorgeous house in Port Douglas and invited friends & family from all over the world.

And my daughter's 1st birthday is 2 weeks after mine, so we joined forces and celebrated our births on the same day.

Of course, Cate & I needed something to wear to our party. A friend gave me this dress that was too small for her:

I saw it and thought, "That's it! I'll refashion matching dresses for me & Cate!" I used to think that parents that dressed like their kids was weird (probably around the same time I thought 30 was old), but now that I have a little girl, I thought I'd embrace the weirdness and aim for cuteness.

And it's my party and I'll do what I want to, right?

This dress had a seam about knee-length. I simply unpicked the stitches, and put the top piece - my dress - aside while I made Cate's dress.

First for Cate's little dress:

Find a dress that fits and lay it on the material to gauge the shape to cut it. I used this cute red striped dress as a pattern. Note there is a frill on the bottom, and I want to use that again. Here you can see I flared the red dress out so get that cute girly shape.

Turn the fabric inside out, fold it in half (to make symmetrical front & back) and, using chalk, draw a straight line from the shoulder to the bottom of the frill.

Cut arm holes (again, chalk is great! I use chalk from my son's chalk board. I've heard of specific sewing chalk, but I'm not sure what it is...??). Again, make sure the fabric is folded so your dress is symmetrical.

Turn the arm holes under and stitch. I love zig zag stitch and use it all the time. It gives the clothing character, I reckon.

Fold the back over twice towards the inside of the dress. Leave enough gap for the shoulder ties.
Don't forget your clothing tag...
Repeat for the front.

I need straps to thread through the front & back for the shoulder ties. I cut off a 2' thick strip from the extra fabric and, using my bias tape maker, I ironed & sewed 2 fabric ties. Use a safety pin to thread through the holes on the front & back.

Cate's dress is done!

And for mine...
The only thing I had to do was add a matching ruffle on the bottom edge. I thought about tailoring the dress to make it more fitted, but I don't know how to do that, so I'll just stick with the ruffle.

Using a straight edge & rotary cutter, cut 2 strips of fabric from the extra piece (leftover from the baby dress off-cut). Sew them right-sides together.
Measure the length of the bottom of the dress. As you can see, mine was approx 27 inches or 69 cm. But remember this is only the front!... so I need a ruffle length of at least 54 inches or 138cm.

The standard rule of thumb for a ruffle is 2.5x longer than the main piece, but Cate's ruffle wasn't too ruffled and I wanted them to match. I went for 1.5x the length of the fabric (54 inches x 1.5 = 81 inches, or 207 cm).
I sewed a looong straight stitch on the 'ruffle' piece and slightly pulled on the bobbin thread, gathering the fabric to form a ruffle.
So now I had a long ruffle piece and my dress.
I first thought I'd pin it all together, but I was afraid it would shift around and I'd get an uneven ruffle.
So, I took the pins out and started sewing at one end, matching the end with the side seam of the dress.
If you can, try to sew below the looooong straight stitch you did earlier because I'm going to remove it.
Sew slowly.

And press with an iron. An iron is your best friend - it makes everything look neat & tidy.

And that's it.

The party was fantastic and I LOVED that people loved our matching dresses! "What a great idea!", they exclaimed. Yes, I know, thank you!

Mother & daughter matching dresses: (that's the real color of the skies - no photoshopping, I promise!)

Sweet baby girl

I loved our cakes! My friend Justine made them: a pink 30 and a teddy bear. The other kids are ~~drooling~~ patiently waiting for their slice of cake.

My family (anyone else have a hard time getting a good shot of ALL the people in the photo at the same time??? No? Just me?)

The love of my life, Jesse. He's a wonderful husband, father, and BBQ master:

I love the time of night when the kids are in bed & we can relax...

Christmas Patchwork Stocking from Scraps via Crazy Quilt method

2011-11-12T12:06:00.003+10:00

One of my favorite memories of Christmas as a child is going through the stockings that Santa left for us. And now, as a mother with 2 small kids, I've enjoyed buying little 'stocking stuffers' for them that I know they'll love.

Only problem: I don't have stockings for them!

And I refuse to buy them. Surely they're not that difficult to make? I'm a new sewer, but I've realized that making things is much easier than I always thought. (BTW, there are some great youtube videos for stockings - heaps of styles & techniques. This one works best for me because it's easy.)

So I had a look through my fabric stash and had all kinds of holiday designs: red & white stripes, green & red plaid, red & white snowflakes... but I live in the tropics and didn't really want to do a 'cliche' red/white/green design. I mean, there's no chance we're having a white Christmas in north Queensland.

Then I thought, "Why not make a non-typical colorful stocking?"

Yes!

I made my daughter a quilt earlier this year (my first sewing project & inspiration to buy my own sewing machine!), and I had some scraps left over from it.

I read about 'crazy quilting', and thought I'd give it a go.

Start with a 6-sided piece of fabric.

Get another piece and line it up with one of the edges. Sew them right sides together, and using a straight-edge, cut off the excess material.

It should look like this:

Keep doing this with your scraps, and check your stocking template (I made one from newspaper) for size.

Keep going...

It's getting closer!

When you're all done with the sewing, pin the stocking front to the template and cut around it to get the stocking shape. HINT: It's easier to have your pieces overhang the template & trim them to shape rather than forming them to the stocking.

*Optional: If you're going to embellish your stocking, do it now. I didn't embellish mine, but maybe you want to add buttons, ribbon, embroidery, etc. Do it now before you start putting pieces together.

Using another bit of scrap, cut out the stocking back. I had a white cotton shirt that was perfect.

Sew the front & the back together, right sides together. Trim the corners (little fringes) so that the stocking will lay nice & flat. Leave the top open (don't stitch the top closed).

Now you're going to attach the part used for hanging the stocking (hanging tab?). Using ribbon, or scrap fabric, or whatever, sew it to the front of the stocking on the seam of the front/back, sewing it as close to the top as possible. Make sure it's facing DOWN, as pictured.

Again, the stocking is right side out. Set aside for now.

Stocking lining: This is not optional. Not only does the lining make the stocking look & hang nicer, it also allows you to hide the seams. If you have a better way, please let me know :)

Again, using scrap (I used a XXL mens dress shirt), cut out 2 sides & sew them together, right sides facing. And make sure you cut the edges on the lining, too.

***Very important!*** Do not sew all around the lining. Leave the top open AND leave 4-6 inches opening on one of the sides. This is to flip it all through at the end! Trust me... I forgot this and had to unstitch.

So now you have the outer stocking turned right-sides out. And you have the lining turned inside-out.

Stuff the OUTSIDE stocking inside the lining, making sure the toes face the same direction. Sew around the top about 1/4 inch or so.

From the opening in the lining, flip the lining right side out. Sew the opening closed, and stuff the lining into the outside stocking piece.

Hooray, you're finished!

Hang it up,

And admire your finished stocking. Like I said - it's easy! Now i just have to do a few more....

Boka Hotell

How to transform adult shorts to kid shorts

2011-11-08T21:21:00.000+10:00

A friend gave me her too-big shorts when she heard I sew. (This seems to happen a lot. People give me their clothes they don't want anymore - and I'm grateful!)

They were in great condition except the elastic waist was stretched out.

I didn't really know what to do with them...

And then I wondered: could I cut them up & re-sew them into shorts for my 2 year old son???

I loved the plaid, and they had 2 front pockets & a back pocket, which my son would love. I thought I could easily put some elastic in the waist (some elastic that wasn't too stretched). In my head, it was perfect.

Plus, I rarely find something cool to make for my boy.

So I cut the shorts into 4 pieces along the seams & cut off the elastic waist.

I used a pair of shorts that fit my son, and traced around them to get the pattern for the new shorts. I lined up the existing hems on the bottom, and made sure I used the front/front and back/back pieces so I'd have 2 front & 1 back pocket on the new shorts, too.

Cut out your 4 pieces (2 front legs, 2 back legs), and sew them together. Fold the top down and insert elastic. Sew.

And you're done!

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. I used to be intimidated by shorts - they seemed so difficult to make! - but in reality they are very easy. These were especially easy since the pockets were already made.

And best of all, my little man LOVED his shorts.

Have you done this before?? I'd love to hear what you think about this refashion project!

Little Black Dress Refashion from Woman's Halter

2011-11-06T10:25:00.001+10:00

A little black dress - for a very little person.

This is a very easy refashion!!... most of the appeal in this top is in the detail of the fabric. All you have to do is cut it up & re-sew. You can do this in under an hour.

Here's the "BEFORE." It's in great condition, but was too big for me. I found this at the thrift store. I paid 12 cents for it.

I love the white floral embroidery design at the bottom. I thought about making these into cute toddler pants, but there wasn't enough fabric due to the waist-tie. So I decided to refashion it into a little black dress for my daughter (btw, she has tons of these tops, so I put it in my Etsy store in case you're in love with it!) using the waist-ties as shoulder ties.

Cut off the top. Remove the waist-ties and set them aside for later. As mentioned, these will be the shoulder ties.

Cut out symmetrical arm holes, fold them under and sew.

Fold top down and sew, allowing a 1/2 inch or so gap for threading the shoulder ties.

I am making a single shoulder-tie, so I need one long piece (rather than 2 short ones if you're doing a double-tie). Take the waist-ties and sew them together. Thread through the front & back, and tie it on one shoulder into a cute bow.

I've made a few of these shoulder tie dresses, so here's a more detailed step-by-step with photos if you need more clarification.

All done!

My husband & son are camping on a 'boys weekend', so I pulled out the crayons for Cate to try without her older brother snatching them away (or the two conspiring to throw them all over the house). Cate loved it - and I discovered a new way to keep her entertained!

No Sew T-shirt Refashion

2011-10-30T23:28:00.001+10:00

My daughter didn't take a great nap today. If you have kids, you don't need a further explanation.

But if you don't have kids, just know this: tired kids are not much fun, and they crave attention.

So my great plans to spend an hour sewing on a Sunday? Vanished when Cate woke too early from her 'nap.'

But my creative juices were flowing and I was keen to try out an idea. I had a t-shirt refashion on my mind. Somehow, I refashioned these shirts between Cate's tired whining. I had the shirts & scissors next to me, and made the snips between our playing.

How?
This refashion is NO SEW.

All you need is a good pair of scissors and a t-shirt that fits.

I made 2 shirts in less than 1 hour.

I bought the Red Sox shirt in 2004 when I went to a Red Sox game in Fenway Park. And I found this Foo Fighters Australian Tour shirt in a thrift store. Both shirts fit me well. But I don't really like wearing t-shirts.
I love these shirts - go Sox! - but I needed to refashion them into something more... feminine.

First, cut off the collar. Simply cut along the hem.

Next, cut out the hem in both sleeves.

Cut out the cuffs on both sleeves. Cut a slit in the top of the sleeve from shoulder to end of sleeve.

Check on daughter: yup, she's looking at me while playing with her (napping) brother's trains. She's fine, but I gotta hurry!

Now make the shoulder ties. Take the cuffs from the sleeves and cut OFF the serging thread.

Last, pinch the shoulder sleeves together. I folded them neatly in 2 folds. Using the sleeve off-cuts from the previous step, tie around the shoulder into a bow.

All done! Put scissors away and continue to play with tired child.

Take some photos - or ask your husband to take the photos for you when the kids are (finally!) sleeping.

Share your no-sew t-shirt refashion with me! I'd love to see them!

Tween Skirt to Easy Toddler Dress

2011-10-25T16:34:00.000+10:00

My 10 month old daughter is growing, and I don't have enough clothes to meet the demand. And it's getting very hot in Australia.

Time for a refashion.

Cate has several gorgeous designer outfits from her grandmother & great-grandmother, but I don't feel right dressing her in those clothes when I know they're going to get dirty & grubby. With 2-3 outfit changes a day + a humid summer, Cate needed a quick & cute dress for our climate.

I went to the local "Nik Nak Shed," a community thrift store in Port Douglas run completely by volunteers. I found a cool box of airplanes (stocking stuffer!) for my 2 year old for 50 cents, and this cute tween skirt - size 10 - for 50 cents.

I knew I wanted to make another pillow-case type of dress for Cate. It's easy, it's easy, and it's easy. And, I've done a few in the past and have gotten lots of great feedback from other mothers, usually in the form of, "Oh wow, did you make that?! It's SO cute!"

First thing to do is turn the skirt inside/out and cut out the zipper on the side. Surge/zig zag stitch up the side, following the same straight seam-line that was already in place. You'll cut off about 1 inch or so. Leave the other side seam alone.

Next, fold the skirt in half to ensure an equal size arm hole. Draw arm holes with chalk. Cut them out.

Using matching bias tape, zig-zag attach it onto the arm holes. I LOVE using zig-zag stitch with bias tape. It looks cute on kids clothes AND leaves less room for error in missing catching the material.

As you can see here, we didn't need to touch the top of the skirt because there was already a nice finish on it. We're going to use this to our time-advantage: fold it over once (folded towards the inside of the skirt), leaving enough room to thread the ribbon through for the shoulder ties. Sew.

Add your tag...

Thread the ribbon (once piece through the front, one piece through the back). And you're done!

I'm so in love with the simplicity of this style of dress - am wondering if it's possible to make one in adult sizes???

I think this dress may be a bit big for Princess Cate... for now...

Stellar Camera

2011-10-25T15:20:00.002+10:00

Thanks Andrea for your STELLAR recommendation on my new digital point & shoot camera, the Canon S95.
Coming in at $350 delivered to my door, it takes great pics and is very easy to use.
My husband & I bought a camera when we got married in 2005 (just celebrated 6 years on the weekend!), and the digital technology has improved so much we needed a new one... for the kids, for hubby's fishing, for my sewing. It was our anniversary gift to ourselves.
I do not get any type of advertising from Canon - this is a GENUINE happy review by a THRILLED camera user.
This photo was in the movie theater - no flash! Amazing!

Thanks again AJ!

Refashion Curtain to Girl Apron with Applique Teapot & Ruffles

2011-10-17T16:23:00.002+10:00

I feel like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music! I have a thing for cutting up curtains...
I made my son a cool Tonka Truck apron out of refashioned curtains a few weeks ago (see the photos and the aprons for sale in my Etsy shop). I thought it would be cute to make some girl aprons because my daughter willl soon need one, too.
I bought this curtain at the historic Anglican Church in Mossman, Queensland. (Tourist tip: every Saturday they sell donated items & host the local weekend market to fundraise for various community projects. The little old ladies sell their homemade jams and still-warm baked goodies. It's under the raintrees and is a charming community event that I love supporting.)

Can you see the bleach stains near the top?
I love this fabric for aprons because it's a heavy cotton - strong and durable.
And I fell in love with the buttons.

For these curtains, I wanted to use the base of the pink and add some embellishments.
First, make an apron template out of newspaper and trace it onto your fabric.
Also, I lined up the bottom to the existing hem on the curtains. It's one less step to finish (I'm doing this while my kids are sleeping, so time is precious!). Cut out.

Because the ends are raw (ie they will fray!), you need to do something to 'finish' them. I added my home-made bias binding (very easy to do! Check out MADE for the best tutorial I've seen for making your own) around all the edges. I also went around the armholes EXTRA long to allow for the neck & back ties.

Next, find a teapot template & some fabric you'll use for the teapot (I used red with white polka dots). I Googled "teapot outline template" and printed one of the designs. (I'm not sure who the owner is, otherwise I'd give credit - thank you whoever you are!) It was a little small, so I enlarged it on the printer. Cut out your template. Trace onto the right side of the teapot fabric. DON'T CUT TEAPOT YET.

Now, cut out a piece of double-sided iron on adhesive, making sure it's a little bigger than the teapot. As you can see from the photo, I used "Heat n Bond." Iron the wrong side of fabric to the adhesive. (while your iron is out, press the apron free of wrinkles. If you're really keen, you can iron some work shirts, too. But if you're like me, you don't buy clothes that require ironing, lol.)

Now you have a piece of fused fabric/adhesive. Carefully cut out the teapot from this fused creation.

Peel away the backing of the adhesive - it's like a sticker now. Place it on your apron (if you didn't iron it already, make sure to do it now). Press the teapot in place. (Note: the while teapot is the paper you just peeled from the back of the teapot). I angled my teapot as if it was tipping out, but you could also center it.

Applique your teapot to the apron by zig-zag stitching around the outline.

Add embellishments as you prefer - I added two frills in matching red & white polka dots.

The curtain gave me 6 aprons - I've made two! Which one do you prefer?

Double-sided Bunting Refashion from Shirt Sleeves and Cooking Twine

2011-10-11T16:18:00.000+10:00

A few weeks ago I was planning my market stall and decided I needed some bunting to hang from the sides. I had seen bunting at parties, on craft sites, and in kids' rooms, but I had never made it. Coincidentally, around this same time, a non-sewing friend had bunting made for her son's room and it cost her $30. $30?!?! Surely I could do it myself.
I investigated the various methods for bunting, and they were all pretty simple: triangles sewn together.
I had a look around my sewing ~~cave~~ room and *lightbulb!* I knew what to use.
Weeks ago I refashioned several dresses/art smocks/dress up outfits from button-up collared shirts and had a pile of sleeves that I had not yet used.
These would be my triangles.
And the string? I had some cooking twine that I never use (what is it used for besides bunting?), and it would be perfect.
So here's what I did:
Gather your sleeves. Pick a theme. Mine is PINK.

Make a triangle template out of newspaper (or whatever). Trace onto the sleeves USING THE FOLD OF THE SLEEVE AS THE BASE OF THE TRIANGLE.

Sew along the edges leaving about 1/2 inch seam allowance on the fold (and about 1/4 inch on the other sides.) It doesn't really matter, just make sure you leave enough space to thread the twine through!

Or, if it's easier, you could fold the triangle OVER the twine and sew the seam.

Either way, your sewn triangles should look something like this:

Thread the twine through and hang up. Remember, it's double sided so it doesn't have to live on a wall. Perhaps over a baby's cot? Or entrance over a doorway?

I also made a blue (boyish) one:

This was very easy and frugal, and took less than 30 minutes. Enjoy!

And if you know any teachers: While I was sewing, the thought crossed my mind that this would be a fun class project. Like, each kid gets to decorate a triangle and the teacher can display it in the classroom.

Your thoughts?

Refashion Woman's shirt to girl drawstring pants

2011-10-10T20:40:00.001+10:00

I apologize - these 'progress' photos did not turn out well, and I didn't realize it until after the sewing/photo process. I was sewing/photographing at night (while the kids were sleeping, of course), but I now know I'll have to do photos in the natural light. Oh well, next time.
Anyway, this was a dark blue embroidered shirt with a funky floral band on the bottom. It wasn't a great shirt, but it had potential for an excellent refashion. The best part was that the sides of the shirt had an open slit on both sides, which would look cool as ankle flare on little girl pants.

This is how I did it:

Turn the shirt inside out and using an existing pair of pants, trace the outline of the pants, making sure the outside ankle lines up with the slits.

Cut out the pant legs (leave the existing hem). Sew pant legs together. (I admit... I've been known to sew the legs together when sewing too late at night...lol...). Turn the top hem down and stitch.

To make the drawstrings: I love that this shirt has matching 'edges' on the collar and sleeves. Cut out these edges on the collar and sleeves as close to the stitch as possible. Or, if you are more of a perfectionist (I'm not), you can un-stitch and re-sew. Take the strings (the 'edges' now removed from the shirt) and thread through the waist hem (note: you may have to un-pick a stitch or two so the drawstring will fit though the naval opening).

Finally, turn the pants right-side out and tie a nice bow. Congrats on the drawstring pants - very funky!

Refashion 20 minute Winter shirt to Summer shirt

2011-10-06T20:55:00.001+10:00

I refashioned this shirt in 20 minutes. You can, too!!

Today I decided to wear this cute polka dot skirt, but the pink shirt I normally wear it with was recently ruined in a BBQ tragedy. (I was making my mom's famous 'chicken on the grill' and wasn't wearing an apron and - gasp! - oil splattered on my shirt. Now it's in my 'Refash" pile.)
So I had a skirt but no shirt, and I only had 20 minutes before 1) my daughter woke up and 2) we had to leave to go to library story time.
Hmmm.
I searched through the shirts hanging in my closet. Nothing matched this skirt. Then I searched the folded shirts. Still nothing. Then I saw it: the perfect match to the pink polka dots.

Here's what I found.

I love this red shirt, but I live in the tropics, and unfortunately, I only get to wear it 1 month of the year because it's too warm.
The long sleeves had to go. And time was ticking.

I was nervous about cutting off the sleeves, (actually, I'm still not comfortable cutting up clothes! I always take a few deep breaths before bringing the scissors to them), but I thought the sleeves would make a cute pair of shorts for my daughter. I set them aside for another time.

Now we are going to form the shirt to give it some flare.
First, turn the shirt inside-out. Eyeball where you want the armholes to be (or if you have more time, you can put the shirt on and see what's comfortable). Mark the arm holes with chalk, and then draw a line extending from the bottom of the armpit to the bottom outside corner of the shirt at a flare/diagonal.

Zigzag stitch on the line and trim off the extra fabric (or use serger/overlocker).

Turn in armholes and stitch.

My shirt has a faux-bodice, but I lost the string for it ages ago. I went to my stash and found some dark pink ribbon that (sort of) matches, and threaded it through.

And here it is!

With time to spare, I take a few photos of myself in the hallway mirror.

I pack the kids in the car & off we go to story time. I love my 'new' 20 minute shirt!

Refashion: Halter to Toddler Summer Dress

2011-10-02T23:02:00.000+10:00

I fell in love with this halter when I saw it at the thrift store. The colors. The design. The cuteness. When I felt the fabric in my hands I knew I'd make this easy summer dress.

And this was a perfect refashion for my 10 month old daughter.

Best of all, it was very easy. Seriously easy. Here's how I did it:

The before:

I can TOTALLY see why someone would have bought this halter, but why give it away? One of the straps is broken and the green plastic on the chest buckle is flaking off.

From a design point of view, I didn't need to change much. This halter:

* Had a perfect hem on the bottom. I didn't touch it. And the length was perfect for a toddler.

* The width was a bit much, but 1) I was curious to see how it'd turn out as it was, and 2) my overlocker needed rethreading and I was keen to start sewing. So I decided to leave the sides alone, too.

First I unpicked the breast material from the belly material (note: I do not have a sewing background, so I am sorry for the non-sewing lingo. Let me know if it's unclear....) Put the green buckle breast material into your scrap pile for a later project.

Fold the rectangle-shaped material in half, ensuring the arm holes will be symmetrical. Use chalk (I use my son's chalk from his chalkboard) to draw curved armholes. Cut them out.

Fold the arm holes under and sew. Fold the top and back top edges over and press. IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO THE ARMHOLES FIRST as it nicely hides the top edge on the armholes.

When you sew the top edges, insert your label. I use pins for the label, otherwise I'd forget to put it in... I don't normally use pins because they're time-consuming and annoying. But like I said, I don't have a sewing background.

This was the hardest part: What color ribbon for the shoulder ties?? I checked out my stash for the options:

The dark pink was perfect, but too thin. Black is not girly enough. Green bias tape wouldn't last in the laundry. But the light pink ribbon... it would work.

My toddler loves this dress... it's cool enough for our approaching summer and practical enough to play with her older brother's toys.

Boy Aprons - Refashioned Curtains

2011-09-26T14:25:00.001+10:00

I was making heaps of cute girl clothes and I realized I needed something cute and boyish for my 2 1/2 year old son. He was in the phase of wiping his dirty hands on his shirt (ok, he's still in that phase), and I needed something that he'd want to wear. I needed something that was cool to a 2 year old boy.
Hmmm.
I was at a garage sale a few weeks ago and found 4 cute Tonka Truck curtains - Bingo!!
The material was perfect - it's thick enough to be practical and boy enough to be wearable. And, most importantly, it can hold Thomas and trains.
Here's the result.
And now, it's not just an apron: it's an art smock/rock holder/wear in the yard when he's helping dad.

September Refashions

2011-09-26T10:10:00.001+10:00

September Refashions.

Dresses, Art Smocks, Beach Wear:

Thank you lovely Imogen, Freya, & Cate for your gorgeous modeling.

Like it? Be sure to check out my Facebook page.

Market = Epic Fail

2011-09-25T13:15:00.001+10:00

Last week I nervously decided to plunge into the Market World. I felt SO vulnerable. And. I. Was.
I sold $35 of clothing, less $34 in market stall fees. $1 profit. Yes. Vulnerable.
But with my 10 hours of sitting & waiting & watching the people walk by, I had a lightbulb moment. You know what I mean... like all of a sudden you have a great idea and wonder why it hadn't occurred to you sooner.
I realized that although the markets are a great place to people watch, it's NOT the most efficient way to sell something. I was chatting with a veteran stall holder (he & his wife make their own jewelry), and asked him if they sold their stuff online. He said, "Nah! We hardly use the computer. Plus we have too much inventory, it'd take too much time."
Really? More time than wasting your whole weekend sitting here doing NOTHING??
And I DO use a computer, and I can't think of the last time I bought 'something' from a market.
Enter stellarmother.blogspot.com and, of course, check me out on facebook.com/stellarmother
So last week, I had a cry over my epic fail market experience. Sunday afternoon was PITY PARTY, TABLE FOR 1. My husband comforted me as I reassessed my Stellar strategies and packed up my mini-clothes pin sign holders.
And now, a week later, I have a blog & a facebook page. In hindsight, the market epic fail was the best thing that happened to me all week.